Topic 8 EQ3 Flashcards
What are geopolitical interventions?
Exercise of a country’s power in order to influence the course of events outside its borders
Possible motives for geopolitical intervention
Offering development aid
Promoting international trade and protecting trade routes
Increase global influence
How are geopolitical interventions delivered?
Development aid
Economic support
Military support
Two main delivery routes of development aid
Bilateral
Multilateral
What is bilateral aid?
Aid that is delivered on a one to one basis
What is multilateral aid ?
Aid given by donor countries to international aid organisations such as the World Bank
What does a bilateral aid allow a donor country to donor?
Pursue its own agenda and to target aid at preferred objectives
Characteristics of multilateral aid
Donor country have virtually no control
Except powerful countries influence the development policy of large organisations such as the world bank
What is the official development assistance ?
OECD measures aid
What is the OECD target for aid?
0.7% of GNI for developed countries - agreed in 1970. It is now suggested that it should be at least one percent
What is the problem with aid given as loans ?
Interest rates and repayment. Receiver countries can enter a downward spiral as a result of increasing debt
Why is technical assistance more beneficial than loans?
Involves the transfer of expertise , technology and education. Contributes more to human development than capital . Effective at supporting bottom up approaches
What are the main two types of economic support intervention?
Trade
Investment
How can trade interventions boost economic development ?
Trade blocs to encourage free trade and increase exports
Exchange rates - lowering to increase the competitiveness of exports
How can trade interventions be used to force bad regimes to change ?
Embargoes - bans in trade
Sanctions - restrictions on trade
Example of a trade intervention to help less developed countries
Set up of ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations , a regional agreements relating to free trade and economic cooperation
Example of trade intervention on countries with regimes that violate human rights
Embargo and sanctions on South Africa during the Apartheid years
What are the economic motives for investing as an intervention?
- secure primary resources
- facilitate private investment
- provide technical know how
These may be beneficial for economic development as it includes improved living standards and provision of better education and healthcare rather than improved recognition of human rights
Two main types of military intervention
- training and equipping a countries army
- sending troops to help deal with terrorism
Five main IGOS
UN, EU, World Bank and WTO
Four majors NGOs who intervene
Amnesty international
Human rights watch
Oxfam
Médicins Sans Frontières
Why was Médicins Sans Frontières founded?
Belief that everybody has a right to medical care
How much aid does Medicin San Frontier provide?
70 countries it offers medical training and healthcare
Why was OXFAM founded?
To deal with hunger and starvation that prevailed post WW2.
Three main targets of OXFAM
- lift people out of poverty and improve health
- assist those affected by conflicts and natural disasters
- campaign on issues such as gender equality
Why was amnesty international founded?
Investigation and exposure of human rights
Ensure the UDHR is implemented
Provides education and training so that people are made aware of there rights
NGO primarily concerned with human rights
Amnesty international
NGO primarily concerned with human development
Oxfam
Medicin sans Frontières
What has led to Haiti being one of the poorest countries in the world,
Exploitation of resources by foreign companies and business interests s
Corruption
Poor health care
Large scale emigration
Damages by the 2010 Haiti Earthquake
230,000 people were killed - could be more than 300,000 due too poor record keeping
300,000 people were injured
200,000 houses were badly damaged and 100,000 were completely destroyed d
How much aid was pledged to Haiti after the Earthquake ?
£12 billion
As of 2015, what is the current situation in Haiti
Only half the promised aid has been received
500,000 still living in temporary shelter without electricity, plumbing or sewage
Prolonged outbreak of cholera due to the failure to provide proper sanitation
What should Haiti be focusing on in 2015, 5 years after the Earthquake?
Dealing with human rights abuses, corruption, poor governance and poverty
Cause of the Cholera outbreak
UN peace keepers can straight from Nepal in which there sceptic tanks had Cholera in. The sceptic tanks leaked into the local water supplies which caused the outbreak
Causes of bad recovery from Haiti earthquake
Too many unqualified NGOs which lack essential skills such as language and experience.
Haitian military had little experience of dealing with such a large scale emergency event .
Aid was unequally distributed as it focused too much on the emergency camps and Port au Prince so rural areas were largely ignored
