Committee for Conflict Transformation Support |
CCTS
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The Ethics of Post War Intervention - dilemmas of conflict transformation practice: Panel PresentationsNana BusiaNana gave an African perspective on the causes and impact of conflict, and on the dilemmas this presents to NGOs. In his view the world continues to be divided into the politically and economically powerful North and the relatively undeveloped and powerless South. While this continues to be the case, conflicts and human rights violations in the South are inevitably related to the ambitions and interests of the North. The foreign policy of any country is informed by national interest (Robin Cook's attempts at an ethical foreign policy notwithstanding). It follows that, if a Southern country contains resources that are of interest to the North, it is likely to be destabilised by the more powerful country as a means of accessing those resources. This was the case, for example, when uranium was discovered in Nigeria in the 1960s. Conversely, human rights and humanitarian laws in Southern countries are only likely to be supported by the North in countries where they have no economic interests (and perhaps not even then). In support of this conclusion he cited recent writings by Joseph Stiglitz, former World Bank Vice-President, and Stephen Byers, former UK Trade and Industry Secretary, who both argue that neo-liberal economic policies are at the root of many current conflicts. The IMF is a major promoter of neo-liberalism through the conditions it imposes for loans or debt relief. When Ethiopia resolved to cut military expenditure and invest in civil reconstruction the IMF vetoed the spending. And when the IMF imposed a 'structural adjustment' policy on Sierra Leone in the mid 1980s, that country, famous for its rice production and until that time a net exporter of rice, became a net importer. The countries of the South are obliged to open up their borders to trade from the North, who simultaneously give their own producers subsidies and impose tariff barriers that block imports from the South. In this way the rich North gets richer and the poor South gets even poorer. There are an estimated 300 world conflicts (including ethnic conflicts) attributable to IMF policies, and 100 million more people living in poverty now than there were 20 years ago. This poverty itself breeds conflict, leading family members to rob each other and mothers to sell one of their children to the local militia in order to be able to feed the others. The attack on the World Trade Center on 11th September 2001 has changed little in Africa, other than that the political and economic ambitions of the North are expressed more openly and crudely now, rather than being wrapped up in benign language. And as more oil and valuable minerals are found in Africa, there will be even more conflict. In relation to West Africa, UK NGOs have greater scope than in other areas to influence British policy since Britain has no major strategic interests to defend there. This confronts them with an ethical challenge to act effectively. A vital first step for the NGOs is to ensure that the dominance of the North is not reflected in their own internal structures and policies.
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