Contemporary World

Front 1

Resting on the sovereign right of self-defense and following the American precedent that owning a gun is a civil right, at least five other major countries insist that the individual right to own a gun is a human right. What are three of those countries -- in addition to the United States -- whose populations insist on the right to own a gun?

Back 1

Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States

Front 2

Since the 1980s, humanity has launched at least six multilateral-global efforts at gun control. Since none of these multilateral efforts have attracted Political Sponsors, they have remained outside the global political agenda. What are four of those multilateral-global gun-control efforts?

Back 2

1985 - US sponsored Missile Control Technology Regime (MTCR) = applies to missiles and missile technologies; 27 member countries
1991 - United Nations Arms Register; 90 countries report about 90% of the global trade in small arms; 102 countries do not participate
1997 - Organization of American States (OAS) convention on trade in firearms in Latin; United States has not ratified
1998 - Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) 15 members renounce procurement of small arms and begin monitoring private transfers of small arms
2001 - United Nations treaty to control trade in small arms; effective in 2005 with 65 ratifications; United States, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Israel, China have not ratified
2004 - East African agreement among 11 countries to reduce small arms procurement and monitor private transfers of small arms

Front 3

While suffering from weak political will in some participating governments and indifferent support from the Great Powers, the world's only operating small-arms control program has destroyed more than 85,000 small arms from armed groups and civilians since its establishment in 1998. What is that program, where does it operate, and what organization has implemented it?

Back 3

Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation, and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa; implemented by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Front 4

The world's dominant source of conventional weapons, the United States has consistently operated two parallel policies for arms transfers -- Public Policy and Shadow Policy. What are the US Public Policy and Shadow Policy on arms transfers?

Back 4

Public Policy - Highest standards for domestic gun control and public accountability; Voluntary Compliance; Lawful, Registered Commercial Exports; Encouraging Other Countries to Improve their Own Standards
Shadow Policy - Grey Market --- Covert transfers that, not illegal, are illicit; Presidential Transfers --- Grants of the US military weapons for narcotics control, counterterrorism, and purposes designated by the president.

Front 5

Three things comprise the environment. What are these three things and their components?

Back 5

Atmosphere = air, sunlight, winds
Hydrosphere = water
Biosphere = food, energy, habitat

Front 6

Describe the two ways to manage water and goods.

Back 6

1. Private good (privatization) - This results in gaps between many people; need money to have things
2. Communal good (communilization) - People consume things together; Deserve goods as human right without paying price

Front 7

Explain the world's approach to reducing global emissions.

Back 7

Kyoto Treaty; poor/developing countries not compliant because they cannot afford to stop exporting; poor economies will collapse credit paradox if rich countries stop buying not kyoto compliant goods; raised interest yields falling demand for imported consumer goods, the reduction of which causes economic collapse; can be economic growth or emission control with economic failure

Front 8

What are the four proven facts on the causes of global warming?

Back 8

1 - burning fossil fuels has generated about half of global warming in 20th century
2 - natural methane (swamp gases) has generated a 5h of global warming
3 - NO2 has produced a 5th of global warming
4 - deforestation/logging has caused a 10th of global warming

Front 9

What does the biosphere provide?

Back 9

provides habitat, food and energy

Front 10

cause and effect chain of biosphere

Back 10

most energy (oil) comes from biosphere; food is linked with petroleum; growing food and modern agriculture is dependent of fertilizers which is dependent on petroleum; costs of farming, ranching, and distribution fluctuate with price of oil; oil is major energy for distribution and is major factor in modern industrial farming

Front 11

Food Paradox

Back 11

reflects balance of food production and physical requirements for food

Front 12

Two types of threats developed

Back 12

1 - Hard Threats (Immediately Apparent) Foundation of Power Politics = war, crime, oppression
2 - Soft Threats (Accidental) Left to Fate = disease, accident, death to people and properties, interruption to electric supply, pollution

Front 13

Relative threats

Back 13

Terrorism not an immediate problem to most individuals; people more concerned about food and mortgages than threat of other countries

Front 14

Five paradoxes of human security

Back 14

Interconnectedness, Political Agency (Responsibility to Protect "R2P"), Universality, Competence, Humanitarian Intervention

Front 15

Human security regime based on first three paradoxes

Back 15

- multinational cooperation has been deemed more essential than solving multinational security
- the demonstrated willingness of international to use force, sanctions and other aspects to deal with human security
- when state does not meet duties and obligations to people they are subject to