Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth... these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all."
- Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary General of the United Nations -
Child Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Meaghan Amaral
The world of Child Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation is cruel, inhumane, and unjust. This Independent Study Unit delves into a multitude of aspects that contribute to the significance of this world issue. Through case studies from Brazil, Iran, and Russia, this paper will examine the effects that child sex trafficking has on a diverse selection of countries. Child sex trafficking is an extremely complex issue; therefore, it does not have one clear and concise solution. Only with a collective effort toward change will we be able to eradicate child sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
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Violent Extremism and Its Impact on Society
Robert Amos
The topic I chose was Violent Extremism and Its Impact on Society. The reason I chose this topic is because there has been a subtle increase in the number of attacks around the world as well as how deadly the attacks are. In this paper I talk about why extremists do what they do and I focus heavily on how it can be prevented. Understanding why the extremists commit acts of violence is crucial to preventing it which is why i focus heavily on both.
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Political Prisoners: The Danger of Words
Taylor Boughner
This ISU focuses on the issue of political prisoners who have spoken out against the government in protests, through social media posts or other public places. These people are imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes killed because of their disagreements with the government of their country. Until February, I did not have a good understanding of what a political prisoner was. After a guest speaker named Janet Spring came into Mr. Babcock's politics class and shared the story of her son-in-law, Edwin Espinal, who is currently a political prisoner being held in Honduras, I instantly became interested in learning more about the topic. I also realized that I had been taking my voice for granted. I have the right to freedom of speech and the ability to express my own opinion, whereas many people around the world do not. They get tortured and arrested for speaking out. Janet Spring is the woman who inspired me to research and write about this topic.
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Lifestyle Diseases: A Global Pandemic
Paige Breedon
Lifestyle Diseases, also known as chronic non-communicable diseases, include those caused by daily sedentary and unhealthy habits. Today, lifestyle diseases are a multidimensional global issue that are associated with political, sociocultural, economic, and environmental repercussions. Many educated people, organizations, and countries are involved in this pandemic and in search for viable solutions. Throughout the researching process, I came across lots of startling statistics that have changed my perception of entities such as the private sector, media, and government. Ultimately, I choose my ISU because of my passion for healthy, active living and my interest in improving personal and global health.
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Foreign Interference: A Threat to Democracy
Ciaran Byles-Ho
"Democracy Dies in Darkness," the slogan of the Washington Post, and "The Truth is Worth It" advertising campaign of the New York Times were both launched in 2018. These new slogans are not a coincidence. Both relate to the emerging and alarming global issue that is so great, yet it is unrecognized. The fate of democracy is at risk. Headlines describe poor behaviour, and political actions demonstrate poor decisions, beneath these lies a fundamental truth that democracy has been taken for granted. Historical events including a Nazi-controlled Germany, a communist Russia, and present-day propaganda filled North America have proven that democracy remains more vulnerable now than ever. Today's era is represented by the age of technological advancement, increasing breaches in privacy, and unrestricted surveillance. This, along with foreign influence, is enough to declare that democracy is under attack. The democracy of many countries has always been threatened, but now, more than ever, they are susceptible to change. This increasing and underestimated vulnerability makes the protection of democracy today, the world's most important issue.
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The Destruction of the Oceans and it's Ecosystem: People Drowning in Their Own Filth
Jaden Convery
The ocean covers over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface, is home to a massive collection of marine life and produces seventy percent of the oxygen we breathe. The destruction of the oceans is one of the biggest global issues that society is facing today. The oceans provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon storage, oxygen generation, food and income generation. While the Ocean’s aren’t habitable for humans, people have still found ways to destroy and to abuse them as they have with the land, through climate change, pollution, driftnets, destruction of habitats, and the bleaching of coral reefs. My ISU focuses in on the impact that people have had on the oceans and that time is running out for us to reverse the impact we have had on the quality of life that has been around for much longer than we have.
Violent Extremism Impact on Developing Nations
Griffin Cudmore-Keating
Developing nations face a multitude of problems as they struggle to advance diplomatically, economically and socially. They face poverty, illness, government corruption, organized crime, human trafficking and much more. All of these issues have been outlined through my classmate's Independent Study Units. I have chosen to tackle the global issue of Violent Extremism Impact on Developing Nations. This encompasses political and religious extremism and the paper studies how it affects the economics and social wellbeing of the nation. My case studies are Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka. All of which are counties that have suffered because of violent extremism. The study also explores the different ways in which this issue must be tackled both long term and short.
