Challenges of Violence Worldwide

A Curriculum Module, An Educational Resource

From the Los Angeles teenager whose friend is shot dead to the New York City executive who is mugged on a street corner, from the infant in Bombay who suffers from hunger to the poor farmer fleeing civil war in Rwanda, violence affects millions of people worldwide. With the evolution of sophisticated communication and transportation technologies, the world has become smaller and more interdependent. The global village -- once just an abstract idea -- is now a reality. Just as technology crosses borders, so do violence and related problems of concern to social workers, such as poverty and unemployment; the use and production of and trafficking in illegal drugs; discrimination; and the oppression of women and children. Increasingly, leaders and citizens are coming to understand that these problems can be solved not by the United States in isolation but by a world community working together. Social workers have a key role to play in this evolving effort.

Key Concepts

Sustainable Human Development

The term development may be defined as "meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations for a better life" (Shuman, 1994, p. 2). According to this broad definition, development focuses on fostering economic opportunity, equity, human rights, dignity, democracy, peace, and spiritual and emotional well-being (Shuman & Harvey, 1993).

Social workers will readily understand this concept, for it is what they strive to do every day in their work with individuals, families, communities, and organizations. This resource will examine development from a national and international perspective.

Beginning in the late 1980s, a new consensus emerged within the international development community (see page 2) about the best means for achieving long-lasting, positive change in poor countries. The agreed-upon strategy, known as sustainable human development, is based on these underlying principles:

• meeting basic human needs for food, clean water, shelter, health care, and education
• expanding economic opportunities for people, especially poor people, to increase their productivity and earning capacity in ways that are environmentally, economically, and socially viable over the long term
• protecting the environment by managing natural resources in ways that take into account the needs of current and future generations
• promoting democratic participation, especially by poor women and men, in economic and political decisions that affect their lives
• encouraging adherence to internationally recognized human rights standards
  (At the Crossroads, 1995).

Global North, Global South

The term global North refers to the world's industrialized, wealthy countries, and the term global South refers to the world's poor nations. These terms are merely descriptive because the split between rich and poor nations does not fall along strict geographic lines. Social workers in the United States have traditionally been concerned about poor communities that are hidden in urban centers or in isolated rural areas of this rich nation. Underdeveloped areas of the United States and countries of the global South share many characteristics, such as low standards of living, malnutrition, disease, illiteracy, unemployment, and the lack of adequate medical services.

According to figures on the per capita gross national products of countries throughout the world (World Bank, 1995), there are 24 high-income countries, with 15 percent of the world's people, including the United States, Switzerland, and Japan. Sixty-three countries, containing 29 percent of the world's population, such as the Philippines, Romania, and Iran, make up the middle-income category. And 45 countries, consisting of 56 percent of the world's population, including Guatemala, Somalia, and Bangladesh, constitute the low-income sector.

The global South is where

• about 77 percent of the world's population lives
• almost a billion people live in dire poverty
• about half the people do not know how to read
• a billion people in the labor force are unemployed or underemployed
• typically, the top 20 percent of the population receives 50 percent of the income, and the bottom 20 percent receives less than 5 percent of the income
• 75 percent of rural people do not have access to clean drinking water
• more than half a billion people are hungry and malnourished
• almost 20 percent of the children die before the age of five
• 100 million children are always hungry
• 15 million children die each year from a combination of malnutrition and infection
• the average life expectancy is 54 years compared with 74 years in the global North
  (Kerschner, 1992; United Nations Children's Fund, 1994).

Violence

Violence may be broadly defined as an act or situation that harms the health or well-being of oneself or others. It includes both direct attacks on a person's physical and psychological integrity and destructive acts that do not involve a direct relationship between victims and the institution or person or persons responsible for the harm (Bulhan, 1985).

One goal of the Violence and Development Project is to expand the common perception of violence to include such problems as racism, sexism, poverty, and hunger. These social ills grow out of institutions, governments, and economic structures that encourage the domination of certain groups of people over other groups and perpetuate unequal access to wealth and other resources. Inequities, which may be based on class, race, gender, or ethnicity, are often enforced by the use of violence by police forces, government troops or their proxies, foreign powers, and other forms of sanctioned militarism.

Threats to personal security and social stability come from several sources (see Table 1). These sources include social and economic systems (deprivation, lack of access, and oppression), the state (repression, torture, and police brutality or inaction), other countries (colonization and war), other groups of people (civil war, ethnic conflict, discrimination, and hate crimes), and individuals or gangs (homicide and muggings). Violence may be directed against specific groups, such as women (rape, domestic violence, and lack of access to higher education or better-paying jobs), children (child abuse and neglect), and ethnic populations (genocide, hate crimes, and discrimination) or against the self (suicide and substance abuse). Among the underlying principles of the Violence and Development Project is that long-term solutions to violence must include permanent changes in structural and institutional systems that give rise to deprivation and oppression and create a world of haves and have-nots.

