If developing countries could implement ideas as quickly as a smartphone downloads data, they may choose to upload historian Niall Ferguson’s six killer apps for prosperity. Ferguson’s “apps” are philosophies gleaned from Western culture that he asserts promote wealth, stability, and innovation, ensuring steady growth over long periods of time.
These six ideas (fully outlined in Ferguson’s book Civilization: The West and the Rest)are competition, a scientific revolution, property rights, modern medicine, a consumer-oriented society, and a strong work ethic. According to Ferguson, these “apps” answer the questions as to why, beginning in 1500, small European polities eventually began to dominate the globe, both through colonialism and economics.
Ferguson’s central premise is that colonialism has not been a bad movement on the whole and that his killer “apps” can explain why the West rose quickly in dominance and continue to be on the forefront. He believes that these “apps” can be shared with developing countries to provide a roadmap for continued economic improvement.
Competition-Ferguson compares China to Europe in 1500. He argues that the Chinese empire remained under an isolationist regime, leading to little competition among polities. Europe, long fragmented, encouraged competition and lead to increased travel to seek meaningful opportunities abroad.
Scientific revolution- Ferguson claims that breakthroughs in science are mostly attributed to European innovations, particularly in weaponry which allowed to military predominance.
Property rights-Ferguson believes that the firm grounding in respect for democracy and property ownership lead to successful economic growth with a government reflective of these ideals.
Modern medicine-The west found vaccinations for smallpox and yellow fever and doubled life expectancies. Many of these vaccinations were disseminated in the colonies and seen as important matters of public health.
Consumer society-In the 18th and 19th Centuries, Britain was a keen example of an all-encompassing spending society, and idea exported to the colonies and also reflective of sweeping popularity of Western clothing.
Work ethic-Ferguson directly attributes hard work to the rise of Protestantism, which stressed hard work, saving, and reading.
Many have also criticized Ferguson’s emergence as a dominant thinker in the United States with the Iraq war and a rise in neo-conservatism. Ferguson, however, has distanced himself from an association with neo-cons. While initially a vocal supporter in the beginning phases of the war, he gradually distanced himself and blamed former President Bush for a lack of resources and mismanaging local government.
The main problem with Ferguson’s theory is that he seems to embrace colonialism as a successful top-down approach to implementing free-markets, trade, and all the successful aspects of the killer “apps”. Although certainly an interesting composite of growth strategies, Ferguson doesn’t seem to account for the moral questions associated with colonialism. Critics, mostly from the left, have expressed frustration at Ferguson’s lack of explanation regarding whether it is ethical to invade another country, to dominate livelihoods, and ultimately, whether the effects of colonialism prevent previously occupied countries from progressing.
Ferguson is relatively blasé about the effects of occupation, pushing aside the implications of Britain's regime in India or French rule in West Africa, because he always seeks to ask what the alternatives might have been. He says, “The rulers of western Africa prior to the European empires were not running some kind of scout camp. They were engaged in the slave trade. They showed zero sign of developing the country's economic resources. Did Senegal ultimately benefit from French rule? Yes, it's clear.”
There is a great deal of importance in recognizing the impact that colonization has had on the bureaucratic and social structure of developing countries. Mark Tully, a former India bureau chief of BBC and author of acclaimed books about contemporary India, has often commented that the police force, known for corruption, brutality, torture, continues to function under a similar structure and with a similar psyche to that of the British Raj.
How much of Ferguson’s ideology can we give credence towards?
I’m sitting in a lecture theatre at the London School of Economics, having just finished live-tweeting from the launch of the Global Poverty Ambassador initiative with Bill Gates and Hans Rosling.
You can check out the conversation stream from the event on our Twitter account at www.twitter.com/thegpp
Both are men I deeply respect, and they’ve just been having a fascinating discussion here with the audience about Bill’s Annual Letter – you can read the letter and see the discussion at www.globalpovertyproject.com/pages/launch
Released earlier today, the Annual Letter is an open letter that Bill Gates writes once a year about what he and his Foundation will do to fight extreme poverty in the year ahead. Focusing on innovation this year, he sets out a bold and challenging vision of how even in tough economic times, we can make huge progress in the fight against extreme poverty.
Agriculture is a central theme of the letter, and Gates urges governments to focus on agricultural innovation to ensure food security. He picks up on some of the themes we’ve been writing about in our series on the Never Again famine charter, and includes the challenging graph you see below around disparity in how much the extreme poor spend on food.
His proposed solution, and the area into which his Foundation are putting billions of dollars is scientific research to increase productivity, through things like improved seeds.
On global health, Gates focuses on vaccines and polio. He reminds us that polio eradication is the Foundation’s top priority – a commitment we’re proud to hear given our campaigning on The End of Polio. And, he congratulates donors and vaccine manufacturers for their efforts, calling the success of the GAVI pledging conference in June 2011 an “historic day for global health equity.”
