Isaac D. Smoak Human Needs and Global Resources Dr. Robinson March 4, 2011 Impac s o!

"rbani#a ion and a Ne$ %a& o! 'acin( )hem )he $orld is (e in( smaller. )he $orld seems a much smaller place han i once $as en &ears a(o. *s he $orld (e s smaller and more in erconnec ed more and more people ha+e be(un o mo+e in o ci ies. )here he& ha+e access o more o! he popula ion, more ,ob oppor uni ies, and a more (lobali#ed popula ion. Mi(ra ion and urbani#a ion is chan(in( our $orld e+er& da&. )he mo+e o ci ies, ho$e+er, is no helpin( po+er & or heal h o! he ma,ori & o! he popula ion. *s millions con(re(a e in ci ies around he $orld, mos l& in he Global Sou h, he billions in po+er & (ro$ $hile he rich (ro$ richer. )oda&, $e li+e in a $orld o! !i+e billion in po+er & and onl& one billion $ho are rich. In he Global Sou h, $here mos o! he urbani#a ion is happenin(, $hen rural !amilies mo+e in o he ci & i means he& $ill li+e in o+ercro$ded and po en iall& dan(erous slums. )here he& can li+e o!! less han a dollar a da&, $omen s ru((le alone o !ind !ood !or heir children, and a ho bed !or crime is crea ed amon( he men o! he slum. -ondi ions in hese slums are ou(h, o sa& he leas , heal h become a colossal issue. )hus, urbani#a ion crea es a (lobal problem. *s more lea+e !or slums, he more $e mus $orr& and hope !or solu ions. )he problems in+ol+ed in urbani#a ion are (lobal ones, $e see e.amples all o+er he $orld. In class $e sa$ a !e$ hear $renchin( ima(es o! he (ruesome conse/uences o! urbani#a ion and he slum li!e in+ol+ed herein. In he documen ar&, 0Slum Sur+i+ors1 $e $a ched $omen s ru((lin( o keep heir !amilies !ed $hile (e in( less han a dollar !or a da&s $a(es. Men $ould abandon heir par ners and indul(e in dru(s and alcohol. In+ariabl& hese !a hers $ould (e pulled in o a li!e o! crime, hus $orsenin( he alread& s a((erin( economies o! he 2ibera slum. -loser s ill o our hear s, $as he documen ar& en i led 03i+in( $i h Slim.1 %e sa$ ho$ li!e in a slum $as a prime loca ion !or he *IDS +irus. Innocen children had o cope $i h li+in( heir $hole li+es in ph&sical as

$ell as social pains due o he HI45*IDS epidemic. *(ain, he need !or be er heal h is a cri ical need in he $orld6s slums. S ill he urbani#a ion o! he $orld, mos l& in hird $orld coun ries has been sus ained e+er&$here. In our media, in our hinkin(, in he (ro$in(, (lobali#ed econom&, $e preach a ci & li!e men ali &. )his is $ha causes urbani#a ion o occur. "rbani#a ion, alon( $i h (lobali#a ion under ones, $ere also a ma,or heme in ano her par o! our class7 he book Nectar in a Sieve. In he brillian no+el, Nectar in a Sieve $e see ho$ hard rural li!e has become in he reelin( economies o! he Global Sou h. Rukmani li+es a rela i+el& (ood li!e $i h her lo+in( husband, Na han, he& r& +er& hard o main ain a !amil& o!! heir land. Na han lo+es he land more han an& hin(, hou(h he is skilled as a enan !armer, none o! his sons $ish o !ollo$ in heir !a hers !oo s eps. Ins ead he& (e ,obs a he local anner&, represen in( (lobali#a ion. 8u (lobali#a ion rips hem o!! and ends up des ro&in( Rukmani6s !amil&. Rukmani and Na han are !orced o li+e hard li+es in he ci & and end up !ar !rom he land he& lo+e. Nectar in a Sieve sho$ us a hard reali & o! he e!!ec s o! urbani#a ion on indi+idual. I also sho$s us a problem in our +ie$s o! urbani#a ion, $e ha+e been +ie$in( i mos l& on a corpora e le+el, he issue ho$e+er, is also a +er& indi+idualis ic one. )his corpora e $a& o! hinkin( is +er& e+iden in 9aul -ollier and his book, The Bottom Billion. -ollier (i+es us $o $a&s o! e.aminin( he problem connec ed $i h urbani#a ion and i 6s risin( (lobali#a ion. )hese +ie$s can be connec ed $i h he s or& o! Rukmani and her problems in Nectar in a Sieve $hen $e ask ho$ $e could help a !amil& like hers. *ccordin( o -ollier, here are $o main +ie$s ha are aken abou de+elopmen raps $i hin he urbani#a ion o! our $orld. )he Right +ie$ hold s ron(l& ha here is no such hin( as a po+er & rap. )here $ill al$a&s be a $a& ou and hus, he s ron(er %es can al$a&s !ind a $a& o help a na ion rise o comple e economic !reedom. More han his, he Right holds s ron(l& o he idea ha as lon( as a poor coun r& adop s (ood policies and $orks hard enou(h o ensure hese policies he& $ill al$a&s be able o escape po+er &. )he oposin( +ie$, or he Left, $ill normall& see po+er & raps and associa e hem $i h capi alism. )he Left sees capi alism as a mani!es a ion o! he po+er & rap. )hus, $i h hese opposin( +ie$s $e see he s ron( e!!ec he Nor h

