Message-ID: <d+2FrBAKgkgzEw1Y@entebbe.demon.co.uk> Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 01:55:38 +0100 From: cherbert <mailto:cherbert@ENTEBBE.DEMON.CO.UK> Subject: Re: 3rd world vs 1st world To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Lee, Thanks for clarifying your views here and for having got a discussion going. There is so much we can all learn from one another by addressing the issues together. Vision precedes actions, and a worldwide debate is a healthy way to develop wider vision.>Well it's nice to have these issues discussed out there. I'm very
>pleased that debate has ensued. When I posted my query, it did occur to
>me that there is a lot of oppression going on all over the world by most
>groups who have any power.
I thought Jon Sandford's post was a great illustration of this:-)
>The crux of the problem, as I see it, is that money is put above life.
>It would be more tolerable if this were only the view of a few greedy
>billionnaires, but it is government policy in most of the developed
>nations, Australia included.
Not an exclusively western attitude. Watching the effects of the National Lottery on the streets of Uganda was only more chilling because of the gross poverty of the ticket sellers.
>And Aborigines in some parts of Australia live in third world conditions
>(I'm led to believe). In other parts they live in ghettos as many
>African American's do. I lived in one such ghetto myself for a while,
>and my daughter was victimised in the park by some rather agressive
>young Kooris (which is the Aboriginal word for Aborigines) so we
>moved...
The Scottish Environment Council's report on Poverty in Scotland makes depressing reading too. Not that I would want to equate it with levels of poverty in other parts of the world. But it is instructive in pointing out that the most vulnerable members of society are families with children, single parent families, the sick and the elderly.
>Thanks to those who answered my question. So it *is* taught in
>universities eh?
It certainly is here in Britain, and I teach it to my 16 -18 year old students in media studies, as these are classic examples of don't believe what you read/see in the press/tv. But it certainly can't be laid at the door of one nation.
> Well that's one hurdle eliminated then. What am *I*
>going to do about addressing human inequalities in the world, I suppose
>I should ask myself, apart from contributing to an NGO.
>If anyone has
>some inside information on the work that Christian Children's Fund does
>in Latin America, I'd be very interested. Are there any on the list who
>have first hand experience in charitable programs in the under-developed
>countries and the effect these have on the societies and cultures?
I do wonder if charitable programmes don't end up as yet another version of colonisation, therefore putting the emphasis on local grassroots development initiatives. This obviously would need to go hand in hand with a new attitude towards money on the part of individuals, governments and multinational corporations. At the very least the development of a global social conscience and action and a willingness to voluntarily redistribute wealth for the benefit of all humankind. This is crucial to sustainable development. Wealth creation is an important aspect of ensuring prosperity for all people, but not at the expense of future generations.
Cherbert
-- cherbert