Religions > Atheism > OT: Last year, the politics of global inequality finally came of age
| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
02 Jan 2006 04:06:55 AM |
| Object: |
OT: Last year, the politics of global inequality finally came of age |
Last year, the politics of global inequality finally came of age
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1676369,00.html
There is fat chance that 2005 has made poverty history, but the west is
learning to question its own legitimacy
Madeleine Bunting
Monday January 2, 2006
The Guardian
A year ago, we were told we had 12 months to make poverty history. So,
in the bleary cold light of the new year, how does our achievement
stack up? Did a year of unprecedented focus on Africa - rock concerts,
250,000 demonstrating in Edinburgh and an extraordinary degree of
political engagement at the highest levels - succeed?
In recent weeks there has been no shortage of aid agencies and
government advisers attempting to draw up the balance sheet. The year
ended on a gloomy note. The failure in Hong Kong to achieve anything
like a positive outcome for developing countries was a big blow, given
that the huge costs of unfair trade dwarf the pocket-money deals on
debt and aid. Even more depressing was the news from Africa. It was not
just the string of crises - from Malawi and Zambia in famine-struck
southern Africa to the fragility of the peace in Sudan and the ongoing
conflict in Darfur - but, more worryingly, the much-favoured
reform-minded governments of key countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia
showed an ugly ruthlessness.
Madeleine Bunting
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/a93703b3ac7cc6ef
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=%22Madeleine+Bunting%22
.
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
