Acid rain--precipitation with a high nitric or sulfuric acid content, caused largely by the emissions from coal-fired power plants. Acid rain is highly damaging to ecosystems, even those located far downwind of the source of the emissions.

Acute hunger--The most severe form of hunger, in which a person or people are on the verge of death from a lack of food.

Anarchy/anarchic--A type of system in which there is no central rule-making or decision-making authority, and no central authority present to enforce any rules or decisions.  This system is also known as a "self-help" system, meaning those members of the system are "on their own" to make and enforce decisions. This is one common portrayal of the international system.

arable--land that is fertile and capable of supporting crops for food production.

asylum--a safe haven for people who have fled their country due to war, famine, persecution, disease, etc.

autarky--a condition of economic self-sufficiency for a nation, in which that country is isolated from external economic obligations or interactions.

authoritarian--a system of government in which top government officials in a country exercise complete and total control over that country.  Citizens of the country do not have any power or influence over the make-up of the government or its decisions or actions.

balance of power--the belief that peace and security results from an equal amount of power being distributed among countries (or groups of allied countries), leaving no country or alliance significantly more powerful than the others.

Berlin Mandate—international declaration in 1995 calling on the developed countries to set strong, specific, and binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for themselves in order to address the global climate change problem.

bilateral--direct interactions between two countries. For example, bilateral foreign aid is aid given from one country directly to another; for another, bilateral trade is trade in goods and services directly (and only) between two countries.

"Brain Drain"—the movement of intellectuals and trained workers from the poorer developing countries to the developed countries of North America and Europe, in seeking better career opportunities and higher standards of living.

capitalism--an economic (not political or governmental) system that favors and requires a free market, competition, and private (as opposed to governmental) ownership of the means of production (i.e., businesses). Capitalism is encouraged among developed countries because it harnesses competition, innovation, and consumer spending to fuel economic growth.  Capitalism is sometimes resisted in lesser developed countries (LDCs) because poverty and corruption often prevent capitalism from working properly and, it is felt by some, often makes these conditions worse.  

carrying capacity--the finite amount of life (plant, animal, and human combined) that can be supported by any ecosystem. 

cartel—an international agreement among producers of a good that attempts to control the supply and price of that good.

centrally planned economies—an economy where the government sets and attempts to control what goods and services will be produced and consumed (and when); refers primarily to the communist-era economies of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

child labor—as defined by ILO Convention 138, "any economic activity performed by a person under the age of 15." However, certain kinds of child labor (like family farm work) are considered acceptable.

codes of conduct--require businesses to manufacture their products without the use of child labor. Codes of conduct against child labor often take the form of things like product labels.

Convention 138—an international agreement passed by the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1973; the principal international standard against child labor.

Convention 182—drafted in 1999; calls on countries to take measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the "worst" forms of child labor (which have not yet been defined).

Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances—international agreement providing  measures against drug trafficking; includes provisions against money laundering.

Convention on the Rights of the Child—adopted in 1989 by the UN General Assembly; follows up on the Declaration on the Rights of the Child by outlining accepted rights for all persons under the age of 18.

cultural destabilization—the process where one dominant culture or way of life, (including language, customs, dress, etc.) is affected by the introduction of a different culture or cultures. This happens most frequently through immigration, and is seen as a negative change in countries with strongly held cultural identities.

cultural imperialism--an attempt to impose or favor one culture over others through a subtle form of domination over prevailing cultural practices, often through use of media images and manipulation and societal pressure. 

culture--the values, norms, and practices of a group of people that are passed on in whole or part from one generation to the next.

debt bondage—an arrangement in which children are forced to work to pay off a family debt. This is a major focus of human rights advocates working to combat child labor.

debt-for-nature swap—financial transaction in which an organization or nation interested in environmental conservation acquires debt from a foreign country, and then agrees to pay off the debt if the country will commit some of its own resources to conservation.

