Environment, Peace and Development in one World
by Dr. Petra C. Gruber

This article summarises the main points of presentations at the Democracy and Development Seminar of the Foundation for African Development (FAD) in February, Kampala / Uganda and the United Nations Student Forum "Sustainable Development" in Vienna, May 2002.

Let me first give an overview about the global challenges and then continue with the three interrelated dimensions in our times of globalisation: Why and how do environment, peace and development build the foundation for accountable and sustainable politics - on local, national and global (so to say on glocal) levels? Why do we need self-reliance and cooperation instead of misconcepted, paternalistic aid and what are the elements of an integrative, sustainable development and peace approach. I will end with the international framework, global governance.

In this new Millennium the peoples of the world find themselves interconnected as never before. Living in a global world offers a lot of benefits and new opportunities like unlimited exchange of ideas, new forms of democracy and participation. But yet also a backlash has begun: We have to face increasing

• Poverty, 
• Diseases, 
• Environmental pollution, 
• Migration, 
• Violent conflicts, 
• Crime and terrorism, 
which has lately shown the vulnerability of the western world. 

These tremendous challenges can not be solved on a national level any more. To tackle them a world-wide cooperation of 
• Politicians
• International organisations
• Transnational concerns
• Global financial markets
• Scientific institutions
• Media
• NGOs and the civil society is necessary. 

There is an ongoing huge discussion about globalisation - is it solution or cause of all problems - so what is it all about? First I want to point out that Globalisation has more than one, the overemphasized economic dimension. Globalisation is about getting rid of boarders in daily thinking and acting in all areas of Society, Technology, Ecology and Politics.

Globalisation is not one-sided, the other side is localisation. Both sides are put together in the word glocalisation. Contrary to the horror-vision of a global monoculture (stressed out in the Cocacolanisation-Debate) we state a new or old consciousness of regional characteristics and cultural potential in a non-integrated, diverse world. But instead of an open-minded and respectful world-society, xenophobia has to be noted. We must not forget that it is the cultural diversity that enriches our world. Dialogue, empathy and mutual respect build the foundation for manifold cultures living together peacefully. Solidarity and hospitality are crucial.
Hence Globalisation is about boundlessness and limits, about polarisation, fragmentation and marginalisation. The conception of "One World" hides the dissimilarities and inequalities - a kind of global apartheid is to be feared. In this global world only someone with access to communication and transport can participate. This means exclusion for all others with no or to less purchasing power. The poorest countries in the world are being more and more marginalised, in economic, social and political areas. There is no successful integration in the world-market. The so-called world-economy is dominated by three Economic blocks (the US, Europe and South-East-Asia / Japan) whereas Africa’s part is less then 2 %.

A dangerous shift of power can be observed. Transnational operating actors as 
• the Institutional Trinity: World Bank, International Monetary Fond and World Trade Organisation, 
• Transnational Co-operations and actors of the financial markets 
become more and more powerful, whereas national states, who are bound by their people and territory, lose relevance. But up to now only national states are democratically legitimated and are responsible for the common good of their people. 

In the international rivalry a downward trend has to be noted. Under the dogmas of neoliberal deregulation and privatisation, the economy has become disembedded from society and lost it’s serving function. Almost every part of life is economised. Narrow-minded self-interest and said to be individual freedom displace fundamental, humanistic values and the achievements of social thinking. 
It is characteristic for the (world)economy, that people, enterprises and states compete under different conditions. This leads to winners and losers. The gap between poor and rich has widened and 
• provokes social tensions, 
• undermines political legitimation and 
• endangers peace.

According to the United Nations, this combination of extreme poverty - 1.2 billion people have to live from less than $ 1 a day - with extreme inequality between and within countries is an affront to our common humanity. Consequently the goal set is to reduce extreme poverty by half before 2015. 

One can also say that the 11 th of September made out clear where injustice can lead to. But violence is never ever a solution to any problem.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed."
Peace is more than the absence of conflict or war. Every day structural violence - meaning socio-economic, political and ecological - causes - kills more people than war. There will be no peace without sustainable development as well as respect of human rights and dignity - and vice versa. 

A Culture of Peace must be established, based on mutual understanding, respect and cooperation. As the UN-Declaration demands, all forms of discrimination and intolerance are to be eliminated, including those based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
Today most violent conflicts happen within the boarders. And very often it is not only about so-called ethnic reasons but about drugs, diamonds, timber or the control of other natural resources and high-value commodities. Poverty, scarce resources and unfair allocation often lead to armed conflicts. Besides the humanitarian catastrophe, war means the
• loss of social-economic development opportunities, 
• it drives people away from home and 
• destroys the environment.

Deforestation, Erosion, Desertification and lack of water worsen every day’s fight for survival. Therefore in these countries environmental destruction is the cause and the consequence of poverty. Whereas in the rich world degrading the environment is mainly due to our unsustainable production and consumer patterns. Environmental pollution does not stop at national boarders. Climate change, tornados, flood-disaster and other eco-catastrophes, which affect the poor countries most (97 % victims), are obvious warnings - the carrying capacity is limited.

Every hour man eradicates one plant or animal species. Nowadays we have lost balance between human kind and nature. We therefore must find back to lifestyles which are in harmony with our environment. This also means a radical change of the unsustainable western live-style. Otherwise the eco-system will collapse.

