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Unlock This CourseMost people accept that the gap between richer and poorer countries is a problem. They do not agree on how to fix it. The development gap is the difference in levels of development and human welfare between countries. People look at the same gap but choose different solutions, because they have different values, jobs, budgets and experiences.
In Aid and International Agreements you learned what aid and agreements are. This lesson is about opinions: who thinks what, and why.
Key terms:
The spec names three groups. Each tends to think about the gap in a different way.
Ordinary people choose how to act. Some give money to charity each month. Some buy fair trade goods. Others think their taxes should be spent at home first. Their views often depend on what they have seen in the news and what they can afford.
Charities, campaign groups and businesses speak for their members or supporters. A charity may push for more aid. A campaign group may press rich countries to cancel debts. A company may argue that jobs and investment help most.
Governments must balance the needs of their own voters with helping others. Rich-country governments decide how much to give and on what terms. Governments of poorer countries decide what help to accept and how to spend it.
Why: poorer countries often cannot pay for clean water, schools and hospitals on their own. Supporters say aid saves lives quickly.
The criticism: aid can create dependence, can be wasted if there is corruption, and may come with conditions that suit the giver more than the receiver.
Why: supporters say poorer countries grow best by selling goods at fair prices, which creates jobs and tax income. They want fairer trade rules and fewer tariffs on goods from poorer countries.
The criticism: small, poor countries may have little to sell, and the benefits of trade may go to a few rich owners.
Why: some countries spend more repaying loans than on health or schools. Campaigners say debt relief frees money for welfare.
The criticism: lenders lose money, and a government might borrow too much again or spend the freed money badly.
Why: supporters of self-reliance say lasting change comes when local people choose and run projects, such as a village well they can repair themselves.
The criticism: small local projects can be slow and may not reach enough people.
The invented country of Zanthia has high debts and many people without clean water. Three people give their views.
Ayo, a charity worker: "Send emergency money for wells now. Children are getting ill today."
Mara, a business owner in Zanthia: "Buy our coffee at a fair price. Then we can pay for wells ourselves."
Mr Kell, a government minister in a rich country: "Our taxpayers will give less aid unless Zanthia fights corruption."
Ayo favours aid, Mara favours trade, and Mr Kell is worried about how the aid is spent. They all want to close the gap, but they disagree about the route. A good answer says who holds each view and why.
Most people do not pick just one view. A government might give aid and support fairer trade. A person might support a charity and buy fair trade tea. Views also change over time. After a disaster such as an earthquake, more people support emergency aid. When money is tight at home, some voters may ask why money goes overseas.
Governments of poorer countries often say they want partnership, not charity. They want a say in how help is spent, so it fits their own plans.
When an exam asks you to assess a view, test it with three questions.
For example, aid is fast but can build dependence. Self-help is slow but builds skills that stay.
(a) State one view that individuals might hold about reducing the development gap. [1 mark]
(b) Explain why a charity and a government might hold different views on tackling the development gap. [4 marks]
(a) Individuals might think richer countries should give more money in aid to poorer countries. (1)
(b) A charity relies on public donations and focuses on helping the poorest people quickly, so it may want more aid and debt relief. (1) A government must also think about its own voters and taxes, so it may want to give less or add conditions. (1) A charity may want debts cancelled, but a government may refuse because lenders and taxpayers lose money. (1) So they want to close the gap but have different priorities and responsibilities. (1)
For "explain why they differ" questions, link each group to its own interest: a charity to its supporters and mission, a government to its voters and budget.