Declaration on the Rights of the Child—adopted in 1959 by the UN General Assembly; was the first United Nations statement devoted exclusively to the rights of children, though it lacked legal standing.

developed countries—also referred to as "industrialized countries" or "the North", this term refers to the more affluent nations of the world, located mainly in North America and Western Europe. These countries have extremely productive economies and high standards of living compared to the majority of the world.

developing countries—also referred to as less developed countries (LDCs) or "the South", this term refers to the poorer nations of the world, located mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These countries have much higher poverty rates and much lower standards of living than the U.S. and other Western countries.

direct foreign investment--investment by a foreign corporation directed at an existing company located abroad, or to establish a new country abroad.

disarmament--an effort seeking agreements among countries to reduce or eliminate certain weapons of mass destruction.

drug resistance—situation where a standard drug used to treat a disease has lost its effectiveness as a result of some change in the disease or the way it is contracted. This is a growing problem in fighting most of the world’s major diseases.

drug trafficking—highly organized system of transportation of illegal drugs from their place of origin to where they are consumed. Drug trafficking often crosses international borders and involves many layers of "middlemen" using sophisticated technology and high levels of violence.

emissions trading—market-based, economic approach to greenhouse gas reduction. In emissions trading, a country that has met a pre-established target for emissions sells or transfers its "rights to pollute" to another country who is over their target.

environmental "double-standards"—an accusation by the developed countries that poorer countries support strong environmental protection standards for the developed countries which they themselves do not have to follow.

European Union—The Western European regional organization established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1983. This organization is designed to promote political and economic integration among European nations. The EU is the latest in a series of efforts at European cooperation beginning in the 1950’s.

Framework Convention on Climate Change—an agreement passed at the "Rio Earth Summit" of 1992.  The Convention's objective is to cut back on human sources of climate change. It has met five times and has called for larger and more enforceable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized countries.

genocide--any acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

global climate change—also known as the "greenhouse effect." This term refers to major predicted shifts in the global climate as a result of high levels of greenhouse gas pollution such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Global climate change results largely from the consumption of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).

"global commons"—a term used by environmentalists and others to describe the relationship of the global environment and human activity. "Global commons" recognizes that the ecosystem is shared by all and implies that there is a common responsibility to maintain it.

"Golden Crescent"—refers to one of the world’s two major supply regions for opium (and opiate drugs such as heroin)--Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

"Golden Triangle"—refers to one of the world’s two major supply regions for opium (and opiate drugs such as heroin)--Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.

"Greenhouse Effect"—see "global climate change"

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—a measure of income within a country, excluding their earnings from commerce with other nations. GDP is widely used as a way to evaluate economic development and compare standards of living between nations.

hegemony—dominance or controlling behavior by one actor; in international relations, hegemony refers to dominance exercised by one nation or bloc of nations on others in order to gain an advantage.

human rights—refers to some standard of basic treatment which all humans should expect. This is a widely debated term with no widely agreed on definition. It can refer to basics such as food and shelter, or be expanded to include political freedom, economic opportunity, etc.

immigration—internationally, the process of one or more persons leaving their home country to enter and establish residence in another country. An immigrant describes any person involved in this process, regardless of their motivation for leaving home.

immunization—programs of treatment against major preventable diseases with drug vaccines, usually carried out in young children age 5 and under.

Industrial Revolution--a time of dramatic change from the mid 18th to late 19th century, where production transitioned from hand tools and handmade items to products which were mass produced by machines. Workers became more productive, and goods became more widely available. However, pollution increased and working conditions were harmful.

Infectious and communicable diseases—diseases which can be transmitted from one person to another, either directly or through a intermediary such as a mosquito, polluted water source, etc.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—a team of the world's foremost climate change scientists, commissioned by the U.N. to monitor and research the world’s changing climate.

Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)—a program created by the United Nations in 1987 to look at ways in which health professionals and other public officials can fight against the worldwide spread of AIDS.