On the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, Bill Gates is positive about progress that has been made.
At the same time, he expresses strong concern about donors falling short of their commitments. In his words, “Every $300 that’s not forthcoming will represent a person taken off treatment. That’s a very clear choice. I believe that if people understood the choice, they would ask their government to save more lives.” It’s a sentiment that we share at the Global Poverty Project, and is one of the reasons our UK team are working with Malaria No More to call on the government to Fund the Fund.
In closing, Gates recounts why it is that he remains so optimistic about our ability to fight extreme poverty:
“Whether it’s fighting plant disease, treating people with AIDS, or getting a measles vaccine to a child in a remote area—modest investments in the poorest make a huge difference.
Unfortunately, many people believe the opposite—that money spent on development is wasted, or that it doesn’t get lasting results. Melinda and I will spend a lot of time in the coming year explaining why they’re mistaken. The relatively small amount of money invested in development has changed the future prospects of billions of people—and it can do the same for billions more—if we make the choice to continue investing in innovation.“
Tell us what you think about Bill Gates’ Annual Letter by joining the conversation on Twitter with the #billsletter hashtag.
Last night, the UK Conservative party relinquished its party political broadcast slot to make an unprecedented appeal for support in East Africa.
After poking fun at traditional political broadcasts, an array of well known political figures go on to draw attention to the severity of the crisis currently occurring in East Africa. It’s something we’ve never before – not just politicians with a sense of humour – but rising above partisan politics in support of the world’s poorest, a far cry from the across the pond where news is of cuts to foreign aid.
It was Prime Minister David Cameron himself who concluded the appeal by stressing how much more aid is needed, making a direct appeal to the voting public to go online and donate.
This could easily be viewed as a tidy PR stunt – it certainly had the smooth and cool direction of one - but I have to leave my cynicism behind. Many people in the UK are enraged at the amount of aid that continues to be distributed by despite its own economic “disaster”. Combined with reports of aid being stolen from famine victims, this was a bold move to do the right thing and leave politics aside for a few minutes.
Not being a fanatical fan of party political broadcasts, I cherished being able to witness this rare example of of dignity and grace. Having already given in excess of £120 million in aid – far more than its European neighbours - they did not simply sit back in the knowledge they had done as much as could be expected.
Instead they took a moment to retire from their in-house and cross-party quarrels and give almost 3 minutes of priceless prime time airplay to people who need it most right now. What better example to set to those leaders who don’t hold dear the qualities of dignity and equality?
Well step up Australia…
On the other side of the world, politicians also led by example, applying pressure to the people, announcing a dollar for dollar initiative to match funding donated by the public to eligible Australian NGOs working in the Horn of Africa. This strategy effectively doubled public donations with immediate effect whilst encouraging a much steeper growth curve for further donation in this area.
"The scope of the crisis is massive”, states Marc Purcell of ACFID, “In parts of Southern Somalia, mortality rates for children are so high that without further help 10% of all children under 5 will have perished by November."
With such terrifying statistics and 13 million people currently requiring emergency humanitarian aid at the last count, this is actually one of the worst crises in recent history. With things set only to worsen over coming months, the public seem unaware of its severity. Compassion fatigue affects this part of the world more than any other tsunami or earthquake torn region we have seen in the past decade.
Surely in such extreme crisis, a true developed democracy must take responsibility for those in need regardless of current political climates at home or abroad. And yet media coverage continues sporadically, encouraging public interest to wane in a misguided view that we cannot eradicate the suffering of this region. Is this not the ideal time for the governments of the world to use their status and power to bring this issue to the forefront of the public’s awareness?
Is it not the ultimate signifier of a developed democracy, for its leaders to plea to its people not for support with their own deficits and troubles, but to not forget those of us denied such democracy and respect?
So how can we help?
Go online and search for East Africa Appeal and choose how to direct your donation
SUMNER M. REDSTONE FOUNDATION DONATES $1.5 MILLION TO THE GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT
Funds to Support End of Polio Campaign and Programs to Improve Health and Reduce Global Poverty
New York, NY – August 31, 2011 – The Global Poverty Project announced today that the Sumner M. Redstone Foundation has donated $1.5 million to further its mission of eradicating extreme poverty. Mr. Redstone is the Executive Chairman of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation.
The Redstone Foundation contribution will support the Global Poverty Project’s "End of Polio Campaign," dedicated to building global support for polio eradication. The Foundation gift will also support the Global Poverty Project’s Endowment Fund, furthering the Global Poverty Project’s long-term vision of eradicating extreme poverty through campaigns for global health, fair trade and good governance.
