2.4 Case studies Flashcards
1
Q
Irish Aid Ethiopia - Description (4)
A
- Walls and vegetation put in place to protect soil from erosion and allow rainfall to soak in
- Research into what communities need and new agricultural technology developed accordingly
- Beekeeping skills taught to farmers
- 28 tonnes of seed varieties distributed - grow faster with higher yields
2
Q
Irish Aid Ethiopia - Impacts
A
- Water table has risen, allowing farmers to tap groundwater and irrigate
- Improvements in crop variety and yield
- Harvests have more than doubled
- Farmers now producing surpluses, which they can trade for profit. Lifted out of poverty and able to send children to school.
- 6,000 families have benefited
3
Q
Why is the Niger Delta important?
A
- Oil from the delta accounts for 75% of Nigerian government’s income and 90% of its exports earnings
- Area is home to 31 million people
4
Q
Why is money generated in the Niger Delta not reaching local people?
A
- 70% of delta residents live below the poverty line
- Local hospitals and schools are underfunded
- Poor sanitation and pollution reduce access to clean and safe drinking water
- Less than 20% of the region is accessible by good roads
- Poor care taken of the environment and safety due to poor governance
5
Q
Environmental impacts of oil extraction in the Niger Delta
A
- Oil spills are common and pollute groundwater, surface water, and soil (550 oil spills in 2014)
- oil spills expensive and time consuming to clean up
- Mangroves and rainforests frequently damaged
- Burning off of natural gas causes environmental and health problems (e.g. acid rain, cancer)
6
Q
Guantanamo Bay description
A
- US military detains high ranking terrorists in Cuba
- Set up in 2002 following 9/11
- Doesn’t comply with Geneva code as prisoners don’t have rights
- At its peak had more than 700 prisoners
- In 2004 Red Cross found evidence of torture, which the USA said was a ‘necessary evil’
- E.g. waterboarding, being left in a dark hole
- In 2009 president Obama banned ‘non-coercive methods’ of torture and ordered Guantanamo Bay to close (it didn’t)
7
Q
Sierra Leone military intervention - was it a success?
A
- British special forces were able to target RUF (Revolutionary United Front) and repel advances
- This allowed for peace since the civil war and democratic elections to take place
8
Q
Sierra Leone military intervention - reasons for success
A
- Plans recognised the precarious nature of government and UN control
- Identified regional factors
- Training of special forces in Sierra Leone allowed for sustained operations which caused panic within the RUF
- Well-coordinated task force
9
Q
Libya - description of conflict and intervention
A
- North African country, strategically close to Europe with large oil reserves
- Colonel Gaddafi ruled since 1969
- In 2011, Libyans demonstrated against the government but were brutally repressed
- UN urged the government to ‘protect citizens’ but it failed to do so so UN authorised use of force through R2P
10
Q
Evidence the Libya intervention was a success
A
Gaddafi was killed and a new government was put in place
11
Q
Evidence the Libya intervention was a failure
A
- Insufficient evidence to justify interfering with Libya’s national sovereignty
- Post-Gaddafi country is very unstable
- Many regions out of government control with Islamist, rebel and tribal militias controlling areas and having conflict with each other
12
Q
Timor-Leste - description of conflict
A
- Small country in SE Asia, former Portuguese colony that became independent in 1975
- Invaded by Indonesia just 9 days after independence
- By 1999, over 200,000 (25% of population) killed by violence, disease, and famine
- Human rights abuses occurred routinely
13
Q
Timor-Leste - description of intervention
A
- In 1982 UN started diplomatic efforts with Indonesian and Portuguese governments
- Independence vote in 1999, 78.5% in favour
- Anti-independence militia (supported by Indonesia) killed 7,000 people, displaced 400,000, and destroyed infrastructure and homes
- UK and USA began arms embargo against Indonesia
- UN intensified diplomatic efforts, pressurised Indonesia into maintaining security, and provided humanitarian aid
14
Q
Timor-Leste - Aftermath of intervention
A
- Indonesian forces withdrew peacefully
- Lack of skilled people in country
- UN set up structures to maintain law and allow for development
- In 2002, Timor-Leste was independent
- Human rights concerns remain - legal systems deprives citizens of fair trials and police use excessive force
15
Q
Zimbabwe - problems
A
- Systematic human rights abuses, opponents of government attacked and imprisoned
- 156th on HDI
- 72% of population below the poverty line
- Rural poverty increasing - 63% in 2003 to 76% in 2014
- Low life expectancy - 59 for men, 62 for women
- In 2014, 82% of government budget allocated to government salaries
- Dangerous levels of deforestation due to growing tobacco industry
16
Q
Zimbabwe - reasons for no intervention
A
- Former British colony so any intervention may link to neocolonialism
- Some countries argue that President Mugabe is no threat to global peace so won’t intervene
- Many governments wouldn’t take action without support of other African nations
- Unlikely that UN security council would agree to military action
- Difficult to enforce government action to reduce environmental damage
17
Q
Bolivia under Evo Morales - who is Evo Morales?