has on he underde+eloped Sou h. )erms such as urbani#a ion, (lobali#a ion, and po+er & raps are hin(ed upon Nor h Sou h rela ions. *s s a ed be!ore, he problems o! urbani#a ion, hou(h (lobal in na ure, are +er& indi+idualis ic. -learl& pu , his means he indi+idual can e!!ec $ha urbani#a ion is ul ima el& doin( o our $orld. *s )homas:Sla& er s a es, 0a he indi+idual le+el $e mus be keenl& a$are o! he linka(es and he connec ions be $een our li+es and he policies o! our (o+ernmen s.1 )his is a hu(e responsibili &, a responsibili & $e each ha+e o uphold $ha is ri(h !or our $orld. *s he popula ion o! he Sou h mo+es in o po+er & o! slums, $e can make a di!!erence in $ha $e do, consume, and ho$ $e do and consume i. ;&a Ha#el Gamede addressed his $onder!ul responsibili & ha lies on each o! our shoulders in he HNGR S&mposium las 'rida&. Gamede s a ed ha $ha has been done o chan(e he si ua ion o! he Global Sou h in he pas has no been success!ul. She s a ed ha o rul& help he economies o! he hird $orld $e mus chan(e our $hole approach< s op lis enin( o -ollier6s Left6s and Right6s. %ha $e need is a new way of thinking, being, and doin(. Gamede se ou o encoura(e indi+iduals o do some hin(, bu onl& i! he& did i di!!eren l& han i has been done be!ore. She sho$ed ha and indi+idual can and $ill make a di!!erence i! he&, as *lber =ins ein s a ed, !ace he problem a hand on a ne$ le+el o! consciousness. Gamede encoura(ed us, as -hris ians hopin( o make a mark !or (ood in he $orld o chan(e our approach. * !irs reac ion o ;&a Ha#el Gamede6s alk $as ha she had been o broad and shied a$a& !rom speci!ics on he indi+idual le+el. She simpl& (a+e us a !ormula o !ollo$ bu no e.amples on he board o base hem o!! o!. )hinkin( abou i more horou(hl& I disco+ered he reasonin( behind his< i $as ri(h here in here lec ure. Gamede $an ed us o be, hink, and do on a ne$ le+el. )hus, $e needed o !ind a ne$ $a& o! !acin( he problems o! urbani#a ion and sol+e hem $i h a comple el& ne$ $a& o! doin( ha $e had disco+ered. *s a 0personal and pro!essional !ollo$er and $i ness o! >esus1 $e need o !ace he issues o! urbani#a ion in comple el& ne$ $a&s. %a&s $e are &e o disco+er.