Global problems of society message on social studies. Problems of modern society: what will be the consequences? The threat of wars and the proliferation of nuclear weapons

5. Global problems of our time

Global problems are the totality of the problems of mankind that confronted him in the second half of20th century and on the solution of which the existence of civilization depends. These problems were the result of contradictions that have accumulated in the relationship between man and nature for a long time.

The first people who appeared on Earth, getting food for themselves, did not violate natural laws and natural circuits. But in the process of evolution, the relationship between man and the environment has changed significantly. With the development of tools, man increasingly increased his "pressure" on nature. Already in antiquity, this led to the desertification of vast areas of Malaya and Central Asia and the Mediterranean.

The period of the Great geographical discoveries was marked by the beginning of the predatory exploitation of the natural resources of Africa, America and Australia, which seriously affected the state of the biosphere on the entire planet. And the development of capitalism and the industrial revolutions that took place in Europe gave rise to environmental problems in this region as well. The impact of the human community on nature reached global proportions in the second half of the 20th century. And today the problem of overcoming the ecological crisis and its consequences is perhaps the most urgent and serious.

In the course of his economic activity, for a long time, man occupied the position of a consumer in relation to nature, exploited it mercilessly, believing that natural resources are inexhaustible.

One of the negative results of human activity has been the depletion of natural resources. Yes, in progress historical development people gradually mastered more and more new types of energy: physical strength (first of their own, and then of animals), wind energy, falling or flowing water, steam, electricity and, finally, atomic energy.

Currently, work is underway to obtain energy by thermonuclear fusion. However, the development of nuclear energy is held back by public opinion, which is seriously concerned about the problem of ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants. As for other common energy sources - oil, gas, peat, coal - the danger of their depletion in the very near future is very high. So, if the growth rate of modern oil consumption does not grow (which is unlikely), then its proven reserves will last at best for the next fifty years. Meanwhile, most scientists do not confirm the forecasts, according to which in the near future it is possible to create this type of energy, the resources of which will become practically inexhaustible. Even if we assume that in the next 15-20 years thermonuclear fusion will still be able to "tame", then its widespread introduction (with the creation of the necessary infrastructure for this) will be delayed for more than one decade. And therefore humanity, apparently, should heed the opinion of those scientists who recommend him voluntary self-restraint both in the production and consumption of energy.

The second aspect of this problem is environmental pollution. Every year, industrial enterprises, energy and transport complexes emit more than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide and up to 700 million tons of vapor and gaseous compounds harmful to the human body into the Earth's atmosphere.

The most powerful accumulations of harmful substances lead to the appearance of so-called "ozone holes" - such places in the atmosphere through which the depleted ozone layer allows the ultraviolet rays of sunlight to reach the Earth's surface more freely. This has a negative impact on the health of the world's population. "Ozone holes" - one of the reasons for the increase in the number of cancers in humans. The tragedy of the situation, according to scientists, is also that in the event of the final depletion of the ozone layer, humanity will not have the means to restore it.

Not only air and land are polluted, but also the waters of the oceans. From 6 to 10 million tons of crude oil and oil products get into it every year (and taking into account their effluents, this figure can be doubled). All this leads both to the destruction (extinction) of entire species of animals and plants, and to the deterioration of the gene pool of all mankind. It is obvious that the problem of general degradation of the environment, the consequence of which is the deterioration of the living conditions of people, is a problem for all mankind. Humanity can solve it only together. In 1982, the UN adopted a special document - the World Charter for Conservation of Nature, and then created a special commission on the environment. In addition to the UN, non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace, the Club of Rome, etc. play an important role in developing and ensuring the environmental safety of mankind. As for the governments of the leading powers of the world, they are trying to combat environmental pollution by adopting special environmental legislation.

Another problem is the problem of world population growth (demographic problem). It is associated with a continuous increase in the number of people living on the territory of the planet and has its own background. Approximately 7 thousand years ago, in the Neolithic era, according to scientists, no more than 10 million people lived on the planet. By the beginning of the XV century. this figure doubled, and by the beginning of the XIX century. approached a billion. The two-billion mark was crossed in the 20s. XX century, and as of 2000, the population of the Earth has already exceeded 6 billion people.

The demographic problem is generated by two global demographic processes: the so-called population explosion in developing countries and underreproduction of the population in developed countries. However, it is obvious that the Earth's resources (primarily food) are limited, and today a number of developing countries have had to face the problem of birth control. But, according to scientists, the birth rate will reach simple reproduction (that is, replacement of generations without an increase in the number of people) in Latin America no earlier than 2035, in South Asia - no earlier than 2060, in Africa - no earlier than 2070. Between Therefore, it is necessary to solve the demographic problem now, because the current population is hardly feasible for the planet, which is not able to provide such a number of people with the food necessary for survival.

Some demographic scientists also point to such an aspect of the demographic problem as the change in the structure of the world population that occurs as a result of the population explosion in the second half of the 20th century. In this structure, the number of residents and immigrants from developing countries is growing - people who are poorly educated, unsettled, who do not have positive life guidelines and the habit of observing the norms of civilized behavior. this leads to a significant decrease in the intellectual level of mankind and the spread of such antisocial phenomena as drug addiction, vagrancy, crime, etc.

