THE GLOBAL

SOUTH
What is PROGRESS?
• to move toward a higher, better, or more advanced stage

• progress is defined as the capacity of a society to :

1. meet the basic human needs of its citizens,
2. establish the building blocks that allow citizens and communities to enhance
and sustain the quality of their lives, and
3. create the conditions for all individuals to reach their full potential
WHO defines PROGRESS?
Western mode of thinking shaped the concept of development and progress

Eurocentric worldview dominated the contemporary international relations

The division between West and East continued after the period of colonization.

Europe and America propagated the idea of ”intervention” as a necessary tool

towards progress.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• 1500 – 1700’s Western powers began to colonize much of Africa, Asia
and the America’s

• 1800 – 1900’s Colonies started to revolt against colonial masters

• 1900 – 1950 Former colonies became Nation-States

• 1950’s -1990’s Cold War between the US and USSR

NEO- COLONIALISM
• new nations in the African continent, Asia and Latin America which
were former colonies are trapped in neo-liberal policies propagated by
the West and the US

• the division between former colonizers and the colonies is expedited

through the use of terms First World vs. Third World/ Developed vs,
Developing nations

• This outright division is being used by dominant nations of the West to

“interfere” with the internal affairs of newly established nation-state
NEO- COLONIALISM
• DEMOCRATIC INTERVENTION
• Principle advocated by America and its Western allies to either
implicitly/explicitly intervene in societies whose cultural and political
structures are not aligned with ideas of democracy

• Economic sanction
• Loan refusal
• Coup de etat
RISE of NEW GLOBAL POWERHOUSES

• Dependency of new states to traditional powerhouses(US, RUSSIA,

UK, FRANCE) exacerbated their political, economic and social
turmoil

• NEOLIBERAL policies are challenged by ideas of SOCIAL JUSTICE

• Dependent nations began to look for new partners in their road to

progress
Re-alignment of World-Order is evident in the distribution of economic, political and cultural influence.

China, India and Brazil (BRIC) are gaining momentum in international affairs.
Russia is re-affirming its former dominance in the western sphere
GLOBAL NORTH vs. GLOBAL SOUTH
Prevailing Global Political Structure
• General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade
• World Trade Organization
• European Union
• North Atlantic Treaty
Organization
• Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
Emerging Regional Partnership
• Forum on China–Africa
Cooperation
• Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership
• Eurasian Economic Union