Introduction
Class: video "The People Bomb"
Homework: Go to www.amnesty.org and read through some of the human
rights violations
discussed. Print an article and be prepared to share the main
points with the class.
Human Rights
Class: What are Human Rights? Share Amnesty International
articles
Homework: "10 Laws That Will Make Your Blood Boil"
by Laura Flanders "A Hundred Years of Fortitude" and
"Kerosene, Weapon of Choice for Attacks on Wives in India"
by Celia W. Dugger
What justifications could a government use to explain why these laws against women exist today? Should American feminists interfere with these governments or is it a matter of cultural relativism?
Women's Rights
Class: Discussion of articles and what our ethical responsibility
is to these victims
Homework: Read "Drug Companies and the Third World: A Case
Study in Neglect" by Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Are the health problems of places like Uganda the fault of drug companies? Should drug companies be forced to offer affordable medication? If so, who should be responsible for enforcing this practice?
World Health I
Class: Introduction of AIDS in Africa with article on "Who
should pick up the tab for the Third World?" and "Poor
African Countries Lack Ways to Monitor Use of New AIDS Drugs,
Experts Warn" by Barbar Crossette
Homework: Read "The Plague Years" by Jeffrey Bartholet
and "10 Million Orphans" by Tom Masland and Rod Nordland
What should be done about the AIDS epidemic in Africa? What are the ethical issues involved?
AIDS in Africa
Class: Finish discussion of AIDS in Africa and introduce
environment
Homework: Read "A Climate of Despair" by Jeffrey
Kluger
Do you think environmentalists are overreacting in their assessment of our environment? What do you think about Bush's statement: "We will work together, but it's going to be what's in the interest of our country first and foremost" Do we have any ethical obligation to protect the environment?
The Environment
Class: Read and discuss "Drill, Say Alaskans, Who Know
Their Pockets are Lined with Oil" by Sam Howe Verhovek
Why does a government create a wildlife refuge? Why is there
a controversy over the drilling
for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska? What
kind of implications for the
future will drilling have?
Paper Assignment
Choose one ethical issue facing our world today. What responsibility
do we, as the community of inhabitants of this earth, have toward
solving this issue? If groups are taking an active role in ending
the problem, why the interest? If it seems like more people are
being apathetic about the issue, why? Are global ethical issues
of interest to you? Include parenthetical citations and a bibliography
(2-4 pages).