Globalization: A curse or a blessing on the road to the Millennium Development Goals?
Thursday March 23, 2006, at 12:00
Sala Seminario - Planta Baja IBEI
Research seminar
Josep Ripoll (Université de Genève)
RESUMEN
‘Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) and ‘Globalization’ are relatively modern labels but in many respects both concepts have solid precedents. At the end of the Second World War the submission to metropolitan powers by the now independent developing countries was equated with poverty; getting rid of poverty was made a emblem of independence, a major inspiration in the resistance against colonialism. Jawaharlal Nehru’s resolve in 1946 (quoted in Bhagwati (2004:52) reflects a most popular mind-set of that time: “to insure an adequate standard of living for the masses; in other words, to get rid of the appalling poverty of the people … [to] insure an irreducible minimum standard for everybody”. The anti-colonial struggle built into many of the ideals that have now been highlighted by the international community: a wide aspiration for less poverty, more health, culture, education, integrity – development, in short. In a sense, aspiration to independence was an anticipated cry to the 2000 Goals.
‘Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) and ‘Globalization’ are relatively modern labels but in many respects both concepts have solid precedents. At the end of the Second World War the submission to metropolitan powers by the now independent developing countries was equated with poverty; getting rid of poverty was made a emblem of independence, a major inspiration in the resistance against colonialism. Jawaharlal Nehru’s resolve in 1946 (quoted in Bhagwati (2004:52) reflects a most popular mind-set of that time: “to insure an adequate standard of living for the masses; in other words, to get rid of the appalling poverty of the people … [to] insure an irreducible minimum standard for everybody”. The anti-colonial struggle built into many of the ideals that have now been highlighted by the international community: a wide aspiration for less poverty, more health, culture, education, integrity – development, in short. In a sense, aspiration to independence was an anticipated cry to the 2000 Goals.