Nuria Candela Martínez
From weakness into strength
Whenever we turn on the TV, usually,
it is the same news: civil wars, poverty and migration. People may have an
opinion about those issues but here we are going to know a bit more about it
and maybe lead this article to a possible solution.
Nowadays, globalization is one
of the most talked topics, and thus, migration. That is why this blog is intended
to explain how migration is understood
within different countries. Why some countries still poor. And what would
be the right pathway to come up with a solution.
The main question to answer before
entering into debate is: Are we done with real poverty? The fact is that people
think so, but that is not the whole truth. According to Wolfensohn[1],
there are still many countries considered as ‘poor countries’ and he classify
them in four groups: 1) Traditional rich countries, which will always be recipient
of benefits; 2) Emerging countries such as China and India that have managed to
improve their economy and turn into one of the most powerful and relevant
countries in the world; 3) Struggling countries which are, according to
Wolfensohn, “neither poor enough to warrant special aid, nor sufficiently large
and fast-growing to be major players in global growth”; 4) stagnating or
declining countries. “These countries, most in Sub-Saharan Africa, gain little
from globalization, but are among the most vulnerable to its adverse effects,
such as climate change and higher natural resources princes”.
As stated by the summary about
Global Fight against Poverty[2]
published by OECD[3], reducing
poverty has been a key concern of governments in developed countries.
Nonetheless, poverty persists worldwide, “depriving billions of people of basic
necessities and the possibility of a better life”. As it has been said before,
emerging countries play a major role in the fight against poverty and in
globalization, which means that emerging countries “now are aid countries”.
That is why it is needed the collaboration with China in terms of international
aid. On the report of Global development trends and challenges: Horizon 2025
revisited[4]
the authors agree that “the impact of Chinese support is being felt
everywhere”. Some people might think otherwise but poverty is about economic
aid and support. Nevertheless, we all agree that civil wars do not help to
extinguish poverty but natural resources like oil do.
Speaking about international
aid, it is also must be stressed that this aid may not be “for the fun” – quite
the opposite, in fact. In Overseas Development Institute article, they refer to
the concept of “national – interest – first movements in United States and
European Union”. One example could be the Spanish political party VOX, they
have developed their political campaign around migration issues, even though
they have done it in a way contrary to the statement we defend in this paper.
Another close example that can be given in this blog is the case of Mostar in
Bosnia. Near experiences have told that they did not want migration movements
in Bosnia, specifically in Mostar because locals must stay in their country to
defend it, as they did during Yugoslavian wars.
As we have been saying
throughout this blog, migration is an important issue and therefore, the
journeys of immigrants and refugees, particularly across the Mediterranean Sea.
And it has been increasingly visible due to mass media. Hence, “managing
migration in a safe and effective way has become a global policy priority”[5],
translated into investments in border security and the return of migrants
without legal grounds to remain in the country.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development[6] states
that immigration policies, humanitarian protection and development must be tied
to promote a better situation and an improvement in term of poor countries and
migration issues. Countries must collaborate and focus in developing countries,
especially in economic matters. Because, as the Report of the Growth Commission[7],
“economic growth is an essential requirement and, frequently, the main
contributing factor in reducing poverty”.
To sum up, the most suitable
solution is to work all together, countries, organizations, aid agencies and
people in favor of a better integration, to create a better world and as a
result, be able to go from weakness into strength.
725 words
[1] Wolfensohn, J. (2007), “The four
circles of a changing world”, International Herald Tribune, 4 Jun., New
York Times Co., New York.
Nuria. your blog provides a hopeful view of development. However, some things you say are not very clear. Specifically, I do not understand what you mean by international aid not being carried out for fun. Does anyone really think it is? Please explain. Prof. C. Freres
ResponderEliminarBy saying this I try to emphasise that international aid is really important and it is needed. From my point of view, may exist people that think international aid is provided by the wealthiest countries and doing it they feel better. But it is not only a matter of feeling good, it is a matter of help and all countries must provide it.
Eliminar