Week 10

UNIT 4: PEACE EDUCATION]
WEEK 10: SHARING THE EARTH’S RESOURCES
INTRODUCTION:
In a world of great wealth, there is a multitudinous sum of people who live in

absolute poverty. There are places where people die quietly because of the situation
they face in life.
Tragic Gap
A situation where huge numbers of people drown in the cauldron of misery while
a few takes pleasure in having a plethora of material choices in a state of violence.
Structural violence refers to the systems, institutions, and policies that meet some
people’s human needs, rights, or wants at the expense of others. These systems,
institutions and policies are well-entrenched in global economic international order
controlled by powerful nation-states, international agencies, and transnational
corporations where inequitable trade practices prevail resulting in more tragic gaps
between rich and poor.
Other Causes of Poverty
● War. Armed conflicts disrupt the people’s livelihood and all productive activities.
Four of the five provinces with the highest poverty incidence in the Philippines
are found in war-torn Mindanao: Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Basilan, and Zamboanga del
Norte.
● Political systems created by political elite that have combined with
profit-motivated economic systems that reduce opportunities for most people to
earn enough to meet their basic needs.
● Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources, much of which has begun in
colonial history.
● Environmental conditions. Some places are blessed with more abundant
resources while others must contend with lands that cannot yield crops.
● Over-utilization of resources.
● Lack of opportunities such as employment
● Lack of education
● Corruption
● Over consumption
● Greed
The “Promise” of Economic Globalization
Economic globalization refers to the economic integration of the worlds’

countries through the increased flow of goods and services, capital and labor. Its most
important aspects are the breaking down of national economic barriers; the growth in
trade; and the key role influence of transnational corporations and international
financial institutions (Khor, 2000). Economic globalization is supposed to bring in
enormous benefits, among which are:
● The promotion of economic efficiency; and

● The expansion of opportunities for growth and development thereby reducing
poverty and inequity and enhancing human development and security.
Challenging Economic Inequity
How can the resources of the world be more fairly distributed? The following are
the suggestions:
Global
● Establish a new international and political economic order that is fair.

● Wealthy countries should open up their markets to poor countries without
conditionality.
● Developed countries should provide unconditional debt relief as it is the foreign
debt burden that compels most developing countries to reduce allocations for
basic social and economic services.
● Assistance given to developing nations should be in the form of grants without
conditions that further push the country in the bottom of the poverty cauldron.
● Rich countries should open access to technologies as technology helps propel
development.
● Reduce military expenditures so that more resources would be made available
for basic services and productive activities.
National
● A genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform program should be

implemented.
● Government should increase subsidy for education which helps even playing
the field.
● Government and private lending institutions should institute credit reforms that
will support small and medium scale entrepreneurs.
● Government should provide training skills programs such as livelihood and
marketing.
● Progressive taxations reforms should be instituted to increase the purchasing
power of the poor.
● Rural infrastructure, such as farms to market roads and drying facilities for
harvest, should be developed.
● The government should make itself more accessible and visible to the people
through decentralization.
● Transnational corporations should be obliged to make contributions to
community development and environmental protection.
● A code of conduct should be set for transnational corporations to follow.
● Reduce military expenditures so that more resources would be made available
for basic services and productive activities.
Activity:
Read the Millennium Development Goals adopted by 189 nations and signed
by 147 heads of states and government during the UN Millennium Summit in
September 2000.
Possible Task:
1. Case Studies
2. Research
3. Watch films or listen to songs that depict economic inequity
● What lines or images struck you?
● Why?
4. Simulation

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UNIT 4: PEACE EDUCATION]

WEEK 10: SHARING THE EARTH’S RESOURCES

In a world of great wealth, there is a multitudinous sum of people who live in

Other Causes of Poverty

The “Promise” of Economic Globalization

Economic globalization refers to the economic integration of the worlds’

● The promotion of economic efficiency; and

Challenging Economic Inequity

● Establish a new international and political economic order that is fair.

● A genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform program should be

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