20TH CENTURY CHANGES IN GLOBAL ECONOMICS AND SOCIETIES 1900-present

THE PROMOTION OF GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

ORGANIZATIONS FORMED TO ENCOURAGE GLOBAL COOPERATION League of Nations/United Nations Universal Postal Union International Telecommunications Union International Olympic Committee

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS FORMED World Bank International Monetary Fund Both promote sound banking principles and loan money to developing nations General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) World Trade Organization Promoted free trade WTO replaced GATT G7—G20 Represents the interests of the world’s largest economies

REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS DEVELOPED

EUROPEAN UNION – EU Formed 1950s by 6 western European nations that wanted lower trade barriers Created a common market to help compete against the US Original goal – create a kind of “United States of Europe” Name has changed… goals have not 1993 most of the 12 member nations went to a single monetary unit – euro Except England

EU After the fall of the USSR EU asked these nations to join. Now there are 27 nations in the EU EU capital is Brussels, Belgium

NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT -- NAFTA Created in response to the EU Agreement between Canada, US, Mexico Strictly economic, no political aspects

ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COMPANIES -- OPEC Created in 1960s Cartel or trade union of countries in Middle East, Africa and South America Attempts to regulate the global price of oil Arab members raised prices and reduced exports after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War US supported Israel in this war, OPEC pushed to punish US Showed how reliant US and the West on imported oil

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

Some based their industry in US, some in Europe Trend that started in the 19th century exploded along with the world economy after WWII Exxon McDonald’s General Motors Coca-Cola Some based their industry in US, some in Europe Others sprung up in East Asia

GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN GROUPS

Amnesty International The Red Cross Amnesty International Raises awareness of the plight of political prisoners World Health Organization Combats infectious diseases and promoting the general health of all citizens UNICEF Works for children’s rights and their survival, development and protections around the world

HUMAN RIGHTS

NUREMBERG TRIALS 1945 UN led trials of Nazi war criminals for crimes against humanity Defendants were charged with violating basic human rights – Enlightenment principles Those found guilty faced the death penalty

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 1948 UN sponsored the adoption of UDHR Echoed the premise of the Nuremburg Trials Supports freedom of speech, religion; right to life, liberty and personal security; freedom of movement from another country; Right to a fair trial Right to work and education Even though ALL UN nations signed, some don’t fully exercise

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS 1950s & 1960s African Americans pushed US gov’t to fulfill its constitutional promises Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. followed Gandhi’s nonviolent methods This caused individuals in other nations to begin to call for civil rights as well Lifting of Apartheid

WOMEN’S RIGHTS Early 20th century Western women gained the right to vote Other obstacles remained Tied in to the Civil Rights movements, Western and Japanese women actively sought equal employment opportunities and social equality with men

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUE INTO THE 21ST C Children forced into armies in Sudan Ethnic genocide in Rwanda killed almost 1 million Women refused education by the Taliban in Afghanistan China

CHANGES HAVE GLOBAL EFFECT

VATICAN II Modernized the Roman Catholic Church Early 1960s Pope John XXIII called for updates to the outdated doctrine More participation of non-clergy in services Mass did not have to be in Latin