Historical Events Since 1945 Essay

The formation of the United Nations (1945) Kegley (2007) mentions that the failure of the League of Nations, brought about the creation of the United Nations in 1945. Following the planning of the American, British and Soviet allies for a new international organization to maintain peace and security, the United Nations came into existence on 24 October 1945. Today, the United Nations has many departments that deal with vast global issues mainly humanitarian, economic and social. The creation of the United Nations has also brought the birth of other organizations such as the European Union in 1993 and the World Trade organization in 1995. Internationally, the living standards of many have positively changed since the founding of the United Nations The creation of the declaration of Human Rights (1948) According to Hass (2008), the second charter of the United Nations after peace promotions is human rights. ( Vandersluis and Yerous in Kegley 2007, p. 220) state that â€Å" the universalist claim, that all human beings have the same moral status; to accept universal human rights the moral demand to respect the life, integrity, well-being and flourishing of all human beings†. This was the general idea when the declaration of human rights was created. Violence, racial and gender discrimination, child abuse, religion and immigration laws are now governed by these laws. This has encouraged peace and development across the globe. The introduction of oral contraception (1958) Oral contraception is a means of preventing unwanted pregnancies through the ingesting of the pill. The pill was first introduced in the United States as an alternative to minimize infant mortality and enforce women rights with issues concerning child birth. Prior to the use of the oral pill, women used to go to extreme measure to exercise birth control. Women used to nurse their children for two to three years. This would suppress ovulation protecting them from pregnancy. Another natural method is coitus reservatus or withholding ejaculation† Elder (n. d). This development is a safer, efficient and reliable method for women today. Other methods of contraception where then introduced to suit different women across the world. The Entebbe Raid (1976) This eve nt occurred when Air France departed from Paris to Athens bound to Israel was hijacked by seven Palestinians and diverted to Entebbe airport in Uganda. Haas (2008) reports that there were Jewish and Israeli passengers on board. The battle on the airfield was a result of the fear of a massacre portrayed by the hijackers. Ugandan soldiers and a small number of hostages were killed. This event marked the beginning of air flight hijackings. In 2001, the Americans were attacked by the Taliban in a similar manner and many perished. Due to such an event, strict rules and regulations for passengers have been enforced globally to ensure the safety of the innocent. The Bhopal industrial accident (1984) The Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India experienced the worst industrial accident in history. A leakage of forty tons of chemicals resulted in the death of over seven thousand and two hundred thousand injuries according to Haas (2008). This was a wakeup call for many industrial plants to exercise extreme caution. Codes of conduct in the workplace are of major importance today. Companies are now required to ensure that health and safety procedures are implemented. Environmental awareness is also a major topic of discussion as this accident had an impact on the environment.