The Modern World

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 Based on experiences during WWII Reflects growing acceptance of the importance of social and economic equality Article 1 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Berlin Wall falls in 1989 In 1991, the Soviet Union is dissolved Boris Yeltsin becomes the leader of the new Russia In 2000, Vladimir Putin is elected

South Africa

Apartheid 1910- S. Africa wins self-rule from Britain Freedom limited to white settlers (20%) Whites pass racial laws to keep black majority subordinate

The “whites only” parliament implemented a plan of racial segregation All S. Africans registered by race: black, white, colored, Asian

Non-whites had to carry “pass” books and could not travel w/out permission Blacks assigned to “homelands” located in the most unproductive parts of the country

Apartheid laws set up segregated restaurants, schools, beaches, and forbade intermarriage. Blacks were paid less than whites for the same work

Nelson Mandela Throughout this time, black resistance was strong (African National Congress, ANC) A young lawyer, Nelson Mandela, joins the fight and leads demonstrations Arrested and put in jail for life

The world condemns S. Africa 1989, new pres. F.W. de Klerk frees Mandela and ends apartheid- together, they return S. Africa to majority rule 1994- Nelson Mandela is elected as the first black president of South Africa

Rwanda- early 90s Hutus Tutsis Genocide How is this situation indicative of other problems in Africa after decolonization? What is the root cause?

Persian Gulf War-1990-1991 Saddam Hussein orders an attack on Kuwait Debt; oil fields U.S. gets involved

Yugoslavia Serbia Slobodan Milosevic Genocide “ethnic cleansing” Kosovo, 1998 Slobodan Milosevic Genocide “ethnic cleansing” Ethnic strife continues in Kosovo Russia and Africa have also experienced ethnic problems

Latin America Emphasis on exports like coffee make some Latin American countries dependent on the U.S. and Europe U.S. and European companies also controlled many of the major industries in Latin America Brazil begins to industrialize Big issue for Latin American countries in the 20th century is economic independence from U.S. and Europe

Latin America cont. Large scale wars and famine have not been an issue, but political freedom has… Govts. dominated by conservative, elite, and authoritarian dictatorships Indigenous people and descendants of slaves have had comparatively little influence in building L.A. nations Rapid urbanization and pop. growth

China After Mao Deng Xiaoping 1978-1997- relaxed state economic control One Child Policy Jiang Zemin Economic growth Hu Jintao Xi Jinping

Israel and Palestine Roots of the conflict 1948-49 war of Independence 1967 Six Day War 1973 Yom Kippur War Fighting continues into the present

Women First international conference on women’s rights- Nairobi, Kenya, 1985 By the 21st century, almost all women in the world have achieved the right to vote Despite legal equality, women rarely have equal opportunity in jobs, education, and politics

Globalization Free markets, new technologies, increased communication The Internet U.S. culture; English Transportation Spread of democracy- how’s it going? Economics- Japan and Russia experience economic downturns in the 90s

Population Populations continue to grow, especially in large parts of Africa, Latin America and Asia Effects of population growth: Damages rural environments Leads to violence over scarce resources (Africa) Cultural and religious beliefs

Migration Most significant pattern is from developing to developed countries (opportunity)

Rich and Poor The gap between rich and poor continues to widen The wealthiest 20% of humans consume 80% of the goods and resources