Blog# 20. As you move into the next phase of your life, how will you try to affect change in the world regarding these issues?

One thing that i have learned in this course is that there are issues every where around the world. Now that i'm graduating from grade 12 and moving on to university, it gives me a chance to make new friends and experience a whole new look on life. The way i will try to advocate for change by joining some clubs that help with charities that is regarding that issue. Doing this in a university environment gives the opportunity for a club to become an organization that can branch out to become a large community wise event. That allows a lot of people to join and make positive change in our own society and worldwide. I am so thankful that i took this course because now i am very interested in what i happening on around the world and that is a key thing you need to be apart of a organization that is going to helping people all around the world. This course has taught me how to take action ad how to work together to become successful for others and not only for ourselves. 

Blog#19. What is the biggest threat facing our Canada in the next 50 years?

The biggest threat that Canada will face in the next 50 years is to maintain a healthy environment because of all the harms that we are doing to the earth. With all these new technologies arriving our way, it hard to sustain a healthy environment which keeps other species alive. I believe that with all the new ways to generate electricity like fossil fuels and all that, will cause a lot of damage on our environment and that is going to even harder for the future because everything is going to advanced. If Canada can cut down on the on the advancement or enlargements on some plants or new technologies the environment will not be in too much harm and that will be beneficial to the other species that rely on the environment to survive. 

Blog # 18. What have you learned about yourself during the course?

  I have learned that i have become more confident and more knowledgeable in this course. I have learned to not be sky and get out of my comfort zone. During the course i have learned that i love to know what is going around the world. This course had given me an interest in current events and global issues that are very important. Also it has shown me that i can make a change with little ways that make the greatest difference. World issues has not only taught me how to become interested in things that i wasn't interested in before but also this course showed me how to use the right steps for positive change in society. For example, i can use the CARE model in my life to make a difference. I didn't know what the CARE model was before this course. By participating in discussions, and listening to the opinions of everyone in the class, i was able to form a well organized opinion about the issues that community is facing today. This course has really inspired me to take more action and become a more knowledgeable person. 

Blog# 17. What are the 3 most important issues that you've learned about during the course?

The 3 important issues that i have learned about are: Racism, globalization and the Arab-Israeli conflict. These three topics are the most 3 important ones to me because i have learned more about them then i already knew. I didn't really know what globalization was until this course and the globalization debate was where i got to learn more about it. I have learned a lot abut globalization in this class because I've never used this term in my life. This course has given so much knowledge on topics that i did not know of. The biggest issue that I know of like the back of head because of this course is the Arab-Israeli conflict. I have never heard of this conflict before this course and i am so glad that now i know about this because whenever anything related to this topic shows up, i know that background about it. 

Blog #16. ISU Reflection

The isu presentations were very interesting because they were very diverse topics but they all interrelated to each other which i found very neat. I have learned something new for each topic that i didn't already know about the specific topic. The hard work and dedication for each presentation had showed for every one of them. The thing i found that was cool was that each person in our class had a different way to approach the audience which made it more interesting to listen to. The presentations i feel went very well because everyone was confident. I have learned so much in that period of presentations because it made me think of the things that i didn't do that i should have. Like for example, i don't waste a lot of water anymore and i recycle. I feel that we are so busy with our lives that we don't even know what we are doing that is causing damage to our earth. I have never really thought of everything I've done and all the negative effects it has to our world. These presentations are an eye opener for me and i have learned a lot about the topics after these presentations.

Blog #15. European Elections - Austerity Rejected!

France and Greece have had recent elections and the French Socialist party won. Hollande, who is the leader of the Socialist believed that he knew what was best for the society of France and I think that is an important quality for the person in power should have because it shows that he has confidence in himself. In Greece, the election didn’t not have enough votes to put a party as the majority party. That means there will be another election later in the year. The shocking news was that the party that the party with the most votes was against restoring Greece’s debt. This shows that the voters understand that the economic status was more important. Instead of restoring the debt for the European economy, the alternative approach to solving the debt crisis was to weaken the Europe economy sending them into a spiral of recession, unemployment, and a crippled national finance. This, in my opinion isn’t the right approach to helping Greece get their stable status back. It will take a long time for Greece to actually have everything restored, also they need a leader that can do just that.

