EXCHANGE PROJECT:

DEVELOPING VS. DEVELOPED. NEED FOR A FRESH VIEW?

We are used to looking at the industrialized countries as developed and the developing countries as slow and far behind. But what does it really mean to be «developed»?

By Frida Jasmin Sende                                                                                                                                 Young Greens of Norway

The industrialized countries are the ones who have contributed the most to global warming historically. But generally the most severe effects of climate change are not happening there. The developing countries are the ones who, in most cases, have to face the effects of global warming first, yet they have just started contributing to it themselves.

Obviously, a lot of good things have come out of industrialization and development, and some countries are of course more “developed” than others in many ways. They are also more capable of coping with the changes in climate.

I´m wondering what Mother Earth would say. What is a developed country really, from her perspective?

Maybe we need to rethink our ideas, and question ourselves: Is it right to call a country that contributes to the destruction of the planet, developed?

At this time in history I would suggest that all countries are developing countries. The industrialized countries has to develop once again, find new ways of living, new solutions that are sustainable in the long run, and create new green jobs that we have not seen before. There is a whole shift in society that has to happen.

The ”developing countries” on the other hand has a huge opportunity to learn from the ”developed countries’” mistakes, and develop in a sustainable, modern way from the start. They don´t have to spend decades creating a fossil fuelled economy that is doomed to die. They have the possibility to catch up, and lead the way into a new and renewable future!

When we talk of stages of development of nations and communities, we should take into consideration how sustainable the lifestyle and ecological footprint of their inhabitants are, and to what extent they contribute to a healthy environment and sustained life – locally and nationally, as well as globally.

I suggest that we need a new definition of what it means to be a developed country. In a developed country, the “eco” in “economy” mirrors the interdependence between ecology and economy, and the politicians and bankers of such a country recognize that the wealth of the nation is lessened by predator extractivism, pollution and climate disruption. In a developed country the economy is brought in line with nature, and does not have to deplete its resources to function.
In a developed country, no one is enslaved by the economy’s uninhibited need to grow, for one has tamed the economy, and it no longer takes the shape of a towering tidal wave on a collision course with the planet, but has become a circle – a circle of life, even; functioning without mankind having to exploit resources faster than nature can renew them, and without dumping more waste than our ecosystem can handle or absorb.

It is a country that makes sure that what we do today benefits the well being of all beings, and makes sure that the future generations have a healthy environment to live in as well. It is a country that does not harm the environment, but takes care of it. It is a country with modern and sustainable energy solutions and thousands of green jobs!

This definition leaves us with very few (if any) completely developed countries in the world today. Time to get to work, and start developing!