WARWICK GLOBAL
DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY
Vol. 2
Issue 2
NEWSLETTER
JUNE- JULY 2004
WELCOME!
IN THIS ISSUE:
ARTICLES
World Model United Nations
By Thomas Card
Department for International
Development
By Alanna Cant
Global Governance and EU
By Ashley Small
Globalisation and Culture
- Asian Perspectives
By Patricia Tan
and Nan Hanvoravongchai
2
4
6
First, I would especially like to draw attention to the section on the World Model
United Nations. This is an amalgamation of the thoughts and reflections of all the
students who represented Warwick at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from 28th March to
1st April. Head delegate, Camille Narayan, and the delegation contributed many
extra hours in preparation for the WMUN, and their achievements have done
Warwick proud!
8
Voluntary Work
By Heike Friemert
9
Global Futures Forum
By Rahul Aggarwal
10
About us
11
Please e-mail submissions to:
wgdsnewsletter@yahoo.co.uk
… to the second edition of the WGDS newsletter for the 2003/2004 year at
Warwick! This has definitely been a busy term for all of us! The editing team invites
you to enjoy the articles and summaries that have been the fruit of much labour
over the course of the term.
Another important activity that happened this term, was the opportunity that a few
members had to join Dr. Sarah Hodges and her excellent group of students on their
trip to the Department For International Development offices in London to meet
with the Secretary of State for Development, Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn MP. Read on to
see what Mr. Benn had to say about DFID’s approach to a range of development
issues!
Thirdly, the lecture series on development was continued through the second term,
with fantastic presentations beginning with Christien Van den Anker from the
University of Birmingham on Cosmopolitan Justice. Secondly, Dr. Lorraine Elliott
spoke to us on Global Environmental Governance, and finally Sian Sullivan
presented and led a discussion of the film Genoa Red Zone: a film of the (anti-)
globalisation movements.
Many other achievements were had by the executive of WGDS this year. Although
often unseen, this has been a year of big changes and fundamental building for
WGDS. All the hard work that Anna Kimmerle, Hanna Johnson and Arafat Khalil
did in their executive roles this year will contribute to smoother sailing for the years
to come!
We hope you enjoy this issue of the WGDS newsletter, and good luck with all the
work (and play) of the summer months!
Alanna Cant
President, Warwick Global Development Society
Page 2
WORLD MODEL
In February of this year, ten promising
young students were selected to
represent Warwick University at the
Harvard World Model United Nations
in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Each year
1000 students from all over the world
gather to represent an assigned
country and pass a resolution on a
designated issue in a simulation of the
various organs of the United Nations.
Led by our experienced head delegate
Camille Narayan, the group worked
hard researching the politics and
background of our country, Pakistan,
and on developing our advocacy,
negotiation and presentation skills.
Participating in this year’s conference
was of great benefit to us in several
ways. Firstly, it brought to life many of
the theories and concepts discussed
in the various courses offered by
PAIS. The reality of negotiating with
unequal powers, and realist theories of
power politics were brought to light
with Pakistan’s role in the Security
Council. Critical development theories
learned in G&D were utilised in our
development project proposals and
were passed by the World Bank.
Various issues were discussed in the
committees. The Security Council
tackled
the
issue
of
crisis
management, and also faced an
‘emergency’ situation in Libya, where
Col. Ghadaffi had been assassinated,
rioting was taking place in Tripoli and
WMD sites were under threat.
UNITED NATIONS
The University also greatly benefited
from a raised profile at this
conference, which was attended by
universities from around the world,
from countries as diverse as the USA,
Germany, China and Venezuela. This
was truly evident from the positive
comments made by the organisers
about our delegation, and in particular
a Diplomacy Award bestowed on our
own Camille for her work in the
Disarmament Committee of the
General Assembly.
In addition to the hard work from all
the delegation, we did manage to find
time to enjoy ourselves also, meeting
other students from around the world,
and enjoying the warm hospitality of
our Egyptian hosts. All of the
delegation agree that this has been a
worthwhile experience, and hope that
the University continues the tradition
of sending strong teams to future
Model UN conferences.
Page 3
Our thanks also to Professor Shirin
Rai for her support and assistance, Dr.