The demographic problem is closely intertwined with the problem of narrowing the gap in the level of economic development between the developed countries of the West and the developing countries of the "third world" (the so-called "North-South" problem).

The essence of this problem lies in the fact that most of those who were released in the second half of the 20th century. from the colonial dependence of countries, embarking on the path of catching up economic development, they could not, despite relative success, catch up with the developed countries in terms of basic economic indicators (primarily in terms of GNP per capita). This was largely due to the demographic situation: population growth in these countries actually leveled the successes achieved in the economy.

And finally, another global problem, which for a long time was considered the most important, is the problem of preventing a new - third world war.

The search for ways to prevent world conflicts began almost immediately after the end of the World War of 1939-1945. It was then that the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition decided to create the UN - a universal international organization, the main purpose of which was to develop interstate cooperation and, in the event of a conflict between countries, to assist the opposing parties in resolving disputes peacefully. However, the final division of the world into two systems, capitalist and socialist, which soon took place, as well as the beginning of the Cold War and a new arms race, more than once brought the world to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe. A particularly real threat of the start of a third world war was during the so-called Caribbean crisis of 1962 caused by the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. But thanks to the reasonable position of the leaders of the USSR and the USA, the crisis was resolved peacefully. In subsequent decades, a number of agreements on the limitation of nuclear weapons were signed by the world's leading nuclear powers, and some of the nuclear powers assumed obligations to stop nuclear tests. In many ways, the decision of governments to accept such obligations was influenced by the public movement for peace, as well as such an authoritative interstate association of scientists who advocated general and complete disarmament as the Pugwash Movement. It was scientists who, using scientific models, convincingly proved that the main consequence of a nuclear war would be an environmental catastrophe, which would result in climate change on Earth. The latter can lead to genetic changes in human nature and, possibly, to the complete extinction of mankind.

Today we can state the fact that the likelihood of conflict between the leading powers of the world is much less than before. However, there is a possibility of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of authoritarian regimes (Iraq) or individual terrorists. On the other side, latest events related to the activities of the UN Commission in Iraq, the new aggravation of the Middle East crisis once again prove that, despite the end of the Cold War, the threat of the start of a third world war still exists.

In connection with the end of the "cold war" in the mid-1980s. there was a global problem of conversion. Conversion is the gradual transfer of excess resources (capital, labor force technologies, etc.), which were previously employed in the military sphere, into the civil sphere. The conversion is in the interest of most people, since it greatly reduces the threat of military clashes.

All global problems are interconnected. It is impossible to solve each of them separately: humanity must solve them together in order to save life on the planet.

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People living in the 21st century are bound by the need to solve common problems facing humanity. Today, society is faced with problems that pose a threat to its existence and further development. Such problems are called global (from the French word global - worldwide, universal).

We advise you to remember!
Global problems of mankind - problems characteristic of all mankind, posing a threat to its existence and further development. Global problems can only be overcome by the efforts of all mankind.

Scientists and experts call whole line main global problems, such as the preservation of the environment, the threat of wars and the spread of nuclear weapons, international terrorism, the growth of contradictions between economically developed and developing countries, social inequality, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and crime (especially in underdeveloped countries), conflicts in society. The problems of health protection, prevention of the spread of AIDS and drug addiction are becoming increasingly important.

Environmental pollution and lack of natural resources

Some problems arose in ancient times, gradually accumulated and by now have reached catastrophic proportions.

Already primitive people began to cause noticeable damage to nature, using fire to drive animals, burning vegetation to till the soil. Social progress not only improved the means of satisfying human needs, but also led to a constant increase in the number of new needs, man more and more intensively influenced nature. It is in our time that the accumulated local problems have turned into global ones.

The more comfortable human life and the successes of medicine became, the more people were added on the planet, and in society the number of needs that must be satisfied increased. To do this, it is necessary to strengthen the industry, to extract minerals, which are not unlimited. As a result, man polluted the planet so much that it became dangerous for people, animals, and plants to live on it.

Additional reading
Some of the changes caused by human activity are already irreversible. For example, dams that block rivers, ports at estuaries change the nature of the flow of water. Water pollution leads to the reproduction of malaria mosquitoes, which kills about 2 million people every year.

What do you think, what other consequences of human activity cause irreversible harm to the environment?

Soil pollution leads to the fact that toxic substances are absorbed by a person along with food and water. Air pollution with toxic emissions causes various diseases.

Demographic problems and contradictions between rich and poor countries

The study of the composition of the population is engaged in a special science - demography.

The accelerated growth of the world's population, which is 7 billion, has led the world to a global demographic problem. Its essence lies in the uncontrolled growth of the Earth's population, on the one hand, and the constant decrease in the proportion of the population of economically developed countries in the total population of the world, on the other. This means that the population of developed countries is aging. That is, the growth of the world population occurs at the expense of poor countries (for example, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Congo, etc.), where the majority of the world's population lives. They have many problems: food shortages, a growing gap in living standards between the poor and the rich, periodic mass starvation, regular armed conflicts, outbreaks of disease and epidemics, crime and terrorism.

