October 2005 Capital District Roundtable

Citizenship in the World

Chris D Garvin Roundtable Commissioner

OUTLINE

Introduction Merit Badges Teacher’s Guide Sources Questions

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Advancement Documents

Cub ScoutingBoy ScoutingVenturing

Introduction Alien: n. 1. A foreigner. 2. A person living in a country but not

a citizen of it.

Citizen: n. A person who is a member of a country or state either because of being born there or having been made a member by law. Citizens have certain duties to their country and are entitled to certain rights.

Citizenship: n. The condition of being a citizen; also, the rights and duties of a citizen [Citizenship includes the right to vote and the duty to serve on a jury.]

Citizenship Test

Merit Badges

Merit Badges

Citizenship in the World Merit Badge Personal Development Merit Badge

Group Source

www.meritbadge.com/home.htm Learning Worksheet Test Your Knowledge

Teacher’s Guide

Requirement 1 What is citizenship? How does one become a citizen in the

United States? How does one become a citizen in other countries?

Citizenship is a form of "membership" in a particular country. In the United States, one is either born an American citizen (because one or both parents were citizens, or because the birth took place on American land) or becomes naturalized later in life. In some countries, racial and religious criteria are used.

What rights, duties, and obligations does American citizenship entail? How are these similar to or different from the way citizenship is experienced in two other countries?

American citizens have a number of rights, such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, due process and religion (most of these rights also apply to non-citizens) and are also taxed in order to provide money for essential services. Other duties of American citizens might include obeying laws and voting.

Requirement 2 Discuss the concept of national interest.

A country's national interest is simply what it desires. Just like a thirsty man desires water, a desert country does likewise, and the control and maintenance of water is thus an example of a national interest. Some national interests, like water and border control, are universal and shared by all or nearly all countries. Others are dependent on the governments' goals, and may include conquest, diplomatic success and regional goals.

Explain how a country's security, economy, and values relate to its national interest.

National sovereignty, or the ability to exist with stable boundaries, is perhaps the most important national interest of any country. Security is very important, and all countries are either capable of defending themselves (perhaps relying on allies) from hostile neighbors or are prioritizing that goal. The economy drives the ability of the government to accomplish goals, and so it is also an important component of national interests. Many countries attempt to correct injustices abroad, such as by removing a dictator from power.

Requirement 3 Explain how communications and transportation have changed

relationships between countries Communications: Communication is important to commerce

because people need to communicate to trade. For example, the seller needs to advertise the products for sale. The purchaser and seller need to agree on price. The purchaser sends the requested money, and the seller sends the item. Improvements in communication speed up this process.

Transportation: Before the 1800's, transportation was slow. People had to walk, ride horses, or sail on ships to get around. In the mid 1800's, railroads and steamships appeared. The early cars and airplanes were invented in the early 1900's. Nowadays, we have more sophisticated cars, airplanes, and trains such as mag-lev. The net effect of these improvements of transportation is speed and increased capacity. These changes improved commerce and the ability to move military troops and equipment.

-or- Explain how changing national interests, democratic values,

and global economic partnerships are affecting the relationships between countries .

Requirement 4 Tell how the geography, natural resources, and climate

of a country affect its economy. Using a map of the world, select two countries. Describe

how geography, natural resources, and climate are important in defining each country's national interest. Explain how these interests affect relations with at least two other countries.

The national interests of a country are often very complex, and hinge on multiple factors involving geography, natural resources and climate, as well as social values, security issues and concerns regarding foreign countries.

Geography can affect a country's national resources through several ways. A country's shape can dictate its national interest.

Canada has reasons to reject Quebecois independence on national sovereignty grounds, but the province of Quebec is especially important. Without it, Canada is divided into two, non-contiguous regions.

Requirement 4 (continued) Nearly all countries have some kind of natural resources. It is

always in the best interest of the producers of a product (for example oil) to keep prices and demand high.

Saudi Arabia has large deposits of oil, and few other natural resources. Without a worldwide demand for oil, the Saudi economy would collapse.

Because all countries need food and water, climate is extremely important. Without adequate rain, for example, agriculture can not occur and food will have to be imported. Weather can also have debilitating effects on trade, both within and outside the boundaries of country.

It is often said that much of Russia's history is based on a search for "warm-weather ports" (i.e. a city from which ships could sail year round, rather than being frozen solid much of the time)

Requirement 4 (continued)

Saudi Arabia

Requirement 4 (continued)Cause National interest Affected foreign relations

GeographyMiddle-East

To maintain friendly relations with Muslim neighborsTo encourage the growth of friendly governments in the region.

Popular support indicates need to ally with Palestinian allies like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.General political and social upheaval in the area can ignite Saudi dissidents, thus support for stable governments in neighbors Yemen and Iraq are important.

Natural Resources

Oil

To keep the price of oil highTo keep the demand for oil highTo ensure the continued worldwide need for oil.

Need to continue exporting oil requires friendly relations with Western countries like the US, UK and AustraliaMust maintain support of other oil-producing countries like Venezuela and Kuwait a an integral part of OPEC

ClimateDry

To keep water flowing from the few sources within the countryTo maintain friendly relations with countries that export food

Must monitor environmental degradation of fresh water sources, which can be contaminated by actions in neighbors like Kuwait and Iraq

Requirement 5 Explain international law and how it differs from national law.

What role does international law perform in the international system? Describe how international law can be used as a tool for conflict resolution.

