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The requirements to this merit badge are copyrighted by the Boy Scouts of America. They are reproduced in part
here under fair use as a resource for Scouts and Scouters to use in the earning and teaching of merit badges.
The requirements published by the Boy Scouts of America should always be used over the list here. If in doubt
about the accuracy of a requirement, consult your Merit Badge Counselor.
Reading this page does not satisfy any requirement for any merit badge. Per National regulations, the only
person who may sign off on requirements is a Merit Badge Counselor, duly registered and authorized by the local
Council. To obtain a list of registered Merit Badge Counselors, or to begin a Merit Badge, please contact your
Scoutmaster or Council Service Center.
Contents
1 Requirement 1
2 Requirement 2
3 Requirement 3
4 Requirement 4
5 Requirement 5
6 Requirement 6
7 Requirement 7
8 External Links
9 Author's Note
Requirement 1
" in a particular country. The revised 2006 merit badge booklet requires input from the individual scout
as this is a subjective question. An example for the answer is, "I believe a citizen in the world is one
who contributes to society in one way or another."
...and what you think it takes to be a good world citizen.
This is also a subjective question that requires the individual scout put in his opinions. An example for
this part is, "I believe a good world citizen is one who contributes effort to strive for the good of his/her
fellow citizens."
Requirement 2
2A) Explain how one becomes a citizen in the United States...
One can become an American citizen in various ways. The 2005 BSA "Citizenship in the World"
handbook points these out: 1) "By blood if born to parents who are already citizens of [The United
States]" "By soil if born within the legal borders of a nation"
-"Through naturalization" (in which the person must meet certain
requirements which can be found here)
-"Through naturalization of parents"
2B) ...and explain the rights, duties, and obligations of U.S. citizenship.
American citizens have a number of rights, such as freedom of speech, the right to bear
arms, due process, religion, against quartering soldiers, and against double jeopardy (most
of these rights also apply to non-citizens) and are also taxed in order to provide money for
essential services. Other duties of American citizens might include obeying laws and voting.
Obligations are those elements of citizenship which are required under the law, for example,
the obligation to obey the law.
2C) Discuss the SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES between the rights, duties, and obligations of
U.S. citizens and of two other countries.
A U.S. citizens' rights, duties, and obligations are briefly explained in subsection 2B.
Here are examples of how they are similar from those of Chinese and Irish citizens'
rights, duties, and obligations in the following manner:
-Both Chinese citizens and U.S. citizens have the obligation to
receive education.
-Both Chinese citizens and U.S. citizens have the duty to get a
Visa to travel to other countries.
-Both Irish citizens and U.S. citizens have the right to vote.
-Both Irish citizens and U.S. citizens have the duty to serve on
a jury when called upon.
Requirement 3
Do the following:
A) pick a current world event. In relation to this current event, discuss with your counselor how a
country's national interest and its relationship with other countries might affect areas such as its
security, its economy, its values, and the health of its citizens.
B) Select a foreign country and discuss with your counselor how its geography, natural resources, and
climate influence its economy and its global partnerships with other countries.
After World War 1, Germany's economy was hard struck by the effects of the
Treaty of Versailles, leading to a national sense of bitterness towards countries
like France and the United Kingdom, which help set the stage for World War 2,
when Germany invaded many of its neighbors. After World War 2, Japan
adopted a constitution that does not allow the creation of a military force,
hampering the country's ability to help in military operations with the United
Nations and allies like the United States. In the run-up to the 2003 occupation
of Iraq, many American commentators expressed bitterness over France's
refusal to support the invasion. Many perceived a lack of gratitude for American
aid during World War 2, while France's defenders pointed out that country's aid
during the American War for Independence. Culture includes a society's
language, religion, lifestyle, clothing, decor and many other aspects. Cultural
splits within countries sometimes lead to strife because different parts of the
country have different interests. The American Civil War is an example of a
country torn apart by the opposing interests of culturally distinct regions.
