'Third world kept in poverty’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 19

'Third world kept in poverty’

World trade patterns showed that the third world was victimised, oppressed and kept in poverty by the ruthless economic power of the affluent nations, the Rev. J. Curnow told about 30 persons at a one-day conference on overseas aid and development in Christchurch this week.

“We are faced with the unjust imbalance of international trade,” he said. “On the one hand, what is now given in aid is taken away on the other through high tariffs on manufactured goods and low prices on exports from underdeveloped countries.” Father Curnow, who is chaplain to the Catholic Overseas Aid Committee in Christchurch, said that the greatest issue facing mankind as it entered the seventies, was the division of the rich and the poor. Countless millions in the developing world were still undernourished, uneducated, unemployed and lacked many other basic amenities of life. By contrast, the people of the more advanced countries lived in great comfort and even affluence. In the last decade there was some cause for satisfaction in what had been achieved, but much disappointment and frustration at the failures, and a growing awareness of the complexities involved. On the positive side there had been a massive movement of aid programmes, originating from international agencies, governments and voluntary organisations which had made possible a better life for many in the underdeveloped world. “We now know that we have the technological resources and skills to tackle and beat the problem, if only we have the will to mobilise these resources and make the

: effort and sacrifice required,” . he said. On the negative side, however, in spite of all efforts, ’ things were much the same r as they were previously for i the great number of people I in the third world. Negative attitudes were ' surfacing in both developed 1 and developing countries. Developing countries were re- ; sentful and frustrated by : their unchanging situation of i poverty. i One of the complex ques- ■ b‘on which arose in the field ■ of aid was relief, he said. > While relief offered a solution to the often tragic i sufferings of some of the I poor, it was necessary to go , beyond relief if a country ’ wished to help. There was also a need for niore precise planning at [ depth, more research, more 1 dialogue with the recipients ! to improve the quality of aid. Father Cumow said that If it was admitted that the solu- ' tion to world poverty was far beyond the resources of private voluntary agencies and could only come from international co-operation by governments, it could be seen that advanced countries had failed to meet this challenge. The United Nations was calling once again on the rich nations to provide financial aid, amounting by 1972, to 1 per cent of their ; gross national product, and that 0.75 per cent of this amount be net official aid. i Concerned people in every : country must work for the establishment of their goal, i