Interesting Facts
In the developing, poorest countries of the world, 1.5 billion people are deprived of basic health care. About 2 billion people do not have access to safe water. Millions of people die of hunger every year, including children. The United Nations has recognized that the problem of hunger will not be completely solved within the next 50-60 years.

The threat of wars and the proliferation of nuclear weapons

The more people on Earth became, the more their needs increased, the more often they fought with each other. Over the past 5 thousand years, there have been 14.5 thousand wars in the world. Moreover, from century to century the number of human casualties increased, so, in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945), tens of millions of people already died. As a result, the problem of war and peace, which was previously of interest to individual tribes and peoples, has now become a global problem. Military operations cover vast territories where the natural environment is being destroyed, people are dying (for example, during the years of the war in the Congo at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, about 4 million Africans died, mainly from epidemics and famine).

Today, nuclear weapons alone have accumulated so much that their explosive power is several thousand times greater than the power of ammunition used in all wars that have been fought before. This weapon can destroy life on Earth dozens of times.

Interesting Facts
Most of all nuclear charges are accumulated in the USA and Russia. In addition, Britain, France and China have nuclear weapons. These five states constitute the "nuclear club" of powers, which global community in the person of the UN allows to have nuclear weapons. But besides them, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea created nuclear weapons. The more states possess nuclear weapons, the higher the risk of their use.

International terrorism

One of the most dangerous problems of mankind can be called international terrorism.

Acts of international terrorism include brutality, senseless killings, hostage-taking, street bombings, hijacking, extortion, and the use or threat of torture for political purposes.

We advise you to remember!
Terrorism (from the Latin terror - fear) - violent actions (persecution, destruction, hostage-taking, murder, etc.) or the threat of their use for political or economic purposes.

The wave of terrorist attacks that has swept the planet recently has confirmed that terrorism has no boundaries (attack on the buildings of the World Trade Center in New York, the seizure of a school in Beslan, explosions in the Moscow metro, terrorist attacks in Norway, Ukraine, etc.) . In addition, it is becoming more and more obvious that the fight against terrorism is not a problem of any single state, but of the entire world community. After all, terrorists, continuing to commit their atrocities in various parts of the world, do not just challenge humanity. In essence, they unleashed a war against the entire world community. A war without rules, cruel, in which civilians, including women, children, the elderly, become victims. At the international level, a number of documents have been adopted aimed at combating international terrorism, including the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism (1994), the UN Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Today, over 300 terrorist organizations are known to operate in various countries of the world.

Summing up
Global problems modern society- preservation of the environment, lack of natural resources, proliferation of nuclear weapons, counteraction to international terrorism, etc. - can only be solved by the efforts of all mankind.

Basic terms and concepts
Global problems of mankind, terrorism.

Test your knowledge

What problems did humanity face at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century? Why are they global?
What is the global demographic problem of mankind? Give examples.
Why has the problem of terrorism become one of the most dangerous problems of mankind? Give examples.

Workshop

Make a presentation on the topic "Global problems of modern society." Prepare a computer presentation.
Explain what a nuclear threat is. Pick up materials in the media about how humanity is struggling with it.
Write a story on the topic "How can I help fight the global problems of humanity."

The problems of modernity and the future of mankind - these are the questions that concern all modern politicians and scientists. This is quite understandable. After all, from the decision contemporary problems the future of the Earth and all mankind really depends.

Origin of the term

The term "global problems" began to appear in the scientific literature in the late 60s of the last century. This is how the scientists characterized both the new problems that appeared at the junction of the industrial and information eras, and the old ones that existed in the system "man - nature - society", which have worsened and aggravated in modern conditions.

Fig 1. Environmental pollution

Global problems are problems that cannot be solved by the forces of one country or one people, but, at the same time, the fate of the entire human civilization depends on their solution.

Causes

Scientists identify two large groups causes of global problems.

The development of local problems, conflicts and contradictions into global ones (this is due to the process of globalization, unification and generalization of mankind).
Active transformative human activity that affects nature, the political situation and society.

Types of global problems

The global problems facing humanity include three large groups of problems (modern classification).

Table"List of global problems of mankind"

Common features (signs) of global problems

Despite the fact that there are many global problems at the present stage of human development, they all have common features:

they affect the vital activity of all mankind at once;
they are an objective factor in the development of mankind;
they require an urgent decision;
they involve international cooperation;
the fate of the entire human civilization depends on their decision.

Figure 3. Hunger in Africa

Main Directions for Resolving World Problems and Threats

To solve global problems, the efforts of all mankind are needed, and not only material and physical, but also psychological. In order for the work to be successful, it is necessary

form a new planetary consciousness, constantly inform people about threats, give them only up-to-date information, and educate;
develop an effective system of cooperation between countries in solving global problems: studying, monitoring the state, preventing aggravation of the situation, creating a forecasting system;
concentrate a large number of power to solve global problems.