Marieke Riethof for support on the trip
itself and to Professor Shaheen Ali for
her invaluable insight into the
Pakistani government and Pakistani
politics, and finally, the Politics and
International Studies Department and
the Warwick Graduates Association
for financial support.
- Thomas Card
MA International Relations
Page 4
On
June
24th,
2004
WGDS
representatives
Rahul
Aggarwal,
Camille Narayan, Hiro Ataka, Imran
Ayoob, Michael Hennessy, Eleanor
Hanning and Alanna Cant went to the
Department
For
International
Development offices in London to ask
the Secretary of State for International
Development, Rt Hon. Hilary Benn MP
some questions about DFID and
development. Read on to see what the
Minister had to say about a selection
of the issues raised!
1. How is DFID’s use of funding
accountable?
Mr. Benn responded that DFID is
attempting to focus the majority of its
energies on the greatest pressure
developing countries face today; the
scarcity of resources. He also said that
through its support of the Kimberly
process it seeks to prevent trade in
‘conflict’ goods, such as diamonds
from regions of Africa. He also noted
that presently, water is becoming an
even scarcer resource, especially in
the Nile region, and that urban
population pressure are mounting.
DFID’s approach to these issues was
in line with other major development
agencies’ and international bodies’
goals.
2. How
has
adapted to
context?
DFID’s
policies
the post- 9/11
Mr. Benn said that DFID’s approach
has been a practical one, through
supporting the fledgling governments
in Afghanistan, Iraq and attempting to
strengthen capacities within existing
weak governments in Africa. It also
sees basic improvements to people’s
quality of life as a large step towards
global security, thus focusing on
infrastructure to support water,
sanitation and electricity. Broadly, 9/11
hasn’t changed what DFID does, but
allows its voice to be heard within the
government, as the support for
development has moved to the centre
of
politics,
as
international
development is seen as contributing to
the
government’s
primary
responsibility of protecting its own
citizens.
3. What factors have affected
DFID’s attempt to meet the
Millennium Goals?
He said that DFID is making significant
attempts to guarantee that 90 percent
of the United Kingdom’s bilateral aid is
going to the poorest countries. Many
factors influence DFID’s approach to
the Millennium Goals. For example,
the bottom-up and top-down pressures
especially behind the debt relief
campaign. DFID’s interest in the
Millennium Goals is also becoming
important to other branches of
government, as development is
becoming more crucial to trade than it
has been in the past. Because of this,
politicians are now more willing to
‘listen and lead’ in terms of
contributions to the Millennium Goals.
Another significant factor in DFID’s
contribution is its autonomy from the
Foreign Office, as the Conservatives
Page 5
have a history of amalgamating DFID
under Foreign Office control, which
significantly limits its ability to pursue
the Millennium Goals.
---------------Special thanks to Dr. Sarah Hodges
from the History Department for
providing us with this excellent
opportunity to meet with Rt Hon. Hilary
Benn MP.
- Alanna Cant
MA Globalisation and Development
For Further Information:
www.dfid.gov.uk
Page 6
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
- Normative Authority in World Politics -
In relation to the subject of
governance, the European Union is
interesting in numerous different ways.
One could, for example, understand
the European Union as a structure of
transnational governance operating in
relation to its member-states. Indeed,
from the “crazy” European regulations
oft maligned in the British tabloid press
(‘Brussels’ wages war on British
sausages/flowerpots/pints etc.), to the
fiscal regulations associated with
economic and monetary union, there
are myriad examples of command,
control, or steering mechanisms that
flow from the EU level down to
member states.
One could, however, argue that the
EU’s authority is not limited simply to
its member-states, but operates at a
global level. In his path-breaking 2002
article Normative Power Europe: A
contradiction in Terms?, Ian Manners
argues that the EU can be understood
as a “normative power”. That is to say,
it is able to “reorder the language of
international society”; to define (or
normalise?)
what
is,
in
fact,
considered as “normal” in international
relations.
And
significantly
this
normative influence operates far
beyond the territorial boundaries of the
EU.