Blog 14. Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. There are many small and easy ways we can help. By refusing to purchase any type of animal related items, it stops the industry of threatening endangered animals. Composting adds nutrients to your soil. You should also buy organic goods because they do not have pesticide on them. Also all the little things like planting trees and recycling can make all the difference.

Blog #13. Violence in Society

 The most violent scenes we were exposed to were from video games. Video games were little more than a bouncing ball controlled by a joystick. But, society has changed and, now, violence is everywhere. Children and adolescents are exposed to violent images everyday and the line between reality and fiction is blurred. Now, the consequences of such exposure are becoming evident and recent studies show neurological adaptations and desensitization that lead to aggression and violence in real life. This is an issue because watching video games influences the acts of violence. Violence in society has become an increasing concern for everyone. Violence has come to take on different forms and can be influenced from media. We no longer just need to fear physical blows and wounds, but sexual assault, neglect, verbal attacks, threats, insults, harassment, and psychological abuse.  The Canadian government needs to recognize that violence is a priority that needs to be stopped because it harms the well being of others. For the offenders that act upon violence there needs to be stricter rules placed on them because they are basically a threat against society. That is the case because they have violent intentions.

Blog #12. Racism

Racism is perhaps the most shameful and destructive aspect of human history.  Not a recent phenomenon, racism; the belief that one particular group of people is superior to another,has existed for thousands of years.  Mankind has been unable to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of the various ethnic groups. Instead, fear has taken control. Xenophobia, defined as an intense fear and dislike of foreign people, or simply racial intolerance, is a disease reaching epidemic proportions. Traditionally, ethno-national conflicts had to do with struggles over resources and land possession. Often these conflicts were tied to religious intolerance. Racism world-wide is manifested in every continent. In Europe, extreme racist groups have gained more and more acceptability in countries like France, Germany, and Austria. In Australia, the Aborigines have lost much of their land and have been the victim of extreme prejudice. Not only has Apartheid been practiced in Australia, it has been a well-publicized condition in South Africa. Many African countries have endured long-term civil wars, some beginning shortly after that nation’s freedom from former colonial countries. In Asia, Cambodians harbor extreme prejudices against the Vietnamese, and Chinese students have been forbidden access to higher education in Malaysia. In the Middle East, antagonism between the Israelis and the Palestinians continues to exist. Racism exists today and in its worst ways. It has changed many relationships with different countries. 

Blog# 11. Gender Inequality

Equality between women and men or gender equality include promoting the equal participation of women and men in making decisions, supporting women and girls so that they can fully exercise their rights, reducing the gap between women's and men's access to and control of resources and the benefits of development. Gender equality is still out of reach for most women worldwide. Women continue to have fewer rights, lower education and health status, less income, and less access to resources and decision-making than men. Nevertheless, women's critical roles in food production, income generation, management of natural resources, community organization and domestic responsibilities are essential for sustainable development. Gender inequality has made the women role insignificant because it shows that women can’t rights that men can have. Even thought there has been changes worldwide for women have rights, in third world countries, the women are still degraded in society. For example, Africa , the women still do not have their full rights, they have to fulfill only the domestic needs. This is an issue because gender inequality hasn’t been solved yet. Countries life Africa, should reconsider the women in their country and their rights and make it fair so they aren’t degraded. Also have women become part of their society. 

