Globalisation and Thirdworld Development

Shantel Lawrence

  

GLOBALISATION

Globalisation refers to a world in which societies, culture, polities and economies have, in some sense, come closer together.  According to Giddens (1990:64), the concept can be defined as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa.  Globalisation is best understood as expressing fundamental aspects of time-space distanciation. It concerns the intersection of presence and absence, the interlacing of social events and social relations "at a distance" with local contextualities' (Giddens 1991:21). Davis Harvey (1989:240), too, refers to the fact that globalisation describes our changing experience of time and space, or 'time-space compression.'

The above definitions refer to two key factors; more parts of the world are drawn into global system and so are affected by what happens elsewhere. Second, there is a sense that we know what is happening elsewhere more quickly, which in turn affects our sense of space and place.

 Is this really so?

One can reflect on the Rwanda genocide and the horrific events of 1994 that claimed the lives of over 500,000 Rwandans.  On that particular date of April 18th, nearly two weeks after the plane crash that claimed the life of Rwandan President Juenal Hayarimana and plunged the tiny central African country into the abyss.  The minority Tutsi ethnic population was seen as the enemy by the Hutu ethnic population.  The Hutsi slaughtered and raped anyone who was associated with the Tutsi ethnicity. The Tutsi homes were destroyed, families were torn apart, and many fled to neighboring countries for safety.

However, most international news organizations initially misunderstood the nature of the killing, portraying it as the result of tribal warfare, rather than genocide.  Much of the international coverage focused on the scramble to evacuate expatriates from the country.  The killings intensified in mid-April and the volume of news reports actually declined.  Most journalists had left along with other foreigners. The wider world had no idea of what was taking place in Rwanda at that time.  Eventually, the international media reports on Rwanda were filled with images of bloated corpses, strewn at the roadside or choking Rwanda's rivers. The U.S. eventually intervened by sending in UN troops.

When this horrific event took place I was in my early teens and remembered vaguely hearing about it over the media.  It was only when I became a adult, while working at a law firm my manager loaned a book named 'left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust'  written by Immaculee Llibagiza.  Ms. Llibagiza  was one of the few survivors from her village and shared her experience  with the world.  The book brought tears to my eyes and made my stomach turn. I was fortunate to meet Immacullee  Llibagiza at an event held in The National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA).  I felt empowered by her strength and determination to survive.

I often wondered about those first class countries that held the power to disseminate information to the wider world and did a poor job at it. With globalisation aren't we suppose to know what is happening elsewhere more quickly? Those first class countries that held the power to assist Rwanda before many lives were lost, failed. With globalisation shouldn't any plural society be able to live in harmony? More comprehensive and informed coverage of the genocide might have saved a lot of lives.  I believe Rwanda, a small African, third world country was not perceived as important by those elite first class countries. A component of neoliberalism - 'I would only help those if I'm to benefit the most.'

REFERENCE

·         Kiely, Ray & Marflett. 1998. Globalsiation and the Third World. Routledge.

·         Edited by A. Thompson. The Media and the Rwanda Genocide