Global Inequality
“Charity sees the need not the cause.”
German Proverb
“For goodness sake, will they hear, will white people hear what we are trying to say? Please, all we are asking you to do is to recognize that we are humans, too.”
Bishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa
“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”
Dom Helder Camara, Brazil
The legacy of colonialism creates polarised attitudes in which people still think in terms of:
- Inferiority and superiority instead of equal partnership and mutual respect;
- South and North instead of One World;
- Analysis of problems of Third World rather than awareness of the complexity of life;
- Dependence and Independence rather than Interdependence. (Jane Knight, UK)
Globalisation poses new challenges for how people’s voices and participation affect institutions, decisions and issues well beyond the local level or even national level.
Differences in the access of individuals and communities to resources are key factors influencing many links. Reasons for the imbalance of power and differing access to resources within such links need to be explored, examined and questioned. This is not only because such issues will affect the functioning of the link, but also that they will contribute to a means of greater understanding of the perspectives and realities of partners. If they are not examined then there are likely to be difficulties in the link.
Questioning is key to understanding global inequality.
There are many ways in which inequalities across the globe can be challenged by individuals and organisations working together to make a difference.