Mr. Redstone said, “I am proud to support the work of the Global Poverty Project and its campaign to finally put an end to polio. The progress that has already been made in fighting this debilitating disease is evidence of what can be achieved through global collaboration. By joining forces and focusing our resources, we can finally end polio and find a path to the eradication of extreme poverty. I hope others will heed the call and join me in this vitally important mission."
Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project, said, “The eradication of preventable diseases like polio is essential in the fight against extreme poverty. Diseases like polio pull vulnerable people deeper into the cycle of poverty, threatening their access to basics like food, water, education, and their ability to earn a living.
"We have a monumental opportunity. Global collaboration over the past 20 years has delivered incredible progress in the fight against polio," added Mr. Evans. "Cases have been reduced by 99%, more than 2 billion children have been immunized, and polio is only endemic in just four countries. Eradication is within our reach.”
“We’re thrilled to be adding powerful new champions for vaccines," said Rajeev Venkayya, director of vaccine delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is also a major funder of the Global Poverty Project. “Sumner Redstone’s extraordinary investment combined with the innovation of the Global Poverty Project will bring us a step closer to a world free from polio.”
The opportunity to end polio prompted Evans’ Global Poverty Project to launch its education and advocacy campaign. Working with Rotary International, UNICEF, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the CDC, The World Health Organization and other partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the organization hopes to raise awareness about polio eradication on the public agenda and to gain the commitment and backing of world leaders.
The campaign has also benefitted from the support of prominent celebrities and business leaders, including Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, Bill and Melinda Gates and former Rotary International president, Sir Clem Renouf.
With cases down by 99% and eradication within reach, the largest ever gathering of Commonwealth Leaders will take place in Perth, Australia, from October 28th to October 30th, 2011. Evans and the Global Poverty Project team are working to secure funding to raise awareness and put this issue on the agenda.
“Our generation could realize an end to the second human disease in history and ensure no child ever again has to fear the effects of polio,” says Evans. “This is a defining achievement for humanity and one with profound historical benefits. We can’t let it slip away.”
Over the last several years, Mr. Redstone has designated more than $100 million in charitable grants to fund initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. He has funded the establishment of the Cambodian Children’s Fund child rescue center along with research and patient care advancements in cancer, burn recovery and mental health at several major non-profit healthcare organizations. Many of his major gifts have been focused on encouraging the acceleration of basic research into clinical trials and, ultimately, to individuals and their families. In addition to the Global Poverty Project, Mr. Redstone has supported such internationally recognized programs as Autism Speaks, FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, based in Washington D.C.; the prostate cancer research of Dr. David Agus at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine; and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
This fantastic TED talk from polio expert Bruce Aylward explains how we can be a part of seeing an end to polio - an issue that we'll be campaigning on extensively later this year.
If you don't have time to watch the whole 18 minutes, the transcript of our favourite bit is below:
Ladies and gentlemen, with a combination of smart people, smart technology and smart investments, polio can now be eradicated anywhere. We have major challenges, you can imagine, to finish this job, but as you've also seen, it's doable, it has great secondary benefits, and polio eradication is a great buy. And as long as any child anywhere is paralyzed by this virus, it's a stark reminder that we are failing, as a society, to reach children with the most basic of services. And for that reason, polio eradication: it's the ultimate in equity; and it's the ultimate in social justice. The huge social movement that's been involved in polio eradication is ready to do way more for these children. It's ready to reach them with bed nets, with other things. But capitalizing on their enthusiasm, capitalizing on their energy means finishing the job that they started 20 years ago.
Finishing polio is a smart thing to do, and it's the right thing to do. Now we're in tough times economically. But as David Cameron of the United Kingdom said about a month ago when he was talking about polio, "There's never a wrong time to do the right thing." Finishing polio eradication is the right thing to do. And we are at a crossroads right now in this great effort over the last 20 years. We have a new vaccine, we have new resolve, and we have new tactics. We have the chance to write an entirely new polio-free chapter in human history. But if we blink now, we will lose forever the chance to eradicate an ancient disease. Here's a great idea to spread: End polio now. Help us tell the story. Help us build the momentum. So that very soon every child, every parent everywhere can also take for granted a polio-free life forever.
Last night, the UK Conservative party relinquished its party political broadcast slot to make an unprecedented appeal for support in East Africa.
Over the last several years, Mr. Redstone has designated more than $100 million in charitable grants to fund initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. He has funded the establishment of the Cambodian Children’s Fund child rescue center along with research and patient care advancements in cancer, burn recovery and mental health at several major non-profit healthcare organizations. Many of his major gifts have been focused on encouraging the acceleration of basic research into clinical trials and, ultimately, to individuals and their families. In addition to the Global Poverty Project, Mr. Redstone has supported such internationally recognized programs as Autism Speaks, FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, based in Washington D.C.; the prostate cancer research of Dr. David Agus at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine; and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
