I was privileged to be a member of a delegation sent by our Church to our sisters and brothers in Nicaragua. Everyone that travels there always says that this is a two way relationship, and that we can gain a tremendous amount from our sister community in the South, but I had not really understood that until now. I would like to share an insight that I gained on the trip.
While we were there, we learned about the devastation wrought on Nicaragua's economic infrastructure. First they had decades of a brutal dictatorship. Then they had a noble experiment in socialism which collapsed under heavy pressure from the international community. Then the IMF and World Bank mandated reforms which really did not work, because of the immaturity of their economic infrastructure. They privatized basic industries, like transportation and energy, which we regulate heavily. Prices rose, employment fell, and they now have 70% unemployment. For most Nicaraguans, It is a daily struggle just to survive.
Now the world wants them to participate in a new Central American free trade agreement. And the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
As we were discussing this with a professor of economics, I had a real shift in perspective, which gave me a much better handle on the problem. I thought you might appreciate it.
Too often, those of us in first world countries think that the rest of the world pretty much works the way we do - they have the same motivations, the same values, etc. But that is simply true. A developing nation is a lot like a developing child. The mental attitudes, the values, the disciplines of adults are just not there yet. This is just an analogy, but I think it works well.
Think of your average 6 year old child. They function pretty well. They can walk, talk, learn arithmetic, even read and write at a basic level. They even have some social skills. So, one day you decide, it's time to be an adult. From now on, you manage your own finances, you cook your own meals, you get a job, do your laundry, etc.
We all know that this just would not work. Children understand the basics, but they are not equipped to deal with the real complexities of our economic, political and social world. For one thing, they are still very "me" centered. Everything is theirs, sharing is hard. They have not learned to not take the toys or things belonging to others. Deferred gratification is not developed. They would likely spend all of their income on candy, or toys - whatever strikes their fancy. They are also naïve; they would be taken advantage of at every opportunity. They might survive, but just barely, and at great risk and pain.
Remember now, this is an analogy. I do not believe that adults in Nicaragua are like children.
Well, a developing nation is a lot like a child in the economic and political realms. Around the world, greed, graft and corruption are prevalent in undeveloped countries. You might note that they are also found in developed nations, but we have a tad more control - at least we SAY we do, although we have many examples of corporate and individual greed in our papers every day. But we have mechanisms and a social culture that puts enough controls on greed and corruption that our economy functions fairly well in spite of it.
In most of the developing world, that culture and those sanctions and controls simply do not exist. Many of them are struggling with the gender gap, the role of child labor, and the concept of a just wage, the right to organize, etc. If you think of our history, we also came through this same growth, and with some significant pain. Industrialized England and the US had indentured servitude, child labor, robber barons, corrupt politicians, gangsters, an oppressed working class, etc. We had major social revolutions to overcome that, and put in place laws and culture to hold it in check. We actually had fighting in the streets and people dying to win those rights. We also suffered some major economic collapses or depressions because of the lack of controls in our financial world.
That kind of maturity about economic and political infrastructure just does not appear overnight. You almost have to pay the price to gain enough maturity across your whole society to sustain an economy like ours.
These developing nations are children in the realm of their economics, politics and social values. Don't misunderstand me - they are not children in their personal values - not at all. In fact, in the face of the chaos in which most of them live, they are very capable, very mature individuals. But their social infrastructure is not mature enough to take part in a society that demands a social maturity at the same level.
In the same way, just as we do not push a child to be independent too soon, we also help that child to grow and mature, because we know that they are our next generation, that they hold the potential to contribute in a major way to our quality of life. Every child brings a unique gift, a unique spark which could change the world. Every developing nation that struggles to form its own path, to create its own social values and economic infrastructure could hold the seed to a better way for all of us.
We have often made the mistake of assuming that they should simply adopt our way - it works, it's the best, etc. But, just as every child brings a unique set of gifts, every nation has a unique history and culture, and it would be our best hope that they can create a new and better way to run this planet. Our system kind of works, but it creaks and groans. I am not happy with it - we can do better. Let's give them a chance to grow and prosper, and see if they can't come up with some new and innovative ways to organize human affairs. Let's try treating them as OUR children, and ask them to grow their own unique way, with our help and tolerance. Just as with our own children, they are our future. Let's think of our assistance as an investment in their potential, so that they will grown and learn, and they will eventually enrich us all.
But if we ignore them, then we will pay the price. We will have their hunger, their crime, their anger, to live with for the rest of our lives.
"And a little child shall lead them". (Isa. 11:6)
Created on ... September 01, 2004