1. Important Groups that Global Perspectives Students Need to be Aware of

2.  Abbreviation: U.N.  Formed in 1945  Created to stop world wars and provide a platform for dialogue between nations.  There are currently 192 members.  Its headquarters is in New York City.

3.  Abbreviation: P.L.O.  Formed in May of 1964.  Created by 422 influential Palestinians to oppose Israeli occupation of Palestine and create an independent nation for Palestinians.  Led by Yasser Arafat, who in 1993, officially recognized the legitimacy of Israel.  Arafat died in 2004 and was succeeded by Mahmoud Abbas as President of Palestine.

4.  Arabic acronym that means “Islamic Resistance Movement.”  Formed in 1987 by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.  Responsible for recent Israel-targeted rocket attacks and shootings.  Successful in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber.  Considered a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United States.

5.  Abbreviation: O.P.E.C.  Formed in September of 1960.  Created to regulate the supply of oil that was being exported to countries around the world. Originally formed to ensure a fair price on their product.  Currently made up of 12 countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.  The headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

6.  Abbreviation: W.T.O.  Formed in 1995.  Created to liberalize trade, negotiate trade agreements and settle trade disputes between its member nations.  There are currently 153 members.  Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.

7.  Abbreviation: N.A.F.T.A.  Signed into U.S. law by Bill Clinton and took effect on January 1 st, 1994.  Trilateral trade bloc created by the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico.  Purpose: To remove most barriers to trade and investment between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.