Reducing Distances - Removing Barriers

1. Reducing Distances - Removing Barriers the use of ICT in building global awareness amongst young Europeans

2. 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

3. 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

4. Some sites to visit-general information on development • www.worldbank.org/poverty/mission • www.empowerment@worldbank.org • www.worldbank.org/wd2002. • www.imf.org • This site gives information in English, French and Spanish • other sites available on request

5. Other issues • fair trade • human capital • micro loans • capital flows • civil society • the labour market of the future • aid

6. Other issues - 2 • debt • big business • intellectual property rights • ICT developments • arms and super power involvement • the effects on indigenous cultures

7. Fair trade • what do we mean? • farming subsidies • customs unions • super power politics • employment protection - in developed economies • employment generation in developing economies

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. Civil Society • increasing importance of: • accountability • involvement • transparency • lack of awareness amongst my own students as to the development of their own civil society

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Labour Market - 2 • ubiquitous learning environments • wireless connections • collaborative learning • knowledge based economies • new ways of examining competence

23. Aid • types • strings attached • what should be its role? • biggest givers • largest receivers • again what of arms • import substitution v export promotion

24. Aid - 2 • some useful sites: • www.jusbiz@nead.org.uk • www.aidindia.org.in • www.tradeaid.ork • www.infousaid.org

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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 • getglobal@actionaid.org.uk

28. 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?

29. Conflict Resolution • new area for education • blood diamonds • drug trafficking • break down in nation states • new global order • new global problems

30. Some useful publications • BBC World Service • Washington Post • India Today • Jeune Africa • Times of India • West Africa • Nairobi Times

31. 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

32. 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?

33. 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

34. Further Information • john_birchall@bsc.biblio.net • 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