More recently, religious animosity has led to violence and chaos in many
Middle-Eastern countries, especially Israel. The creation of Israel was
prompted by fears of anti-Semitism leading to a repeat of the attempted
genocide of the Jews during the Holocaust, and Israel's foreign relations have
long been affected by fears of anti-Semitism harming Jews abroad. Conflicts
over religion, geography, ethnicity and other issues have spread in different
countries has caused strife and war. For example, the Kurds live in several
countries, including Iraq and Turkey, the latter a key US ally in the region. With
Kurdish leaders calling for an independent Kurdistan, the US was torn between
supporting its Kurdish allies and the Turkish government, which believed that
any independence for Iraqi Kurds could spur a revival of similar hopes among
Turkish Kurds. Nationalism plays an important role in this phenomenon, which
has also included calls for a Greater Somalia, a view that has twice led to war
with Ethiopia over the Somali Ogaden region, and Greater Serbia|, a motivation
for the Kosovo War. Demographics are the make-up of a country. Some
countries have a very young population, such as Zambia, while others have a
large elderly population, such as Sweden. Some countries are made up nearly
entirely of one ethnic group speaking a single language, such as Iceland, while
others are a melting pot of dozens or hundreds of ethnic groups, such as many
of the equatorial African countries like the Republic of the Congo.
Demographic conflict has long been a source of strife on the diverse continent
of Africa. In South Africa, for example, a white minority long controlled a huge
black majority (Apartheid), eventually straining relations with countries like the
United States, which imposed an embargo as a result. Ethnically diverse states
such as most of the Sub-Saharan African countries were created from
Requirement 4
Do TWO of the following:
A)Explain international law and how it differs from national law. Explain the role of international law
and how international law can be used as a tool for conflict resolution
A state is ordinarily said to be sovereign - i.e. capable of enforcing its own
laws on its own territory, and only on its own territory (for example,
American laws do not apply in France, even if the people involved are all
American). International law is a relatively recent invention, and concerns
agreements between countries in pacts called treaties. International law
can enforce standards (such as standardized weights and measures for
the purposes of trade) and proscribe conduct according to treaties
concerning human rights. With international organizations enforcing these
treaties, often ineffectively, but also often with great success, countries
whose governments ignore human rights treaties can be dealt with by
multi-national alliances, which are perceived as having more legitimacy if a
broken human rights treaty can be blamed.
B) Using resources such as major daily newspapers, the Internet (with your parent's permission), and
news magazines, observe a current issue that involves international trade, foreign exchange, balance
of payments, tariffs, and free trade. Explain what you have learned. Include in your discussion an
explanation of why countries must cooperate in order for world trade and global competition to
thrive.This option requires the scout to do independent research.
C) Select TWO of the following organizations and describe their role in the world.
Requirement 5
Do the following:
A) Discuss the differences between constitutional and nonconstitutional governments.
Requirement 6
Do the Following:
A) Explain how a government is represented abroad and how the United States government is
accredited to international organizations.
A government is represented abroad by an
ambassador or a consul. The United States
government is accredited to international
organizations based on the requirements of
each individual organization. For example,
here are the requirements for the United
Nations
B) Describe the roles of the following in the conduct of foreign relations:
Ambassador: a diplomatic official of the
highest rank, sent by one sovereign or
state to another as its resident
representative (ambassador extraordinary
and plenipotentiary), usually for a specific
Requirement 7
Do two of the following (with your
parent's permission) and share with
your counselor what you have
learned:
A) Visit the Web site of the U.S. State Department. Learn more about an issue you find interesting that
is discussed on this Web site.
Web Site: http://www.state.gov/
Issues Vary.
B) Visit the Web site of an international news organization or foreign government...
Example Website (news
organization): http://www.ap.
org/
...OR examine a foreign newspaper available at your local library, bookstore, or newsstand. Find a
news story about a human right realized in the United States that is not recognized in another country.
C) Visit with a student or Scout from another country and discuss the typical values, holidays, ethnic
foods, and traditions practiced or enjoyed there.
D) Attend a world Scout jamboree.
E) Participate in or attend an international event in your area, such as an ethnic festival, concert, or
play.
Exter
nal
Links
Citize
nship
in the
World
Merit
Badg
e with
Work
book
PDF,
curre
nt
requir
emen
ts,
and
resou
rces
for
the
Citize
nship
in the
World
Merit
Badg
e.
Auth
or's
Note
Writing
this article
has been
a
pleasurabl
e learning
experienc
e for me
and I am
happy to
have been
able to
give back
to the
scouting
community
.
I hope that
my efforts
serve as a
reminder
to the
reader
that it is
important
to both
give and
take
informatio
n in order
to be a
good
world
citizen.