Give your Social Studies 11, Civic Studies 11, History 12 or Social Justice 12 students that extra edge by inviting Mr. George Somerwill into your classroom. He will captivate your students, giving them background, based on his own United Nations and international experiences, about how the UN really works and why it is still has an important role to play both for Canada and the rest of the world. Mr. Somerwill can present a general overview of global issues, or he can present specific case studies, based on his own experiences through the years.

Mr. Somerwill will give your students insights into why the UN was founded after World War II, and how it developed through the last half of the 20th Century. He will challenge them to think about many topics like how elements of the UN, such as the Security Council, could be reformed, to bring the UN more into line with 21st Century political and military realities. As a former international journalist, he will make the crucial link between the days’ international headlines and the way in which Canada and the international community, through the UN, interact together and influence the daily news.

Students appreciate Mr. Somerwill’s down-to-earth and straightforward manner. He presents serious global issues sharing his experience and expertise, but always with a touch of humour. He then invites students to join the discussion face-to-face, and later makes himself available and encourages them to continue their discussions about these global issues using social media and online follow-up.

TOPICS AVAILABLE FOR CLASSROOM VISITATIONS/BOOKINGS:

UN BASICS: A presentation for Social Studies 11, Civic Studies 11, and History 12 students including the history and structure of the United Nations, and its power balance, in addition to reform issues of the United Nations in the 21st Century.

UN PEACEKEEPING: A presentation for Social Studies 11, Civic Studies 11, and History 12 students including the theory of peacekeeping, specific peacekeeping missions, and Canada’s role in peacekeeping.

UN CASE STUDIES: Case studies based on real experiences are for any students, particularly History 12 and Social Justice 12 students. Case studies offered at this time are, “Tomorrow Your Friend Will Die”, “Changing Iraq: The UN, the West and the Calamity of Unintended Consequences”, and, “Dousing the Flames in Voinjama: Calming Ethnic and Religious Strife in NW Liberia”.  Case studies can be arranged for educator groups, such as social studies departments.