Equality among nations means showing respect to the people, being aware of cultural differences, taking the environment into consideration and letting them actively shape their economy. In this entry, I present some thoughts of mine on the right approach.
Respecting the People
Respect, to me, means that the natives are not only given a voice by covering their side on an issue. It means that they are involved in decision-making, negotiations, and so on.
During the whole process all parties (e.g. that means different ethnicities/religious groups) within the country are involved, especially when it comes to regional reforestation and other projects. Inclusion also means access to resources – from knowledge to the materials needed to implement a project. The more autonomy, the better.
Cultural Awareness
As I elaborated in my entry „Economy of Culture“, one is able to see the differences clearer the more time is spent on understanding a foreign culture. From social norms to work behaviour, there’s a lot that should be taken into account when cooperating with natives (e.g. some may work slower with different work ethics, but they still get the job done).
A fundament build on honesty and throughout communication needs to be established to avoid misunderstanding and resolve misinterpretations (in short: avoid blunder through carefulness and politeness).
Environment (Nature)
It’s also necessary to understand how the environment shaped the people in a country and how it influences their culture and economy (e.g. do they depend on fishing?).
Consequently, projects such as climate change mitigation should take the flora and fauna into account. That means that native plants and widlife are to be prioritized to avoid an invasive species from taking over or damaging the local ecosystem otherwise.
Luckily, it is already part of the discussion, and the more people know about it the better.
Environmental protection is very important, but it needs to be done in a mindful manner.
As always: exchange with the natives and knowing how their economy relies on the environment is extremely helpful in building a sustainable economy and fair future.
Actively shaping the Economy
With all that in mind, the points above are crucial in reshaping the economy where possible. As I have said before in other entries I wrote, the economy should be build around the people and shaped by the people – not profit maximization. From a decent standard of living to job security and sustainability.
On a political level that means representation, as point one about respecting the people already implies. Multinational companies need to be strictly controlled to prevent exploitation in developing countries. Trade treaties should be negotiated in a fair way that builds up and protects worker rights instead of undermining them.
The developing countries should be given the opportunity to diversify their economy and keep the profit that is made within their own borders.
That, of course, is going to be a long way also due to internal corruption and other problems, but at some point the fundaments have to be laid – and in some countries probably already have been laid – to ensure that a road to the future can be build.
End
There’s likely going to be another part of Equality of Nations in the near future. This one, so I hope, gives a clearer picture on the framework conditions to ensure equality among nations.
Constructive criticism and amendments are welcome!
Baroque 