How, then, is the EU able to normalise
norms? Well, for Manners, norms can
be diffused in a number of different
ways: by contagion (unintended
diffusion – by virtuous example, for
instance); through information
(strategic communications and policy
initiatives, for example); through
transference (such as with the
exchange of goods or technical
assistance);
and
through
overt
diffusion (as with the EU’s direct
presence in third countries or
international bodies).
The diffusion of norms in this way,
then, could be seen as a form of
global governance. While the thorny
terrain of global governance is, of
course, characterised by much
contestation, it is generally agreed that
“governance” is not simply another
term for “government”; the term
embraces less formalised channels
through which commands, directions,
or influence may flow and operate.
While the diffusion of norms by the
EU, then, is clearly not a formal
expression of authority, it does
nonetheless represent the influencing,
and in some cases even directing, of
states outside of the EU.
One norm that the EU has overtly
been pushing for is the abolition of the
death penalty. Not only has it
encouraged member states and those
aiming for accession to adopt this
norm, but, according to Manners, it
has had a discernable bearing upon
the abolition of the death penalty in
Albania,
Ukraine,
Azerbaijan,
Turkmenistan, and Russia. Moreover,
the EU has overtly been engaging with
the “super-executioners”, China and
the USA, directly involving itself in
particular execution cases, and using
Page 7
informational and overt means to
engage these states in discussions
regarding the death penalty at the
international level.
The EU, then, we might argue, can be
understood as an agent of global
governance, in that it exercises a form
of authority over states through the
definition of global norms. While its
global quest to abolish the death
penalty is one clear example of this
form of governance, examples abound
in any of the many areas on which the
EU has defined or common goals,
aims, and policies.
- Ashley Small
MA Politics
Page 8
GLOBALISATION AND CULTURE:
Asian Perspectives
Globalisation of culture can be seen in
several aspects ranging from food,
language, music, film, to traveling. The
trend is towards hybridisation and the
fusion of culture which happens multidirectional, e.g., West to East, East to
West and East to East. Globalisation
provides a learning experience and
facilitates the exchange of culture
between different people and different
countries. As such, it has both
positive and negative effects on the
local cultures. The first benefit is the
reduction of communication barriers,
such as the use of a 'global language'
- English. People are able to
communicate
across
the
world
regardless of their origins. This links to
Sen's human capability theory, as it
increases the individual’s capability to
participate in the world, particularly
those who live in developing countries.
Indeed, although English is not the
mother-tongue
for
most
Asian
countries, the government has been
actively promoting the usage of
English to be used in schools and
daily life.
Secondly,
globalisation
also
encourages the growth of the media
and creativity. The transfer of
knowledge and ideas across the globe
facilitates the development of the
media industry and eventually benefits
the citizens in term of more reliable,
more interesting and more updated
media. For example, the development
of Chinese movies are beginning to
gain recognition, respect and fame
from the Western critics and
audiences.
Moreover, globalisation has also
opened up new markets for the media
companies and resulted in an increase
of business revenues. For example,
Bollywood, Japanese pop-culture and
the Western pop-music industry have
managed to reach larger audiences
spread across several countries within
a short period of time.
However,
globalisation
has
unavoidably undermined the traditional
cultures which have long been
considered sources of national
pride. For example, less Asians are
using the native language to
communicate and are witnessing the
declining popularity of the Chinese
opera and puppet shows. In addition,
globalisation can also affect the local
lifestyle
and
self-perception. For
example,
‘McDonald-isation’
and
‘Coca Cola-isation’ promotes the so
called 'Global Culture', such as the
use of 'global brand' products and the
global
lifestyle
associated
with
activities, such as eating the same
food, watching the same football
match, the same movie, or accessing
the same internet website. Hence
while globalisation enhances the
individual, it can also bring about
negative
consequences
to
the
society. Perhaps it is better for the
individual himself/herself to judge if
globalisation has a net positive or
negative effect on his/her life. Whether
there will be a homogeneous culture
or a clash of cultures in the future,
remains to be seen.
- Patricia Tan and
Nan Hanvoravongchai
MA Globalisation and Development
Page 9
VOLUNTARY WORK
Capability approach, basic needs,
sustainable development, donors and
reasons to give aid… while the MA in
Globalisation
and
Development
provided the theoretical foundations, it
was voluntary work with a charity that
gave me some insight into the more
practical questions of development.