A state is ordinarily said to be sovereign - i.e. capable of enforcing its own laws on its own territory, and only on its own territory (for example, American laws do not apply in France, even if the people involved are all American). International law is a relatively recent invention, and concerns agreements between countries in pacts called treaties. International law can enforce standards (such as standardized weights and measures for the purposes of trade) and proscribe conduct according to treaties concerning human rights. With international organizations enforcing these treaties, often ineffectively, but also often with great success, countries whose governments ignore human rights treaties can be dealt with by multi-national alliances, who are perceived as having more legitimacy if a broken human rights treaty can be blamed.

Requirement 5 (continued) Select two of the following global issues and explain how

they have been affected by international agreements and treaties:

Environmentalism See Kyoto Protocol,

United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea, Endangered Species Act

Terrorism See Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

International trade See General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

Communications Transportation Famine Relief Disease Control International sports

See World Anti-Doping Agency

Requirement 5 (continued) Select TWO of the following organizations and

describe their role in the international system: The United Nations www.un.org/ The World Court en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Court World Organization of the Scout Movement

www.scout.org The World Health Organization www.who.int/en/ Amnesty International www.amnesty.org/ The International Red Cross www.icrc.org/eng Americas Watch CARE www.care.org/

Requirement 6 Explain to your counselor what is meant by:

International trade agreement Foreign Exchange - Ways to adjust how countries pay

their debts to one another Balance of Payments - A measure of the payments that

flow from one country to another. It is determined by a country's exports and imports of goods, services, and financial capital, as well as financial transfers.

Tariffs-A schedule of prices or fees Free Trade-Trade between nations without protective

customs tariffs Explain how world trade and global competition affect

the economy of your state and your community.

Requirement 6 (continued) Locate the listing of foreign currency exchange rates in the

financial section of the newspaper. Select three major foreign currencies and explain the rates of exchange between these currencies and the American dollar.

Select a foreign currency and price a product in that currency. Explain how fluctuations in currency exchange rates affect the price of that product if you are exporting it from the United States. Explain how fluctuations in currency exchange rates affect the price of that product if you are importing it into the United States.

Interactive Currency Table http://www.xe.com/ict/

Requirement 7 Discuss the differences between constitutional and non-

constitutional governments. Constitutional governments have a written document stating their

laws, rights and responsibilities. It must also be limited in power, follow a higher law, and have constitutional stability.

Nonconstitutional governments are dictatorships and absolute monarchies. Totalitarian and Authoritarian are the two types of nonconstitutional governments. In an authoritarian government, the power to make decisions is in the hands of one person or a small group. Totalitarian government is another form of authoritarian in which the government controls every aspect of society.

Name at least five different types of government currently in power in the world.

Show on a world map countries that use each of these five different forms of government.

Requirement 8 Explain how a government is represented abroad. How is the United

States government accredited to international organizations? Describe the roles of the following in the conduct of foreign relations:

Ambassador : is a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by one government or sovereign to another, usually for a specific length of time. They are a diplomatic official heading his or her country's permanent mission to certain international organizations; such as the United Nations; and are a authorized representative of a nation to deliver their nations messages and protect the national interest of the nation they represent through diplomatic means.

Consul : is an official appointed by a government to reside in a Foreign country to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country as well as provide assistance to Americans traveling abroad.

United States Information Agency : is an independent foreign affairs agency supporting U.S. foreign policy and national interests abroad, USIA conducts international educational and cultural exchanges, broadcasting, and information programs.

Agency for International Development : are represented in a multitude of nations. These agencies promote goodwill by contributing to resolve international and national crisis's by providing aid to these nations. In 2005, the efforts are continued and prominent in efforts to provide relief for the tsunami victims in the Indonesian areas.

Foreign Commercial Service : is an organization built to assist nations in strengthening economic ties. This service provides any legal commercial business to find other legal commercial businesses to trade, manufacture, or grow through their relationship together. For example, the FCS could find a manufacturer abroad to make it possible for your business to have minimal expenses for maximum profit.

Requirement 8 (continued) Explain the purpose of a passport and visa for

international travel. The purpose of a passport is to allow citizens of their identified

country to receive foreign passage (denied in some cases). The documentation allows both the nation granting passage and the nation of the citizen to be informed of their international activity. This could protect and benefit nations by preventing criminals from entering or exiting their control. The passport also grants them access to embassies of their nation to guarantee them the rights they are entitled to while in foreign lands. A visa is needed if a citizens wishes to live or work in a different nation. There are many types of visas and they differ from nation to nation but a visa is usually document that grants an individual the ability to work or live in a selected country. The visa is given by the nation that the individual is requesting to work or live in, and the nation may have some terms of agreement most likely for taxation purposes.

Requirement 9 Attend a world jamboree. Take part in an international event in your area. Visit with a foreign exchange student and discuss his or

her country and customs. Study a foreign language for a year. Write an embassy or consulate for material about its

country and discuss the material with your counselor. Examine a particular international issue and give a brief

oral presentation and a written report to your counselor.

Requirement 9: World Jamboree

Sources

Sources Department of State

http://www.state.gov/ Digital Diplomacy for Students

http://www.state.gov/www/digital_diplomacy/index.html The CIA World Factbook

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html Interactive Currency Table

http://www.xe.com/ict/ The United Nations

http://www.un.org/ Virtual Library: Indigenous Studies

http://www.cwis.org/wwwvl/indig-vl.html The Citizenship in the World Page

http://www.spsu.edu/cteacad/newell/Scouts/ Wiki Books

http://en.wikibooks.org/

November 2005 Capital District Roundtable

QUESTIONS?

Capital District Roundtable

Chris D Garvin cdgarvin@yahoo.com (Home) 890-9537 (Cell) 890-3222

Roundtable Archive and Info www.hillviewscouting.org/~capital_rndtbl/index.htm