Social predictions of the existence of mankind

Based on the fact that in currently there is an aggravation and expansion of the list of global problems, scientists make social predictions of the existence of mankind:

pessimistic forecast or environmental pessimism(in short, the essence of the forecast boils down to the fact that humanity is waiting for a large-scale environmental catastrophe and inevitable death);
optimistic forecast or scientific and technical optimism(scientists hope that scientific and technological progress will lead to the fact that global problems are resolved).

What have we learned?

The term "global problems" is not new, and it does not refer only to those problems that appeared at the end of the 20th century. All global problems have both their own characteristics and similarities. They are interrelated and the solution of one problem depends on the timely resolution of another.

The topic "Global problems of our time" is one of the main topics in social science lessons at school. On the topic "Global problems, threats and challenges" they make reports and write abstracts, and it is necessary not only to give examples of problems, but also to show their connection, and explain how it is possible to cope with a particular problem.

Topic quiz

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Global problems of mankind- these are problems that concern all mankind, affect the relationship between the countries of the world community, the relationship between society and nature, issues of joint solution. Global problems do not recognize borders. No state, no matter how powerful, is able to solve these problems on its own. Only broad international cooperation is needed to solve them. Only the awareness of universal interdependence and the promotion of the tasks of society to the fore will make it possible to prevent social and economic catastrophes.

By their nature, global problems are different. These include primarily:

Problems of environmental protection are solved at three levels: state, regional, global. The global level is most important in relation to such types of natural wealth, which by their nature are common to all mankind.

3.demographic problem, generated by rapid population growth in . The solution to this global problem rests on a complex set of socio-economic problems of our time in these countries.

5.Energy and raw material problems.

First of all, these are the tasks of reliable supply of mankind with fuel and raw materials. The limited resources and their exhaustibility make mankind face the necessity of strict economy of raw materials and energy, the use of new, resource-saving technologies. Overcoming backwardness.

After gaining political independence, many states have achieved notable successes in the economic and social development. However, they still feel the legacy of the colonial regime, which is manifested in their economic backwardness. The main way to overcome the backwardness of the developing countries is to carry out fundamental changes in all spheres of their life. If this problem is not resolved, the continuing situation in developing countries threatens with socio-economic upheavals on a global scale and will exacerbate other global problems.

6. Ecological, economic and social problems of the oceans.

They arose as a result of the shift of productive forces to the coast of the sea, thereby increasing the load on many areas of the oceans. Intensive economic activity has led to ocean pollution, to a decrease in its biological productivity.

Of course, global problems are not limited to the above. In fact, there are more of them. The crisis of culture, the spread of dangerous diseases, etc. are sometimes also referred to. All global problems are closely interconnected. Today, their solution has become not just a scientific policy, but also the subject of a sharp ideological struggle. Scientists have developed many global forecasts for the development of mankind, and they clearly show two fundamentally different approaches: optimistic and pessimistic.

Global problems of mankind

For many centuries and even millennia, people have been solving eternal questions about the meaning of their existence, about ways to improve the world, about improving nature. The turn of the third millennium, the beginning of a new era brought to mankind such upheavals and problems that until now did not excite the minds and feelings of people. In fact, these are problems that have accumulated throughout the course of previous history, but have acquired particular relevance in the modern period.

Therefore, today we often talk not about “eternal questions”, but about “threats and challenges”. These words are heard from the pages of newspapers, in the speeches of presidents, politicians, representatives of the media, and scientists.

Under the challenges and threats, researchers understand the totality of problems that affect people in a certain era and are the difference of this era. And the further survival of mankind sometimes depends on how successfully people manage to find answers to these challenges.

These challenges cannot be unambiguously assessed as either positive or negative. This is something new, unknown, which sweeps away the old in its path, inevitably leads to a change in outdated social structures, stereotypes, values, and life guidelines. All traditional attitudes and norms are being seriously tested. And sometimes it is this new, unknown, something that cannot be learned from the experience of ancestors, that frightens with its novelty.

Scientists refer to challenges- phenomena that are new to mankind and have a positive significance - the widespread development of democratic orders, the establishment in the practice of peoples and states of peaceful ways of resolving conflict situations, ensuring free and quick access of people to information.

So, in the modern civilized world, nationalism, racism, intolerant attitude towards people of a different skin color, a different culture are universally condemned. Any manifestation of such behavior is considered by people as savagery. Fundamental human rights and freedoms have become universally recognized in the world.

But at the same time, it is impossible not to single out that which carries a serious danger to humanity and threatens the very foundations of its existence. In contrast to the term "challenges", we will apply the term "threats" to the characteristics of these phenomena. The modern Russian scientist R. B. Rybakov names three main groups threats:

Threats to nature. These include environmental and man-made disasters, pollution of the environment with harmful emissions, problems of population growth.
Threats to human health. This is the distribution of drugs, AIDS. IN last years these problems are becoming one of the leading national threats for our country. In addition to the danger to physical health, the threat to spiritual health is increasing; the level of culture is rapidly falling, commercialization is taking place, high art is being replaced by cheap stamps and fakes.
Threats to the stable development of society. The scientist identifies among them various social ills: hunger, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment. These woes are increasingly affecting the underdeveloped countries, the "south of the world."