Blog #10 AIDS and Disease

Thirty-five million people are currently living with aids. On average of 7,100 people are newly affected every day. Developing regions account for the highest rates of infection, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for over 70% of the new infections and nearly 23 million of the total number of people living with the virus worldwide. HIV/AIDS is killing farmers, teachers and health workers, and negatively affecting food production, life expectancies and infant mortality rates. In addition to HIV/AIDS, malaria, malnutrition and other health conditions account for more than 11 million childhood deaths annually in developing countries. This is a serious issue because people are do not have the resources that we have as a first world country. These people are trying to live normal lives but they do not have the resources that we have because they live in developing countries. One of the most known diseases is HIV.HIV stands for: Human Immunodeficiency Virus.HIV is a virus. Viruses such as HIV cannot grow or reproduce on their own, they need to infect the cells of a living organism in order to replicate; make new copies of themselves. The human immune system usually finds and kills viruses fairly quickly, but HIV attacks the immune system itself - the very thing that would normally get rid of a virus. Although treatments for HIV/AIDS can hinder the course of the disease, there is no known cure or HIV vaccination. The drugs and medications are not only expensive to produce, but they are not easily accessible in all countries. Because of the difficulty of treating this infection, prevention is perhaps the key aim in controlling this disease. Governments world wide should promote safe sex in order to reduce the chances of safe sex and this allows global citizens know that safe sex is protecting them from fatal diseases/AIDS. 

CARE Model: From Take More Action

The CARE model of Global Citizenship represents  values that unites different principals no matter how different they are. These are values that any valuable global citizen should have, despite the different social or economic classes we all belong to. The CARE model represents our common humanity. The CARE model is consisted of Compassion, Action, Responsibility and Equality. If we all apply these different values to our life, we can create a better world where everyone has each other's best interest in mind. Having this CARE  model helps the whole community to unify and become stronger as one. If all of these factors of the CARE  model in our lives, then the world will be better. Showing compassion is very important because it lets one self not be selfish and think of other's trouble's. The second factor is action, if humanity does not take an action then they have no freedom of speech. Speaking up and taking action for positive change  is one of the most important key that humanity in order for more happiness around the world. Responsibility is something that people need to claim in order to make it easier on humanity because if you don't take responsibility for your actions, you may not get credit for the positive change that has happened in society. Responsibility is an important thing that people need to have because it shows that you have the courage to say that you have done this type of action. And lastly, the last factor of the CARE model is equality. There needs to be equality for any type of action or responsibility being done because if you understand people at the same level then it is easier to relate to them and make connections. Equality makes everything the positive change in society, working together and excluding the other barriers, so much can be done. Equality makes society more close, changes lives and also it makes everyone happy. With these factors of the CARE model, it unites different people and principles for unity in society. 

Blog #8  AIC NSA Feedback Reflection




For the AIC simualtion, I represented Palestine Hamas. We had very reasonable goals and we had a great NSA supporting us. I believe the NSA that i had throughout the simulation had helped us in guiding us to the path of success with our goals. She had helped my group by telling us to highlight the important things that we wanted to accomplish. She would tell us if we on the right track with all the press releases that we did and etc. She was very helpful with everything. It was great having my NSA there for the whole simulations with some support and key pointers that she gave my group. 

Blog #7- Courage

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen" -Winston Churchill 


In my opinion, this quote is says it all about having courage. This is one of my favourite quotes because it illustrates that in order to take action you need to listen to others around you. By doing this, it shows your character of willing to change and it shows that you are accepting of people's thoughts. For example if you want to stand up for something and other people have similar idea's, you want to listen because they will support you in that change you want to see in society. Every person has their own unique talents but it takes the courage to come together and use those talents for change in society. If you rise to take action, you also need to listen to other people because that action affects the whole community. 

"All that it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." - Sir Edmund Burke, 1769.

So many people witness horrible acts being committed to many good people on a daily basis. People that witness these injustices to other people are not taking any action to prevent this action. The idea of taking action still seems to be prevalent in our society. People need to stop being bystanders and stand up against the acts of violence, discrimination and other wrongful actions. If people rise up to stop the act of violence then we would live in a better world for our generation. If one person takes action then the trend will soon catch on.