Final Reflection:

I was immediately drawn to the ‘Health and Humanitarian Aid’ category, as social causes are generally my main area of interest. From there, I decided to choose the World Health Organization as my specific topic because it was something within my usual area of choice, in which I did not know much about. I was also very interested in the World Health Organization because it looks at health care from a global perspective, and emphasises the importance of unity and global support. Although I did not know a lot of information about the WHO prior to doing this investigation, I had an appreciation for the organization nonetheless. I was aware that they are extremely beneficial to many people everywhere however after obtaining this new knowledge, I have learned the depth of which it contributes towards the overall global wellbeing.
Studying this topic has increased my political knowledge because the WHO is an association of which must work alongside federal governments. In order for this organization to function properly, governments must sign on to the WHO constitution. This will than ensure that each member state will give a financial contribution as well as other resources should they be needed. In turn, they can be assured that should their country require assistance, it will be available. The World Health Organization is an essential aspect of global unity, and portrays how together we can overcome inadequate health care services, respond to natural disasters and create a happier, healthier earth.

Group Discussions:

Max, Justine and Scott have all been excellent to work with. Although we have only met as an entire group a few times, we have used our time wisely, and our ideas and our planning has benefitted as a result. The main concept we want to focus on is how each of our organizations or associations are required in order to bring unity, and enhance the overall global wellbeing. This is done by setting goals and working together to achieve them. We are going to portray the significance of this concept by comparing the state of the earth in each various area before and after the implementation of each organization. As a group, we have decided that we are going to begin the presentation by showing this historical background. However, we still need to confirm how we are going to engage the class, whether it is through a game, discussion or some other form of interaction. I feel as though our group is well on its way to having an effective presentation, one of which will clearly express the contributions these highly regarded organizations have made towards bettering the global community.

Reflection #3

The third source of which I will be reflecting on is a copy of the Canada Health Act, as well as an overview of current health care systems on an international level. This information was taken from statistics Canada. In order to fully prove my thesis, I will require a significant amount of knowledge regarding the policies and regulations of global health care. I will then in turn, use this information to create relations between these ideals and current practice, and the goals of the World Health Organization. This source will provide me with the required knowledge to do so. The overview includes useful statistics and information for the following countries: Canada, Australia, France, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom. Although these countries generally rank quite high in terms of overall health care, they are still highly involved with the WHO, and therefore need to be recognized and considered throughout my study. Most of my research thus far has focused on the history of global health care (pre WHO). This source however focuses on the current aspect of international health care. Following the actual documents, this article also includes quotes from the WHO officials, regarding existing health care systems around the world. This once again, reaffirms the accomplishments, initiatives and future goals of the organization. I have found this source to be very useful throughout my research. Although it does not directly prove my thesis, it provides me with a better understanding of health care at an international level, and therefore will be useful to me throughout my seminar.