Kyoto Protocol—term used in reference to a compromise reached in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997 on greenhouse gas reduction. In Kyoto, 38 industrialized countries reached a binding agreement to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to below-1990 levels by 2012.

maquiladoras—A Spanish term for manufacturing plants which have relocated to the area along the U.S.-Mexico border in order to capitalize on the economic benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). They typically offer low wage jobs with long hours and few benefits.

market economies—an economic system where supply and demand are determined largely by the fortunes of "the market" (the collective preferences of producers and consumers in the economy).

mass migration—movement of large numbers of people from one place to another, usually triggered by some event such as war or famine.

moral framework—an outline for thinking about an issue or problem as "right" or "wrong", "good" or "bad".

multinational corporations (MNCs)—private companies with branches or subsidiaries in more than one country.

national interest—a generally held belief by citizens of a nation about what is "good" for that nation. For example, it would be in a country’s national interest to have stable borders, and against it’s national interest to have borders which are not respected.

non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—international organizations with private memberships, often organized around a particular issue such as environmental protection or human rights.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—an economic agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that went into effect in 1994. It seeks to eliminate trade barriers between these countries, and to reduce most restrictions on foreign investment and financial transactions among them by 2009.

Operation Gatekeeper—recent U.S. policy to "funnel" Mexican immigrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border toward specific points along the border where they can be apprehended.

Presidential Determination on Major Illicit Drug Producing and Drug Transit Countries—an annual list compiled by the office of the U.S. President detailing drug-producing countries which the U.S. government feels are effectively fighting the problem of drug production and those that aren’t.

Proposition 187—controversial legislation introduced in California in the mid-1990’s to deny services (including hospital care and education) to children of undocumented aliens.

re-emergence—an outbreak of a disease once thought to have been under control or eradicated.

refugees and asylees—persons who have left their home country and entered another country because of political, religious, or cultural persecution or because of war.

social welfare state—nations with a high degree of government spending on social programs that provide income support, subsidized health care and education, retirement benefits, etc. The Western European democracies are generally regarded as the largest social welfare states.

sovereignty—Political independence of a state from any "higher authority" or outside intrusion; in theory, sovereignty gives a state equality and legitimacy in the world system.

sweatshops—a term originally used to describe poor working conditions in U.S. factories in the late 19^th century; sweatshops refer to manufacturing or assembly factories with cramped, unsafe working conditions. Internationally, sweatshops employ women and children in low-paying jobs with long hours and few benefits, largely to manufacture garments and consumer products such as TV’s and VCR’s for export.

temporary aliens—non-residents of a country who only intend to be in that country for a limited period of time; many temporary aliens include students and professionals who are studying or working abroad.

transferability of capital—the ease with which money for investment in business or economic equipment which can be used to produce goods can be moved from one region or country to another.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)—an agency created by the United Nations General Assembly to promote the protection of children's rights and to assist in meeting their basic needs. UNICEF’s position is that the survival, protection and development of children are essential to human progress.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, or Rio Earth Summit)—a meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 to discuss the world’s most serious environmental problems and the relationship between the environment and economic and social development.

United Nations General Assembly—the "lower" chamber of the United Nations, which includes all UN member countries and deals with all issues brought before the UN. It operates on a "one nation/one vote" system.

United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP)— leading agency for all UN drug control efforts.

U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS)—lead agency in the United States for setting immigration and refugee policy, monitoring and protecting national borders, and classifying and documenting all categories of immigrants to the U.S.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)—the United Nations attempt at guaranteeing a set of individual, social, economic, and political rights for all people in the world community.

World Bank—a collection of international agencies that provide capital and technical assistance to developing countries for economic and social development projects.

World Health Organization (WHO)—a specialized agency of the United Nations with 191 member states; promotes technical cooperation for health among nations and carries out programs to control and eradicate disease.

WHO International Health Regulations (IHR)—in force since 1971, these regulations help monitor and control a handful of serious diseases which have the potential to spread between countries.

World Trade Organization (WTO)—the international governing body overseeing the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT). The WTO promotes the reduction of barriers to international trade. The most recent meeting of the WTO in Seattle in 1999 was marked by violent protests against GATT and the doctrine of free trade.