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Victoria Sithole and Amadeus Malonje
PERFECTION in today’s global world is not defined by the realistic experiences in developing states, but rather by the idealistic expectations of superpowers which dominate the international relations framework.
It is not clear whether global utopianism is a conducive environment for development or just another twist in Europe’s role in the theory of Africa’s underdevelopment.
Utopia is global also in involving the movement of people, ideas, and goods across many boundaries; envisioning a transformed “new world”.
Developmental goals such as gender-equality, poverty reduction, and zero hunger that have been prescribed by Europe have put pressure on Africa as it struggles to meet the set standards within the stipulated deadlines.
The goals were set to be achieved within a strict time period which is lapsing in 2030 yet the European countries took longer and different ways to develop to their current levels.
The issue of gender equality took centuries to be addressed and resolved in the developed countries such as the USA. This is because the transition to the acknowledgement of women as equals to men required re-restructuring of what was then considered the norm.
However, even now there are cases of gender-inequality within those same developed states.
On the other hand, countries such as Uganda which have little to zero gender equality are thriving economically.
Africa is expected to fast track its development to meet the expectations of the United Nations and this has contributed to the continent’s predicament due to premature development processes.
The continent is dealing with misplaced policies such as gender-equality in the face of terrorist attacks, corruption and constitutional nullification which hold more weight and are currently the most prominent issues that the continent should first deal with in their road to efficient development.
Western institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank’s prescription of democracy has led to Africa’s underdevelopment instead of the original plan for growth.
These institutions give out loans with attached conditions which have led to the quandary of most African countries in instances such as the SAPs of the late 20th century.
The IMF and World Bank introduced the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) to limit government intervention and promote capitalism as well as democracy which led to the economic ruin of most states.
SAPs were incompatible with the African political culture and their different developmental paths.
Most countries like Zimbabwe faced economic recession and political instability resulting in disaster for them; hence their backward development instead of the targeted developmental growth.
Numerous sustainable goals on environmental conservation have been set, but with a very low success rate.
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference is one example of the many international treaties on climate change which has also proved to be detrimental to Africa’s development since it limits their industrial prowess.
Most European economic giants such as France and the United Kingdom built their industries through the use of fossil fuels like coal, and the processing of minerals like gold and diamonds without any consideration of the environmental repercussions.
The release of greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions have caused gaps within the ozone layer resulting in disastrous effects.
Such effects include natural disasters like floods, tsunamis and excessive heat waves as well as cyclones.
All these have been detrimental to the health and livelihoods of not only people but also the economies of the affected states.
The disasters are resultant from the developmental process of those so called developed states who are now dictating and directing the pace and methods through which the developing and underdeveloped countries should adopt.
Use of similar methods which those first world countries used to progress their economies is now being restricted by environmental conservation regulations set by the developed super powers.
The third world countries are only being limited on their greenhouse emissions and are directed to cleaner fuels such as solar and wind energy and this may slow down Africa’s developmental processes.
It looks like Africa is paying for a crime that it has not even committed.
More so, the theme of peace and security as purported by the United Nations has also unfortunately not been realised due to its idealist nature in the effects of the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Global Utopianism has for the most part led to the underdevelopment of the African continent due to the limitations placed on their industrial development processes and the prescriptive nature of democracy which was imposed on the continent by international institutions
Online Reporter