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The Rise of Vector Borne Diseases; How the Increased Spread is Bugging the World Brooke Currie
Something as small as your pinky fingernail can transmit some of the deadliest diseases in the world. Vectors are living organisms that can spread infectious diseases from humans to humans or from animals to humans. The most common vectors are mosquitos and ticks, and the most common vector-borne diseases are malaria, dengue, lyme disease, and zika. Vectors are responsible for over seven- hundred thousand people a year, including over 500,000 children under five years old. This makes them the most deadly species in the world; even more harmful than humans. The reason why this is becoming a more prevalent issue is a result of climate change, urbanization, and travel. Essentially humans are a huge factor in increasing vector-borne diseases. There are very few cures and effective vaccinations in place for the issue. It is essential that humans identify the risk and start striving for change. Welcome to a paper dedicated to the upcoming world issue of vector-borne diseases.
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The Global Struggle to Raise Physically and Mentally Healthy Children
Abigail Derdall
I decided to write about child healthcare because of the importance of children in our daily lives and our future. Children should be able to grow up in a healthy and safe environment so that they can make changes in our world. In this paper, I discuss the difficulties one may encounter while raising a child; this includes mental and physical health in both developing and developed countries. I decided to study the child healthcare circumstances of Liberian, Haitian, and American children. I hope that throughout this paper, the importance of children to our future and the many challenges that come with having a child become evident.
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A Step Past Patriotism: The Effect of Nationalism on International Relations
Emily Dimou
This paper discusses the effect nationalism has on cultural, economic and diplomatic relations between countries. The three case studies in this paper include The United States of America, Hungary, and China. This paper delves deeper into the repercussions of nationalist ideals and what happens when nationalist leaders come into power. There is also the discussion throughout the essay the various forms of nationalism (religious, ethnic, cultural, etc.). Nationalism is an issue because global problems require global solutions. In a time of climate change, immigration crisis, and poverty, the world needs to begin working together, and not retreating within the walls of their borders.
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The Effects of Access to Clean Water on the World
Erica Freeman-Carter
The Lack of Access to Clean Water is a detrimental crisis as every living thing on this Earth needs water to survive. I chose to research this topic because every morning and evening, I turn on the tap and brush my teeth. The access to water that I obtain is something I never have to think twice about. Water is a resource that most people overlook. This paper highlights the lack of access to clean water in developing and developed nations. It also brings to attention the effects on countries, governments, society, and citizens. Access to clean, safe water is a human right that is violated day after day. Solutions need to be executed to save millions of people from unsafe water.
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Global Influence of Organized Crime
Jakob Graham
My ISU was written about the issue of transnational organized crime and the threat it poses to the social, political, and economic well being of the world. Limited resources and strategies exist to combat an issue that impacts so many; as a global society, we must do more to reduce the impact of organized crime on our society. Through an in-depth analysis of all factors involved, as well as case studies on Ecuador, Nigeria, and Russia, readers will gain a deep understanding of how transnational organized crime affects the world on the social, political, and economic scales, as well as the potential solutions to this crisis.
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Child Brides
Zarah Kiley
I am 16 years old; I don’t date or worry about who I will marry, none of that matters right now because I am still a child. But girls in other countries don’t live in the same reality I do. Girls my age are already wives, and mothers, enduring abuse sexually, physically, and emotionally. Their freedoms stripped away from them until they are left with nothing but this life of cleaning, cooking, and pleasuring a husband that is over twice their age. Why should one girl have to grow up so much faster because of where she was born? Is it a twist of fate that I get to sit on my laptop without a care in the world or fear of my future, while another girl just like me has already endured more human rights violations that I can name? How can her body and her freedom have a fixed value placed on it while I am told that nothing is worth more than my body and happiness? Because she was born across the world, she now has to live without proper education or human rights? It is unethical that geography should have any role in a woman’s worth, yet it does. So I chose to go down the rabbit hole that is child marriage to see what exactly is holding young girls back from having opportunities and reaching their full potential. At the beginning of this project, It seemed like I had opened up the pandora’s box of a global issue, as you will see in my ISU.
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The Disposal of Textiles and the Consequent Adverse Effects
Brady Lorenz
Most people don’t know where their clothing goes after they donate it if they even donated it at all. I didn’t know either until I started researching — short answer: Nowhere right. Long answer: My ISU. I was first interested in this topic after I saw a CTV Marketplace investigation on where donated textiles end up, well before Global started-- so began my textile fascination. Clothing waste and the textile manufacturing industry as a whole is sometimes cited as the second largest polluter, only behind the oil industry. However, often some people downplay the environmental impact of textile waste, the socio-economic issues associated with it pick up the slack. Clothing is no longer meant to last-- the average Canadian disposes of 81 pounds of textiles annually. Donating clothing only amplifies the issue: companies such as Value Village export their unsold clothing to Africa, where it destroys local industries. My ISU follows the destructive thread of textile waste; from your local thrift store to fiery pits in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya.
