ii) Explain why there is need for world development (4)
From about 1950 to 1985, it was common to cal the poor countries “Third World” countries. This is because some people in the world were divided into three:
- First World- the west (USA, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan)
- Second World- the communist countries (USSR, Eastern Europe, China)
- Third World- all other countries, which are regarded as the poorest countries in the world.
Nowadays some countries regarded as Third World are now richer than the West, such as Brunei, Kuwait and Singapore, others are not as rich as these but are not poverty stricken.
The countries are now divided into three, but in a different way:
- Developed countries- rich countries like USA and Western Europe.
- Developing countries- countries which are becoming richer, like Brazil, Mexico and Malaysia
- Less developed countries (LCD’s) - countries which are still very poor and have people starving, like Sudan, Bangladesh and Mali.
There is a need for world development because 35,000 people die every day because of hunger. More people had died of hunger, than have been killed in all wars, revolutions and murders in the last 150 years.
Reasons for lack of development;
Wars: Many Less Developed Countries have been affected very badly by wars. Wars destroy crops, people’s homes, schools which causes even more poverty. These people may have to leave their homes and become refugees and flee into other countries, that may have been developing but, then refugees come with no money and make that country poor again.
Debt: Most Less Developed Countries need to borrow money from Banks in developed countries to survive and even try to begin to develop, but these banks charge interest. So the less developed country can often find itself paying more back to the bank than what they earn. These are just a few reasons why there is lack of development in some countries. In the poorer countries 176 children die before their fifth birthday whereas in this country 18 in every 1000 children die before their fifth birthday
iii) Analyse and explain the work of ONE Catholic agency working development (4)
A Christian organisation such as CAFOD (catholic organisation for overseas development) was established by Catholic Churches of England and Wales in 1962. It is now a major charity and employee’s 70 workers at its headquarters and supports 500 development projects in 75 projects. In able for this to be possible they have things like fund raisers. More money is spent on the military in one day than the worlds 2 billion have to live on in a year. They also have an emergency aid this is there when CAFOD have to deal with natural disasters. They also have a long-term aid. They put money into people’s education. 5% of CAFOD’s budget goes towards education. 29% of women can read and 55%of men, as for the richer countries 98% of people can read.
CAFOD’s slogan is:
Give a man a fish he will feed himself today
Teach him to fish and he will feed himself for life.
CAFOD aim to educate British Catholics about the need or aid. It raises funds and distributes the money to help support development projects in the poorest parts of the world. CAFORD splits its work into four parts, these are: FUND-RASING, EMERGENCY AID, LONG-LERM AID and EDUCATION.
The main way CAFOD gets its money is through the Family Fast Days in Lent and October, there are many other fund-raising events.
Emergency aid – this is a disaster fund which deals with natural disaster and refugees. They:
- Send food, antibiotics and shelters to flood victims of Bangladesh in 1995 floods.
- Send food to drought-stricken Zimbabwe.
- Send blankets and food to war refugees in Bosnia and Rwanda.
An example of their work is in Brazil, the richest 10% of its 150million people receive 53% of the wealth while the poorest 10% of its people live on 0.6%. This has led to about six million homeless children who live on the streets. CAFOD is helping the parish of Piexinhos in Olinda (part of Helder Camara’s diocese) to run a scheme known as ‘The Community Taking Responsibility for its Children.’ Street educators give the children literacy classes and training skills so that they can earn a living. CAFOD spend about 5% of their budget on education for the people and churches of England and Wales about the need for development and the way in which Christians can help less developed countries. It also publishes a newspaper which gives information about what CAFOD is doing and also about world development.
B) “There should be no rich people as long as there is poverty in the world”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. In your answer you should refer to Catholic teaching.
Christians believe that God love the world and every thing in it. We believe that God became human, Jesus, and we meet God in a real sense in other humans every day.
Our faith provides us with the example of Jesus and how he mixed with and showed respect for the poor and the outcasts. We should follow in his footsteps. In the teaching of the Sermon of the Mount we are taught the “golden rule” which is "treat others as you want to be treated.” In our county $573 is spent on health per person and in poorer countries only $2 is spent on health per person. Also 98% of the richest people are able to read but in the poorest countries only 29% of women and 55% of men are able to read. More money is spent on armaments in one day than the world’s two billion poorest people had to live on in one year. There are enough poor people in the world, that if they held hands they would form a line from earth to the Mon and back-twice!
I believe that if there is poverty then there shouldn’t be any rich people, as the rich people have had to wok for their money they should be able to give a little to poorer countries.