Reducing Distances - Removing Barriers
the use of ICT in building global awareness amongst young
Europeans
What do we mean by economic development?
• is it simply GDP per person?
• or should we look at a wider interpretation?
• what of access to clean water
• what of access to elementary education
• or calorie intake
• let’s broaden awareness of the fundamentals of poverty
Why not look at World Bank Human Development Index?
• it takes into account other variables which include access to clean water, literacy and health provision
• more informative in an analysis of poverty and its causes
• then researches ways of generating economic wealth
• then researches the forms of civil society that would make distribution more likely
Some sites to visit-general information on development
• www.worldbank.org/poverty/mission
• www.worldbank.org/wd2002.
• www.imf.org– This site gives information in English, French
and Spanish
• other sites available on request
Other issues
• fair trade
• human capital
• micro loans
• capital flows
• civil society
• the labour market of the future
• aid
Other issues - 2
• debt
• big business
• intellectual property rights
• ICT developments
• arms and super power involvement
• the effects on indigenous cultures
Fair trade
• what do we mean?
• farming subsidies
• customs unions
• super power politics
• employment protection - in developed economies
• employment generation in developing economies
Power in the market place
• what do we mean by power?
• how is it achieved?
• how is it kept?
• growth of MNC’s
• link of aid to trade
• influence in domestic politics
Why is global trade increasing?
• the search for new markets
• the desire to gain lower cost bases
• the need to build economies of scale and other efficiencies
• securing markets in strategic locations
• standardisation of products/tastes
• eradication of trade barriers
Global trade - 2
• need to achieve and maintain competitive advantage
• BUT - what of standards of employment?
• health
• waste control
• tax and civic responsibilities
• transfer pricing
Global trade - continued
• are we seeing a global culture emerge?
• logo inflation
• sponsorship of cultural events
• branding of sport
• branding of youth culture
• branding of identity politics
Global Trade - 3
• Why not visit:– www.mcsotlight.org– www.guardian.co.uk/globalisation– www.corpwatch,org– www.nosweat.org uk– www.resist.org.uk– the work of the Danish Human Rights Centre
Human capital
• what is it?
• how do we add value to individuals?
• should we leave this to skills transfer?
• how can young people help?
• labour v capital intensive
• foreign exchange costs
Some sites that look at human capital
• www.earthscan.org.uk – low cost added value schemes
• www.res.org.uk– the official site of The Royal Economics
Society, which has a large section on developing human capital.
Micro loans
• what are they?
• use in rural and urban economies e.g Vietnam, India and South Africa.
• use with women only banks
• revolving credit and the multiplier effect
• added value
Capital flows
• what influences foreign direct investment?
• where is it going?
• what should it be directed towards?
• main contributors
• main recipients
• where does the profit go
Civil Society
• increasing importance of:– accountability– involvement– transparency– lack of awareness amongst my own students as
to the development of their own civil society
Civil Society - some sites - 1
• www.brettonwoods.org – promotes accountable government
• www.Christian-aid.org– a UK based charity that views development from a
non-political stance
• www.digitaldivide.org– an organisation that promoted responsible use of
modern technology to boost accountable development
Civil Society site - 2
• www.jubilee2000uk.org– the umbrella organisation behind the campaign to
reduce debt and other market irregularities
• www.oneworld.net– a portal that has information in a number of
languages
• www.sewa.org– an Indian based organisation that specialises in the
rights of women
Civil Society - 3
• www.developmentgap.org– an organisation that specialises in work directed at
closing the gaps between rich and poor.
• www.twnside.org– a Third World network that represents many
organisations working in development slcgg
• www.orgg.sl– the organisation run by Zainab Bangura in Sierra
Leone
The labour market of the future - an EU perspective
• increase in global trade
• increase in job dynamics
• dismantling of social exclusion
• building of skills bases that cross countries and continents
Labour Market - 2
• ubiquitous learning environments
• wireless connections
• collaborative learning
• knowledge based economies
• new ways of examining competence
Aid
• types
• strings attached
• what should be its role?
• biggest givers
• largest receivers
• again what of arms
• import substitution v export promotion
Aid - 2
• some useful sites:– [email protected]– www.aidindia.org.in– www.tradeaid.ork– www.infousaid.org
Aid - 3
• data bases:– www.dsv.su.se - Swedish site– www.oecd.org– www.unicef.org– www.dfid.gov.uk– www.psi-usa.com
• The Virtual Developing Economy - game. Please ask for information on other games and simulations
Big business - 1
• implications for MNC/Fair Trade debate
• advantages v disadvantages
• sustainable development?
• sites
• www.pg.com– Proctor and Gamble
• www.Oxfam.org/– fair trade and strategies towards global responsibility
Big Business - 2
• more sites which may be of interest:– www.cleanclothes.org– www.labourbehindthelabour.org– www.nikebiz.com– www.reebok.com– www.neweconomics.org– [email protected]
Intellectual property rights
• growing importance
• examples of Cocoa in Ghana and Basmati rice in India
• where could this be going?
• what type of controls do we want?
Conflict Resolution
• new area for education
• blood diamonds
• drug trafficking
• break down in nation states
• new global order
• new global problems
Some useful publications
• BBC World Service
• Washington Post
• India Today
• Jeune Africa
• Times of India
• West Africa
• Nairobi Times
Some useful Agencies
• FAO - Rome• OECD - Paris• UNDP - Geneva• UNICEF - Paris• World Food Programme on www.wfp.org• Danish Agency for Development Assistance• Swedish International Development Co-operative
Agency
Some topics for discussion
• how to engage young people in collaborative learning programmes?
• how to encourage exchanges of knowledge?
• how to inform about the reality of lives in developing countries?
• the use of games and simulations
• what kind of world do they want?
Discussion - 2
• developing our role as facilitators
• how will education be delivered?
• can we reduce barriers and the distances between us?
• does more unite us than divide us?
• developing global citizenship
Further Information
• Africa - an overview
• Case Study on Sierra Leone plus questions and in-class topics
• A personal reflection on Sierra Leone
• A brief economic history of the world post world war two
Thank you