Reducing Distances Removing Barriers
the use of ICT in building global
awareness amongst young
Europeans
What do we mean by economic
development?
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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
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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
Other issues
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fair trade
human capital
micro loans
capital flows
civil society
the labour market of the future
aid
Other issues - 2
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debt
big business
intellectual property rights
ICT developments
arms and super power involvement
the effects on indigenous cultures
Fair trade
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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
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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
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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:
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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
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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
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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:
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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
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increase in global trade
increase in job dynamics
dismantling of social exclusion
building of skills bases that cross countries
and continents
Labour Market - 2
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ubiquitous learning environments
wireless connections
collaborative learning
knowledge based economies
new ways of examining competence
Aid
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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:
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www.jusbiz@nead.org.uk
www.aidindia.org.in
www.tradeaid.ork
www.infousaid.org
Aid - 3
• data bases:
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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
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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:
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www.cleanclothes.org
www.labourbehindthelabour.org
www.nikebiz.com
www.reebok.com
www.neweconomics.org
getglobal@actionaid.org.uk
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
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new area for education
blood diamonds
drug trafficking
break down in nation states
new global order
new global problems
Some useful publications
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BBC World Service
Washington Post
India Today
Jeune Africa
Times of India
West Africa
Nairobi Times
Some useful Agencies
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FAO - Rome
OECD - Paris
UNDP - Geneva
UNICEF - Paris
World Food Programme on www.wfp.org
Danish Agency for Development Assistance
Swedish International Development Cooperative 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
• 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