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** Understanding International Relations: Key Concepts and Applications**

Enhance your knowledge of International Relations (IR) with a comprehensive overview covering IR theories, states and their relations, globalisation, North-South and South-South relations, and international organisations. Gain insights into the importance of studying IR and the impact of globalisation on economic and social relations. Explore key IR theories like Liberal Internationalism, Realism, Regime, Hegemonic stability, and Marxism. Learn about the significance of state sovereignty and the role of IOs in maintaining peace, promoting trade, and finance. Discover the dynamics of North-South and South-South relations and understand the functions of selected IOs in peace and security maintenance and trade facilitation.

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** Understanding International Relations: Key Concepts and Applications**

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Presentation Transcript

  1. WELCOME IRO2017 Facilitator Mr John Mbenzi

  2. SCOPE • Overview of the Content: • Definition of IR • Why do we study IR • IR theories and how their application in explaining complex IR issues/events • State and IR • Globalisation • North-south and South-South relations • International organisations (IOs) • Selected IOs mandated to maintain Peace and Security • Selected IOs promoting international Trade and Finance • About the Assignments • Hints on Exam • End!

  3. Defining IR • IR is defined in 3 ways: • Diplomatic-strategic relations of statesfocusing on issuesof war and peace, conflict and cooperation • Cross- border transactions of all kinds; political, economic and social • Globalisation: studying issues such as world communication, transport, global business etc. • Which of the 3 is more relevant for IR study?

  4. Why studying IR • Division of different states that need each other, inter-state relations • Understanding that states operate as a system - the global system of states • The meaning and impact of sovereignty on need for IR • Need to examine how states uphold the 5 basic social values (security, freedom, order, justice and welfare)

  5. IR theories and their application • Liberal Internationalism • Realism • Regime • Hegemonic stability, and • Marxism theory

  6. State and IR • Defining the concept ‘state’ • Difference between domestic and foreign policy • Three (3) Models for foreign policy formulation and analysis • Foreign policy implementation • Power and security

  7. 5. GLOBALISATION • Defining globalisation • the spread and intensification of economic, social, and cultural relations across international border • Impact of globalisation on the rich and poor

  8. North-South and South-South relations • NN relations is a socio-economic and political division between the wealthy developed countries ‘the North’ and the poorer developing countries ‘the South’ • Most wealthy nations are located above latitude 30°North (except Australia and NZ) • ‘The South’ represents mostly the previously colonised countries

  9. Concerns about North - South Relations • North-South relations is relationships between the advanced industrialized countries (the North) and the developing countries (the South). • North-South relations became an issue in international politics following decolonisation. Why? • The South form up the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961 • The South presented to UNGA the demand for a New International Economic Order(NIEO) in 1974.

  10. South - South relations • What is South - South relations? • The South-South relations are both economic and political interactions among developing countries • These came about after developing realised that it is unlikely for the ‘the North’ to address their concerns fairly.

  11. 7. International Organisations (IOs) • An international organisation is an institution that draws membership from at least three states, having activities in several states, and whose members are held together by a formal agreement.

  12. Classes of IOs • Two distinct classes of IOs: • The intergovernmental Org. (IGOs) are organizations made up primarily of sovereign states e.g., the UN,EU, AU • International Nongovernmental Org. (INGOs). can be non-profit organizations e.g.. the IOC, lCRC, Amnesty International or profit oriented org. /MNC eg Toyota, Coca Cola, Macdonald • Our discussions will focus more on IGOs. Why?

  13. Why state join IOs • Perception that IOs Manage collective activities efficiently • Alternative arena to circumvent political interference in internal affairs (eg IMF and World Bank • Creating community of states • Incentivising states to pool resources • Mechanism to promote development • an avenue for solving legal and political disputes

  14. Issues Areas in which IOs are very active • Security • Welfare and economic relations • Environment • Human rights

  15. Selected IGOs mandated to oversee Peace & Security LON, UN, AU, SADC

  16. Selected IOs Active promoting international trade and Finance • International Monitory Fund (IMF) • World Bank (WB) • World Trade Organisation (WTO)

  17. About assignment • Importance • Requirements • Outcome on assignments • How to improve

  18. Exams Scope • Examine previous exam papers • Discuss Exams scope and guidelines

  19. Conclusion • Review questions • Summary • End!

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