Leamington-based BasicNeeds is a
charity
working
to
mainstream
mentally ill people in developing
countries. Due to the social stigma
attached to their condition, mentally ill
people are among the poorest of the
poor. During their work, the people of
BasicNeeds became aware of the
correlative
relationship
between
poverty and mental illness, which is
based on unemployment, lack of
appropriate medical care or essential
drugs. The inability to contribute
regularly to the family income further
aggravates the stigma attached to
mental illness as people are seen as a
burden, thus often leading to social
exclusion.
•
•
Mental illness currently accounts
for about 12.3% of global disease
and this will rise to 15% by the
year 2020
One third of people (two billion
people in 33 countries) live in
nations investing less then 1% of
their total health budget in mental
health
•
•
Forty per cent of countries have no
mental health policies and 25% no
legislation
concerning
mental
illness
More than two thirds of the world’s
population, mainly in Africa and
South Asia, have access to less
than one psychiatrist per 100,000
of population
BasicNeeds are so far working in five
countries (India, Sri Lanka, Ghana,
Uganda and Tanzania), but are
planning to expand considerably in the
near future. For further funding they
were looking at the German donor
market, and this is where I came into
play. In order to decide whether any
projects would be of interest to a
particular organisation, a profile of the
potential donor is created, looking at
their regional focus, grant size,
parameters of funding, the application
procedure, etc. A general funding
letter is then written, which will be
used for the initial contact.
As already mentioned above, work
with this charity allowed me to gain
some insight into the practicalities of
working in the field of development, an
invaluable experience to complement
the more theoretical MA.
- Heike Friemert
MA Globalisation and Development
For more information:
www.basicneeds.org.uk
Page 10
GLOBAL FUTURES FORUM
It felt as if we had only just started our
Masters programmes, and before we
knew
it,
mid-March
saw
the
culmination of two terms worth of
teaching. Besides expanding our
theoretical knowledge and vocabulary
with all sorts of new ‘-isms’, the
cultural interaction between students
from different corners of the globe
made for an extremely conducive
learning
environment.
More
specifically, we were also able to delve
into
more
depth
regarding
development issues and challenges
facing poorer countries in this era of
rapid globalisation. Many things that
we would have taken for granted, we
can now relate to and question.
Imran Ayoob offered us a glimpse of
poverty-related problems in Pakistan
and Simon Cootes gave us some
insights into sustainable development
issues. Ricardo James talked about
the difficulties facing small developing
countries in a globalised world, and
Bat Molomjamts provoked mixed
reactions by refreshingly arguing how
globalisation has actually benefited the
developing world.
To round off proceedings, Patricia
Tan, Nan Hanvoravongchai and
Thomas Card brilliantly simulated an
Asian radio channel to depict the
gradual evolution of a global culture.
As a final wrap-up for the course,
various students, in particular, Shefali
Virkar and Nan Hanvoravongchai,
organised the ‘Global Futures Forum’.
This consisted of a panel of students
who made presentations on topics
pertaining to
Globalisation and
Development. Although this was a
relatively
informal gathering, the
breadth of topics debated were varied
and well detailed.
All in all, the forum was a great
success, and once more reminded us
of the challenges that lie ahead, if we
are to play our part in creating a more
just and equitable globalised world.
- Rahul Aggarwal
MA Globalisation and Development
For a better future…
General Info :
Alanna Cant
(President)
Our Mission Statement
Rahul Aggarwal
(Technical Publisher
and Co-editor)
Alanna Heath
(Editor)
“Warwick Global Development Society has been
established primarily as a forum for debate and
discourse, available to anyone with an interest in
the development field.
Through programmes of talks, workshops and
events, we hope to further an understanding of
development theory and practice, and allow
members to engage with and critique dominant
models of development and alternative paths for
the future.”
Submissions welcome
on any topic, from
academic to the
bizarre, travel stories,
book reviews…
To become a Member of the Society
Simply register at the Union North at the Secretariat
OR visit the Student Union website and enrol online !!
General Email :
wgdsnewsletter
@yahoo.co.uk