Abstract: It is no news to anybody that power structures in our world have considerably shifted during last quarter of a century. Glasnost and ultimate collapse of Soviet Union towards end of 1980s brought an end to bipolar world dominated by East-West conflict and Cold War since aftermath of World War II. The end of Soviet bloc also paved way towards an appeasement strategy in Southern African sub-region. What was praised as the end of history, meaning ultimate victory of capitalism as uncontested mode of production structuring societies (and classes), however, led to an only short-lived sole hegemony of main Western powers and in particular United States (US) during 1990s. These were days when 'good governance' became terminology of a crusade against which regimes were measured and judged. The criteria were based on Western capitalist notions of development as conceptualised and imposed by International Financial Institutions (IFIs). But as we know, little changed for many towards better. The problem of affordable access to higher education, a demand erupting these days forcefully on South African campuses, was not least enhanced through policy recommendations in 1990s, which neglected such investment in social and intellectual capacity of countries and their people. (1) While old conflicts were solved, new conflicts and ideological battlefields emerged. The rise of China as world's next superpower marked beginning of 21st century, and shock waves sent through world with 9/11 opened a new era of war against terror, in which human rights were first victim. Development and security became integral elements of a global governance system, which since turn of century set paradigmatic frameworks, first with Millennium Development Goals and now with Sustainable Development Goals, while continuous efforts to achieve agreed measures to curb carbon emissions and bring environmental degradation and climate change to a halt have remained futile efforts. The tokenism so far only shows that governments continue to remain loyal to their own agendas. Guided by such shortsightedness, they do not act in solidarity with humanity as an integral part of nature and habitat to increase chances for survival. Profit maximisation at all costs remains ultimate goal even if in long term at too high a price. But also other new trends that emerged in era of neoliberalism in so far unknown fashion and extent remain dubious in spirit and intention despite setting new agendas in promoting so-called development. The widely praised philanthropic initiatives by wealthiest among wealthy, who spend a small part of money generated through their worldwide business enterprises, display ambivalences of our times. Using little of money generated at cost of others for projects with aim to improving living conditions are not really in pursuance of an overhaul or transformation of economies from which profits of enterprises are extracted. The root causes for misery of so many people are not treated, only symptoms. Rather, philanthropic empires and other multinational private players--including some of biggest companies--hijack global governance by setting agendas of initiatives, which should actually control them for being part of problem, instead of being controlled by them. As long as United Nations (UN) organisations such as World Health Organisation (WHO) or Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) receive more funds from such third parties than UN Secretariat and its Member States have allocated to them as their own operational budget, agenda setting might evolve in spheres and within agencies, which ought to be controlled instead of holding power of definition. What became increasingly anchored beyond and behind new markers was neoliberal project, which encroached further on regions and governments and turned even hitherto more welfare-oriented social systems into agencies for privatisation and profit maximisation at cost of majority of world's population. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-11-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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