Among the most important threats of our time are wars and terrorism.

There are other classifications of these challenges, also called the global problems of modern humanity. They are characteristic of the modern world. And in former times there were questions that can be classified as universal, - these are questions of war and peace, hunger, the spread of terrible diseases. But they have never been so acute that people have questions: to be or not to be humanity tomorrow? Will the human race survive or perish, destroying its green planet along with it? It is this type of problem that is called global.

Global problems of mankind concern all earthlings, regardless of their state affiliation. Modern man has finally realized that the Earth is not as big as it seemed to him before. The world is fragile, the life of man and all creatures living on our planet is fragile. Much needs to be solved for humanity to continue its existence. The greenhouse effect and the rapid depletion of resources, overpopulation in a number of regions and the danger of nuclear war - all this is only a small part of what threatens life on Earth.

Classification of global problems. It is possible to distinguish environmental, social, political and economic problems related to the category of global ones. Environmental problems include such problems as the "greenhouse" effect, "ozone holes", deforestation, pollution of the atmosphere, ocean waters, soil depletion and many others. Social problems are a huge number of illiterate people, a difficult demographic situation and moral and ethical problems. Political problems primarily include issues of international terrorism, the threat of local wars, the danger of a global war.

Economic problems- this is the depletion of resources and the division of the world into poles of economic development, the problems of food supply and scientific and technological revolution.

The threat of international terrorism

International terrorism has become one of the leading global problems of the modern world. Terror as a method of solving political problems did not arise in our days. Acts of terror have been committed in the distant past. In science under terrorism refers to the method by which an organized group or party seeks to achieve its stated goals primarily through the systematic use of violence. The concepts of "terrorism" and "terrorist" themselves appeared at the end of the 18th century. According to one of the French explanatory dictionaries, the Jacobins often used this concept in relation to themselves - and always with a positive connotation. However, already during the French Revolution, the word "terrorist" acquired an offensive meaning, turning into a synonym for "criminal". Subsequently, the term received a broader interpretation and began to mean any system of government based on fear. Until very recently, the word "terrorism" was used very broadly and meant the whole range of different shades of violence.

Terrorism- violent influence on people in order to intimidate them and achieve the implementation of their plans.

Terrorist actions are always public in nature and are carried out with the aim of influencing society or the authorities.

Terror scholars distinguish three main stages in the history of the development of terrorism.

First stage covers the period until the middle of the 20th century, when terrorist acts were organized and carried out mainly by small groups of conspirators or loners. In the words of Albert Camus, it was "handicraft terrorism."

The history of Russia knows examples of this kind of political terror. The loudest of them are the elimination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 by the Narodnaya Volya group, the assassination attempt on the Ministers of the Interior D. Sipyagin and V. Plehve, the assassination of Prime Minister P. Stolypin. A terrorist act - the murder of a member of the Serbian nationalist organization G. Princip of the Austrian heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand - served as a pretext for unleashing the First World War.

Second phase in the history of terrorism is associated with the period of World War II and the Cold War, when terror began to be actively used at the state level. Already not only individual groups of conspirators, political parties and movements, but also entire states began to use methods of terror to fight their opponents. Thus, in the era of the Cold War, terrorist activity as a means of struggle was encouraged by the governments of the two superpowers - the USA and the USSR.

And finally at the third stage, that is, in the modern era, terror has gone beyond the borders of states. It has acquired a global, transnational character. Terror is now an integral system that combines large financial resources, the possibility of their flow and use in various regions of the world, the most powerful information support, a single network - a web covering the whole world. Terror has become a means of not only political pressure on certain states, but also an economy that allows you to receive significant income. Today, it is unthinkable to solve the issues of combating terrorism within the framework of one or several countries - this is a task that requires the utmost concentration of efforts of many countries and peoples.

A feature of terrorism today is the use by terrorist organizations and groups of the specific features of modern society. Among them, undoubtedly, can be attributed a significant influence on the power of public opinion, the development of mass media focused on reflecting sensations, the habit of most people in developed countries to a quiet life in abundance.

Russian researchers D. Gusev, O. Matveychev, R. Khazeev and S. Chernakov emphasize: “Whatever slogan a terrorist comes up with, he is an adept and a product of globalism. The main precepts of globalization: 1) everyone must be heard; 2) there should be space for statements. A terrorist is one who believes that he is not being listened to and who is not considered in communication and practice. Therefore, he takes the floor and the whole "world of publicity" rushes to him. Terrorism today - how piece of art like a show, like a picture. It is happening in front of the lens of hundreds of thousands of photo and movie cameras. It is only possible where there are these cameras and this publicity. That is, in the civilized world. Indeed, information about terrorist acts is presented on the front pages of newspapers and in all news releases. The actions of terrorists are aimed at making people stop supporting a state that is unable to ensure the safety of its citizens.

