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globalisationGlobalisation is defined as the breaking down of geographical, financial, trade and information barriers that exist between different countries which should create more opportunities for everyone in a modern world of instant communications. And the process appears irreversible. But while the richer countries in the North are able to take advantage of globalisation, too often, the poor countries of the South are left marginalised in what can only be described as GLOBAL-ISOLATION. Everywhere we turn in the North there are reminders that we live in a global village. We can purchase goods from the other side of the world in our local supermarkets, we can book foreign holidays online and for entertainment we can download our favourite music onto personal iPods. Through the medium of television we can watch 'The Simpsons' from the US, 'Neighbours' from Australia or watch round the clock global news from the BBC, CNN, Sky or Al Jazeera, all of which adds to the view that English is fast becoming the global language. Then, having packed our suitcases and flown by air to another part of the global village, we are met everywhere by international brands such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Johnnie Walker, BP, HSBC, Carrefour, BMW and Microsoft, all of which underlines the fact that we live in just 1 world! But in the South the situation is very different. There the global village is literally the village you live in because the neighbouring village is probably difficult to get to over a rutted, overgrown track. There, too, people see at first hand the problem of global warming as the creeping footprint of the desert expands relentlessly devouring their pastures. There they view global companies as making mega-profits from their natural resources whilst avoiding paying tax and doing nothing to aid local farmers in their struggle to make ends meet. As for the news, local gossip is all the news they need or want. Thanks to a combination of the dismantling of trade barriers and the desire for well-made and ever cheaper goods, globalisation has played a large part in raising living standards in high and middle income countries in the last 30 years. However, for one or more of the following reasons, globalisation has barely touched the world's poorest countries: most people living there are still subsistence farmers living on less than $1 per day, electricity supplies are often either not available or eccentric, AIDS is decimating many in the professional classes, illiteracy is widespread, impure water and inadequate sanitation spread diseases and, incompetent and corrupt governments stifle enterprise and fail to invest in public services. Conflicts, too, rage in many poor nations which largely tend to be ignored by the international community. Caught up in the middle of them people can suffer unimaginable hell on earth as rampaging militias raid towns and villages at random often raping the women and plundering food, clothing, money and weapons leaving nothing but devastated lives in their wake. And it is this carnage, the desperate struggle to make ends meet and the lack of freedom found in many poor countries which has now begun to rebound to affect countries in the North. For one country's war becomes another's asylum seekers, one country's illicit crop growing becomes another's drug problem and one country's terrorist threat becomes another's security problem. It must be common sense then for all countries, rich and poor, to start to work together to try to forge a better quality of life for the world's poorest people so that peace, prosperity and reconciliation can spread throughout the globe. And it is the only way many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are going to get anywhere near reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015. (see below) Perhaps
a start could be made in redefining globalisation. If
globalisation is to be truly universal in its scope then the definition
of the word must be expanded to mean 'all countries of the world working
together to help raise the quality of life everywhere so that the breaking
down of geographical, financial, trade and information barriers that exist
between different countries leads to freedom and opportunities for all
in a modern world of instant communications'. That means constructive
engagement, partnership and co-operation in what Bill Clinton would call
'sharing the benefits and shrinking the burdens.' For that is the real
challenge for globalisation as we move further into the 21st century. In return for governments in poor countries starting to pursue policies which lead to improved governance, and continuing to do so (shrinking the burdens), governments in rich countries could promise, through their overseas aid budgets, to send to poor countries permanent experts in areas like farming, water, health, education, infrastructure etc. (sharing the benefits), which together would help change the lives of the world's destitute. This two-way partnership would see globalisation at its best and would actually be a win/win situation for everyone on the planet. However, this is not an ideal world and the willpower to bring this idea into effect is missing - both from governments in rich countries, and in poor. Yet it would bring inestimable benefits to the 2.4bn people in the world who currently eke out an existence on <US$2(£1.24) per day. But, at the end of the day, there really is no alternative. For poor countries will remain poor if they do not embrace the benefits globalisation has to offer; rich countries will continue to sow the seeds of future problems if they do not start to engage practically with governments in poor countries. ================================================== UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS In September 2000 the world's leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration committing their nations to stronger global efforts to reduce poverty, improve health and education and promote peace, human rights and environmental sustainability. To this end EIGHT GOALS were set out to which were attached Eighteen Measurable Targets for advancing development and reducing poverty by 2015. These goals and targets were reaffirmed in the Monterrey Consensus at the UN Financing and Development Conference in March 2002, the September 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and at the launch of the WTO Doha Development Round of world trade talks. And collectively they are now the basis for tackling poverty and encouraging sustainable economic growth in the developing world. The Millennium Development GOALS and targets are listed below:- 1. ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER a) halve
between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people whose income is less than
$1 per day (currently 1.2 bn) As of 2010 16 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 6 were on track. (performance ratio 44%) 2. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION a) ensure that by 2015 children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling As of 2010 21 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 5 were on track. (52%) 3. PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN a) eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015 As of 2010 27 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 10 were on track. (70%) 4. REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY a) reduce by 2/3 between 1990 and 2015 the under 5 mortality rate As of 2010 13 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 10 were on track. (44%) 5. IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH a) reduce by 3/4 between 1990 and 2015 the maternal mortality rate As of 2010 6 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 1 was on track. (14%) 6. COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES a) have
halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS As of
2010 10 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 8 were on
track. (35%) 7. ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY a) integrate
the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes
and reverse the loss of environmental resources As of 2010 9 African nations had achieved this goal whilst another 6 were on track. (28%) The most consistent performers in meeting the MDG's are Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Ethiopia. 8. DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT
For more on the UN www.una-uk.org |
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just1world@just1world.org |
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If
put into effect, this former US president's call should lead to a dramatic
improvement in the lives of people living in poor countries. And
it could work in the following way.
a)
develop
further an open rule-based predictable non-discriminatory trading and
financial system (this includes a commitment to good governance, development
and poverty reduction - both nationally and internationally)