Garth Rattray
GLOBALISATION IS market forces unrestricted by national borders. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it is nothing new and was perhaps around as much as 100 years ago. The organisation defines economic globalisation as, "a historical process, the result of human innovation and technological progress. It refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through trade and financial flows."
The IMF admits that although some view globalisation as the beneficial, inevitable and irreversible trend towards the economic future of the world, others (especially within developing countries) view it with scepticism and fear, because they perceive it as lopsided and increasing the inequities between the poor and rich nations. Some countries and sub-cultures (like Rastafarians, Garveyites and Afrocentric thinkers) see globalisation as yet another attempt at subverting our culture, while negating the compensatory expectations of nations spawned and aggrieved by slavery.
Globalisation has great potential but it also has risks. There is variable integration into the process. Some Eastern countries have managed to get on board quickly and prospered, while some African and Latin American countries suffered because of 'inward-oriented' economic policies. My personal view is that developing countries like ours had been forced to hang precariously onto the vicious economic blade of powerful developed countries for so long that we are in long-term need of special benefits and preferential trade policies, the likes of which are foreign to globalisation. Without such dispensations, we are not likely to catch up to other world markets or truly benefit from globalisation.
EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION
An in-depth analysis of how globalisation affects us and how we can tap into the 'world of opportunities' can be found in this year's Jamaica Human Development Report 2005 (the second in a series of reports that began in 2000). The publication is an impressive piece of work and can be obtained for $2,000 from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). It is the joint effort of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the PIOJ. It got contributions from some of our best minds and covers how globalisation impacts various sectors of our society. Individual chapters explore globalisation and the Jamaican macroeconomy, the financial sector, the rural economy, governance, education, health, labour, crime, culture and finally, tourism.
Every topic under consideration was very informative and interesting, but I found two on which I wish to comment. From all indications, our criminals are way ahead of the rest of society when it comes to globalisation. They have made full use of international networking, inter-territorial trading, transnational trading and the most modern telecommunication technology. They have disseminated the proceeds of their (ill-gotten) gains into other businesses (some of which are perfectly legitimate).
And, concerning globalisation and the health sector, one particular recommendation in the book got my attention. The writer suggests that we consider fully exploiting "the opportunities in health tourism while protecting the interests of the Jamaican population". Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga put that proposal forward in The Sunday Gleaner of September 18. He cited Cuba, India, Malaysia and Barbados as success stories, but juxtaposed to that article was another by a thoroughly frustrated young Jamaican doctor who exposed a litany of dangerous health sector shortcomings.
It would be morally wrong to entertain the idea of health tourism while major public hospitals lack basic life-saving equipment. Cuba operates under a communist regime and Barbados enjoys a small population within a disciplined society. However, the people of Malaysia and India continue to suffer in spite of their 'success' in health tourism. We must legislate systems to ensure that the public health sector benefits directly from any such venture.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