These conditions have led to the fact that today terrorists prefer not to encroach on the lives of leaders, politicians, but to take hostage or destroy as many innocent ordinary people “from the masses” as possible. The psychological effect of such crimes is very significant. Let's look at the lines of one of the newspaper articles: "It's scary to ride the subway, fly by plane, go to theaters and concert halls, it's scary to just relax in your own house in the evening after a working day ...". This is precisely the purpose of the actions of modern terrorists. Intimidate people, plant fear in their hearts.

Russian scientist D. Olshansky highlights several types of modern terrorism: 1) political(aimed at directly influencing political leaders and their decisions, perhaps getting them eliminated); 2) informational(direct, often violent, impact on the psyche and consciousness of people in order to form the necessary opinions and judgments, the spread of certain "frightening" rumors); economic(discriminatory economic actions with the aim of putting pressure on competitors, which may include both individual companies and states); social(domestic) (everyday intimidation that we may encounter on the street, at school, in everyday life, for example, from "skinheads", racketeers who terrorize small businesses).

All these types of terrorism are connected in one way or another - they pose a threat to people's lives and lead to the spread of fear among the population. “Terrorists are capable of changing the social atmosphere in the most serious way, sowing fear, uncertainty, and distrust in the institutions of power. Their actions can be especially destructive for democratic states, where the irritation and indignation of citizens may well be expressed in supporting in the elections the one whose only promise will be to end terrorism, ”notes Russian scientist L. Ya. Gozman. It can be stated that as a result of the actions of terrorists, there is often a change in the government's course, a change in the ruling circles.

Terrorism has made serious changes in the life of peoples and states. Habitual connections and way of life are broken. It turns out that the openness of society, the trust in citizens by the state is actively used by terrorists to achieve their goals. An important problem for a modern state is the need to limit the rights and freedoms of an individual in order to more successfully counter terror. After the terrorist attacks that shocked the whole world on September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington, the US authorities took unprecedented security measures at airports, introduced a new procedure for entering the country, and tightened control over citizens. At airports, checks have been tightened significantly. And people realized that in the name of security, they should agree to these restrictions. But, as the popular magazine Business Week points out, “Surveillance and surveillance are under the control of a law that requires citizens to be made aware that some kind of verification is taking place and that gives citizens the right to correct misinformation about themselves.” The dilemma faced by modern society, under the pressure of the terrorist threat, is "freedom in exchange for security."

A new wave of terror is growing every year of the beginning of the 21st century. Modern world survived a number of serious terrorist attacks. The largest of these was the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York, which led to the collapse of the towers of the World Trade Center. More than 3,000 people died under the ruins of the twin towers - people from various countries of the world. Many began to consider this terrorist attack the beginning of a new era. The year 2004 became tragically memorable for the people of Spain, when terrorists blew up a passenger train arriving at Madrid's Atocha station. The explosion claimed the lives of more than 100 people.

The mournful list of victims of terror in our country is also significant. In September 1999, terrorists blew up houses with civilians in Moscow and Volgodonsk. About 300 people died. We learned a terrible word - hexogen. There were explosions in passenger trains, markets, bus stops.

In October 2002, in Moscow, the theater center on Dubrovka was seized by bandits. The name of the musical performance "Nord-Ost" became a symbol of a terrible tragedy in modern history Russia. During the release of the hostages, of which there were more than 800, about 130 people died. 70 people were killed in an explosion near the Government House in Grozny. Dozens of people died as a result of an explosion near the Tushinskaya metro station at the Wings festival in the summer of 2003, during the explosion of a car in the Moscow metro at the Avtozavodskaya station in February 2004. A new wave of terror swept over our country in August-September 2004. Suicide bombers blew up two passenger planes with 90 people on board. An explosion near the Rizhskaya metro station claimed the lives of 10 people.

And the most terrible tragedy, which is difficult to describe in words, took place in the North Ossetian city of Beslan, at a school where on September 1, on Knowledge Day, about 1,200 people, most of whom were children, were taken hostage by terrorist militants. During the release of the hostages, 338 people died. A monstrous crime that resulted in the death of children! What is this if not a war declared to us by terrorists and those who stand behind them and allocate huge financial resources for their activities?

How to counter terror? How can we prevent such a nightmare from happening again? These questions are asked and simple people, and the military, and the heads of the leading states of the world. Each of us must seek answers to these questions. Unfortunately, today terrorism outstrips the reaction of peoples and states. In many ways, public and state structures turned out to be unprepared to adequately repel the threat from terrorists. The war on terror is becoming all-out. And one of its fronts is the one that passes through the consciousness and heart of each of our contemporaries. We - normal people striving to preserve and maintain a peaceful life - are the overwhelming majority. Terrorists are fighting for our souls, seeking to instill fear in them and take away our dignity and reason. In his address to the citizens of Russia on the occasion of the tragedy in Beslan, V.V. Putin said: “We ... have faced crises, rebellions and terrorist acts more than once. But what has happened now is an inhuman, unprecedented in its cruelty crime by terrorists. This is not a challenge to the president, parliament or government. This is a challenge to all of Russia. To all our people. This is an attack on our country. The terrorists think they are stronger than us. That they will be able to intimidate us with their cruelty, they will be able to paralyze our will and corrupt our society. And, it would seem, we have a choice - to repulse them or to agree with their claims. Surrender, allow Russia to be destroyed and pulled apart in the hope that they will eventually leave us alone... ...I am convinced that in reality we simply have no choice. ... All world experience shows that such wars, unfortunately, do not end quickly.

