(GEC CUR 3, GEC CORE 3,

GE 3, LIT 1) Finals

Name:_____________________________ COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

Course and Year:_____________________ System)

Contemporary World Module Page 1
 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Final
(Sustainable Development)

Module No. : 13 Rating: _______

Date submitted:______________

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Determined the significance of sustainable development in a globalized world.
2. Differentiated the concept of stability from sustainability.
3. Evaluated the concept of sustainable development in a shrinking world.

LESSON PROPER

The term sustainable development has acquired much popularity among scholars,
politicians, public servants, and the civil population alike after the Brundtland Report by the World
Commission on the Environment and Development (WCED) was presented in 1987. As defined by
the Brundtland Report, “sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Despite
being considered unclear by some in terms of definition, sustainable development should be situated
in a rigid social and political setting.

WCED outlined critical objectives for environment and development policies following its concept of
sustainable development. These are:
l) reviving growth;
2) changing the quality of growth;
3) meeting essential needs for jobs, food, energy, water, and sanitation;
4) ensuring a sustainable level of population;
5) conserving and enhancing the resource base;
6) reorienting technology and managing risks; and
7) merging environment and economics in decision-making.

Governments and scholars

have been on their toes in
an attempt to attain
sustainable development.
In this era of unrelenting
challenges in politics,
society, and particularly the
environment (e.g., climate
change, waste disposal,
biodiversity, forestry and
the like), such stability is
undoubtedly sought after by
nearly every single nation-
state. Governments have
been challenged to come
up with ways to develop
their communities without
exploiting the natural
resources, and to craft policies that help achieve this goal. The welfare of the people must also be in
constant consideration in terms of development.

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 The United Nations (UN) often cites Agenda 21 of1992, its Sustainable Development
Knowledge Platform, where the topic of sustainable development is put forth in discussions. Agenda
21 advocates education to disseminate information regarding sustainable development (Jickling,
1994). Since then, countries all over the world have integrated this action plan of the UN in their
respective governments, such as in the case of Canada when its National Round Table on the
Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) instituted the Sustainable Development Education Program
(SDEP) in the same year that Agenda 21 was established (Jickling, 1994).

The United Kingdom’s UK Strategy for Sustainable Development crafted in 1994 aimed to
raise the awareness of the people through the integration of environmental policies into all aspects of
government, a shared responsibility between government, local authorities, businesses, and non-
governmental organizations, (Munton and Collins, 1998) among other provisions in the Strategy.

Sustainability may be likened to stability; however, there are a few key and subtle
differences between the two. A sustainable environment is resilient enough to withstand man-made
and natural challenges, and can also recover from such if needs arise. Sustainability leads to stability;
however, stability alone may not necessarily lead to sustainability. Stable environments are simply
resistant to change but somehow lack the element of resiliency that sustainable environments
possess because it is far easier for stable environments to become unstable in comparison to the
possibility of sustainable environments becoming “unsustainable.”

All in all, policies and

strategies of governments
must be intertwined with
environmental concerns in
order for sustainable
development to be achieved.
The environment must
continuously be at the center
of government actions. It is
only logical and practical, in a
sense, to constantly put into
consideration the
environment in the decision-
making and policy-making
processes of a nation-state
since it is where people build livelihoods on, and which suffers when they turn a blind eye in terms of
developing. By using ecological sustainability as an underpinning principle of sustainable
development, governments can simultaneously advocate the protection, restoration, and preservation
of the integrity of the Earth’s ecological systems (Ross, 2009). This makes the environment more
resilient to challenges and threats and in turn, making civilizations resilient in the same light.

In the long run, humankind itself will be the one to benefit when environmental and ecological
considerations are given serious and substantial consideration. As such, humankind must take the
necessary actions to strive better to attain sustainable development. Developing and enacting policies
that situate environmental concerns at the forefront and practicing decision-making processes that
similarly give importance to the environment are all necessary steps that must be undertaken to
achieve a sustainable environment. Educating individuals about the importance and benefits of
having secure, balanced, and enduring ecosystems will make the implementation of environment-
focused policies and plans much easier, and in the long term, will create a flourishing and stable
environment for all.