A
- Evo Morales, member of the indigenous Aymara group, became president in 2005
- Morales is a socialist with values of communal ownership and co-operation
18
Q
What was Bolivia like before Evo Morales became president?
A
previously indigenous people had been excluded from political system, and there was high inflation and poverty rates
19
Q
Bolivia - 2008 Law of Mother Earth
A
● Mother Nature has rights, including to remain in equilibrium and unaltered by genetic modification.
● The government has a duty in protecting Mother Nature, through reducing resource consumption to advocating for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction
● Any damage previously against Mother Nature is the responsibility of our generation, and action should be taken to restore Mother Nature to equilibrium.
20
Q
Bolivia - transformations under Morales
A
- Renationalisation of Bolivia’s oil and gas industries
- Revenue from profits funded public work projects and social programmes against poverty
- Extreme poverty has fallen by 43%
- However, Bolivia remains one of South America’s poorest countries and is dependent on its natural resources for economic growth
21
Q
Saudi Arabia - description of economy
A
- G20’s most autocratic power
- Oil production contributes 97% of exports earnings
- Royal elite control economy and oil price
- Half of workforce are from overseas (known as ex-pats)
22
Q
Saudi Arabia - healthcare spending
A
- 80% state-funded
- High quality healthcare and state healthcare is free
23
Q
Saudi Arabia - Welfare and pension spending
A
- Official unemployment rate is 12% but hidden rate is higher
- In 2013, 20% of population lived in poverty
- Unemployment pay is £400 monthly, payable for 12 months
- Pensions are low by global standards (£300 monthly)
24
Q
Saudi Arabia - education spending
A
- Education focuses on religious teaching - scientific and technical education are weak
- Saudi teachers are poorly trained
- School leavers unable to find jobs in technical and oil industries and government, ex-pat workers are better qualified
25
Q
France - what proportion of GDP is spent by the government?
A
- Government spending over 56% of GDP
- One of the highest proportions in G20
26
Q
France - Healthcare spending
A
- Predominantly state-funded
- Residents pay top-up insurance (£150 per family per month)
- largest proportion of health budget is government-funded
27
Q
France - welfare and pension spending
A
- In 2016, someone who had worked full time for 40 years received £15,000 in annual state pension
- By comparison, UK state pensions £7500 a year by 2018
28
Q
France - education spending
A
- £8500 per student per year in 2015
- Compared to UK’s spending of £7000 per student in inner London and £3750 in rural areas
29
Q
Iraq war - reasons for 2003 invasions
A
- Disarming weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) - controversial since Iraq didn’t have any
- War on terror post 9/11 - fears that Iraq could use WMDs for future terrorism
- Remove Saddam Hussein as dictator, who ruled through fear with significant human rights violations
30
Q
Iraq war - economic impacts (5)
A
- Loss of agricultural production, manufacturing output, services, infrastructure, oil revenue, and FDI in Iraq
- If Iraq had not been invaded its 2005 economy would be worth $61billion rather than $37billion
- Political instability allowed corruption - in 2010 Iraq was 4th most corrupt government
- War increased US debt from $6.4trillion to $10trillion in 2008
- Debt and rising oil prices exacerbated 2008 financial crisis
31
Q
Iraq war - social impacts (9)
A
- Refugee crisis since 12% of Iraqis fled homes
- Refugees costly to receiving countries so many neighbouring countries closed their borders
- Iraqis returning home found destroyed/occupied homes and poor living standards
- Ethnic tensions between Sunni and Shia groups
- Rise of extreme militant groups (IS and Al-Qaeda) due to political instability
- Damage to historic and cultural heritage
- Poor healthcare
- 30,000 prisoners detained, often due to political reasons - torture and ill-treatment
- Increase in crimes against women
32
Q
Iraq war - environmental impacts (7)
A
- Destruction of infrastructure released heavy metals and hazardous substances
- Unexploded land mines and general war damage
- Accumulation of rubbish and increase in medical waste
