Citizenship in the World Merit Badge Pamphlet: Merit …

1 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Merit Badge SERIESCITIZENSHIP IN THE World Enhancing our youths competitive edge through Merit badges 35872 ISBN 978-0-8395-3260-6 2012 Boy Scouts of America2014 Digital VersionRequirements1. Explain what Citizenship in the World means to you and what you think ittakes to be a good World Explain how one becomes a citizen in the United States, and explain therights, duties, and obligations of Citizenship . Discuss the similarities anddifferences between the rights, duties, and obligations of citizens and thecitizens of two other Do the following:a. Pick a current World event. In relation to this current event, discuss withyour counselor how a country s national interest, history, and itsrelationship with other countries might affect areas such as its security, itseconomy, its values, and the health of its Select a foreign country and discuss with your counselor how itsgeography, natural resources, and climate influence its economy and itsglobal partnerships with other Do TWO of the following:a.

2 Explain international law and how it differs from national law. Explain therole of international law and how international law can be used as a tool forconflict Using resources such as major daily newspapers, the Internet (with yourparent s permission), and news magazines, observe a current issue thatinvolves international trade, foreign exchange, balance of payments, tariffs,and free trade. Explain what you have learned. Include in your discussionan explanation of why countries must cooperate in order for World tradeand global competition to Select TWO of the following organizations and describe their role in theworld.(1) The United Nations(2) The World Court(3) World Organization of the Scout Movement(4) The World Health Organization(5) Amnesty International(6) The International Committee of the Red Cross(7) CARE5. Do the following:a. Discuss the differences between constitutional and Name at least five different types of governments currently in power in Show on a World map countries that use each of these five different formsof Do the following:a.

3 Explain how a government is represented abroad and how the United Statesgovernment is accredited to international Describe the roles of the following in the conduct of foreign relations.(1) Ambassador(2) Consul(3) Bureau of International Information Programs(4) Agency for International Development(5) United States and Foreign Commercial Servicec. Explain the purpose of a passport and visa for international Do TWO of the following (with your parent s permission) and share withyour counselor what you have learned:a. Visit the website of the State Department. Learn more about an issueyou find interesting that is discussed on this Visit the website of an international news organization or foreigngovernment, OR examine a foreign newspaper available at your locallibrary, bookstore, or newsstand. Find a news story about a human rightrealized in the United States that is not recognized in another Visit with a student or Scout from another country and discuss the typicalvalues, holidays, ethnic foods, and traditions practiced or enjoyed Attend a World Scout Participate in or attend an international event in your area, such as an ethnicfestival, concert, or Is Citizenship ?

4 Comparative Political SystemsNational InterestThe World Order of NationsInternational Trade and CommerceUnited Nations SystemGlobal Issues, Watchdogs, and AdvocatesInternational LawRepresentation AbroadExpand Your Own BordersResourcesIntroductionWe don t live in our own World . We share the planet with more than 6 billionpeople. These people stare at the same sky, but they see it from differentpositions: coral islands, desert dunes, terraced mountains, rain forests,grasslands, and landlocked megacities. And yet most of these people want thesame things we want: good health, personal security, and the freedoms toworship as we please, speak what we think, choose our lifestyles, and elect are more alike than we are different. The Declaration of Independencedefines the basic rights of people in the United States and everywhere else: ..that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit ofHappiness.

5 We might share the same planet with the more than 6 billion people worldwide, but we don t sharethe same rights, freedoms, or difference is that many people outside the United States are not allowedto exercise their natural rights. Today the World is connected throughcommunications networks on the ocean floor, on the ground, in outer space, andin cyberspace. The Internet and television allow people all over the globe to getinformation previously inaccessible. We can now see wars fought in real talk online in chat rooms full of people who share specific interests, yet livein different countries. We watch breaking news and live performances on you surf the Internet to learn more about the World , be sure you have your parent tend to interpret the impact of international events from their owncultural or national perspective. But as global trade increases, as nations formregional economic and military alliances, and as activists point out human rightsabuses and environmental damage, citizens and governments worldwide mustrecognize that we are living interdependently.

