Economic disparity: It sounds almost like a mere report when the UN puts the number of people living below $2 per day at approximately 1 billion.
Until you analyze it and imagine how such individuals feed, clothe, tend to emergencies and get access to shelter, all under $2 per day. More disheartening is that some of these low earners own a family often in large numbers.
A dead ringer; the past and present of underdeveloped countries. Even after decades of independence from colonialism, a majority of them remain the same or worse.
And unless you live in any of these countries, even the majority of the ones considered developing nations, you wouldn’t know some conditions are underreported.
The assertive title of Walter Rodney’s ” How Europe underdeveloped Africa” blurred the cumulative factors which have led to underdevelopment and poverty, not just in Africa but in South Asia and South America inclusive.
He did state a couple of other factors responsible for the fate of Africa which applies to the entirety of nations under consideration though in other continents. And these factors will be considered in detail.
Table of Contents
- Underdeveloped and Developed: the Difference
- Who Takes the Blame?
- Tackling World’s Economic Disparity
Underdeveloped and Developed: the Difference
- Access to adequate and quality food
- Access to clean water
- Access to healthcare
- Education level
This list above summarizes the economic disparity between the developed and underdeveloped countries of the world.
As much as the top world organizations try to project these problems on a global scale, the reality is that a large percentage of these problems exist in underdeveloped and even developing countries of the world.
Researchers within Africa have assessed all-around growth and access to certain services in some parts of the underdeveloped regions and results reveal the extent of poor conditions in these regions.
- Access to a balanced meal and clean drinking water affects a large percentage of people in underdeveloped and developing regions of the world compared to few in developed regions.
- The wide gap in the number of educated people coupled with the quality of education received in underdeveloped regions of the world compared to developed countries is likewise upsetting. Not to talk of poor healthcare facilities, housing woes, and the glaring economic gap between these two.
- Underdevelopment and poverty are interlaced. It then comes as no surprise that the economy of underdeveloped regions of the world lags.
- The inability to transit from primary activities and primitive methods has led to countries with small and less productive land areas in Europe enjoying more agricultural success than many fertile lands in underdeveloped regions.
Who Takes the Blame?
Who takes the blame for this level of economic disparity? Walter Rodney will scream Europe in a heartbeat, then back the assertion with a 100-paged writeup.
Much of his argument will center around Colonial rule, how Europe in a bid to be developed, underdeveloped countries across many continents of the world.
Exploitation & slavery are strategies utilized by colonial rulers to develop their regions at the expense of the colonized regions. However, there is more. Let’s look at a few other causes.
According to Akshay, a CEO of an online educational institution – ” Corruption ranks as one of the major active causes of continued underdevelopment and poverty in underdeveloped regions. Despite the exploitation of colonialism, much of the resources in these regions are available in abundance.
Talk of crude oil, coal, bauxite, Diamonds, Gold, and a pool of other resources which are not well-known yet beneficial. We live in a free world and most of these resources belong solely to these countries.
Sadly, though, these natural resources are not of benefit to the entire nation that owns each. Corruption has led to just a selected few enjoying access to huge profits resulting.
Such selected few have access to high-end services and luxurious lifestyles while the larger percentage are living in abject poverty and the country remains underdeveloped.”
Corruption eats so deep that beneficiaries spend more in developed regions thereby enriching such regions. The neglect of their countries means other coordinated places will continue to grow while theirs remain static or become worse.
No system of government is without faults. However, some are riddled with ethnic favoritism and influenced by cultural beliefs. Such forms of government have policies that fragment and slow development.
“In addition, even the biggest and most influential billion dollars worth of companies misuse their position by not adopting environmentally friendly means of production which negatively affect developing countries the most by speeding up climate change.
Additionally, they also ignore other corporate social responsibilities, for example by exploiting cheap labor by outsourcing much of their labor work.” — Joshua – bulleyeslocations
Tackling World’s Economic Disparity
Call it cliche but the saying” Rome wasn’t built in a day” perfectly describes the pattern of reforming underdeveloped regions. International bodies like the WHO, UNICEF, and World Bank are actively working to reduce the gap and affect all-around growth.
The reality is that lack of development is somewhat of a global problem. For example, underdeveloped countries due to the high poverty rates cannot afford to implement certain policies aimed at protecting the environment.
Such as the use of electric vehicles, sourcing for clean energy, reducing bush burning, and lots more. And without a worldwide implementation environmental problems will worsen.
While each region will face firsthand the consequences of its action, the problem will extend to the entire atmosphere.
The recent case of the Covid-19 pandemic is an ideal example of how uneven development can be a global problem. First World countries had to donate vaccines to third-world countries to reduce the death toll and eradicate the pandemic collectively.
Ideally, each country should be able to cope with emergencies to a great degree. Samantha, an expert who pays attention to changing world events, suggests Developing a tax for the wealthy and increasing wages and other benefits as a way to combat this situation.
In the end, it all boils down to taking responsibility and thinking of the future generation. The movement for reformation starts with each person living in an underdeveloped country. A high population is a challenge to development which minimizing birth can help curtail.
The leaders of these countries need to stop being selfish and take on the responsibility of channeling funds to the right sectors. Create an enabling policy to facilitate growth, and also encourage, innovations.
And world organizations should keep up with the support even looking for ways to hasten some processes while ensuring their efforts are not sabotaged by individuals with selfish interests.
Humanity yearns for equality in terms of access to a good life. To achieve this, everyone has a part to play in our global community.