Document 1:
The different steps of the US presidential elections:
1) January-July 2012: primary election party members (or voters) vote for party candidate.
2) Summer : National party conventions : the candidates are officially nominated introduction of their programmes
3) November : "election day": people vote for the "great elector in favour of such a ticket"
4) December : the 538 great elector meet and vote for the ticket they promised to vote for( 270 ballots are required to get the majority)
5) January 6th congress session : the 538 ballots are counted and the names of the new president and vice-president are officially known
6) January 20th "inauguration day : the president and "the vice president make an oath (Faire un serment) on the steps of capital, in Washington D.C and officially enters into their offices
Document 2:
Developing country: A developing country is a country which has relatively low standards of living, an undeveloped industrial base, and a moderate to low Human Development Index (HDI) score and per capita income, but is in a phase of economic development. P1
Developed country: (In comparison), usually have economic systems based on continuous, self-sustaining economic growth in the tertiary and quaternary sectors and high standards of living. P1
Failed states: A failed state is a country with a government that cannot or will not deliver essential political goods (public services) to its citizens. These poor countries have also experienced prolonged periods of economic decline. P2
The Human Development Index: A compound indicator of the above statistics, to gauge the level of human development for countries where data is available. P2
Microfinance: It refers to the provision of financial services to poor or low-income clients including consumers and the self-employed. These who promote microfinance generally believe that a permanent access to credits, savings, insurance, etc, will help poor people out of poverty.
Child Labour: The term Child Labour is used for employment of children below a certain age, which is considered illegal by law and custom. P6
The International Labour Organization: Founded in 1919. It’s a specialized agency of the UN that deals with labour issues. Its primary goal “to promote opportunities for men and women to obtain decent and productive workin, in conditions of freedoms, equity, security and human dignity “. P7
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989): International convention setting out the civil, political, economic social and cultural right of children. All members of the UN have ratified it (Except Somalia and the USA).
This convention is child-centric and deals with the child specific needs and rights. It requires that states act in the best interests of the child. P8
The UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund): Created in 1946 by the UN General Assembly to provide emergency food and health care to children in countries that had been devastated by WW2.
It provides long-term humanization and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.
It is present in 190 countries and territories.
As a voluntarily funded agency, the UNICEF relies on contribution form governments to private donors. P10
The Child Labour Deterrence Act:
First proposed in the US Congress in 1992 by Senator Harkin (a Democrat)
This bill “would prohibit the importation of products that have been produced by child labour; and included civil and criminal penalties for violators”. P11
Off-shoring: Describes the relocation of business processes from one country to another.
This includes any business process such as production manufacturing or services. P16
Document 3:
The OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting countries): It is an oil cartel whose mission is to coordinate the policies of the oil producing countries. P4
Peak Oil: Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production is reached, after which the rate of production enters its terminal decline. P8
Vocabulary- Developing countries (p.5-9-13):
P5:
- Reconnaître : To acknowledge - Graînes, semence: Seed - Poussière : Dust
- Faire payer: To charge - Reference: Benchmark - Estimations : Assessments - Inexploité: Untapped
P9:
- Contourner: Circumvent - Rareté, manque: Paucity - Pousser, envoyer: To shunt - Alléger: To alleviate - Lourd: Onerous
- Echapattoire: Loophole
- Apparent, voyant, manifeste: Conspicuous
P13:
- Un revers: Flipside - Contrefait: Forged
- Salaire diminué: Docked wages - Une bagarre: A brawl
- Eliminer: To weed out - Promettre: To vow
- Personnes qui vendent la mèche: Whistle blowers
Vocabulary – Oil p.6 :
- Pétrole brut : Crude oil - Forer : To drill
- Charbon : Coal - Surproduction : Glut - Puit de pétrole : Oil well - Goudron : Tar
- Combustible : Fuel
