International Relations Assignment | Get Paper Help
Assignment 1
Few issues have only two sides, yet a polarized pro/con debate can help us to parse the stakes. The Intelligence Squared (IQ2) program effectively uses this format in recorded public debates, which feature two teams of experts arguing for or against a controversial question, before a live audience.
In this assignment, we will follow the basic procedures of the IQ2 pro/con format:
- audience members (= you) first record initial views on a proposition;
- debating teams (= video) then make the case “for” and “against” the proposition;
- audience members (= you) vote again to determine the most persuasive side.
(The team that gains overall audience share “wins” the debate, which isn’t our focus, but along the way, we get an informative debate about a complex issue.)
In addition to seeing how alternative theories from class get translated into policy debates, you will practice listening skills by watching a video, analytical skills by distilling its key points, and presentation skills by judging the rhetorical persuasiveness of these four experts.
Vote: write down your initial reaction to the proposition that “Humanitarian Intervention does More Harm than Good” and note if either response fits within Realism or Liberalism.
- Pro (“does more harm”)
- Con (“does more good”)
- Undecided
Watch: the IQ2 debate (from March 2018) posted below or the IQ2 website (which provides podcast or transcript options, as well as supplementary resources). Focus on the opening arguments (starting after introductions, around 5:15, ending around 26:15). The rest is optional, should you want more details of their claims and counter-claims.
Outline: the two strongest points made by each side. (These may or may not be made by the same person.) Briefly note why you find these four points to be compelling.
Re-vote: on the proposition. Reflect on whether your position changed as a result of watching the debate. Finally, summarize your conclusion—why you accept or reject the proposition—in one sentence.
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q855r6ycEmg
Assignment 5
Food security is a controversial concept that leads us to think about problems of development and undernourishment through a new lens. The term is part of the larger “human security” agenda, which emphasizes the individual, not the state. Its focus on well-being broadens the traditional conception of “threat” beyond armed conflict to encompass human suffering. Thus, the human security approach takes seriously harmful results of economic insecurity, such as lack of access to food and clean water. (See pages 403-404 in the textbook for a more complete explanation of human security.)
Applying a human security perspective, this assignment asks you to reflect upon claims about a relationship between health and human rights. Answer all threequestions below and watch the linked video clip (either before or after writing your response memo).
While your responses to each question may vary in length, overall, your memo should not exceed one page. Use complete sentences, and provide citations if you draw upon any sources beyond the website links provided. The usual formatting rules apply (e.g., standard font and margins). As always, remember to upload a copy of your file in addition to bringing a paper copy to discussion section.
- Explain in your own wordsthe “four pillars” of food security as defined by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Note that some organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), refer to only three pillars; however, FAO adds a crucial fourth pillar. The FAO website provides details:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdf
- Identify the relationshipbetween the FAO’s four pillars and human rights claims. Do you agree with or reject the argument that food access should be a human right? Refer to Article 25 (1) of the UDHR for guidance:
http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
- Highlight ONEchallenge in combating food insecurity at the global level (regardless of whether you accept a “rights” frame). See the “Right to Food” page on the FAO website for more information:
http://www.fao.org/right-to-food/en/
- Watchthe brief clip linked here about food insecurity on college campuses:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunger-is-a-growing-problem-on-college-campuses/
