Halle describes Thirdworldism as an automatic resistance to

Halle describes “Third-worldism” as an automatic resistance to change among poorer countries to proposals that come from richer countries. What could be done to overcome this distrust?

Solution

This distrust is due to the belief among poor countries or also due to earlier examples of help by rich countries that shows that proposals put forward by rich countries to help poor countries are generally loaded in favor of rich countries.

These proposals generally contained terms of engagement that sometimes compromise the freedom of choice on part of poor countries and they are forced or compelled to tow the line of rich countries at international forums.

However, if rich countries wants this distrust to go or what Halle describes ‘Third-Worldism’ to vanish then they have to tweak their approach.

Their approach or terms of engagement should be such that proposals forwarded hit the right notes with poor countries.

This can be achieved if content of proposals are designed in such a manner that they genuinely demonstrate that proposal is beneficial in real sense to poor countries and not in some superficial manner. Proposal should be such that reading between the lines does not indicate short-changing of poor countries by rich countries as often happens.

Proposals, especially of aid, should be such that they can build production potential of poor countries and enable them to get rid of their perennial problems of poverty and unemployment rather than having proposals that only provide assistance with respect to fulfillment of present consumption needs with no emphasis on building production capabilities.

Secondly, many-a-times, rich countries formulate proposals keeping in mind their multinational corporations operating in poor countries. Such proposals stifle domestic production capabilities in poor countries and give upper hand to MNCs of rich countries. Such policy should be shunned as they create backlash and resistance.

Rich countries should formulate proposals in consultation with poor countries and give full space to their apprehensions and doubts. This way proposals formulated would be such that have air of acceptability attached to it vis-à-vis poor countries rather than providing proposals in individualistic manner.