Global Resources Dividend Case Study

Current world order is positioned itself as more fair and developed than one hundred years ago. However, nowadays we have still had problems faced with our ancestors. One of the most crucial remaining challenges is poverty in poor countries. According to World Bank’s data in 2011, almost 1,011 million people lived in misery and do not have access to basic necessities, while it is forecasted that 836 million people have lived in poverty in 2015. Strikingly, these numbers are enormous and frightening for developed and high-technological XXI century. Obviously, the problem needs solutions. As one of them, some scholars claim that citizens of affluent countries are responsible in reducing poverty in poor countries. The most notable person among this group is Thomas Pogge. He proposes program called “The Global Resources Dividend” (GRD), which is supposed to eradicate poverty in the world. Pogge builds up the program on principle claiming that each individual has “inalienable stake in all limited natural resources” (2001, p. 61, p. 66). In other words, ideally all limited natural resources should be used equally. However, it is almost unrealizable objective to divide territories in present terms. Notably, current
Example of Nigeria presents a vivid case how a country with a huge amount of natural endowments still lives in misery and necessitates basic nutrition, education and medical healthcare, while Lesotho does not have large natural resources and has the same problems. Why are such contradictions occurred? Answer for the question as follows a presence or exploitation (selling, producing) of natural resources does not guarantee economic growth and social welfare. Crucial factor to be wealthy is to gain political and economic power in the global order. Nevertheless, these powers are inaccessible for current poor countries, which mean that they cannot tackle poverty and become