Under these conditions, we simply cannot, we must not live as carelessly as before. We must create a much more effective security system, require our law enforcement actions that would be adequate to the level and scope of emerging new threats.

But the most important thing is the mobilization of the nation in the face of a common danger. Events in other countries show that terrorists receive the most effective rebuff precisely where they encounter not only the power of the state, but also with an organized, cohesive civil society.

The validity of these words is repeatedly confirmed by examples from recent history. What, if not a negative attitude towards terrorists on the part of society, forced terrorist organizations in Germany, Italy, Northern Ireland to abandon radical actions, which a couple of decades ago terrified civilians. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have expressed their protest against the terror since September 11, 2001; after the explosion at the Atocha station, all of Spain, all of Europe, took to the streets. More than 130,000 Muscovites took part in a rally against terror during the days of the Beslan tragedy. And millions of Russians on September 9 at 9 o'clock in the morning (the time the terrorists seized the school in Beslan) honored the memory of the dead with a minute of silence, with the horns of their cars. Society mourns, but this mourning does not lead to weakness and confusion. People unite, support each other, become stronger from the pain experienced together.

Global problems: environmental, economic, political, social

Environmental pollution. It arises due to the fact that we get used to any actions, and when we find out how harmful they are, we cannot refuse them. So our habits become our enemies. The essence of pollution is the accumulation of harmful, toxic substances (toxins) in the environment. Currently, this process is so intense that natural cleansing mechanisms are unable to cope with the influx of toxins. And the consequences of environmental pollution will be that in all natural products that we considered safe, substances created by us and often life-threatening will appear. In addition, an increase in the concentration of harmful substances will lead to the extinction of many species of animals and plants on Earth.

Rapid population growth. At the end of the 18th century, the level of medical care in general increased in European countries. The death rate began to decrease, but the birth rate remained at the same level. This led to an increase in the population. However, by the middle of the 20th century, a decline in the birth rate occurred in these countries, as a result of which the natural increase was greatly reduced. Another picture is typical for those countries that now have the status of developing countries. In these countries, medical care has improved significantly in the middle of the 20th century. At the same time, the birth rate remained high, and as a result, huge population growth rates. The so-called "population explosion" is one of the most important problems today. As a rule, a high rate of natural increase is characteristic of countries with an underdeveloped economy, where the state cannot provide a decent existence for the population. The "population explosion" is connected, in particular, with the fact that in countries with traditionally high mortality and high birth rates, the level of medical care has been increased. The death rate has declined, but the birth rate has remained high. The results of the "population explosion" are already visible today. Territories with a surplus of population are subject to destructive processes: soil erosion, deforestation; acute problems of food, unsanitary conditions and many others.

The problem of the overpopulated "south" is due to the fact that the "population explosion" is associated with specific regions: Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America. The reason for the existing problem lies in the fact that these countries do not have sufficiently developed economies and cannot independently solve the problems they face.

International strife. In a number of regions of the world, inter-ethnic contradictions have not been completely overcome; many peoples have not been able to create their own national states, self-determine, and for them the problem of ethnic self-identity is very relevant (for example, for the Kurds, a number of Balkan peoples and peoples former USSR). In a number of cases, inter-confessional strife is added to inter-ethnic strife: if peoples living nearby profess different religions, then such neighborhood often gives rise to conflicts, including armed ones. Thus, the problem of interethnic strife is closely connected with the existence of local conflicts.

local conflicts. They bear in themselves, first of all, all the horrors and disasters of war. But, besides this, there is always a danger of a local conflict growing into a global one, because strong developed countries can take the positions of different sides in conflict resolution.

The threat of nuclear war. There is a serious danger that in the course of hostilities weapons of mass destruction based on obtaining energy in the course of nuclear and thermonuclear reactions will be used. Firstly, the destructive effect of such weapons is quite long in time, secondly, there is practically no protection from them, and thirdly, the nuclear weapons available today are enough to destroy all life on Earth several times. In addition, after the massive use of nuclear weapons, even in one point on the globe, we are all in danger of a nuclear winter. Thus, nuclear weapons are an easy way to destroy humanity. It doesn't matter who is first, what matters is that if someone presses the button first, nothing else will happen. That is why many countries sign conventions on the prohibition of the use and testing of nuclear weapons.

Among the global political problems can be attributed to those remaining on the world stage poles of power, difference of interests(USA - Europe - Russia - Asia-Pacific), struggle for spheres of influence. The path to a just world order is still long enough.

