Global village

I had seen world maps a thousand times before. The shapes and shades were familiar to me, as I had tried to memorize capitals, poked pins in all the countries I had visited, or marked countries I had prayed for. This time, however, as I stood in the prayer room of Regents College, staring at the massive world map, I had the impression to look at a different, new world: every country connected to each other, many poor ones dependent on a few rich ones, the world’s  wealth accumulated in tiny parts, large continents left destitute. In some parts, lives lived blind to the other’s fate. In other parts, lives not worth being called lived.

Having studied about God’s goodness, love and hunger for justice for three years, then to immerse myself in discussion and research about the order of the world and its “playing rules” within further studies in sociology has felt like a kick in the teeth. The present world order somehow reminds me of a scenario we have probably all experienced: a group of children interacting with each other and the bully enforcing and bending the rules of the game in order to suit him. What a relief to see the well-intending teacher approaching and demanding fairness from the tyrant! Alas, there is no such relief to be seen in the world of economics. Some might have hoped the financial crisis would have been enough of a warning, but there is still no sign of repentance for greed.

The values within the current neo-liberal system are completely different to those we believe in as Christians. Efficiency and profit hold the absolute highest priority. Injustice and exploitation, it seems, are merely a price many are willing to pay for higher revenues. After decades of such neo-liberal capitalism, the globalized world hasn’t much improved. In our wealthy and powerful countries, inequality between rich and poor countries grew twofold between 1960 and 1990. In the last thirty years, both in the UK and US (the two countries which pursue neo-liberal policies most aggressively), both the percentage of people who earn less than half of the average income and the percentage of people who earn more than 200 times the average income, has grown significantly.

While the neo-liberal regime tries to integrate as many countries as possible into the global trading system, the result of restructurating often proves to be detrimental to the poorest and most vulnerable of societies. Although the economic journey of the Southern American country, Peru, is seen by some to be a structural adjustment success story, it is also a helpful example of how such structural adjustment can be detrimental to the poorest. In the summer of 1990, the newly elected Peruvian president, Fujimori, instituted IMF (International Monetary Fund)-style structural adjustments in an attempt to stabilize the Peruvian economy and stop inflation. For the population and especially the poor, consequences were shocking: petrol prices rose by 3,000%, electricity by 5,300%, and water and telephone by 1,300%. As food subsidies were withdrawn, the price of food increased extensively.  The price of bread, for example, increased by over 4,000%. All this happened simultaneously with a decline of over 50% in wages. As a result, by 1994, 59% of the Peruvian population was living in poverty.

Within neo-liberalist theory, the consumer (that’s us!) is the most important actor, as their choice concerning what they buy dictates what will be produced. This, I believe is truer than we sometimes realize. We are often unaware of the consequences of our daily decisions, especially regarding what products we purchase. I was so pleased the other day when I, a consumer, bargained for four weaved placemats. Back home, inspecting my purchase with contentment, I noticed a thick, long black hair trapped between the plaits. Quite disturbed, I realized that someone had actually made these placemats with their hands. I can only hope they were the hands of an adult with a fair income, although I think it is unlikely, taking into account the price I had paid for them.

Pondering about this experience, the scripture came to my mind in which a religious man asks Jesus what he needs to do in order to inherit eternal life (Luke 10). Answering his own question, he quotes Deuteronomy: love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. To his next question, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus answers with the parable of the Good Samaritan. As I felt strangely close to the stranger who had made my placemats, I wondered if she was my neighbour. After all, I had bought something she had made. I had influenced her income in some way, maybe her way of life. Surely I have some responsibility towards people if what I buy influences their lives. As we live in this “global village”, although this lady lives thousands of miles away, I believe she is my neighbour, and that I have to love her, too.