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ACTVITY: A Sustainable Philippines
INSTRUCTIONS: In BULLET form, create a plan of sustainable development for the Philippines
featuring the country’s strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat. Keep in the mind the
following aspects that must be considered.
1. Economic Status of the Philippines
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2. Environmental Issues and Challenges
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3. Political Stability
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References:

Abinales, L. E. (2018). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. QUEZON CITY: C & E Publishing Inc.
Brazalote, T.Leonardo, R. (2019). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD C & E Publishing Inc.

Prepared by
RAY-AN S. AGUILAR
College Instruct

Contemporary World Module Page 4

 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Final
(Food Security)

Module No. : 14 Rating: _______

Date submitted:______________

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Explained food security as a way to eradicate poverty and hunger.
2. Categorized and issues the challenges of food security and their solutions.
3. Synthesized the concept of food security as part of sustainable development.

LESSON
LESSON PROPER
PROPER

A vital resource for humans, regardless of race, nationality, religious affiliation, economic
status, or educational attainment, is food. It is a basic necessity for survival. Therefore, it is important
for nations to secure a constant supply of food for the consumption of people.

However, it is a fact that food security, defined as the “physical and economic access, at all
times, to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for people to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life” (Swaminathan, 2003), is a worldwide issue which must be
given considerable attention. Food security challenges countries with large populations such as China
and India. With the growing and persistent demand for food on both the local and international scale,
the agricultural sector and food corporations in a nation must be able to meet demands by increasing
production capacity and overall productivity. Rationing of food, especially in developing or
underdeveloped countries, is also a solution to address food security issues, although this solution
can lead to even more problems. It may ultimately worsen food security as in the experience of India
with its targeted Public Distribution system (PDS) in the 19903 (Swaminathan, 2003).

International trade is
viewed as a solution to potentially
dampen the blows on food
security in nations. While
relatively poor countries can
benefit from international trade by
receiving subsidies from rich
countries, the latter will be
pressured to increase food
production capabilities. Rich
countries may also struggle with
handling food security issues at
the domestic and the foreign level
(Kannan, Mahendra Dev, &
Narain Sharma, 2000).

Economic and agricultural reforms have proven viable in addressing food security issues
like in the case of China, one of the most populated countries in the world. In 1978, China began
reforms in these sectors to ensure food security for the country and its people. Nutrition-wise, China
was able to reduce the number of undernourished people by seventy million from 1990 to 2000
(Jiang, 2008). Both grain production and household income increased, creating a synchronized and

Contemporary World Module Page 5

self-sufficient domestic environment. Couple these with relevant market and pricing policies, domestic
food security can be relatively achieved at a considerable degree.

One of the contributing factors that further cripples and weakens food security both on a
domestic and international level is armed conflict. In the recent decades, internal strife has
debilitated food production and supplies in countries such as Israel, Turkey, and Syria. Armed groups
against a legitimate government target to prevent, seize, and/ or destroy food aid that is intended for
government armed forces. Farmers are also driven away from their lands because of conflict, and
production is then halted (Choen, Pinstrup-Andersen, 1999). The effects of these circumstances also
spill over to neighbouring countries due to international trade.

Conversely, hunger also leads to conflict and, as mentioned, leads to an increased shortage
in food. Food shortage is not only limited to rural areas but is also an issue plaguing urban sectors
especially in countries with internal conflicts. Lack of food was one of the factors that ignited the
French Revolution of 1789 (Choen, Pinstrup-Andersen, 1999) and somehow is resembled by the
Venezuelan food crisis in the present era. As the economy of Venezuela continues to plummet, prices
of commodities skyrocket to unreasonable ligures. Although the Venezuelan government sells some
food packets at a regulated price, only 12.6 million Venezuelans have access to these packets which
is only about one-third of the total population of the country (Singer, 2018).

Indeed, food plays an integral role in maintaining a healthy, functioning, and even peaceful
domestic and international environment. Therefore, food security must be one of the priorities of any
government in the world. Ensuring that the economy of a country can weather downturns will help
cushion the adverse effects of food security issues. Establishing an international network with
countries that can respond to the food security challenges of other countries is a goal that all
members of the international community must strive for.