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Populist Shift: Rise of Populist Ideologies
Drew McAuley
News titles talking about populism have been very prominent in recent years. The idea of appealing to the “silent majority” against the “elite” is being used around the world by leaders who wish to push their agendas upon the population through tactics of deception, alternative facts, and fake news. These often under qualified politicians with populist ideals work their ways into often struggling political situations promising the people of reform. My ISU, The Populist Shift: The Rise of Populist Ideologies In Today’s Society gives context to how this movement began as well as three cases it is in effect in the countries of Britain, with Brexit, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, and Donald Trump in the United States.
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Government Transparency: Corruption at its Finest
Tristan McElrea
When thinking of government, what often comes to mind is a strong pillar of society that maintains strength within a nation, and is the face of its international dealings. For a government to be effective, there must be trust among the people and the institution, or it is vulnerable. Political corruption has an ‘’every man for himself’’ mentality, the consequences are not theirs. Governments that have unclear policies end up not only hurting the people but deterring possible investors. Countries with weaker judicial systems often fall prey to corruption, but developed countries are far from being innocent. Government officials working in their best interests, and not of the municipality, province, territory, state or country cause misrepresentation of the citizens’ needs, causing a lack of action on important issues. Transparency should be in all branches of government. No transparency means little accountability, and that is dangerous. People’s ignorance means ineffective public oversight, and the cycle of corruption continues. If everyone has the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government, they can stay informed and hold their government accountable, with public opinion, consultation, and evaluations of institutions.
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Materialism: At What Cost?
Jade Paganelli
I love fashion. I love makeup. I love shopping and being creative with what I wear. But how does my desire to wear labels, and shop popular brands impact the countries and the people where these clothes are made? This research report will take us to the other side of the world and into developing countries where certain rights are denied. How does western society affect a place so far away and that is so vastly different? In this paper, I will be researching materialism and the extreme effects our ‘wants’ have on others who are less fortunate.
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A World Lacking Love: Discrimination Based on Sexuality and Gender Identity
Korol Pikulik
This topic was a natural choice for me since this is a problem I face, and I am very vocal about it. I am a proud lesbian, and I am not afraid to speak up for what I believe in. Around the world, LGBTQ+ people are being forcefully sterilized, fired from jobs, harassed, disowned by their family and community, tortured, killed, and abused because of who they love or identify as. My paper focuses on the struggles that LGBTQ+ people face and why they are facing these issues. It is essential that people understand the discrimination that gender and sexual minorities have to suffer for our society to become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
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The Global Ethics of Euthanasia
Abby Roberti
The fine line between life and death; euthanasia is one of the most controversial practices in the world to date. My paper is approached by a neutral discussion of the great debate between ethical relativism and how euthanasia was and still is a ceaseless global stigma. Pertaining to the law, the legality of euthanasia is heavily varied throughout the world, creating a partition between the terminally ill and their freedom to die with dignity. If the government can find a balance between maintaining control and successfully allowing the terminally ill to be euthanized, then this will affect the world’s population in a positive, safe, and peaceful way. The act of euthanasia must further its existence, so the law is available to anyone facing a terminal illness and those that are suffering from immense pain - because after all, whose life is it?
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Mental Health in Developing Countries
Emma Schlitt
Mental health in developing countries causes malnutrition, poverty and a significant burden on the people that suffer from these different disorders. Treatment is also limited and unavailable within developing nations and causes people to experience and not receive the help they require. Stigmas are used continuously within these countries and place a sense of fear on these people. Violent, crazy, brain defect and dangerous, people in developing countries are often associated with these words. Mental health is not a government priority, and most funding and focus remain placed on the physical and contagious disease. Governments under fund the mental health sector of health care and people that do go and seek treatment are often not benefiting for the services available. My ISU topic comes from passion and drives to help people in developing countries that can not receive help from friends, family or services available. This ISU has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the terrible conditions these people are facing in there countries and how much action needs to be taken to solve this world issue.
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Mental Health and Suicide in Youth
Jack Strathdee
Mental Health and Suicide in Youth is an issue that has continued to grow as the world has progressed. Youth all over the world are being suppressed by their minds, and are being denied access to the proper care they require to be able to interact with society successfully. Thousands of youth in Canada alone commit suicide each year as a result of mental health complications. Facing a stigma shrouded by ignorance and oppression, these youth face many difficulties within the education system, the workforce and everyday life as a whole. The reoccurring and ever-evolving issue of mental health and suicide in childhood is not merely an issue, but a global epidemic with the potential to evolve into an insurmountable problem.