One of the problems is difference in political systems. Most modern states have fully realized the advantages of democracy, the age of totalitarian regimes on Earth is ending, but this problem has not yet been fully exhausted - original reserves of totalitarianism in the East (North Korea, Iraq, a number of African countries) remain, political modernization of China, Cuba, yes and many countries, having declared their commitment to democracy, are in no hurry to confirm words with deeds.

food problem is the inability of developing countries to fully feed their populations. In fact, the potential of the planet and modern technologies allow to feed twice as many people as the entire population of the Earth today, moreover, the amount of food in the world can meet the needs of the entire planet. However, according to economic reasons a take-and-divide solution is impossible.

Resource depletion. Previously, a person could calmly develop deposits, caring only that it was economically profitable for him. But the current situation shows that soon the minerals will simply run out. So, at the current level of production, oil reserves can be enough for 100-200 years; natural gas - for 100 years. Depletion threatens not only non-renewable resources, but also those that are classified as renewable.

Designated by the "Club of Rome" back in the 1970s, remains difficult. the problem of economic growth and its limits.

Spiritual problems. Global problems are diverse, complex and contradictory. They cover a wide range of human relationships and activities. How can a person preserve his humanity, remain himself? Solving global problems is the task of the entire planet, and this requires peaceful, voluntary, conscious cooperation of all people.

The problems of modern humanity are associated with spiritual life, the degradation of "mass culture", the erosion of established moral, ethical guidelines, people's departure from real problems into the world of illusions generated by drug intoxication, the use of special psychotropic drugs; Scientific and technological revolution poses complex questions for mankind, especially its modern stage - mass computerization, progress towards solving the problem of creating artificial intelligence. Humanity risks losing its spirituality, its ability to perceive, feel and create beauty. In the struggle for the preservation of man, scientists rallied, creating the movement of the "blue" (as opposed to the "green" - fighters in defense of nature). This movement defends the right of a person to remain himself, even in the age of modern technology.

People must follow a single path that will lead them out of the crisis. There are several points of view on this path. Let's consider two opposing views on what should be the role of man in the world, how serious the existing and expected problems with the environment and resources really are and how to solve them.

Neo-Malthusians (followers of the 19th century scientist Malthus) believe that if modern trends continue, the world will become even more overpopulated and more polluted, and many types of resources will be depleted. They are confident that such a situation will lead to serious political and economic collisions and increase the threat of nuclear and conventional war as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Members of the opposition group are called Cornucopians. This name comes from the word cornucopia(lat.) - "cornucopia, a symbol of wealth." Most Cornucopians are economists. They are confident that, if current trends continue, economic growth and technological advances will create a less crowded, less polluted, and more resource-rich world community.

Advanced modern scientists could not stay away from the discussion and search for ways to resolve global problems. They created a number of authoritative, international organizations that influence the adoption of important political decisions. One of these organizations - the "Club of Rome" - was established in 1968 to discuss the problems of the survival of human civilization. For many years the Club of Rome was headed by the Italian public figure Aurelio Peccei. It was Peccei who formulated the main task of the organization - conducting research in the field of ecology, depletion of resources, economic growth, "demographic explosion", etc. Among the organizers is Eduard Pestel, a well-known German scientist, a specialist in the theory of system analysis and automated control methods . The first report to the Club of Rome was called The Limits to Growth. It was prepared by a research team led by Dennis and Donella Meadows of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and published in 1972. The report denounced the rampant growth of world production. The second report appeared in 1974. it was called "Humanity at the Crossroads". Its compilers were E. Pestel and M. Mesarovic. In it, unlike the first report, as promising for human civilization, the “concept of organic growth” was put forward, in which the world was likened to a living organism, where each region has its own functions within the framework of a single whole.

The third report to the Club of Rome was compiled by the well-known Dutch economist J. Tinberger and his group. It was called Rebuilding the International Order, or RIO. The RIO project proceeded from the idea of interdependence of all countries and peoples, the need for changes in the socio-economic, political and cultural spheres and the formation of a new world order. The purpose of this order is to, by coordinating the interests of all countries, both developed and developing, create an effective system for regulating international relations: the problem of creditor states and debtor states must be resolved. Those of them that, in principle, are not able to pay the debts accumulated over decades of unequal existence in the world market, they should be written off. The arms race must be stopped. It is necessary to direct all efforts towards the rational use of the Earth's resources, the preservation of the natural balance, and the achievement by all people on Earth of a decent standard of living.

Group	The essence of the problems (characteristic)	Examples of major global issues included in the group
Intersocial global problems	Problems existing in the “society-society” system related to maintaining security and peace on the planet	1. The problem of preventing a global nuclear catastrophe. 2. The problem of war and peace. 3. The problem of overcoming the backwardness of developing countries. 4. Creation of optimal conditions for the social progress of all peoples.
Ecological problems	Problems existing in the "society - nature" system associated with overcoming various environmental problems	1. Raw material problem. 2. Food problem. 3. Energy problem. 4. Prevention of environmental pollution. 5. Preventing the extinction of various animals and plants.
Social problems	Problems existing in the "man-society" system associated with overcoming complex social problems	1. Demographic problem. 2. The problem of maintaining human health. 3. The problem of the spread of education. 4. Overcoming the negative impacts of scientific and technological revolution (scientific and technological revolution).