Health, Human Rights and Intervention Case Studies Flashcards
What is Sharia Law, how is it applied across the Muslim world, and which 2 countries are an example of these applications?
The legal system in most Muslim countries which dictates many aspects of life
It is applied differently across the Muslim world - strictly in some countries and more flexibly in others.
Indonesia = loose
Afghanistan = strict
What are some human rights violations of strict Sharia Law?
Theft is punishable by the amputation of the right hand
Converting from Islam is punishable by death
A man can beat his wife for disobeying him
A woman cannot speak alone to a man who is not her husband or relative
In Saudi Arabia, women were not allowed to drive until 2018, or travel abroad without a male guardian’s permission until 2019
Why do Aboriginal people suffer from higher rates of poverty compared to non-indigenous people in Australia?
A larger proportion of Aboriginal people have a lower average education level and suffer from higher rates of unemployment compared to non-indigenous Australians
This is because the Aboriginal people are discriminated against in the form of racism, so it makes it harder for them to get an education, become employed and move out of poverty
Which people are sent to Chinese re-education camps?
Critics of the government along with followers of banned religions such as Uyghur Muslims
What is the Great Chinese Firewall?
Many Western websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China - these websites could spread anti-government propaganda through user-generated content. China has no control over the censorship rules of these websites, so they are blocked in China completely
Give an example of a rich and a poor country that implements some form of Sharia Law
Qatar = rich
Afghanistan = poor
How much lower is the life expectancy of an Aboriginal man in Australia compared to a non-indigenous man?
10.6 years
How much lower is the life expectancy of an Aboriginal woman in Australia compared to a non-indigenous woman?
9.5 years
Give 2 examples of Chinese apps that are controlled by the Chinese government, along with what happens to anti-government propaganda
Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and WeChat are strictly controlled by the government - anti-government propaganda is filtered out if detected by the algorithm
Give one practice conducted by Robert Mugabe (the former president of Zimbabwe) that was corrupt and compare the GDP per capita of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2019
Land reforms - taking land from former White colonialists and giving it to Black Zimbabweans - corrupt process - best land went to Mugabe’s supporters
1980 - GDP per capita = $1000
2019 - GDP per capita = $1400
Why do indigenous people have a lower life expectancy?
A higher proportion of Indigenous people live in remote areas compared to non-Indigenous people. These are areas where governments do not invest much money into social services. Therefore, Indigenous people are, on average, less able to access healthcare services and other social services that increase life expectancy
Their communities are increasingly under threat from deforestation, mining and oil extraction
“Leave us alone and respect our human right to continue with our traditional way of life”
Prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979, what were women’s rights like in Afghanistan?
Women were given the right to vote in 1919 - only 1 year after women in the UK
1950s - purdah (gender separation) was abolished
What are women’s rights like in Afghanistan today?
Women have been banned from secondary school and above
Women have been banned from entering gyms
Women have been banned from public office
How is the production of oil threatening human health in Nigeria?
Oil spills are leading to the pollution of water supplies and farmland
People are ingesting contaminated food/water
Livelihoods such as fishing and farming have been threatened as a result
How much does the Nigerian government earn from oil revenues, what is the problem with oil revenues given to Nigerians, and what is this leading to?
Nigerian government earns £10bn a year from oil revenues
The oil revenues are largely in the hands of the majority ethnic group - the Yoruba
All of this is leading to violent protests and kidnappings of foreign oil company workers
What are land grabs in Kenya?
Privatisation of public land
What are the problems with land grabs in Kenya?
88% of the population have access to less than three hectares of land
Minority ethnic groups are excluded from land ownership
What military aid does the UK supply to Saudi Arabia according to the 2005 agreement?
The UK sells military equipment such as fighter planes to Saudi Arabia
What is rendition?
The practice of sending terrorist suspects covertly to be interrogated in a country where the humane treatment of prisoners is less of a concern
Give an example of rendition
Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was detained by U.S. authorities in 2002. He was subsequently rendered to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured for over a year. Arar was eventually released, where an inquiry cleared him of any connections to terrorism
What was Botswana’s GDP per capita when it became independent compared to 2019?
1966 - GDP per capita = $70
2019 - GDP per capita = $8250
How did Botswana increase its GDP?
Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds
Diamonds account for a third of Botswana’s GDP and about three-quarters of its exports
How badly does Botswana suffer from aids?
Botswana has the 3rd highest prevalence of aids in the world. The disease has dramatically cut life expectancy
What are some human rights abuses in Botswana?
Botswana retains the death penalty
LGBTQ+ groups face widespread discrimination despite homosexuality being decriminalised in 2019
What is the political problem in Botswana?
Same political party has been in power for 40 years - state control of the media makes it difficult for opposition parties to campaign in elections on an equal footing
How many Syrian residents have been affected by the civil war since 2011?
6.7 million Syrians have been internally displaced and a further 6.6 million have fled abroad as refugees - total deaths are between 500,000 and 600,000
How did a Civil war in Côte d’Ivoire begin? (2010)
Christian President lost the election to a Muslim. The president refused to step down, resulting in a civil war
In 2011, what was a UN peacekeeping force tasked with in Côte d’Ivoire?
Protecting civilians
Promoting human rights
Stopping the conflict between the Christians and the Muslims
What happened after the UN peacekeeping force intervened in Côte d’Ivoire?
The president and his wife were arrested by French troops - they were then handed over to the International Criminal Court at The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity
Since 2015, Côte d’Ivoire has been relatively stable
What are the problems with the UK supplying military aid to Saudi Arabia?
Saudis are mostly Sunni Muslims, so Shia Muslims may oppose this
Saudi Arabia has a poor record when it comes to human rights, as seen by the implementation of Strict Sharia law - fighter planes could be used for human rights offences such as the bombing of innocent people
All case studies
UK - Saudi Arabia military aid
Côte d’Ivoire - UN peacekeeping response to the civil war
The number of Syrian people affected by the 2011 civil war
Botswana’s increase in GPD along with the problems it faces
Rendition
Land grabs in Kenya
Oil in Nigeria
Women’s rights in Afghanistan
Robert Mugabe - example of corruption
Aboriginal & other indigenous people - why their quality of life is lower and how much lower their life expectancy is compared to non-indigenous people
Sharia Law - what it is and an example of a poor vs a rich country that implements it
Great Chinese Firewall and Chinese re-education camps
_% of Zimbabwe’s population lives below the poverty line
72%
_% of India’s population lives below the poverty line
22%
