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Politics in Developing States
- “Global population growth, box by box”
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html(opens in a new window)
Population growth occurs largely in the Third World, so it doesn’t really affect our lives in Canada, right? Not quite. Global health expert and professor Hans Rosling uses Ikea boxes to demonstrate the reality of population growth today. In particular, he compares growth in the developed and developing world, reflecting some of the points raised in this chapter on the differences in the world. Raising the standard of living in the developing world, Rosling argues, is the best way to slow down population numbers worldwide.
- “1989: Massacre in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square”
https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1989-massacre-in-beijings-tiananmen-square(opens in a new window)
News of the crackdown by the Chinese government against student protesters in 1989 shocked the world. Though reporters were limited in their ability to get information out, pictures and video of the violence, like this CBC report, showed the extent of the massacre in Tiananmen Square. Calling the crackdown a “victory,” the Chinese military struck against unarmed citizens caught in the melee. The Chinese government denied Western reports of the multitudes killed, instead reporting that “counter-revolutionaries” killed soldiers. Governments around the world condemned the actions, but continued to trade with China. “Tiananmen” came to be associated with totalitarian actions.
- “On the frontline of Mexico's drug war”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWUgsoRiCrA(opens in a new window)
The demand for drugs, mostly cocaine, in the United States, has put Mexico in the cross hairs. This Sly News documentary explores the massive effect drug cartel violence has had on Mexican society. The result? Kidnappings, murders, and what can only be described as a “war” between government and the drug gangs, who often disguise themselves as police. Is it just criminals killing criminals? Not entirely—citizens are caught in the cross fire, literally and figuratively. People are killed indiscriminately, and life is never considered safe in the areas of the country dominated by the cartels.
- “How India's Economy Is Growing At A Faster Pace Than China”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA-rtjlKEYU(opens in a new window)
In this commentary and analysis by CNBD, China's economy might get more attention, but India's is outpacing its neighbor in economic growth. In fact, India came in as the world's fastest growing large economy during 2018, according to the IMF. India's economy is the fastest growing large economy in the world. The United Nations expects India's current population of 1.3 billion to keep growing and surpass China by 2024.
- “Mali in crisis: The fight between the Dogon and Fulani”
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/inthefield/2019/08/mali-crisis-fight-dogon-fulani-190822125317990.html(opens in a new window)
In this 2019 Aljazeera news analysis, the political crisis in Mali is discussed. Since 2013, the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA has been operating in Mali. There are currently 14,000 UN troops, among them Canadian soldiers, in the country. MINUSMA is now the deadliest UN peacekeeping mission, with more UN troops dying in Mali than anywhere else, or at any time before.
- “Leaving the LDC category: Booming Bangladesh prepares to graduate”
https://www.un.org/development/desa/capacity-development/2018/04/10/leaving-the-ldc-category-booming-bangladesh-prepares-to-graduate/ p>(opens in a new window)
Spurred by improvements in health and education, along with an economic boom, Bangladesh, the largest least developed country (LDC) in terms of population and economic size, looks likely to leave the LDC category by 2024. In this short video by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the broad-based development of the country is explored.