Empowering Global Citizens

Overview

Students analyze the concepts of peace and conflict through the activities
of the United Nations. They study how the international organization has
attempted to fulfill its goals of maintaining and securing peace.

Activity GCR.4.1

1. Students are asked to apply the UDHR to some of the conflicts in—
troduced in previous units. They should answer the following ques—
tions: Which rights are violated in these situations? How could one
ensure that human rights are upheld in these kinds of situations?
Who, if anyone, is responsible for upholding these rights?

2. Students are reminded (if they are students who have completed the
kindergarten through eighth grade curricula) of the conditions in
which the UN was founded to set the historical context for the unit.

3. Students are reminded of the history of the human rights movement.

4. Excerpts from books such as Lynn Hunt’s Inventing Human Rig/yrs:
A History would be a good supplement to this unit.

Activity GCR.4.2

Students will define “conflict” and “peace” as a way to frame this unit.

Activity GCR.4.3
Students study the three focus areas of the UN—peacekeeping, development
and relief, and the environment—within the framework of peace and conflict.

Activity GCR.4.4

Using primary sources from the SPICE curriculum, students analyze the
impact of UN peacekeeping missions. They can debate the effectiveness of

361