Exploring interconnectedness

When we encounter definitions of global citizenship, a term that is often used is the adjective “interconnected” or the noun “interconnectedness.” These terms describe the state of being connected with each other.

Let’s break this term down into its morphemes to get a better understanding.

Explore the following interactive entitled Interconnectedness to learn more about breaking down words into morphemes.

After you have explored the “interconnectedness” word breakdown, record your own explanation of the term in a method of your choice. Consider the meaning of each individual morpheme from the diagram.

Then, brainstorm a list of words you know that contain the prefix “inter”. As you think of examples, consider how each term might express a relation between two or more things.

Press the Possible Answer button to learn more.

Possible Answers

Perhaps one of the terms you brainstormed was “interdependence” or “interdependent”. Based on what you know about the prefix “inter”, what do you think the noun “interdependence” or the adjective “interdependent” mean?

Press the Hint button to learn more.

Hint

While they are similar, the difference between “interconnectedness” and “interdependence” is that interconnectedness suggests connections between things, while the noun interdependence suggests that there is not just a connection but also a dependency or reliance on each other.

For example, when we discuss natural habitats, we often use visuals likes food chains or food webs to express interdependence because of the way that all members of the habitat depend on other organisms in the environment for either food or shelter.

As you explore the following examples of a food chain and food web, consider how this helps you better understand the idea of interdependence.

Let’s return to the idea of interconnectedness and interdependence in connection to global citizenship.

United Nations and the SDGs

Whether all people are interconnected, or interdependent, it is a fact that communities of the world interact with each other. Historically, these interactions have been both peaceful and vicious, in some cases leading to wars involving multiple countries.

In the mid-1940s, following the end of the Second World War and the large scale of global destruction, there were concerns about how to maintain an international peace. The most far-reaching global conflict had just taken place, and many countries were afraid of it happening again.

As a response to this concern, the United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 as an international organization to promote peace, security, and cooperation across the world. Individual countries participate as “members” of the UN, including Canada (which was a founding member).

In 2015, the UN produced 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to protect people and the planet. The goals were set to be met by the year 2030.

These 17 goals were selected based on issues that impact all people and communities around the world, and the individual goals also connect to each other. For example, Goal #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is supported by progress on Goal #4 (Quality Education), and Goal #3 (Good Health and Well-Being) has direct links to whether Goal #6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) is being adequately met.

Explore the following video to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals.

Goal #15 – life on land

For all of the 17 goals, the UN produced separate informational posters to explain each objective further. Additionally, Statistics Canada – an agency of the Federal Government of Canada – created a series of UN SDG infographics that explore the goals within the Canadian context.

You will be examining both of these resources for Goal #15 – Life on Land. As you explore, respond to the following questions about both pieces of media.

1. What is the title of both pieces of media?
2. What is the purpose of each piece of media? What information do they provide? Record at least two pieces of information.
3. Who do you think created these? How do you know?
4. Who was the intended audience of them? How do you know?

Complete the fillable and printable SDG #15: Life on Land document in your notebook or using the following document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

Read the following article "Goal 15 – Life on Land" to learn more.

Explore the following interactive entitled Life on Land Infographic to learn more.

Once you have completed the previous task, check your overall understanding of SDG #15 by engaging in the following true or false activity. Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.

Identifying perspectives in texts

There is a lot of important information – especially “hard data” like dates and statistics – that you can gain from reading fast facts articles and infographics. However, even when a text is fact-based and does not appear to reflect a personal point of view or perspective, it is always important to consider the source of the text, and how the politics, culture, and history around it might influence how the text was written.

Description

Considering cultural context

Knowing something about the background of a text can help us understand the meaning of language and symbols used. When it comes to official documents, such as articles or infographics released to the public by institutions like the UN or the Government of Canada, considering the cultural, political, and historical context can reveal important information.

Let’s consider the context of the two pieces you explored:

• both documents were prepared by official governing bodies: the United Nations and Statistics Canada, which is an agency of the Government of Canada.
• the UN is the creator and founder of the Sustainable Development Goals, and Canada is a member nation of the UN who is expected to meet these goals, so in both cases the SDG mandate is presented in a favourable, optimistic light.

Indigenous land rights in Canada

Land is at the centre of how many Indigenous communities experience their culture and the world around them. There is a deep responsibility and reciprocity experienced with the land within different First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across the territory that we now know as Canada.

For many Indigenous Peoples, land means more than property – it encompasses culture, knowledge systems, governance, connections, family, and relationships. It includes Earth, the water, the air, and all that live within. Indigenous Peoples understand themselves as the rights holders, not the landowners, to their traditional territories.

To get you thinking about respect and reciprocity further, start by learning from Peguis First Nation Elder Douglas Sinclair and Sandra Indian of the Ojibways of Onigaming about their perspectives on land. The first video is titled Everything Around You Is Ceremony and shows Douglas Sinclair's perspectives. The second video is titled Connection to the Land and shows Sandra Indian's perspectives.

Explore the following video entitled Everything around You is Ceremony to learn more.

Explore the following video entitled Connection to the Land to learn more.

While land is essential to the traditions and customs of the communities that existed on this territory since time immemorial , the infographic made by Statistics Canada about Goal #15: Life on Land does not mention this deep understanding of land, or the ongoing struggle over Indigenous land rights in Canada.

Historically, Indigenous groups lost their “title” to traditional lands in exchange for certain “benefits” granted by the federal government. However, not all lands in Canada are covered by historic treaties:

• The Inuit never entered into historic treaties, instead their modern land claims allowed them to have title to certain blocks of land in their four respective regions.
• Métis Peoples are still negotiating to have their title recognized in the Red River area, and certain provincial territories and the majority of British Columbia have never been ceded under a treaty by First Nations.

Who has the right to jurisdiction over these territories is still to be determined. Many of these issues have not been resolved and are still outstanding.

Let’s take a minute and review some of the vocabulary that has come up so far.

Match the term to the definition.

Putting it all together

Let’s return to the concept of interconnectedness that we explored earlier in this learning activity. At the end of the Minds On section, you were asked to consider if people and communities on Earth are interconnected or interdependent.

Having learned about the United Nations and their development of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to improve the quality of life on Earth by the year 2030, as well as the specific Goal #15: Life on Land, and Indigenous perspectives on how human connect to and are responsible for the caretaking of the land, let’s revisit the question.

In a method of your choice, respond to the following prompts in one paragraph (4-5 sentences):

1. The prefix “inter” indicates a relationship between things. Is the term “interconnected” sufficient in describing the relationships between United Nations member countries and communities around the world? What about the term “interdependent”? Explain your thinking.
2. If the term "interdependent” is used to describe humans’ relationship to land, would that influence the way that SDGs, or sustainability in general, is portrayed?
3. How might this change the way that publications or documents issued by official agencies like the UN or Statistics Canada represent sustainability goals?

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.