Knowledge Economy

What is a knowledge economy ? A knowledge Economy is when knowledge is used to promote economic benefits. This helps the economy improve and develop through global competition. It is mostly through global technologies such as computer software, telecommunications and virtual services.

Also educational research institutions are a large part of this competition. Canada is having trouble finding their identity in all of this. We need to find occupations where we can compete and win.

We need to step up to that next level of global competition or we will be left behind and forced to buy from the people who have made global competition a part of there economy. We want to make this an opportunity for the people in Canada instead of a threat.

It's like the world has jumped onto a merry-go-round and we have to choose to jump on while it's still moving, cause it's not going to stop or we can just stand and watch and not benefit from what is available to us.

It really is a hard predicament because in order to become a larger part of the knowledge economy, Canada is going to have bad affects for short term at first but in the end it will be worth it in the long term. It is a tough decision. Let 2.4 million people lose their jobs right now so that in the long run we will have more influence on a global level.

The Zapatista people live in Chiapas and are very poor. Every year dozens of people pay money to travel to give aid to these people by helping with their crops. To describe the Zapatista people some might say that they have been left behind in globalization. Most of the people that are travelling down there are part of anti-globalization groups. Chiapas is a state in the southeastern region of Mexico. There are 4 million people who live there.

Many of the people are descendents of the Mayan people who were indigenous to South America. A sad statistic of the people there is that 40 percent of the population suffers from malnutrition. The reason they are so poor is because of the Spanish conquest 500 years previous. They were forced to grow their subsistence crops. The food that was taken from these crops was not a sufficient amount to almost just feed their families.

For centuries these people have been living in poverty, it has been ignored by a lot of people in the world, including the government. I was unaware of the situation with the Zapatistas until reading and researching about their situation. I think that people may be ignoring their need for help but a lot of people I think are uninformed, like I was an hour ago.

The people or the government there cannot ignore that saddening statistics of the poverty down anymore. Things that are helping the situation are the free trade agreement between them and the United States.

The European Union*

The European Union is an organization of countries. It also is the largest most powerful common market. It has a huge population of almost 457 000 000. Some of the things that the European union is working to develop are security policies, citizen rights and regional development, also environmental protection.

Some of the advantages of the European Union are increased trade, the amount of subsidies to the east. Their are also no restrictions onthe movement of people, capital goods and services across national borders. Since the European Union is a common market. A common market is the strongest form of regional integration. Regional integration is a process in which states enter into a regional agreement in order to enhance regional cooperation through regional institutions and rules.

Some disadvantages of the European Union are: Changes in the economy will form new economic patterns and many industries will not be able to compete with lower costs.With free movement of labour and capital, the most skilled workers may get higher benifets and wage weakening the other people in the economy. There can also be a loss of independence in many areas.

An example of the disadvantage that is happening right now is the excess debt in Greece. Greece is part of the European Union and since they are in debt they do not just suffer their country but the whole union.

I do not think that Canada and the United states and Mexico should form a union. Especially at this time. The American economy is still recoverying and is still in a lot of debt. Mexico may have many resorts but it also has many poor communities. We are better off independent for the most part.

The World Bank.

The purpose and function of the World Bank and the International monetary fund is to provide financial assistance to less developed countries to reduce poverty and improve living standards. Financial assistance is provided, such as loans, low interest or grants. The money is usually used for things that are needed in these countries. Such as, health systems, education and sometimes infrastructure.

The World Bank is actually divided into two institutions. The first one is the International Rank for Reconstruction and Development also know as IBRD. The second one is The International Development Association also know as the IDA. The purposes for these associations are different. The IDA is there to help the world’s poorest countries. The IBRD is there to help low and middle income countries.

I think that they have accomplished a lot as a government. I would not call them just a more expensive government. They are doing some amazing things for these people that so desperately need help. They have in the past 20 years: Made the proportion of people living in poverty in less developed countries fall by half, form 40% to 21%.
Also the life expectancy in less developed countries has increased by 20 years. The number of children dying before the age of five has been reduced by 50%. Adult illiteracy has been halved to 25%.

The World Bank also has many great ways to help less developed countries get out of debt. I like they way that this bank solves problems. They do not just give the solution to the people and fix everything. They find ways to help the people earn their way into and out of things. For example they do not just take all their debt away. They are there to help these people learn new techniques that will make them more efficient as a country. This includes cutting government spending, selling public assets to the private sector, and following the principles of free market capitalism. Then debt relief is put into place if they have proven to do the above things.

TOYOTA GRAPH*

I think that the most significant aspects of this conflict in regards to the oka crisis are many things. The first great aspect of this was that their is very poor communication. Communication is key in keeping peace and solving issues. How i know that communication is poor due to this situation is because the land claim is still unsolved after all this time.

The mohawk people are like many First Nation people. Trying to keep the land that was rightfully theirs. The government however is not looking at helping the first nations people suceed but only to themselves. They did not even consult first nations when they were going to build a golf course on their lands.

The value of the land is the next big player in this conflict. The whole conflict is about expanding a golf course on the Mohawk Land. If the land had no value there would be no conflict. Just like the Lubicon Nation oil value. The government would have set the land claim if the land a little value to them for profit and gain.

The next large factor in this conflict in my opinion would have to be, the blocades and other barriers that were formed to keep people out of their land. The "innocently" "harmless" barriers may seem that way but they caused deaths and fighting. An officer was even killed because of this. If they had used their mouths instead of weapons and blockades the conflict would not have gotten to that level of physical violence.

Overall i think that this conflict could be minimized if and only if, the government and first nations people spoke rather than fight, inform rather than go ahead with plans without the others consent. If they could learn to communicate by speaking and LISTENING to one another this conflict would be solved by now, and those key factors to this conflict would be diminished.

Whales are the most precious animal ever created by God. They are so precious and putting them in captivity would ruin their lives. They deserve large oceans to swim and mate in. Putting them in captivity would not allow them to eat what they need. Whales enjoy eating fish, sea lions, seals, walruses and seabirds the aquarium cannot offer these to the whales. How would you like it if you never got to eat your favorite food and had to live off of tofu. That is what the whales are living like they just want a big large steak but instead they're getting tofu. What if you couldn't live a normal life just like these whales how would you feel?