Within the mainstream news these days, two parallels clearly emerge, the success of developing economies such as India and China, contrasted with the failure of erstwhile capitalist western nations. But sadly the third world remains the ‘third’ world which is still reeling under the bandits of economic growth: high poverty, low literacy, religious fanaticism and administrative inefficiency. It is as if there is no place for this third world on this planet. The everyday East-West comparison in newspapers and journals woefully neglects their presence. Globalization and its benefits are completely absent from the region. They do have footprints of globalization, but as dumping grounds of the products not suitable for the aforesaid two worlds.
As I am writing this blog post, a family somewhere in the far neglected corners of the world is being pushed below the poverty line. To my interpretation, the rise and revaluation of poverty line measures in such regions have been higher than the effective number of people coming out of poverty.
They do have footprints of globalization, but as dumping grounds of the products not suitable for the aforesaid two worlds.
Today the world has changed more than we can grasp in one go. New measures need to be employed to pull up such neglected and backward regions. First on my mind is the need to shift from macro initiatives to the micro level. Focus should shift to micro-level programmes like micro-lending which have done so well in emerging countries. I feel that measuring and monitoring micro level support plans can be monitored and evaluated more easily and quickly.
Second, would be to eradicate “energy poverty” as coined by Thomas Friedman in Hot, flat and crowded. In simple terms, to enable the masses to fulfil their aspirations by giving them secured supply of electricity. Today, any rural programme even the basic ones from education to vaccination drives require electricity. Overcoming the third world’s inability to connect to the globalised world will be a big step in helping grow confidence.
There are many more measures which are being talked about. But these are the major recommendations which I feel are indispensable. The third world needs to be given more attention. But with tightening budgets of major donors in the West and exploitive bargain hunters of the East, I feel my worst fears for them are going to be true.
No wonder they pray so much.
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