- Radioactive contamination caused still births and birth deformities
- 141million tonnes of carbon emitted by war between 2003 and 2008
- Oil spills on land and at sea
- Mesopotanian marshlands, which were previously the world’s 3rd largest wetland, were drained, burned, and dammed by Saddam Hussein
33
Q
China - government structure
A
- Authoritarian system - one ruler or a small group of leaders
- Leaders often come from one small group, such as top military officials, or from a small group of aristocratic families
- Values state sovereignty over individual rights
34
Q
China - human rights abuses (7)
A
- Do not allow freedom of speech, press and religion, and they do not follow majority rule or protect minority rights
- Harassment, imprisonment, and torture of opposition
- Government has signed international human rights treaty but violations are difficult to prosecute
- Government’s legal definition of terrorism is alarmingly wide allowing them to target minorities
- ‘Great Firewall of China’ internet censorship
- Restricts foreign human rights organisations’ operations in the country
- Persecution of Uyghurs in internment camps
35
Q
India - government structure
A
- Since independence from the UK in 1947, India has become world’s largest democracy
- Constitution includes right to freedom of speech and religion
- Uncensored media and interdependent judiciary system
- Government more focussed on growth than rights
36
Q
India - human rights abuses (6)
A
- Refusal to prosecute high-ranking police and military officials despite crimes
- Sexual violence, police brutality, economic exploitation, unlawful imprisonment
- Broken and corrupt justice system
- Police and military can have unrestricted power in ‘disturbed areas’
- 70% of prison population yet to be trialled
- Caste system leads to caste discrimination - Dalit caste subject to increased sexual violence and discrimination, which often goes unreported and unpunished
37
Q
Australia - what does ATSI stand for?
A
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
38
Q
Australia - variations in health (2)
A
- Lower life expectancies for ATSI peoples due to past difference in rights
- Due to lack of: employment opportunities, safety in their communities, access to a decent education, connection to family and friends, sufficient money to get by
39
Q
Australia - variations in education (3)
A
- 20% of compulsory school age ATSI children not enrolled in school and many of those who are enrolled do not attend regularly
- ‘Stolen Generation’ has left parents suspicious of official institutions
- In 2015, 78% of ATSI students achieved the required literacy standards at age 8, compared to 95% of non-indigenous students
40
Q
Australia - variations in gender equality (3)
A
- Non-indigenous women won right to vote 69 years before ATSI women
- Discrimination, lack of safety, and disrespect at home, online, in public, at work, and in relationships
- Poor support for working mothers
41
Q
Australia - ‘closing the gap’ initiative (4)
A
- Australian government’s commitment to improve health and quality of life for all ATSI people
- Variable progress has been made
- 1998-2012 ATSI infant mortality rate fell by 64%
- 2008-2012 death rates from avoidable causes were 3x higher for ATSI people
42
Q
How does the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) prevent racial discrimination?
A
- Makes racial hatred an offence
- Protects indigenous peoples against discrimination in: employment, education, accommodation, getting or using services, accessing public places
43
Q
How does the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) promote social justice?
A
Recognises ATSI rights to status and culture, self-determination, and land for spiritual and cultural support
44
Q
Describe the role of the IMF and Aid in Haiti
A
- IMF working with Haitian government to implement development strategies
- Particularly important following Hurricane Matthew in 2016
- Target of making Haiti an emerging economy by 2030
- IMF poverty reduction programme
45
Q
Haiti - limitations of Aid (4)
A
- Sometimes referred to as ‘the republic of NGOs’ because up to 10,000 NGOs may be working there at any one time
- Dependency on aid limits growth and progress
- Governmental systems are weak because staff from international organisations have taken over many jobs done by local officials
- Unequal distribution of income and wealth
