Global Development and Divide

• Global development and divide are key aspects of the contemporary world.

Development Defined

• Development is a process, system, or procedure.
• It represents a state or condition of changing and enhancing something.
• Oxford defines development as "a process and an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation."
• The process requires various factors and considerations when developing a system or constituent element.
• Development is viewed as a complex and multidimensional concept that occurs in uncertain conditions.
• Bellù (2011) emphasizes that the development of some parts of a system can harm the development of others, leading to structural and systemic conflicts.
• Critics argue that the benefits of globalization are not equally distributed among countries regarding global development.
• Countries lacking resources and infrastructure are at the lower end, and benefits are unequally distributed globally.
• A clear disparity exists between rich and poor countries.
• CSOs describe this as maldevelopment, where developing and less developed countries suffer from the negative effects of development and changes.

Four Dimensions of Development

• The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN has identified four dimensions of development.
• These dimensions represent prevailing paradigms: economic, human, sustainable, and territorial development.

Economic Development

• It focuses on qualitative change, which sometimes fails to improve the quality of life, social improvements, and innovations.
• Sen (1999) defines it as the expansion of capacities contributing to societal advancement through individual, firm, and community potential.
• Economic development is a transformation that involves altering fundamental economic structures.
• It increases occupational capacities and empower the mobility of key economic agents.

Human Development

• It includes a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living.
• Indicators include life expectancy at birth, expected and mean years of schooling, and Gross National Income (GNI).
• The Human Development Index (HDI) emphasizes that economic growth should be a criterion for assessing a country's development, focusing on people and their capabilities.

Sustainable Development

• It involves "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Bruntland Commission).
• Development must be practiced based on necessity and in accordance with the harmony of nature, without compromising the ecological condition and future generations.
• Six definitions include: maintenance of capital assets, maintaining environmental conditions for the benefit of all, resilience to adjust and cope with changes, avoiding internal and external debts, fiscal and political sustainability, and transferring programs and projects to citizens' control.

Territorial Development

• It focuses on the interrelationships of human activities between rural and urban areas (Bellù, 2011).
• Social activities include production, distribution, consumption of goods and services, and balancing the quality features of norms and practices that support social affairs.
• Composed of clusters of linked activities and structures, it critically addresses how clusters and agencies respond to resource scarcity challenges.
• This includes food security, space availability, and overcrowding.
• The process operates on both national and transnational scales.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• The SDGs were established as a continuation of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
• Member countries of the UN are expected to mobilize efforts to end poverty, solve inequality, and address the impacts of climate change within the next 15 years.
• Parties involved believe that more active participation and commitments are necessary to achieve SDGs by 2030.
• Global partnerships among states are not binding, but national governments have the authority to implement national policies aligned with SDGs.
• Policies should be of high quality and accessible to the public as a mechanism for delivering relevant works and outputs.

17 Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 1: No Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• Goal 2: Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• Goal 4: Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.
• Goal 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women.
• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequality - Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Goal 13: Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Goal 14: Life Below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
• Goal 15: Life on Land - Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt biodiversity loss.
• Goal 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective and accountable institutions at all levels.
• Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Implementing Sustainable Development Goals

• The Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development outlined actions for implementing SDGs.
• The success of SDG policies relies on the actions and willingness of member parties and states to align their plans with global commitments.
• Plans at the national level gauge how governments respond to the demands of SDGs.
• Resource mobilization and financing strategies are fundamental for materializing nationally framed and locally-led sustainable development goals.
• The expected contribution of government, the private sector, civil society groups, and other stakeholders can aid in achieving the SDGs.
• NGOs and CSOs are seen as helpful in achieving SDGs, performing tasks where governments can't deliver.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires partnership between the efforts of the global community and national governments.
• Global governance with the cooperation of national governments is the main driver for achieving SDGs

Global South

• Commonly described in geographical terms and is largely equivalent to the Third World, but it is not identical. (Pagel, Ranke, et al 2014)
• The term doesn't refer to countries outside the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Refers to countries that are excluded from socioeconomic prominence, like Africa, the Middle East, South America, South Asia, and countries in the Pacific.
• Issues of inequality and the global divide between wealthy and impoverished nations as part of the reality of the global south. (Lopez, 2007)
• The idea represents a contemporary issue in socioeconomic and political divisions.
• Countries like the United States, Canada, parts of Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are considered giant economies, and form parts of the 'global north'.
• Global north countries are described as highly industrialized, developed, and seen as the most advanced economies.
• The most industrially developed countries lie to the north of the developing countries.
• Global south countries share a range of political and economic descriptions and experiences.

Obstacles in Africa

• There are high debts, poor infrastructure, limited education, unemployment, poor healthcare, and concerns about peace and security.
• The high prevalence of poverty is the region's fundamental challenge.

Issues in Asia

• Most Asian countries are made up of emerging and developing economies, with Singapore as an exception.
• Countries in this region are affected by issues with unstable governments, the rule of law, and pollution.
• Central Asian countries consist of transitioning governments.
• Former territories of the Soviet Union are stabilizing their economies.
• Damage of the former communist Soviet regime is still evident.
• Political and economic reforms are not sufficient to address the political ideals that were formed during the Cold War era.

Problems in West Asia

• The region is confined in a costly conflict.
• The conflict involves territorial insecurity, peace and order, and competing ideological clashes.
• The region is rich in oil, but these continuing barriers hamper overall development.

Slow Growth in the Pacific Islands

• Natural disasters and a lack of investment in the economy lead to slow growth.
• The economies are dependent on business and commercial influx from nearby countries.
• The affected regions include Oceania, Asia, and America.

Latin America

• Countries are trapped in turbulent economic conditions.
• Regional unstable democratic governance and fiscal problems are continuous challenge.
• Latin and Caribbean nations have experienced “lost development" during the ‘60s and ‘70s because of missed economic opportunities.

Causes of Global Divide

• Globalization in the 1990s
• The expansion of economic activity resulted in many countries becoming more separated
• Poor countries not able to keep up with developed countries suffer the most from globalization
• Countries with struggling governments failed to produce as a response to the internationalization of economy
• Some countries mostly third world shifted its interest through relying to a more powerful economy

Uneven Immigration

• Uneven immigration has been on the rise in the last three decades.
• People from Asia are immigrating to Europe and America as places of employment.
• Developed countries had become the main locations for migrants due to technology and high social services.
• The current trend is because the global South has a lack of jobs available in the country.