Third World Politics

The topic of colonialism has a rich scholarly history. Many scholars, with some success, have declared themselves postcolonial or developed theories such as neo-colonialism to describe the current international structure. The question of colonial structures, however, still plays a major role in current politics. This study looks specifically at expressions of sovereignty within the colonial framework today that have stemmed from historical events after the formation of the United Nations system. By comparing Third and Fourth World theories of sovereignty this study will show how these concepts are still relevant today and what implications they currently have for international politics. I submit, following Rudolph Ryser, Arthur Manuel, Glen Coulthard and others, that not only is the Fourth World a relevant concept, but it is the most important one in our current state of international governance. Both these concepts or theories describe most of the conflict in the world today.

Self-reliance was a cornerstone of Ujamaa socialism – the ideology of Tanzania from 1967 till the mid-1980s. In the post-Cold-War period socialist ideology was actually abandoned, together with the really valuable concept of self-reliance. As most African countries, Tanzania is crucially dependent on foreign aid. We argue that aid can play a positive part for Tanzania and countries like it, but only if it promotes their self-development which, in its turn, is possible only if a nation is or strives to become self-reliant. However, in contemporary Tanzania the culture of self-reliance has almost disappeared since national ideology has changed, and many people rely on foreign aid and national government, not on their own hard work. At the same time, the union of foreign donors and corrupt national bureaucracy results in Tanzania in aid without development that, as in the case of aid for mosquito bed nets, cannot promote self-reliance and, hence, socio-economic progress.
Keywords: Aid, civil society, development, self-reliance, state, Tanzania

In this introduction to the collection we explain its focus on non-Western small states. While the terms ‘non-Western’ and ‘small states’ are problematic – we discuss these problems here – the smallness and non-Westerness of the states studied by the contributing authors set them apart in a way that has attracted little academic attention so far. They allow them to operate with fewer normative and practical constraints than their bigger, Western counterparts, offer them a wide range of (often historically forged) political ties, and force them to draw on a diversity of approach and strategic thinking and a creativity that they are too rarely credited for. Non-Western small states, rather than being mere survivors constrained to the world’s periphery, are better understood as activist states intent on existing. The collection offers a range of analytical keys to make sense of these states and their role on the international scene.

Definitions based on “First, second and third worlds,” “North-South”, “East-West”, “Center-Periphery” are not empirical reflections of outside reality independent of knowledge, but are
politically constructed symbols at the core of power struggle in international relations. If onepart of international relations is to gain relative advantage on the control of material capabilities, another important aspect of it is to control meanings of symbols, for symbol hierarchy is at least as important as material power hierarchy. Using the theoretical contributions of the English School and Critical Geography, this study presents a critical
analysis against European-centric sovereigny concept that seeks hegemonic control on global power relations while excluding othered commons constituted bu rest of the world.

The tiny state of Guyana is in the grip of a tussle involving a government which, despite losing a vote of confidence in parliament and being asked by the Caribbean Court of Justice to hold fresh elections, has been seen by many as dragging its feet on a matter of fundamental importance. The situation is explained in considerable and painstaking detail.

Guyana is on the threshold of a new economic trajectory, with the coming on stream of immense quantities of oil and gas production. Yet at the same time, the country has been experiencing a political and constitutional crisis in which a motion of no-confidence was passed in 2018, elections were constitutionally due since March 2019, yet the government remains in office, though now with an agreed upon election date in March 2020 – one year later than required, and just months before elections were due without the motion, in any case.

Contents
Plagiarism Declaration 1
Table of Contents 1
Introduction 3
Third Worldism and BRICS 4
The divergence between Third Worldism and BRICS 5
Community of Feeling to Economic Hegemons 5
Resistance of Exploitation to embracing Exploitation 7
Counter Argument 9
BRICS as an institution for reform 9
Conclusion 10
Bibliography 12

This Independence Day, most people will not want to reflect on the triumph of the Nationalist movement as it defeated  British Imperialism, but will rather be planning a pleasant day at the beach. Is this a problem? What does it mean? Are we ungrateful? Is Independence anything to celebrate?
Reflecting on their own country’s experience, Michael Witter and Omar Davies (1989) have bemoaned that Jamaica is more dependent today than it was at the beginning of Independence. While I agree, I do not find it necessarily lamentable. For this situation is not particular to Jamaica, the Caribbean, or “the South”. It is the condition of the entire contemporary world. And while not all good, it is not all bad either. As Peter Drucker noted in 1986, all countries of the globe have become more dependent on the world economy -- including the United States, England and Japan. Not just our Nation-States, but all Nation-States are crumbling. A story on CNN (which I gladly receive through my cable subscription) related that a child was asked the question, “Do you know why we have a holiday on Independence Day?” The answer was given, “That’s the day we defeated the aliens.” Well. The idea that somehow we in the West Indies are more prone to forgetting our history than others, or that the Third World been spellbound into abandoning patriotism by cunning imperialist overlords is both inadequate and small-town. Our situation of weakened Nation-States and waning National sentiment is not the result of imperialist designs. It is the condition of the contemporary world. And not only is this true of economics. It is true of politics and culture as well. Farewell to age of  the Nation and Independence.