ACTIVITY: Food Security

DIRECTION: Discuss the importance of food Security in the following aspects:

1. Politics and Governance

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2. Social stability and Health
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International/Foreign economic relations
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After discussing the importance of food security in these aspects, explain how food security
will help the Philippines develop as a country.

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References:
Abinales, L. E. (2018). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. QUEZON CITY: C & E Publishing Inc.
Brazalote, T.Leonardo, R. (2019). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD C & E Publishing Inc.

Prepared by:
RAY-AN S. AGUILAR
College Instructor

Contemporary World Module Page 7

 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
Pre-final
(Global Citizenship)

Module No. : 15 Rating: _______

Date submitted:______________

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Described the characteristics of a global citizen.
2. Illustrated the importance of global citizenship.
3. Articulated a personal definition of global citizenship.

LESSON PROPER

After the advent of globalization and a multitude of technological advancements, the nations,
as well as many citizens of the world, have gotten closer than they did before. Communication has
been made easier with relatively new and efficient ways of reaching even the former inaccessible
parts of the world, and of acquiring and transmitting information which are quite literally at everyone’s
fingertips. This constant state of being interconnected brings about the notion of a global village
where citizens of the world are members, not only of their respective home countries, but also of the
global world.

Considering these premises, there must be an ever-

developing awareness that decisions and actions in a
domestic level can and will have international
repercussions. As global citizens, individuals must be
aware of the wider world; respect and value diversity; have
an understanding of how the world works economically,
politically, socially, culturally, technologically, and
environmentally; outraged by social injustice; participate in
and contribute to the community at all levels from local to
global; be willing to act to make the world a more equitable
and sustainable place; and take responsibility for their
actions (Douglas, 2001).

These characteristics can all be acquired through

education, particularly the one that focuses on global and
multicultural aspects. Education, in this regard, helps the
learner to understand the impact of one’s own actions to other cultures and the effect of other
people’s actions based on a different culture to one’s own (Pae, 2003). In brief, global education
opens learners’ minds to the multitude of customs, norms and traditions lessening one’s prejudices.
This is necessary because, as mentioned, the evident interconnectedness and constant interaction of
people from all over the world pit individuals from different nations and cultures against one another.
For such interaction to be successful, such set of conduct mentioned above must be exhibited by a
global citizen.

Moreover, the role of microsystems such as families and local communities is of great importance in
solidifying a global perspective. In essence, global education must be holistic and requires the effort
not only of the educators but of parents, peers, and even policy makers (Pae, 2003).

Contemporary World Module Page 8

 In a sense, this form of education focuses not only on giving learners life skills but also on
teaching them the importance of values which will help them gain a more inclusive perspective of a
global community and enable them to effectively interact with people from other cultures.

Engaging with people of different nationalities with these attributes will be beneficial for the rest
of humanity in the long run since an individual is not only confined to the pursuit of personal interest
but also conscious about the lives, desires, and needs of other individuals hailing from other cultures.
It is a fact that some of the world’s resources are running scarce due to the persistent demands of
human consumption. Being able to peacefully coexist with one another with a shared global
perspective in mind can enable individuals to efficiently distribute and consume resources without the
need for coercion. Global citizens have a great understanding of the truth that for the global society to
survive, one must do away with myopic and self-centered ideas and must rather take into great
consideration the needs of other individuals.

Indeed, in this era of interconnectivity between and among human beings, a global perspective
is necessary. As the means of communications and the degree of technology congruently take higher
ground, so must the mindset of individuals living in the relatively same ecosystem, accessing and
sharing nearly the same resources, and facing relatively similar threats and challenges to human
existence, be it natural or artificial. Global citizens know that humankind must acquire a symbiotic
relationship with one another for the entire human species and human culture to survive

ACTIVITY

ACTIVITY 1: Global Citizenship

INSTRUCTIONS: In a separate long bond paper, discuss your personal definition of global
citizenship and how you, as Filipino, can become an active member of the global village. What are
the advantages of global citizenship for a Filipino and for the entire country? It must be “handwritten.”

References:
Abinales, L. E. (2018). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. QUEZON CITY: C & E Publishing Inc.

Brazalote, T.Leonardo, R. (2019). THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD C & E Publishing Inc.

Prepared by:

RAY-AN S. AGUILAR
College Instructor

Contemporary World Module Page 9