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The Subjection of Women by their Sexuality
Hannah Swain-Fontaine
Under the broad umbrella of ‘Women Subjugated by their Sexuality,’ in-depth research will be conducted through the prongs of Female Genital Mutilation, involuntary celibates and sexual assault in court, pertaining to legal and judicial systems. Examining these three issues will allow for the exposure of different societal aspects that contribute to undermining the full potential of human female existence and propagating extreme gender inequalities. The blatant violation of fundamental human rights through the horrific practice of female genital mutilation uncovers outdated societal convention, cultural ideals, entrenched belief systems, and corrupted religious practice. The study of incels will allow for close examination of current terrorist attacks and motivations led primarily by disaffected males. This will expose the power and effectiveness of the internet as well as the inherent prejudice and hatred towards women as sexual beings. Lastly, the investigation of unjust punishment towards the perpetrators of sexual assault against female victims will incorporate a political depiction and assist in attaining a clarified understanding of global justice systems.
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Discrimination Through the use of Internment Camps
Dylan Teerink
Discrimination through the use of internment camps is a modern day issue among an immense amount of countries. Due to the suppression of religion, though, and freedom altogether, these camps make it incredibly difficult for a society to progressively advance, and make an impact on the global stage. The use of internment camps is an atrocious worldwide issue, and we need to make steps in ending it.
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Human Capital Factories: Globalization and its effects on Curriculum
Emily Tkachenko
Since the arrival of North America’s first settlers to the present day, few issues seem to stimulate as much discussion, debate, and controversy, as the education of our children. School curriculum and what and how our children should be taught continues to be one of the oldest issues that western society has dealt with. Due to globalization, educational institutions have found the need to modify or reform their curriculum so that they can compete against other highly educated countries and attract business investment. As a result, education has become highly competitive, and in many cases, corporately driven. This has resulted in the school curriculum being driven by international test scores and standardized testing within countries. As a result, many believe that the push for better math and science scores comes at the cost of arts programming. Global citizenship is discussed as one of the ways students are challenging these corporate agendas, and promoting social justice.
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The Existential Risks of Artificial Intelligence: Mankind's Development of its Eventual Downfall
Chase Tymoszweicz
Envision a world where the human race has become enslaved by an omniscient artificial intelligence (AI). This AI is morally corrupt, is unethical to the core, and views the human race as nothing more than cattle to be herded, labelling humanity with derogatory words reflective of how little value the AI attributes to the life of a human being. The intellectual capabilities of such an AI far exceed the capabilities of mankind, and in turn, the AI creates a master race of robots to establish a physically dominant presence on earth which collectively shares its intelligence. While present-day mankind continues to develop AI and increase its capabilities, the probability of this unfortunate reality becomes closer every day.
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The Polarizing Effect of Affirmative Action: Turning the Tables on Discrimination
Rachel Wang
Affirmative action is a highly controversial practice that involves giving advantages to people who have historically been disadvantaged or discriminated against in the past. Those in favour cite how it creates diversity and provides a form of restorative justice for historical wrongs, while those who oppose the practice argue that factors such as race, gender, sexuality, etc. should not be considered at all. One unique aspect of this issue is that there is no clear ruling as to which side of the argument is considered morally correct. Those who support the practice and those who oppose it both have legitimate reasons for their stance, neither party coming from a place of “evil.” I chose this issue for my ISU topic as I wanted to cover both sides of the debate and the huge controversy surrounding it while also evaluating how it fits into the world today.
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Capital Punishment
Ashley Waver
The ISU challenged my intellectual ability and pushed me outside my comfort zone to discover an unfamiliar world issue, broadening my global perspective. For my ISU, I chose capital punishment. I chose this topic because the severity of capital punishment and its controversy is not often recognized, primarily through public opinion. Despite the many steps taken to enforce constitutional freedoms worldwide, capital punishment remains a significant issue, which inspired me to look into the further reasoning behind the death penalty. Throughout my ISU, I examined the many sides of capital punishment, including the several people enrolled by employment and those who are unfortunately caught in its webs, such as the victim and offender. The three case studies looked into for my ISU were the United States, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Upon completion of my ISU, I gained extensive knowledge about capital punishment, its history as well as the political and religious issues that surround the controversy. Enjoy.
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Overpopulation: An Examination of the World’s Population Crisis
Myla Wyatt
Overpopulation is one of the most pressing issues in the 21st century. Caused by and interrelating with poverty, climate change, and human rights. It is interesting to look into the deeper issues that produce population growth, such as rape culture, religious boundaries, governmental restrictions, human trafficking, and a continuous cycle of poverty. Overpopulation is an issue, and it is necessary to find solutions and change our ways, or else the world as we know it will no longer be accessible. Warning, this report goes into depth on the ideologies of rapists and young mothers; direct quotes may be difficult for the reader.
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