Background and History of the United Nations and Global Governance
Welcome to Week 1 of the course.
In this week you will:
- set up your personal learning environment by getting a blog and a twitter account, and
- learn about the formulation of the United Nations, its role, structure and mandate.
- Watch the 2 part lecture on the History of International Cooperation
- Do Activity 1 and then watch the video on the Structure of the United Nations
- Watch the final lecture on the Creation of the United Nations
If you have time, take a look at the extension exercises. Make sure that you write notes as you go and note down any questions that you have to raise in tutorials and/or by tweeting out to the group.
Lectures and Viewings
Lecture - History of International Cooperation (Part 1)
Lecture - History of International Cooperation (Part 2)
Activity 1
- Grab a pen and paper and jot down a list of things you think the UN does, based on your general knowledge.
- Next watch the video presentations below, and jot down anything new that you hear
- How close was your original list? What other activities or information did you note down as new?
- Pick one or two of your observations and tweet out to the group making sure to add #UOWMUN
Structure of the United Nations video
Lecture - The Creation of the United Nations
Extension exercise
- The Prince, Nicolo Machiavelli
- Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
- The Covenant of the League of Nations
- The Geneva Conventions (along the right menu)
These are also useful resources:
- People's Century, Lost Peace
- United Nations Charter - please focus on content from the Preamble to Chapter VIII