6 The easy access to instantinformation makes the World a smaller place and challenges our views aboutother nations. What we do and don t do affects the World , and the World you earn the Citizenship in the World Merit Badge , you will discover thatyou are already a citizen of the World . How good a citizen you are depends onyour willingness to understand and appreciate the values, traditions, andconcerns of people in other countries in our Is Citizenship ? Citizenship is membership in a governed community. This membership comeswith a set of privileges, freedoms, and duties, which varies according to thenation s form of person may acquire Citizenship in different ways: By blood if born to parents who are already citizens of a nation By soil if born within the legal borders of a nation Through naturalization Through naturalization of parentsA citizen is a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a specificnation and is entitled to its government s protection.

7 A subject is a citizen ruledby a sovereign authority, such as a monarch, and is required to show loyalty toboth the ruling authority and the , the quality of Citizenship depends on the balance between what agovernment does for the people and what it expects of them in is the legal process by which an alien, or foreign-born person,becomes a States CitizenshipUnder most forms of government, citizens are obligated to obey the law, paytaxes, and serve in the armed forces; the government is obligated to providephysical safety, public services, and protection of property. In the United States,the government must protect other rights and freedoms as well: Right to vote Right to a fair trial Right to bear arms Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of the pressThe Declaration of Independence is a unique contract between citizens andgovernment: .. Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their justpowers from the consent of the In a sense, a citizen s duties are built into these rights and freedoms.

8 The rightto a fair trial, for example, obligates citizens to serve on juries. The right tovote obligates them to be informed about important issues and the candidates positions. Because the government rules with the consent of the citizens,Americans must understand and exercise their constitutional rights or risklosing the United States, serving on a jury when called is a civic duty; it is also one way that the right to afree trial is citizens live in an open society where it is safe to think out loud. We freelyexpress our opinions, exchange ideas, and even disagree in public. But in somenations, people are not allowed to do communications such as electronic mail and global broadcasting haveadvanced the spread of American popular culture. Through advertising, music,and movies shown worldwide, as well as humanitarian outreach efforts andinternational trade, people in most countries no longer have to depend on theirgovernment for information about the World beyond their own borders.

9 Nowthey can find out for themselves about what it is like to live in the United emigrate, or leave their own countries to settle elsewhere, for variousreasons including fear of persecution, the desire to be reunited with family, andthe opportunity to better themselves economically. Citizenship andImmigration Services, under the direction of the Department of HomelandSecurity, issues immigrant visas to qualified foreign nationals, or aliens, whowish to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) of the United immigrant visa is an identification card that allows a nonnative person tostay in the United States an LPR, an immigrant enjoys certain rights, including the right to Stay in the United States indefinitely. Have a job. Sponsor certain family members for LPR must pay taxes but may not vote. Only citizens have that right. Manypeople who choose to become citizens want to fully participate in Americansociety, elect government leaders, and have a voice in domestic and apply for residency, an immigrant must complete the I 485 form, Application to RegisterPermanent Residence or Adjust Status, and submit many required supporting applicant for Citizenship must have a valid immigrant visa, must havefulfilled residency requirements, must be prepared to demonstrate anunderstanding of the English language, and must know the basics of the UnitedStates s history and how its government satisfying the examiner at the naturalization interview and passing theEnglish and civics tests, an immigrant must take the oath of allegiance.

10 Theapplicant swears to Support the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States. Renounce, or give up, any foreign allegiance. Bear arms for the armed forces of the United States or perform services for theUnited States government when taking the oath, the immigrant receives a certificate of naturalization,which is proof of Citizenship . Then he or she may apply for a an official citizen is a long and difficult process requiring life-changing decisions and actions. Immigrants who do this know why they want tolive in the United States and take nothing for granted. They may know moreabout government and history than people whose families have beencitizens for CitizenshipNations are like stand-alone colored tiles, each with its own design. Each onehas a beauty all its own, resulting from combinations of elements includingethnic customs, social values, language, religion, and legal systems. Together,nations form a complex pattern a World person is not only a citizen of his or her nation, but also a citizen of theworld.