In Today's World, Inequities Abound

Although more than three-fourths of the world's 5.8 billion people live in the global South, they enjoy only 16 percent of the world's income (UN Development Programme, 1995). One person in four in the global South is unable to satisfy such basic needs as adequate nutrition, safe and sufficient drinking water, clean air to breathe, proper sanitation, and access to health care and elementary education (Sivard, 1993).

Development efforts to address social problems are also needed in the United States. Although this is the richest, most powerful nation in the world, poverty and inequity stubbornly persist. For all its resources, the United States ranks 21st among 132 countries in infant mortality (World Bank, 1995). And despite this country's system of free public education through the secondary level, 50 percent of adults who took part in a nationwide literacy survey scored in the lowest two levels of proficiency, placing them in an at-risk category for low earnings and limited choices for employment (Kirsch, Junge-blut, Jenkins, & Kolstad, 1993). These examples underscore the point that wealth is not necessarily synonymous with greater development.

The common perception is that the global South is fraught with destitution and despair. Yet since 1960, development assistance has helped reduce infant mortality rates in developing countries by 50 percent, increase life expectancy from 46 years to 63 years, and increase primary school enrollment from 48 percent to 78 percent (Just 1%, 1995). In some cases, development achievements in poor countries have surpassed those of richer nations. For example, in Honduras, 92 percent of the children under age two are immunized, whereas in Detroit, the rate is 28 percent (Alliance for a Global Community, 1994a). U.S. social workers can learn a great deal from people in the global South who have established programs to improve social and economic development in their communities and who understand the need for bettering social institutions as well as individuals.

Violence and Development: Making the Connection

Violence and poverty obstruct the development of human capital -- the term used by economists to describe a nation's collective ideas, labor, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. Nations find it difficult or impossible to take care of their own -- let alone compete in the international marketplace -- when they are burdened with widespread hunger, unemployment, or war. The famine in Somalia that gripped the world's attention in 1992 was the direct result of civil war. The conflict prevented people from planting their crops -- food on which they depended to survive.

People continue to fight wars around the world, eating up precious resources that could be used for human development. In 1993, countries in the global South spent as much on military power as the poorest 2 billion people on earth earned in total income (Sivard, 1993). Further-more, the United States spent $291 billion on military expenditures in 1993 -- seven times the amount spent by Japan, the country with the next largest military budget (U.S. Military Spending, 1993) -- and U.S. spending is still on the rise (Hartung, 1994). Thus, in both poor and wealthy countries, military spending drains resources from social programs, widening the disparities between the rich and the poor (Iatridis, 1988; Korotkin, 1985; Sivard, 1993).

Reducing Violence through Sustainable Human Development

Examples of successful development projects abound, demonstrating that progress can be made when there is a commitment to developing human potential and the leadership to carry out that commitment. Some projects have been initiated by governments that are serious about alleviating social problems; others have been spearheaded by a single individual with a driving vision.

The Grameen Bank, founded by economics professor Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh in 1976, is an example of a cost-effective development initiative that has changed the world. From 1976 to 1994, the bank lent over $1 billion to 2 million people and, in the process, created jobs and supported small businesses (Alliance for a Global Community, 1994b). Nearly half the borrowers have lifted themselves out of poverty.

So successful was Yunus's vision for the poor that his concept of "microenterprise" has been emulated by governments, community groups, and private organizations in Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and the United States. By making small loans (usually less than $100), community-run lending programs enable poor people to boost their earning power, gain greater independence, and better provide for themselves and their children. And with worldwide repayment rates of over 95 percent, such programs have proved that, with support, people can indeed overcome poverty (Alliance for a Global Community, 1994b).

Implications for Social Workers

The future of the United States is intertwined with the futures of the nations of the global South. Social work support for human and economic development efforts around the world makes sense as part of an overall program for addressing domestic concerns. Here are a few examples:

1. Global disparities in wealth contribute to political instability and wars, resulting in an influx of refugees and immigrants into the United States. Other nations' wars also affect the United States by limiting the economic growth of its trade partners, by threatening the security of the country's borders and those of its allies, and by causing environmental degradation that crosses national boundaries.
2. Poverty tempts farmers in the global South to engage in the production of illegal drugs, while social workers combat the effects of drug use in this country.
3. Poverty and hunger give poor workers in the global South no choice but to accept jobs with extremely low wages and poor working conditions, with the result that U.S. companies move many of their operations to these countries to take advantage of cheap labor and jobs flow out of the United States. Meanwhile, social workers in this country struggle with the effects of unemployment and increased prejudice and discrimination against immigrants and racial and ethnic groups that is born out of a desire to blame someone for the country's diminishing real incomes.

