Power in the News

How can a country be powerful??



Complete the following statements...
° Political power is the ability to…
° Economic power is the ability to…
° Technological power is the ability to…
° A country with a well-educated population could…
° A well-armed nation could…


Quick review... What are the 4 forms of authority??
Give me an example using the recent uprising in Egypt as examples.


What are the benefits of authority? Obviously there are benefits of authority ... What about when authority is abused? 

Authority protects our rights:

· Authority can be used to provide order and security in people's lives (e.g., air traffic controllers prevent accidents and provide safety for airplane passengers).

· Authority can be used to protect important rights and freedoms (e.g., the Charter of Rights and Freedoms).

· Authority can be used to ensure that benefits (advantages) and burdens (disadvantages) will be distributed fairly (e.g., laws ensure that all children have an opportunity to receive a free public education; parents' rules may require each of their children to help with household chores).

In Egypt there could be a possible transition of authority or change of government... Especially evident when there is a government leader who has been in charge for 30 years... Do you think that the change will be different? Now think about Southern Sudan where Cpl. Karen Hamelin (UN peacekeeper) is stationed. The country recently had a referendum or a vote by the people to decide if they should separate from Northern Sudan. This too is quite a change...

So now imagine...

• You wake up one morning and found there was no longer any authority. All rules, laws, police, courts, teachers, principals and government had disappeared.
• What problems might arise?
• How would they protect their rights?
• Would they even have any rights?
• So what's the purpose record of authority in society? 
• to provide order and security - What are some examples that you know of that show this?
• to protect important rights and freedoms - What are some examples that demonstrate this?
• to ensure that the benefits and burdens are distributed fairly - What are some examples of this?
• Authority is expressed through formally installed agents and institutions (e.g., schools, teachers, police, health care system, justice system).

Now back to Egypt and Southern Sudan.... Let's make the connection of what we are studying in our unit to current events and demonstrations of power... RIGHT NOW!

• So what's happening in Egypt?? Imagine Mubarak steps down now....  What are the problems that a lack of authority creates? What could happen? What would have to be set up, to ensure that basic rights are preserved? 
•  Thinking about Egypt and Southern Sudan... How can authority be used to deal with issues in these countries? One country a peaceful transition to new government... the other revolutionary uprising...
• • BLOG YOUR THOUGHTS ON KIDBLOG... 

So now let's make the connection to closer to home... 

How does authority protect each of us? Why do we need various forms of authority in our lives? What responsibilities do we have to authority or authority figures? Why is this? 

For every RIGHT that we have there is a corresponding RESPONSIBILITY... Why is that? Look at the Education Act.... Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms... or United Nations Rights of Children...


Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms link.... just take a look... it's full of legal language but the document that protects our rights in Canada!
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/1.html#anchorbo-ga:l_I


http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/canadian-charter-rights-and-freedoms-introduction-charter-rights#overview


Here's a summarized version easier to understand...
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ca/Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_Freedoms

http://www.unicef.org/voy/explore/rights/explore_rights.php

What's the CANADIAN CONNECTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS... A CANADIAN  WROTE THEM way back in 1947... Our very own  

J

ohn Humphrey.... see we have a long history of caring about the rights of others!

Check out the following link... http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10219

It's from Historica Minutes




EXTENTION 
OTHER CANADIANS WHO CARED ABOUT RIGHTS... CHECK OUT HISTORICA MINUTES (SEE THE LINK ABOVE AND SEARCH THESE PEOPLE...)
or what about 

Agnes Macphail... another Canadian Champion for Human Rights who was Canada's First Woman Member of Parliament...

or 

Nellie McClung who was responsible for getting the vote for women in Canada.

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