A debate is currently ongoing among activists, academics and politicians on the future assumption of the world as conceptualized by many international experts including international relations expert Mr. Parag Khanna. Three dimensions are being eyed upon: Geopolitics, Geoeconomics and Geotechnology. Under globalization, technologies have made more participatory approach of development. South to south cooperation is increasing more than ever before and central leadership of global governance as conceptualized by the 19th century Vienna Congress is now about to change with relatively growing global strategic Asian congresses such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BRICS countries, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the G7, and the African Union.
Information Technology, Government and Economy
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world where more than 75% of the 500 Fortune companies based in the US outsource their task. How you would one imagine the post-capitalist economy based under digital mechanisms? Will the future of the economy be more resilient and rely on more digital world rather than today’s London-driven industrial revolution countering the release of carbon dioxide?
Individuals are now becoming more powerful than the state. What my previous generation got was the access to government. In our generation, channels of communication with government is very accessible. Due to minimum accessibility to the government in those days, people’s voice used to endure many hardships. Today, it has become so revolutionary that even I can tweet to heads of state or send emails with threatening messages to officials.
Individual power has maximized the government’s role to respond, but this has been limited. Multinational giant corporations’ social responsibility has some weird attitude that funds both profit and the non-profit sectors, which have larger channels to influence government policies.The political factors in a developing world guides the overall factors. The world will now witness trade and business dictating global politics but the developing world’s (Nepal’s) politics still guide the business and trade.
Multinational Companies, Accountability, Aid Efficiency and Resource Management
Exxon Mobile, Gazprom, British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell and some of the world’s biggest oil-gas companies are state-owned or have power even greater than some states. They cultivate, grow, expand and carry central ideologies akin to that of any state to dominate, dictate and enhance political mechanisms according to their interests.
Mostly, the southern world is guided through politics and lesser national corporate influences where foreign companies are enjoying tax dodging. Why do countries with vast resources have a crawling economy but countries with limited natural advantages are roaring, manipulating and promoting their interest globally? Are there any leadership loopholes or is there a lack of motivation in encouraging the protection and use of the commons in those resourceful countries? It is still difficult to understand.
The IMF and the World Bank are the two global economic institutions that also try to shape toddler economies in what we call commitment and partnership but there seems to be a larger opaque financial irregularity while communicating with local governments and the people.
Basically, Washington officials often have weaker participation in monitoring development activities in remote parts of Nepal depending on different factors (difficult geography, transportation, etc.) Every chunk of geographical hurdles which have to be crushed in the field are amazingly crushed on paper by sitting in the fancy rooms of Kathmandu. The responsible entity for this act is only our government.
Aid is itself not malfunctioning but building aid efficiency mechanism is fragile. Impoverished countries like Nepal even have to brainstorm before receiving bilateral funding. Closer neighbors always have influence in micro to macro management in weaker countries.
Nepalese diplomatic gangs should take stance in regards to foreign investment rather than lobbying for foreign aid. Individual efforts literally can change or drive society; you can mobilize mass or fundraise for community. Some years ago, fundraising was only limited to government. Now, it seems easy due to new collaborative approaches. Now, society has become collaborative and competitive.
Policy Loophole, New Nepalese English-speaking Elite and Outsourcing
Our other sources of energy (other than oil and gas) have increased in an arithmetical approach but population has increased in a geometric proportion. Friedman’s flattening globalization theory’s access to opportunity and technology has increased, which had broken individual barriers to access them. Their zeal to access these things has flattened. Flattening globalization has produced a new English-speaking and techno savvy elite in Kathmandu. This has seriously mocked the Nepalese migrant worker in Qatar who is forced to work in an inhumane treatment. This has opened the debate regarding the Nepalese discussion on bi-product of development. It is the Nepalese government policy that has helped segregate two classes of people in Nepal. Globalization has produced two identical generational clashing each other ruthlessly in Nepal; one who is a non-English Speaker and the other one a fair English speaker. This is also the contribution given by our school education system.
So as mega techno-companies have their head offices in Palo Alto, interestingly New Delhi, Mumbai and other cities like Kathmandu or Dhaka in South Asia serve as the port offices to source their tasks. Working in a developing world like Nepal,- need great motivation but lack enough resources to tackle the existing problems.
Skepticism (The World of Order vs. the World of Disorder)
Debating on these entire socio-economic and diplomatic spectrums, though the Second World may be emerging. The growth is happening in a developing world and participatory globalization with the help of Twitter and Facebook and other tech-company booms, which have thrived Western challengers to emerge as one of the substantial positions in the new global order.
Yet an Indian youth working in a call center is still interested in earning giant US dollars and if possible wants to get shifted to the Western World. Southern World youth are applying multiple times to get a US visa. Simultaneously, states are also being sabotaged and the rule of law and governance is degrading in the country like Nepal which has further pushed young people into the Western World.
Thus, making a vulnerable problem of brain drain in the country like Nepal where urgency of skilled manpower is a must for reconstructing the country, which was once heavily damaged in the civil war and now Earthquake. Unless Russian oligarchs or Qatari Sheikh want to set up a business in London’s Kensiston Palace, Indian IT students will want to go to MIT, South Indian youth will want to go to NASA, Africans crossing Mediterranean will continue to journey to Europe for a better life. Western powers may remain in an epic center until this millennium’s end.
The world is seriously observing the World of Order vs. the World of Disorder. Yes, we are slowly entering in to the multi-polar world. The rise of the rest, where a more interconnected and interdependent world is emerging. Something that the world has seen before. However, right now it is still difficult to go with figures that is hitting the southern world where economic boom is taking place. New York and London’s financial forces are moving to Asian cities.
Until and unless New Delhi or Beijing do not have the universities like the Ivy League or IT empires like Google or Microsoft, the youth from Kinshasa, Nairobi, Kathmandu, Bangalore or New Delhi will not let down dreaming the US. It is a hard hitting reality.