Living with the Legacies of Historical Globalization

Chapter 8

RYWK

Genocide pg 190gacaca courts pg 192Apartheid pg 197enemy aliens pg 199non-governmental organization pg 202foreign aid pg 207gross national income pg 207Nelson Mandela pg 198

• HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION?

• HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE GOVERNMENTS RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION?

• HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATON?

• HOW DOES HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE WORLD?

Learning goals

• 2.11 Examine contemporary global issues that have origins in policies and practices of post colonial governments in Canada and other locations (consequences of residential schools, social impact on indigenous peoples, loss of language civil strife)

• 2.12 evaluate various attempts to address consequences of imperialism policies and practices on Indigenous peoples in Canada and other locations

• 2.13 examine legacies of historical globalization and imperialism that continue to influence globalization

HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION?Many people argue that the 1994 civil war in Rwanda was a direct result of historical globalization. When

the conflict ended, Rwandans began to rebuild their lives and their communities. AVEGA Agahozo members

Fig 8-2 One legacy of historical globalization in Alberta is the diversity of people in the province. How do you share in the legacies of historical globalization? How do you respond?

Rwanda – A response to historical globalization

Ntarama church in Kigali Province was the site of a massacre of nearly 5 000 people. The people had fled to the Catholic church believing they would be

safe there. The church is now a memorial to the people who died there.

Rebuilding Rwandan society

The coffee industry employs 40 % of Rwandans. In coffee co-operatives, Tutsis and Hutus work side by side to rebuild the economy.

Louise Arbour, a francophone lawyer and judge was the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2004, she became the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

International Support

Nicole Pageau is Ubuntu Edmonton’s project coordinator in village near Kigali, Rwanda’s capital.

Another organization helping rebuild Rwanda is Women for Women International. This organization helps Hutu and Tutsis women’s co-operatives sell their peace baskets, a traditional art for thousands of years.

HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE GOVERNMENTS RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION?

One organization that tries to persuade governments to work together is the United Nations. The goals of the UN are to keep peace security, and friendly relations among countries of the world; to promote huma rights; to protect the environment; to fight poverty and disease; and to help refugees.

Many of the 370 million Indigenous people in the world are not represented at the UN. To try to get their voices heard the UN established the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The forum discusses issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.

The forum is working to have the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples passed by the UN.

South Africa and Inequalities

Beginning in 1652, South Africa was colonized by the Dutch, Portuguese, French, and British.

With each wave of colonization, the Indigenous people lost more land and rights.

In 1926 South Africa became a dominion of Britain. Because blacks outnumbered whites, 10 to 1, the government passed laws to ensure that whites held on to political and economic power. After WW II, apartheid was introduced.

June 16, 1976 - 15 000 – 20 000 student protesters from Soweta, a South African township, demonstrated to demand better

education.

Police officers opened fire on the students who responded by throwing rocks and bottles and setting buildings on fire.

Between 160 – 350 students were killed.

The killings made the headlines around the world and sparked worldwide condemnation of South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, at a young age, took up the struggle to end apartheid.

He joined the African National Congress and helped organize protests in the 1950’s.

He was imprisoned, later became president and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Legacies of historical globalization in Canada

Germans and Ukrainian Canadians interned at Castle Mountain Internment Camp in Alberta. Japanese Canadians were

shipped to internment camps in BC during WW II.

Legacies of the Indian Act

“The Indian Act has … deprived us of our independence, our dignity, our self-respect and our responsibility.”

Kaherine June Delisle, of the Kanien ‘kehaka First Nation, Quebec quoted in People to People, Nation to Nation: The Royal

Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996.

Royal commissions are a legacy of British rule. They are established by the government to investigate matters of public concern. In 1991, the federal government of Canada established the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples to investigate its relationship with First Nations, Metis and Inuit.

The commissioners concluded that “the main policy direction, pursued for more than 150 years, first by colonial then by Canadian governments has been wrong.”

Canada offers the statement of reconciliation

Inuit drummer, Phanuelie Palluq, performs at a 1998 ceremony in Ottawa.

At the ceremony a statement of reconciliation was read by the minister of Indian Affairs, acknowledging, among other things, the abuse many First Nations children had suffered at residential schools.

HOW EFFECTIVELY HAVE ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDED TO THE LEGACIES OF HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATON?

Around the world local and international organizations are working to help rebuild societies that have suffered the destructive legacies of historical globalization.

Churches, corporations, armies, schools, hospitals, clubs, and political parties are all organizations that are responding to the legacies of historical globalization.

Some people question the effectiveness of NGOs

Some NGOs are sponsored by groups that want to undermine or overthrow governments.

For example in 2006, the government of Peru claimed that NGOs had funded a blockade of oil wells by Indigenous peoples in the Amazon region.

NGOs were ordered to reveal their sponsors and how they planned to spend their money.

Some NGOs have been blacklisted for funding separatist rebels.

Other critics say that local grassroots organizations like AVEGA Agahozo are harmed when NGOs move in. They question whether these international NGOs are just a neew form of imperialism

HOW DOES HISTORICAL GLOBALIZATION CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE WORLD?

One important legacy of historical globalization is the growing disparity in the well-being of people around the world.

The tremendous rise in the standard of living of most people in Europe and North America is a direct legacy of historical globalization.

But most of the world’s people have not had the opportunity to benefit from the positive aspects of global trade.

Foreign aid (the money, expertise, supplies, and other goods given by one country to another) is one response to the inequalities caused by historical globalization. The goals of foreign aid are to reduce poverty and encourage a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world.

The United Nations encourages developed countries to provide foreign aid to less developed countries and suggests that the amount be tied to a country’s GNI (gross national income). GNI is the amount of money earned by everyone in a country.

The UN has set a 0.07 % of GNI as an appropriate target.

No country has ever achieved this goal.

What surprises you?What questions do you have?

Think about your challenge … 4 corner debate

Strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree

Contemporary society has done enough to respond to the legacies of historical globalization.

Your debate response will be the basis of your position paper.