(DP) A philosophical approach to sustainability part 3

Part 3: What the governments should do?

Following the second part of my DP blog, in this third post I will point out what the PUBLIC SECTOR should do -in my opinion- to gain a sustainable worldwide development.

I think that the public sector has the “reins of the game” on his hands, and that’s why it has even the SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY to lead the society to a sustainable economy, society, development.

The first aim of a government is the GOOD GOVERNANCE, which has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society [1].

Characteristics of good governance. Source: United Nations website

Actually it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality, however, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.

Summarizing, the public sector  is asked to ensure these tasks:

• Creating frameworks for economic, political and social rights
• Ensuring public services meet basic needs and rights are met
• Developing regulations and standard-setting mechanisms, adherence to international obligations [2]

The new millennium is showing to the governments new challenges and new issues to facing, and the ENVIROMENTAL and SOCIAL ISSUES are the crucial ones, which should be straight linked with concept of SUSTAINABILITY.

Source: own produced

I believe that just through SUSTAINABLE POLICIES the public sectors could help the right development; without sustainability we won’t have social and environmental development.

In the past we’ve already seen what it’s happened between developed countries and developing ones; in many cases we had just the exploitment of the last ones (since colonialism on then), but unfortunately today the scenario is still not completely changed.

This delicate (new?) equilibrium between countries, should be helped and encouraged by multinational and multilateral agencies, which retain the authority delegated by the most powerful states, and with this power they dictate the rules of the game.

These agencies (as UN, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and so on) should be reviewed and reformed, since now they are facing several critics, especially from the developing countries (those –I would to point out- which would be the main subject to be helped from these agencies).

From the class of Development Perspectives I’ve learned that we can see the world from many points of view and not just from the point of view of developed countries (ethnocentrism?); we’ve met a lot of issues existing on these agencies, and in many cases it’s the developed countries that still have the power to change/reform/fix these issues; but the question that comes straight is: do they want to change the system to give more power/opportunities to the developing countries?

The main aims of these agencies should be the aids to let develop the countries which would to achieve I) a good governance, II) an environmental, III) economic and IV) social development.

Do the international agencies really want to help unconditionally those countries to reach these objectives or do they give them just some “poor tools” that implies a future dependency?

I would to let the readers reflect on these questions, and as for me I would to give my own opinion here:

From what I’ve read and I’ve learned in class, I think that actually the international agencies (especially which ones that are linked with economical field as WTO, World Bank, International Monetary Fund) are working not just with the aim to help, but they are working to gain and maintain power and subjugate the poorest countries in a forced market: I call that NEW COLONIALISM.

In the future, if we want a “Balanced Life, Sustainable Living” all around the world we need to “redefine globalization”, and this will pass through redefine even the public sector and either multilateral agencies.

And this process should starts from the governments.

The primary input should starts from the developed countries, which has to prove that it has became mature and appropriate for this new scenario and this new (sustainable) development.

The challenge that they’ll face will be almost the same all around the world; it’s time to SAY NO to the multinationals that go in the poor countries to exploit the workers, the environment and the resources: the globalization is here, now, and we need to understand that if we’re going to do something bad in the other side of the world, soon it will turn against us as well!

For these reasons I say, stop to play this game.

Sustainability?

With this word we can explain a lot of things, but this is right even for government’s policies, they aren’t excluded, they are leading this global game, and they should understand the importance of this word: this means for them to give real opportunities, real market and exchanges to the countries that could develop theirself without fake borrowing of money that are just new chains for their develop; they need to improve step by step as the civil society has done in other part of the world during the history; but with their own forces, qualities and work, and not being inmates in the role of eternal poor.

Sources:

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