Scouting/BSA/Citizenship in the World Merit

Badge
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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

European colonies in the region, which had no basis in rational geographic or

cultural boundaries. As a result, many of the earliest leaders in these countries
pursued as a high priority the formation of a national identity; this occurred in
nations across Africa, including Zambia and Sudan. In the rush to create a
distinctive culture, minorities and dissenters were often marginalized or
oppressed, leading to revolutions and civil strife. Politics can occur within a
single country or among countries. Activities involving the internal political
landscape of a country can have an affect on national interests and foreign
relations through the election or installment of leaders who enact foreign policy,
while laws passed by a particular country may have an affect on the economy
of a different country.
Internal conflicts between political blocs of capitalists and socialists led to a
polarization of international relations. Countries like the United States, France
and Italy jockeyed for power with the Soviet Union and satellites in newlyindependent countries across Africa, South America and Asia (see The Cold
War). Following the internationally divisive US-led occupation of Iraq in 2003,
foreign countries around the world were forced to pay close attention to the
American political landscape. Some, like Israel, were supportive of the
conservative right, while others, like France, supported the liberal left.
The national interests of a country are often very complex, and hinge on
multiple factors involving geography, natural resources and climate, as well as
social values, security issues and concerns regarding foreign countries.
Geography can affect a country's national resources through several ways. A
country's shape can dictate its national interest.
Nearly all countries have some kind of natural resources. It is always in the
best interest of the producers of a product (for example oil) to keep prices and
demand high.
Because all countries need food and water, climate is extremely important.
Without adequate rain, for example, agriculture can not occur and food will
have to be imported and this can make a country's economy fall. Weather can
also have debilitating effects on trade, both within and outside the boundaries
of country.
Below are two links to additional information. They will provide informative
graphs that had answered the previous question 4, which is worded exactly as
the current question 3b.
Graphed Countries 1: Saudi Arabia
Graphed Countries 2: United States, Tuvalu, Botswana, and Bolivia

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.

The United Nations- is an international organization whose

stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law,
international security, economic development, social
progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace.

The World Court- is the primary judicial organ of the United

Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague,
Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes
submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on
legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized
international organs, agencies, and the UN General
Assembly.

World Organization of the Scout Movement-The mission of

WOSM is to contribute to the education of young people,
through a value system based on the Scout Promise and
Scout Law, to help build a better world where people are

self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in

society. World Organization of the Scout Movement is
organized into regions and operates with a conference,
committee and bureau.

The World Health Organization-providing leadership on

matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where
joint action is needed;

shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation,

translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge; setting
norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their
implementation; articulating ethical and evidence-based policy
options; providing technical support, catalysing change, and
building sustainable institutional capacity; and monitoring the
health situation and assessing health trends.

Amnesty International- is a non-governmental organisation

focused on human rights with over 3 million members and
supporters around the world. The objective of the
organisation is "to conduct research and generate action to
prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to
demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."

The International Red Cross- is an international humanitarian

movement with approximately 97 million volunteers,
members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect
human life and health, to ensure respect for all human
beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without
any discrimination based on nationality, race, sex, religious
beliefs, class or political opinions.

CARE-It helps with health with almost all of the countries.

Requirement 5
Do the following:
A) Discuss the differences between constitutional and nonconstitutional governments.

Constitutional governments have a written document stating

their laws, rights and responsibilities. It must also be limited
in power, follow a higher law, and have constitutional
stability. Nonconstitutional governments are dictatorships
and absolute monarchies. These are hard on the citizens
because they don't have many rights. Totalitarian and
authoritarian are the two types of nonconstitutional
governments. In an authoritarian government, the power to
make decisions is in the hands of one person or a small
group. Totalitarian government is another form of
authoritarian in which the government controls every aspect
of society.
B) Name at least five different types of governments currently in power in the world.
United States- Federal republic, Representative
democracy(democratic republic), Canada- Federal
parliamentary democracy and constitutional
monarchy, Spain- Parliamentary monarchy, PolandRepublic, Libya- People's Congress,North KoreaSingle-party state, Brazil- Democratic federal
republic, Niger- Parliamentary democracy.
C) Show on a world map countries that use each of these five different forms of government.

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

length of time. He or she is a diplomatic

official heading his or her country's
permanent mission to certain international
organizations; such as the United Nations;
and is an authorized representative of a
nation to deliver their nation's messages
and protect the national interest of the
nation they represent through diplomatic
means.
Consul: an official appointed by the
government of one country to look after its
commercial interests and the welfare of its
citizens in another country, as well as
providing assistance to Americans
traveling abroad.
Bureau of International Information
Programs: The Bureau of International
Information Programs (IIP) is the principal
international strategic communications
service for the foreign affairs community.
IIP designs, develops, and implements a
variety of information initiatives and
strategic communications programs,
including Internet and print publications,
traveling and electronically transmitted
speaker programs, and information
resource services. These reach--and are
created strictly for--key international
audiences, such as the media,
government officials, opinion leaders, and
the general public in more than 140
countries around the world.
U.S Agency for International
Development: The United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) is
the United States federal government
agency primarily responsible for
administering civilian foreign aid.
President John F. Kennedy created USAID
in 1961 by executive order to implement
development assistance programs in the
areas authorized by the Congress in the

Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. An

independent federal agency, USAID
receives overall foreign policy guidance
from the United States Secretary of State
and seeks to "extend a helping hand to
those people overseas struggling to make
a better life, recover from a disaster or
striving to live in a free and democratic
country.
United States and Foreign Commercial
Service: The U.S. Commercial Service
(CS), the trade promotion arm of the U.S.
Department of Commerce's International
Trade Administration, helps U.S.
companies succeed in markets around the
world. Led by Assistant Secretary of
Commerce and Director General Suresh
Kumar and located across the United
States and in U.S. Embassies and
Consulates in nearly 80 countries, the CS
global network of trade professionals
helps thousands of U.S. companies to
export goods and services worth billions of
dollars every year.

C) Explain the purpose of a passport and visa for international travel.

A passport is an official document
issued to a citizen by a government
affirming the individuals nationality.
The passport permits the citizen to
travel or live abroad and entitles the
citizen to privileges guaranteed by
international custom and treaties: safe
passage, lawful aid, and protection
while under the foreign governments
jurisdiction. A visa is a permit to enter
another country and must be issued
by the country one wishes to enter. It
is a special seal stamped on a valid
passport that indicates an official of
that country has approved the visit.

Prior to leaving, the traveler should

apply for a visa-if required by that
particular country-at the appropriate
foreign embassy or nearest
consulate. A foreign national wishing
to enter the United States must apply
for a visa outside the United States at
embassies and consulates worldwide.
An immigrant visa permits a person to
stay in the United States permanently.
A non-immigrant visa allows a foreign
national to enter the country for a
temporary stay. Tourists, temporary
workers, missionaries, business
professionals, artists, and athletes
travel on temporary visas.

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.