Modern daychallenges

Modern Day Challenges

Developed vs. Developing countries

• When we look at the present day world, we see that not all countries share the same amount of success. Obviously, people in different parts of the world do not share the same standard of living.

• Recently countries in the world have been divided into two categories:– Developed Countries (wealthy,

successful)– Developing Countries (not so

successful)

The Human Development Index rates countries on a number of factors including poverty, literacy, education, health, and equality.

Developed NationsDeveloped Nations tend to share some

important characteristics.• Economic Success. They are industrialized

countries with modern infrastructures. They tend to have a fair distribution of wealth and lack widespread poverty

• Social Conditions. Almost all its people are literate and education is available to everyone. People in developed countries have easy access to health care so that common illnesses and epidemics do not cause serious health risks.

Developed Nations (continued)• Developed Nations as a

whole, have less population than Developing Nations but still consume large percentages of the world’s resources.

• Population in developed countries also grows at a much slower rate than in developing countries.

• Developed Nations are mainly located north of the developing countries of the world.

Developing Countries

Developing Countries share characteristics that are opposite of the developed countries.

• Their economies are not as successful, wealth is concentrated in a few people’s hands and there is widespread poverty

• Education opportunities are not as great, and large percentages of the population are often illiterate.

• Health care is not easily accessible making disease and epidemics serious problems.

Developing Countries (Continued)• Developing countries make

up the majority of the world’s population and they have seen their population grow at a much faster rate.

• Geographically, developing countries tend be in the southern parts of the world.

Developing countries have young people make up a larger percentage of their population

Environmental Challenges

Economic development and the rapid growth of population are having an impact on the environment.• Deforestation: from irresponsible

development• Loss of habitat• Global climate change• Pollution – air and water

These problems have made health problems worse in developing countries.

Social Challenges

• Poverty• Poor health• Illiteracy• Famine • Migration

More Problems: Immigration• Movement of different groups of people have presented

another challenge for the present day world.• Refugees have been forced to leave their country due to wars

or disasters. They are not always welcomed in foreign countries.

• European countries have slowed their natural birth rate and would see their population decrease if it were not for immigration. The loss of population has created a labor shortage for some jobs.

• European and US cities have seen an influx of “guest workers” who typically perform low paying jobs that Europeans or Americans refuse to do. The influx of these people though has caused tension and racism in different parts of Europe.

Other Challenges: Technology• The development of computer technology and the internet

has made it easier for parts the world to connect with each other.

• However, this technology is not equally accessible by all people in the world, which has created a technology gap that leaves poorer people and part of the world lagging behind.

• Other technology challenges deal with possibly having too much technology. Genetic engineering and issues such as cloning allow us to possibly create perfect forms of life. This raises the issues of bioethics and how involved we should get in controlling nature.

World IP Address Locations

Ethnic and Religious Conflicts

• Ethnic and religious conflicts have taken place or are currently taking place in the following regions:– Middle East– Northern Ireland– Balkans– Horn of Africa– South Asia

The Middle East: Arab-Israeli Conflict• Muslim Arabs resent the creation of the

Jewish State of Israel. This country was formed with land previously held by Britain but populated by Arabs (British Palestine).

• Jews believe that Israel is their proper homeland and the only way they can be safe from oppression.

• Muslim Arabs view Israel as land taken from Arabs.

• Israel has received support from the US and become a dominant military power in the region.

• This has led a number of Muslim Arabs to resent the US as well.

Northern Ireland• Northern Ireland is a part of the

United Kingdom that has religious tension between Irish Catholics who want to be independent and Protestants (unionists) who want to remain part of the UK.

• The Irish Republican Army is a paramilitary group that has often attacked British buildings and establishments to try and gain freedom. Although they have recently renounced violence, peace in the area is very unstable.

The Balkans• With the collapse of

communism in E. Europe several ethnic groups in the Balkan Peninsula have fought wars to increase their power and influence in the area.

• Serbs – Eastern Orthodox• Croats and Slovenians –

Catholic• Bosnia and Herzegovina –

Muslims• Atrocities committed in these

wars make peace very unstable.

• Example - Bosnian Serbs used ethnic cleansing to get rid of the Muslims in the area

African Conflicts• Sudan/Darfur: Divisions in the

country between Arab and African Muslims in the North versus traditional and Christian Africans in the South has led to a long civil war that has left thousands massacred or dying of starvation.

• Sierra Leone: Brutal civil war has left the country in a horrible state of poverty even though it contains some of the richest diamond mines in the world.

• Somalia: Warlords compete for control of area. Desperate situation has led many to resort to criminal acts such as piracy.

Asian Conflicts

• Several ongoing conflicts in Asia also threaten world peace.– North Korea v. South Korea: stemming from end of

WWII continuing from Cold War– Pakistan v. India: mainly over the area of Kashmir– China v. Taiwan: stemming from the Chinese Civil

War

Hope for the Future• With all of the problems

facing people of the world, many have sought the key to success that can help struggling countries overcome.

• A common argument suggests that a free-market economy creates a large middle class and generates wealth. As countries become wealthier they tend to see more political freedoms and rights granted to their people.

Free Market Economies are seen as the way to help people of the world gain wealth and political rights

Success Stories: The “Asian Tigers”

• Taiwan and South Korea serve as examples that support this argument.

• Over the last 50 years these countries have grown into regional economic powers and are now often referred to as the “Asian Tigers.”

• Political rights for the people in these countries have also increased.