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Introduction:

Historically the relationship between Europe and the Third World is a narrative about European colonialism, exploitation and violence. The question is if this has changed, and if cooperation and relations on more equal terms today have replaced the former European economic, political and military dominance.&nbsp;

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In the period from 1947 to 1975 most of the former colonies got their political independence. It showed relatively quickly that there was still a strong economical dependency on the former colonial powers. The now independent colonies had no administrative, political, economical and educational structures to build upon and develop from. Many times they had only one or a few crops or other resources to export to the world market and no industrial facilities to produce the necessary goods for the domestic market. This generated an unbalanced foreign trade, and it caused a strong dependency to the conditions at the world market and to the former colonial powers.

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From the 1970&acute;s most of the Third World countries have become strongly dependent on loans from the international financial institutions and other creditors. This created a bulk of debt over the years, very hard, many times impossible, to pay back. These financial institutions are situated in and are directed by the former colonial powers. In this way there has in fact been a continuously transfer of money from the former colonies to the former colonial powers.

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The World Bank and the IMF was created with the purpose to re-establish the industrialized world, mainly Europe, after the end of World War II. In the 1960&acute;s they became more focused on the Third World. Loans were given with the claimed purpose to establish structures for development. The conditions, named Structural Adjustment Programs, have often been harsh for the loaners. They implied the loaners often had to cut the national budgets, cut in services and education, privatize and give access to the market for foreign economic activities.

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During time there also developed a political and public wish to support a positive development in the Third World, both economically and politically, maybe also cultural for some. Development Aid as loans, projects and financial support came into being and has become an important element in the relations between the rich and the poor countries since then. The character and quality of the Development Aid has changed during the period. Very often it was, or is, directed to areas of interests mainly for the borrower, and many times the aid was conditioned to use the money to by commodities in the countries giving the aid. Japan and the USA still have these conditions to some extent. &nbsp;Some even claim that for every dollar given in Development Aid to the Third World, 10 dollars come back to the rich countries and support their development instead of the development of the poor world.

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Financial support, trade and aid have tended to continue to favour the rich countries. The picture has changed a bit in the recent years, and both trade, aid and own forces have their share of it. Many countries in the South East Asia have managed to raise the level of development. They did not borrow a lot of money, and they protected their domestic market in the beginning. Some countries in the Middle East have become rich because of oil, China and India has generated strong economies mainly by own effort. Africa has for long been very poor, vulnerable and dependent on the rich countries. This has also changed in the recent years. Some has managed to build up more effective administrative structures and the beginning of a civil society. Some of the African countries today have the highest growth rate in the world. They are beginning to have a middle class who can consume. They are now interesting as markets for the international businesses. Ghana is an example of this.

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Is this development a decisive change to the benefit of the poor countries e.g. in Africa, or is it just a more sophisticated form of exploitation from the side of the rich countries? Moreover the overall challenge for both Europe and the Third World is how they both can and will deal with the big transnational companies who operate and dominate both places and will situate where they find the best opportunities. Europe&acute;s position as the dominant and privileged part is still there, but steadily changing. Europe is gradually being forced to compete on more equal terms on the global market. The traditional geographical clusters of nations will loose importance to global economic structures. &nbsp;

Directive:

The task is set to 8 hours

The aim and the product of the task are related both to the title, the introduction and the directives.

1. &nbsp; Read the introduction and the related issues and make clear the overall aim.

2. &nbsp; Relevant files are added. Use additional sources if you find it beneficial. The origin of 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;additional sources must be noted for control.

Product:

A short report/letter with an argued point of view about the issue. The report/letter is 
&nbsp;sent to DNS in Africa and India.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Title: The title of the task.

A discussion about if Europe is changing its position and attitude towards the Third 
World because of the current global development &ndash; or it is the same in a new way? 
What is the future in 20 years?

It can be done individually or in small groups.

&nbsp;

Related issues to include in the product:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Facts about the European trade with the Third world. The size and the content of 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;the trade? What are the goods, and what are the money-flows between the two 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;parties?

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What are the main discussions about the character of the trade with the Third World? 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;What is the development in the content of the traded goods? Does it support 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;economic and political development in the Third World? What impact do the European 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;subsidies to the agriculture have on the trade relations?

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Facts about European development Aid. The size and the character of the aid. What 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;are the main ways in which it is given? Who are the main donors and receivers and 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;what has been the recent development?

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What are the main discussions about the Development Aid, the discussions and the 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; problems? Is Development Aid an idealistic, humanistic gesture, or connected to 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;political and military European policies, or a mix? Give examples.

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What is the character of European investments on the Third World, nations or 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; companies? Do the investments focus on specific business aras or in general? Do they 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;favour one or the other part?

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Are there political steps taken from the side of Europe to make the relations and 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;co-operations happen on more equal basis with the Third World? Are there special 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;focus areas or is it in general?

7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What seems to be a general opinion from the poor world about Europe, EU and their 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;policies and concrete steps taken towards the poor world? 
 
 
 
Fles: 
 
F1. First, Second, and Third World definition.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;file:///Users/erlinggroenlund/Desktop/Contemporary%20Europe%20tas&hellip;20world/file-First,%20Second,%20and%20Third%20World%20.webarchive

F2. Third world-EU.&nbsp;SWP Research Paper Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs 
 
F3. Thirdworldoneurope.&nbsp;. BY PAUL AMES (AP/Thanassis Stavrakis), from: Salon.com 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;http://www.salon.com/2012/06/21/the_new_third_world_is_europe_old_and_in_the_way_salpart/ 
 
F4. Rethinking the third world Seeing the world differently  The Economist. 
 
F5.&nbsp; &nbsp;File9.5-Paternalityorpartnership(incl. p. 28), by&nbsp;&nbsp;Samuel O Oloruntoba at &nbsp;University of Lagos, Nigeria&nbsp;

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