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We Organize
Grades 4-6 (ages 9-12)
Areas of Study
Themes
Related UN work
Providing a Framework for International Cooperation (UN Charter)
Objectives
To help pupils to:
- View the world as a community of nations
- Understand the goals and principal areas of work of the United Nations
Suggested Time
One or more class periods
Helpful Tools
Suggested Procedures
In cooperative learning groups, have pupils read the scenario What Would You Do? and brainstorm a variety of solutions to the situation.
- The Need for a Community Organization
Reconvene pupils in small groups. In their groups, ask pupils to brainstorm a list of general sources of international conflict and/or specific issues which require cooperation between and among countries. Allow about 8 to 10 minutes for pupils to develop a list and then discuss. Ask pupils to cite specific examples.
Pupils could be assigned to collect newspaper articles about current international conflicts for a two-week period. At the end of the time, they should bring in the clippings that they have collected and categorize the sources of the conflicts-land use, natural resources, ethnic issues or other points of contention?
Have pupils begin a resource file on current "hot spots" in the news. The class could be divided into groups and each group could be made responsible for a specific area. Class time could be allotted for weekly briefing updates.
- The Formation of the United Nations
The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the UN Charter was ratified by a majority of the original 51 Member States. The Charter's preamble sets forth basic principles to protect human rights and promote a decent standard of living for all people. The purposes of the United Nations as set forth in Article I are to keep the peace, to develop friendly relations between nations, and to act as a forum for achieving the common goals of the organization.
- The UN Organization
General Assembly - The General Assembly, which normally meets in New York, is composed of representatives of nearly all the nations of the world. Each Member State has a single vote no matter what its size or wealth. The General Assembly serves as a forum where Member States may discuss any matters of global concern.
Economic and Social Council - The Council discusses, studies and makes recommendations to the General Assembly relating to economic development, environmental issues, human rights and other economic issues.
Security Council - The main function of the Security Council is to maintain international peace. It has 15 members, five of which are permanent. They are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. The other 10 members are elected by the General Assembly. The Security Council has the power to take decisions which all Member States must carry out. However, any one of the five permanent members can block an action through the use of a veto.
The International Court of Justice - The Court, which meets in The Hague, Netherlands, deals with border disputes, fishing and mineral rights and other matters to do with the Charter.
Trusteeship Council - The Council supervised former colonies as they became self-determining. When the last Trust Territory (Palau) became independent in 1994, the Council suspended its operation.
The Secretariat-The Secretariat is the "civil service" of the UN. It has an international staff, and the head of the Secretariat is the Secretary General.
Discussion
Ask pupils to write down three reasons why it is beneficial for nations to cooperate with each other. Then ask them to write down three obstacles that sometimes block cooperative efforts. Discuss.
- Local Application and Concluding Discussion
The discussion will have given the pupils a glimpse of the community process. If possible, this tool for these discoveries. The United Nations is a could be extended into a real experience: a field trip to a local community center or the establishment of a self-governing organization within the class or school.
Summary
- Is it possible for people in a community to get along without an organization? How does an organization help?
- What good is an organization if people don't use it?
- To what extent does community participation enrich the lives of the participants?
Other Ideas
This unit, as it is, cannot do much more than introduce the basic concepts of the United Nations. To become meaningful these ideas must be extended and related to the pupils' lives. Examples of ways teachers have done this are given in the following units.
You may also wish to give greater attention to the organization of your local community. Older classes might follow how the community deals with some current issue, such as a new school, water shortages, or waste disposal.
Older classes might also learn about earlier international organizations, like the Olympics, the Red Cross, and even the attempt at a League of Nations. It was only after such international efforts that the nations felt ready to found the UN, whose Member States are committed to work in every possible domain systematically and simultaneously.
Comments
The Need for Standards and Orderliness
If adults often find life confusing, think what it must seem to children. Their days are flooded with new experiences, bits of information, and behaviour to be learned. No wonder that primary school children welcome regular classroom schedules, rituals, a firm authority and clear "do's and don'ts"! Anything that brings order out of multiplicity helps children feel more secure.
Later in their schooling pupils will learn to discover the patterns of world movements and the individual's own place in them. The UN is a good tool for these discoveries. The United Nations is a fact-a major step in human development. To omit it from the curricula or to focus on only one aspect or ignore its accomplishments distorts history.
Finding order is especially important now. Submerged in new information, people are shaken by seemingly chaotic events or meaningless violence. Pupils are reassured knowing that there is a world organization keeping watch over the changes.
To fully understand the UN, however, pupils must know that the future is in doubt. The United Nations is an experiment. It requires that everyone join in an active search for better ways to live. In the UN Charter, we have agreed on standards, an organization, and what we want to do, but will we do it?
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