This clearly shows that the world's income in distributed unfairly. The main question is that how can there be an end to mass hunger and malnutrition whilst that world's income is disburse unequally? These variations in wealth affect the quality of life, health, literacy and housing.
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same the village would consist of:
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the USA.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read.
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education.
1 would own a computer.
This shows how much the world is suffering because of this division between north and south. The north has about 1 quarter of the world population and owns 4 fifth of the world's income, whereas the south has 3 times as much population but 4 times as less income. To help these people in less developed countries we can not just give them money to solve a short term solution but help them to help themselves. There is a famous saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; but teach him how to fish and you feed him for a life time." Although there is poverty in England it does not compared to the poverty in LEDC's.
This next passage shows how fortunate we are:
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness - you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation - you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend church meetings without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death - you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep - you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace - you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy
If you can read these words - you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
This next passage shows how unfortunate people are in poor countries and shows us the reasons for lack of development, which are:
Debt - most LEDC's have to borrow money from banks to develop their countries. However these banks charge interest so these countries that borrowed the money find themselves more in debt and paying more in interest than what they borrowed. For example Chile borrowed 3.9 billion dollars. After about ten years later, she had paid 12.8 billion dollars in interest, but stilled owed money. In 1999 Bill Clinton wanted to cancel world debt because the interest went to countries that were already rich, but other countries and the World Bank did not agree. So this shows that we have to put in a group, communal effort to fight this problem.
Cash Crops - the only way these LEDC's can afford to pay back they loan is to grow cash crops. This means crops only for sales not for them to eat. They countries are starving because land is used to grow cash crops instead of food.
Wars - wars destroy crops, homes, schools and hospitals causing even more poverty. They also force people to leave their homes and become refugees in other safer countries. Theses neighbouring countries may have been developing, but a sudden influx of refugees with no money or food can make that country poor again.
Natural disasters - disasters such as earthquakes, flood and can destroy many thousands of homes. If rain does not fall, crops will not grow so either way they lose.
Many people are stuck in a vicious circle of malnutrition. Once someone starts to go round in a vicious circle, it is very hard to stop, as one thing leads to another.
Lack of food
No food; lacks money
To buy food Hunger
Grows less food or Lack of energy
Earns less money
Unable to work hard
Easily ill
All of these shocking facts show how the world is divided. From these facts I understand why people say third world because it sounds like it a completely different world and it is a completely different and unfair world they are living in.