Global Issue Informational Art

GLOBAL ISSUE INFORMATIONAL ART

Directions: We have now covered a number of different things which affect the modern world. Some of these things probably affected you emotionally in one way or another (perhaps you were sad, frustrated, afraid, etc.). Because many people simply are not aware of these issues, now is your opportunity to explain your opinion on one of those issues in an artistic way. This may take any form you like (I would suggest either a political cartoon or an informational handout), however whatever format you use you must meet the following requirements:

1) Your opinion on the issue must be clear

2) You must include a title and/or other explanatory words

3) You must include a visual component (no stick figures if you use people!)

4) You must briefly explain your illustration and your opinion on the back of your piece

Some topics we have covered which you might consider using are: the differences between the Highly Developed, Developed, and Developing World, the struggles of people living in the Developing World, Child Soldiers, the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, Land Mines, Nuclear Weapons, Sweatshops

Two other possible topics which we have not covered:

- The Diamond Industry: Contrary to what marketing has led people to believe, diamonds are neither scarce nor rate. The reality is that a few companies (led by De Beers) control almost all of the diamond mines in the world and have artificially inflated prices by driving competition out of business (and, at times, using violence to do so). Furthermore, the majority of diamonds sold in the U.S. are "conflict diamonds". Conflict (or "blood") diamonds are those from which the profits of sale go to fund wars. One example of this is in Sierra Leone; much of the profit from the sale of diamonds in Sierra Leone is going into the pockets of local warlords who are trying to overthrow the government. The money from the diamond industry which goes to the government rarely finds its way into the pockets of the people. Since 1998, over 4 million people have died in wars (mostly in West Africa) funded by the money from the sale of diamonds. Furthermore, the cheapest methods of diamond mining involve the use of highly toxic chemicals which, in Developing Countries, the workers are not given adequate protection Many of miners are children, some of whom have been kidnapped and forced into the mines. Like the workers, the environment is not adequately protected. Irreparable damage to the environment has already been done, and many of the chemicals regularly poison local water supplies and farmland.

- Contemporary Slavery: Anti-slavery organizations estimate that there are around 30 million slaves in the world today. These slaves are generally forced to work in one of three industries: the international sex trade (prostitution), mining, and the chocolate industry. Most governments are working hard to stop sex slavery and regulations on mining are increasingly enforced, but the chocolate industry is rarely regulated. The world's largest supplier of cocoa is Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast); it is believed that the majority of the cocoa from that nation is produced by child slaves. The world's three largest chocolate companies (Hershey, Nestle, and Cadbury) still buy their cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire because it is much cheaper than other sources, so there is a good chance your last chocolate bar was made by a slave.