The necessary integrated and comprehensive approach to human security and sustainable development has to include poverty reduction. Poverty is more than income-poverty. Poverty is more than not being able to meet the basic needs (food, clean water, health, clothing, housing and education). We talk about deprivation, which is about physical, social, economic and political as well as psychological / spiritual dimensions.

This raises the question about well-being and living standards, which can not be defined generally. The quality of life means different things in different cultures. Everyone is unique. So the fight is not about equality but about equal opportunities.
Whenever the discussion comes to development in order to avoid misunderstanding we have to define this term first. For a very long time development had a transitive meaning: The aim was the (modern) industrial society. "Traditional" cultures should be modernised and penetrated by western values. With the speech of US-President Harry S. Truman (1945), overnight four fifth of the world-population were declared underdeveloped (backward). Whole countries were said to be poor as they could not buy everything they "needed". "To be" was overrun by the obsession of "having more". Moreover, the narrow view of one global development ignores the diversity of possible cultural characteristics and manifold forms of life. And for the local people this often meant destruction of traditional values and capacities.

But development is about growing individual and collective independence, it means freedom in a more fundamental sense. Development is a matter of opportunities, capacities and self-confidence. The empowerment of the local people, access to education and information are crucial. Everybody has his own capacities and methods to solve his problems. We must respect the creative potential of poor people, especially of women, they can express and analyse their complex and diverse realities best. But their active role is much too often underestimated. Help without encouraging self-reliance destroys one’s driving force and means more dependency and suppression. Some people suspect that this is the aim behind.

But this has to be stressed - the claim for self-help must not be a comfortable abandonment of international solidarity, responsibility and cooperation.

Development is more than economic growth and technological progress. At least western countries did learn from the past mistakes of five centuries development aid. Development can neither be imported nor exported. The modernization approach: "civilisation" by imposing western lifestyle has failed, i.e. the so-called trickle down-effect has not happened. But his was not simply due to internal (cultural and mental) aspects that indicators decreased. The opposing paradigmas, the world system and dependency approaches blamed the external factors like the unfair terms of trade. Both approaches represented only on one point of view and showed that monocausality always fails. 

There exists no square solution. The world wants multidimensional, innovative, appropriate and sustainable approaches which build on mutual respect. Together we have to find ways for overcoming the barriers which so far brought stagnation and increasing inequalities. 

We must seek and find autonomous ways of sustainable lifestyles, 
• need to promote democratic participation and good governance, 
• give priority to domestic markets and regional cooperation, 
• release the dept burden, 
• ensure a fair and real open world-market, 
• and build up an institutional framework for worldwide sustainable development.

Being aware that all people live in one common world implies the consequence that we do also share the responsibility for our planet earth. Not only for today but for the future - for the world in which our children will grow up. Development in a broader sense means cooperation for the common good. 

Following criteria of an integrative, sustainable development & peace approach should neutralise the depreciating smack of the term development.
• The above mentioned basic needs, including access to health services and (classical = humanistic) education as well as equal access to information
• Independence, freedom in a broader sense
• Self-reliance, self-esteem and self-respect 
• Democracy and good governance: Accountability, transparency, control of corruption, miss-management and social, cultural and political participation
• Solidarity and social justice
shared responsibility and equal opportunities and equal rights for men and women
• A culture of peace, of cooperation and human security; respect for all live 
• Sustainable socio-economic development and lifestyle
• Protection of the environment.

Formulating these elements should also emphasizes, that sustainable development is a radical challenge for all of us.
In the current decision-making process on institutional level especially within the before mentioned Institutional Trinity the south has a weak position. There is an urgent demand for more democracy, transparency and responsibility as well as for stronger, more powerful and reformed United Nations. Global challenges and less powerful national states demand global governance. Global governance (without government!) takes the new political fields as well as the new global players into account. Global governance is not only a new framework for international politics but a new concept of politics. 

But the architecture of a new world finance and world trade order, a world social and environmental order will fail if it is not integrated in a world-peace order. A new spirit of neighbourhood and cooperation is to replace the old rivalry. A reformed and stronger UN should be the institutional backbone of global governance, 
• a worldwide rule of law / good governance, 
• a binding international law and 
• the globalisation of human rights as well as 
• global responsibility - a kind of world ethos build the foundation.

Globalisation is not an inevitable destiny, it can and must be shaped. For our human security we need a reorientation, reorganisation and strengthening of political power. There is an urgent call for more efficient, social just and environmentally sound economic and political practices (f.e. an eco-social economy). We are facing the global challenge to harmonise market, humanity and nature. Not only because of human reasons and solidarity, but also a matter of enlightened self-interest (with regard to foreign policy and trade, pollution control and global human security). Hence sustainable development could be seen as worldwide challenge and cooperation to tackle the problems of our today’s and tomorrow’s world.

Dr. Petra C. Gruber, born 1971, studied social economy in Linz / Austria with main interest in environmental and development issues. Her work at the Interdisciplinary Research Institute for Development Cooperation brought her to Africa a several times to do some field research. Later she gained experience in an international health and development organisation. In the year 2000 she was offered the challenge to build up the Institute for Environment - Peace - Development in Vienna / Austria. 
Several publications on sustainable development in times of globalisation, based on a holistic approach.