YIO CHU KANG SECONDARY SCHOOL MID YEAR EXAMINATION 2008 SECONDARY 4 EXPRESS

Combined Humanities Paper 1 Social Studies

Monday 12 May 2008 1 hr 30 mins

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Section A: You must answer all parts of Question 1 Section B: Answer one question Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided. Begin your answer to Section B on a new and separate piece of paper.

Information for Candidates

The number of marks for each part-question is shown in brackets.

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO. This question paper consists of 6 printed pages. [Turn over Setter: Mr Poogan

Section A (Source-based Case Study) Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. Study the background information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources which you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 (a) Study Source A. What does Source A tell you about the United Nations? Explain your answer. [5] (b) Study Source B. Can you believe the comment in Source B about the United Nations peacekeepers? Explain your answer. [7] (c) Study Sources C and D. How different are these two sources? Explain your answer. (d) Study Source E. How far can you accept what Source E says about the effectiveness of United Nations in its peacekeeping efforts? Explain your answer. [6] [7]

Issue: Has the United Nations been successful in its peacekeeping efforts? BACKGROUND INFORMATION United Nations (UN) is an organization of nations that works for world peace and security and the betterment of humanity. If fighting between two or more countries breaks out anywhere, the UN may be asked to try to stop it. After the fighting stops, the UN may help work out ways to keep it from starting again. Since 1945, the UN has sent many peacekeeping operations to keep two sides in a conflict apart and provide relief for civilians in conflict areas. The United Nations has met with both success and failure in its work. It has been able to keep some disputes from developing into major wars. For many years, however, disagreements among UN member nations prevented the organization from operating effectively. The UN body mainly responsible for maintaining world peace and security is its Security Council. But for many years, the use of the veto in the Security Council by its five permanent members (USA, Soviet Union, China, France and Britain) prevented the United Nations from dealing with a number of major problems. Source A: Political cartoonist, Ben Lafontaines take on the state of the UNs initiatives.

From: http://zone.artizans.com/product.htm?pid=188081 , 5 May 2000

Source B:

A journalists comment on UN Peacekeepers in Cambodia in the mid 1990s.

The bad behaviour (of UN forces in Cambodia) was not limited to abuse of women. There were bar fights, brawls, and shootouts and a proliferation of brothels, stolen vehicles and general drunken boorishness. Cambodia has descended again into murderous chaos, and Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, believes that the mess that Cambodia finds itself in today is in large part a product of the UNs failure to uphold the rule of law in the course of its nation-building mission. Adapted from War, Peace, and International Politics, Addison Wesley. Source C: A review of the work of peacekeeping done by the United Nations.

For half a century, United Nations peacekeeping missions have helped assure a more stable world, enhance emerging democracies, protect human rights, end conflicts, and prevent the spread of war. Though some missions, such as in Somalia and Bosnia, exceed the current capacity of the United Nations, often the UN has succeeded in dramatically reducing violence, saving lives, and securing diplomatic solutions to conflict. While not a perfect tool, peacekeeping is a proven means of reducing violence and enabling nations to respond to conflict without assuming the risks and costs of acting alone. Adapted from United Nations Peacekeeping Success Stories Source D: A view by a Newsweek journalist, on the relevance of United Nations peacekeeping.

Wherever the UN goes, it tends to stay forever, and to perpetuate problem. Its been in Bosnia for eight years now, in Kosovo and East Timor for four, in Palestinian territories since 1948. In Gaza, the UN agency running the refugee camps is the main purveyor of jobs. I am a refugees son myself; my father fled the territories that Italy lost to Yugoslavia in 1945. After a few months, all 350 000 refugees had found jobs, houses, new lives. There was no UN presence, which was perhaps their good fortune. Today, there is no sign that the UN will leave Bosnia or Kosovo. No solution for Cyprus after almost 30 years. Adapted from Newsweek, April 28, 2003

Source E:

A view on one of the many functions of the UN Security Council taken from the UK Defence Forum.

When a dispute leads to fighting, the Security Councils first concern is to bring it to an end as soon as possible. On many occasions, the Council has issued cease-fire directives which have been instrumental in preventing wider hostilities. It also sends United Nations peace-keeping forces to help reduce tensions in troubled areas, keep opposing forces apart and create conditions of calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought. The Council may decide on enforcement measures, economic sanctions (such as trade embargoes) or collective military action. Adapted from Peace! By the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates: An Anthology, Marek Thee.

Section B (Structured Essay Questions) Answer one question. 2 (a) Managing Healthcare To what extent is the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among the citizens the main factor in improving the standard of healthcare services in [12] Singapore? Explain your answer. Here are three ways in which to improve the NHS to meet the needs of [13] the people in Britain: increasing efficiency managing government spending providing quality services Which of these is the best way of meeting the needs of the people in Britain? Explain your answer. 3 (a) (b) Conflict in Multi-Ethnic Societies How far did resettlement of the Sinhalese to the Tamil areas caused the [12] conflict in Sri Lanka? Explain your answer. Do you agree that foreign intervention is more important than economic [13] impact on Sri Lankan governments desire for peace agreement? Explain your answer.

(b)

4 (a) (b)

Governance in Singapore To what extent is the practice of meritocracy the most important principle in ensuring an effective civil service in Singapore? Explain your answer. Is effective leadership a more important principle in sustaining good governance than strengthening the sense of belonging among Singaporeans? Explain your answer. THE END [12] [13]