Quality of life, human rights, and other global issues Social 10-2: Unit 4

Quality of Life Quality of life includes many different factors including economic strength (money), education, health, natural resources, and safety. Because Canada is a wealthy country with advanced technology where almost everyone goes to school and has access to health care we have a very high quality of life. Human Development Index (HDI) is one of the main statistics used to measure quality of life.

Standard of living vs. quality of life Standard of living means something different than quality of life. Standard of living measures material comfort (things) that people enjoy, such as level of technology and access to goods and services  it is primarily about economic well-being or money Quality of life includes more than just standard of living it also includes levels of freedom (freedom of speech, freedom of religion, voting in elections), health care, environment, etc. So, remember: standard of living = money quality of life = more than money

NGO’s NGO stands for non-governmental organization An NGO is an organization (like a charity) that works to provide improvements to quality of life or to promote awareness of a specific issue or problem Examples of NGO’s include Greenpeace (environment), Red Cross (support of refugees and victims of war or disasters), and Amnesty International (frees political prisoners and protects human rights)

Human rights Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms all human beings are entitled to simply because they are human beings. Human rights are global and universal  this means everyone everywhere should have them. Basic human rights protect people from violence and hatred, they also help us get along with people who are different from us 5 key elements are equality, religion, language, culture, politics

Human rights in china China is one of the world’s worst violators of human rights In China, political protesters are often arrested and sometimes killed. There is not much freedom of expression (freedom of speech) for the average citizen. In China, the government controls the media and Internet, making it more difficult for citizens to find out the truth about what is happening in their country. Prisoners are sometimes tortured and starved. The death penalty is used for many crimes that are relatively minor such as drug possession, or tax fraud. China executes more prisoners every year than any other country.

Genetically modified foods Genetically modified (GM) foods are food products such as beef, fruits, or vegetables that have been changed using science and technology Example: dairy cows can be given hormones to increase the amount of milk they produce; fruits and veggies can be modified to make them more resistant to bugs Supporters of GM foods argue that this is one way to help increase food production and solve world hunger Opponents of GM foods argue that there are negative impacts on animals, humans, and on the environment

Pandemics & disease Globalization (especially international travel) has made it easier for diseases to spread around the world A pandemic is a disease outbreak that affects large numbers of people across a large geographic area When flu viruses become severe and widespread they can become a pandemic HIV/AIDS is a huge crisis in Africa. Due to lack of education and access to medical facilities, the disease is spreading rapidly in the poorest countries in the world. Wars, drug use, and the sex trade have all contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.