David Cronin writes about a delaration to drive back poverty:
The 50th anniversary of the European Union has been marked by a declaration committing the 27-country bloc to “drive back poverty, hunger and disease” throughout the world.
“While the 50th anniversary is surely a time for celebration, it is also a time to reflect on one of the underlying reasons for the formation of the EU: the commitment of the nations of Europe to the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity,” said Lotte Leicht, the EU director with Human Rights Watch.
“After the horrific crimes of the Holocaust, the world vowed ‘never again’. But that vow seems terribly empty in view of what is happening today in Darfur.”
As the title of Cronin’s article says, the poor need more than a declaration. Sadly, it appears that they won’t get that.
Hitherto, most policies of most western European nations have fostered neo-liberal colonialism and exploitation. For example, the Common Agricultural Policy undermines the food markets in poor countries by flooding them with cheap imports.
Instead of pushing poverty back, the West pushes it forward. Despite their claims otherwise, I doubt the EU actually plans to fight poverty, especially since their economic structure makes their success dependent on the exploitation of poor countries.