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Citizenship in the World BSA Supply No. 33260

"Citizenship In The World"  Merit Badge Session  Boy Scouts of America: Lecture and Discussion Agenda

Citizenship in the World, Badge from Boy Scouts of America

Introduction to the Counselor

1. [in class] Explain what citizenship in the world means to you and what you think it takes to be a good world citizen.

• Ideas from scouts please? Instructor's suggestions.
• Is it to do with travelling abroad?
• Understanding other cultures?
• learning about international politics and institutions?
• Accepting jokes about your own culture?  (That's much harder)
• Youtube: Top Gear car program challenge in Alabama [humorous look by foreigners at redneck culture, 10']
• Well, they let themselves look sillier than the locals!

• Ideas from scouts please?
• Dr. Lewis's own path to citizenship: J-1, F-1, J-1, H-1, white card, green card, citizen certificate
• US citizenship and its differences
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services |

a. [feasible in class] Pick a current world event. In relation to this current event, discuss with your counselor how a country's national interest and its relationship with other countries might affect areas such as its security, its economy, its values, and the health of its citizens.

• Historical resource (not current issue): Dr. Lewis's lecture on the battle of the Falklands /Malvinas, 1982.

b. [in class] Select a foreign country and discuss with your counselor how its geography, natural resources, and climate influence its economy and its global partnerships with other countries.

• Maps of UK
• geography, natural resources and climate
• economy and global partnerships
• Commonwealth, NATO and EU
• special relationship with US
• Dr. Lewis's lectures on growing up in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s
• Toddler at World Jamboree, 1956
• Patrol Leader and member, Bournemouth School Scout Troop, Hampshire, England, 1966-69
• Brownsea Island, original scout camp, 1907
• wide games at Stonehenge, Hengistbury Head, sailing at Christchurch harbour, Old Harry Rocks
• camp at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire; and Lynmouth, Devon
• Worked in Lourdes, France and San Sebastian, Spain before college
• Keble College, Oxford University; visited Paris and North America during vacations
• Travelled to France; Spain & Catalonia; USA; Canada & Quebec; Seoul (South Korea), Peru [Machu Picchu]
• Cultural differences in scouting -- impressions
• Another example, Germany: [Maps] how geography, natural resources, and climate influence its economy and its global partnerships with other countries.
• Dr. Lewis's lecture resources on Germany for HC travel experience in Bavaria
• Images of Bavarian trip

4. Do TWO of the following:

a. [may be done in class] Explain international law and how it differs from national law. Explain the role of international law and how international law can be used as a tool for conflict resolution.

• Dr. Lewis's lecture on international law
• Treaties among nation states
• customary law?
• behavioral constraints?
• international courts
• topical example of constraints of international law: should terrorism suspects be tortured?
• convention against torture | 3rd Geneva Convention | US army field manual

b. [homework] Using resources such as major daily newspapers, the Internet (with your parent's permission), and news magazines, observe a current issue that involves international trade, foreign exchange, balance of payments, tariffs, and free trade. Explain what you have learned. Include in your discussion an explanation of why countries must cooperate in order for world trade and global competition to thrive. [discussion of an international issue may be held in class]

• Newspaper web sites
• Dr. Lewis's lecture on an issue of international political economy
• Why do we trade with foreigners?  How do they pay us?
• How do nations tax imports and exports?
• Why do some industries try to protect themselves from foreign imports?

c. [feasible in class] Select TWO of the following organizations and describe their role in the world.

1. The United Nations
2. The World Court
3. World Organization of the Scout Movement
4. The World Health Organization
5. Amnesty International
6. The International Committee of the Red Cross
7. CARE

• International Criminal Police Organization

a. Discuss the differences between constitutional and non-constitutional governments.

How do constitutions lay down the relations among political institutions?
Does a constitution have to be written all in one document?
Does a constitution have to be fixed forever?
Can a constitution be dissolved?

b. Name at least five different types of governments currently in power in the world.

Aristotle distinguished among rule by one, a few and many -- and each could work well or badly
Monarchy or autocracy (or tyranny) | oligarchy | democracy (or mob anarchy)
Some states are failed states -- they never develop a constitution
Authoritarian versus totalitarian regimes
Communist versus free market regimes
liberal democratic versus social democratic regimes

c. Show on a world map [MAPS]countries that use each of these five different forms of government.

• Projection of world map, political divisions
• National Constitution Center (US)
• The CIA World Factbook | CIA Regional Maps List

6. [feasible in class] Do the following:

a. Explain how a government is represented abroad and how the United States government is accredited to international organizations.

• representation abroad, by diplomacy, trade missions, intelligence and military attaches
• cultural exchanges, media (Hollywood films), business negotiations, public diplomacy, propaganda
• What are international organizations?  Why join them?  What can they achieve?
• Are international organizations just talking shops?

b. [in class] Describe the roles of the following in the conduct of foreign relations.

1. Ambassador
2. Consul
3. Bureau of International Information Programs, US Dept of State [Wkpd]
4. Agency for International Development [Wkpd]
5. US and Foreign Commercial Service, Int. Trade Agency, US Dept. of Commerce [Wkpd]

• American Academy of Diplomacy | Embassy World | US Dept of State | U.S. Embassies and Consulates

c. [in class] Explain the purpose of a passport and visa for international travel.

• See Dr. Lewis's Passports and visas.

a. [homework] Visit the Web site of the U.S. State Department. Learn more about an issue you find interesting that is discussed on this Web site.
b. [homework] Visit the Web site of an international news organization or foreign government, OR examine a foreign newspaper available at your local library, bookstore, or newsstand. Find a news story about a human right realized in the United States that is not recognized in another country.

• UK government sites: UK Prime Minister's office | UK government direct |
• international non-governmental organizations: Human Rights Watch | Freedom House | Amnesty international | Transparency International |
• UK media sites: | BBC | C-SPAN | CNN | The Guardian (London, liberal, world index) | The Times (London, conservative, world news index) | The Telegraph (London, conservative paper but less so online)
• US media sites: The New York Times (World index) (liberal) | The Washington Post(liberal) | The Wall Street Journal(conservative)

c. [in class] Visitwith a student or Scout from another country and discuss the typical values, holidays, ethnic foods, and traditions practiced or enjoyed there.

• Well, Dr. Lewis is a scout from another country.
• Great Britain: values, holidays, ethnic foods and traditions
• values: fairness, liberty, equality, politeness, but also euroskeptic and skeptical of languages
• WW2 rationing: "no jumping the queue," "fair shares for all," "you're not the only pebble on the beach"
• postwar welfare state consensus versus Thatcherism
• Established Church of England [Westminster Abbey].
• with gothic cathedrals [Salisbury] and bridges
• Fidei Defensor= Defender of the Faith (Latin) on coins
• but low religiosity (only 10% of men and 15% of women attend regularly)
• holidays:
• no Thanksgiving; Labour day is May 1; Easter & Whitsun; Bank holidays; EU summer holidays
• ethnic foods (pub food, Indian, Italian and Chinese immigrants' food):
• bangers and mash; beans on toast; curry and chips; chicken tikka marsala
• changing of the guard; opening of Parliament; Bonfire night [click 14]; cricket, [batsman], rugby and association football; Wimbledon tennis
• Johns Hopkins U.'s cricket primer for the baseball fan
• American Institute of Foreign Study | Peace Corps | People to People International | Sister Cities International
• Youth Exchange Programs, US State Dept |

d. [homework] Attend a world Scout jamboree.
e. [homework] Participate in or attend an international event in your area, such as an ethnic festival, concert, or play.

See Alabama World Affairs Council website: www.AWAC.US

Model United Nations links