Social work's ethic of care requires that there be no distinction between "our" poor and "their" poor. The social justice tradition of the profession provides a moral justification for working toward a time when all people will share the world's wealth. Giving poor people access to resources aimed at improving their health, education, and economic status enhances their capability to lead more fulfilling lives and to improve the lot of their children, both of which have lasting implications for the future.

U.S. social workers are uniquely positioned to participate in the international effort to promote global security and development because they have the following capabilities:

• They know how to develop and implement successful interventions to alleviate social problems. In addition, they are trained to consider a problem at the individual, family, community, organizational, and national levels, and the future points toward the inclusion of an international perspective as well.
• They understand the connection between a client's well-being and the political, social, and economic context within which the client lives.
• They adhere to principles that mirror those of successful development, including addressing the basic unmet needs of people first, listening to people and helping them define their own needs, empowering people to make their own decisions, promoting leadership skills, and encouraging democratic participation.
• They have expertise in issues of inner-city development -- issues that will be more and more essential as the global South becomes increasingly urbanized.

What You Can Do

Here are some ways in which you can help address problems related to violence and development:

• Learn more about nations of the global South and this country's relationship to them, using the references and resources presented at the end of Part 1 as a start. Talk to people from the countries of the global South who are in the United States. Join a study or travel group.
• Educate yourself about U.S. foreign aid by reading a variety of sources. Support foreign assistance aimed at sustainable human development.
• Learn about, support, and participate in international events, such as the World Summit for Social Development and the World Summit on Children.
• Join organizations that are committed to gun control and reducing violence with the use of guns.
• Learn conflict-resolution strategies as an alternative to violence.
• Teach your children and your young clients respect for people from other countries and cultures. Explain that physical aggression is not the smart way to solve problems and educate them about the consequences of violence.

References

Alliance for a Global Community. (1994a). How they compare: Immunization in the U.S. and the developing world. Connections, 1(3).

Alliance for a Global Community. (1994b). Micro-enterprise: Small loans, big returns. Connections, 1(2).

At the crossroads: The future of foreign aid (Occasional Paper No. 4). (1995). (Available from Bread for the World Institute, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 301-608-2400)

Bulhan, H. A. (1985). Frantz Fanon and the psychology of oppression. New York: Plenum Press.

Congressional Quarterly. (1996, June 1). Weekly report.

Hartung, W. D. (1994). And weapons for all. New York: HarperCollins.

Iatridis, D. S. (1988). New social deficit: Neoconservatism's policy of social underdevelopment. Social Work, 33, 11­15.

Just 1% (1995). (Brochure available from InterAction, 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036; phone 202-667-8227)

Kerschner, H. K. (1992). An organizing guide for community-based education and international action. Washington, DC: American Association for International Aging.

Kirsch, I. S., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L., & Kolstad, A. (1993). Adult literacy in America. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

Korotkin, A. (1985). Impact of military spending on the nation's quality of life. Social Work, 30, 369­372.

Shuman, M. (1994). Toward a global village: International community development initiatives. Boulder, CO: Pluto Press.

Shuman, M., & Harvey, H. (1993). Security without war: A post­cold war foreign policy. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Sivard, R. L. (1993). World military and social expenditures 1993. Washington, DC: World Priorities.

United Nations Children's Fund. (1994). The state of the world's children, 1994. New York: Oxford University Press.

United Nations Development Programme. (1995). Human development report, 1995. New York: Oxford University Press.

U.S. military spending: In a league of its own. (1993). (Available from Campaign for New Priorities, 424 C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002; phone 202-544-8226)

World Bank. (1995). World Development Report 1995. New York: Oxford University Press.

Additional Resources

Organizations

Alliance for a Global Community
1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 801
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-667-8227

An organization that publishes Connections, a newsletter, 10 times a year, with information about the connections between the United States and developing countries.

Brookings Institute
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-797-6105

An organization that is engaged in research, education, and publications on important issues of foreign and domestic policy. Publishes the quarterly Brookings Review, as well as a variety of books.

Global Exchange
2017 Mission Street, Suite 303
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415-255-7296 or 1-800-497-1994

An organization that sponsors reality tours and study seminars to Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean and publishes books on international issues.

InterAction: American Council for Voluntary International Action
1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 801
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-667-8227

An umbrella organization for several hundred international development agencies with programs throughout the world.

International Activities Committee
Office of Peace and International Affairs
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street, NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
Phone: 202-336-8388 or 1-800-638-8799

An NASW committee that oversees and coordinates educational and other programs related to international issues and social work and disseminates a newsletter to NASW members who ask to be placed on the international network.

United Nations Department of Public Information
United Nations, Room S-1040
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-963-4475

The department publishes a series of issue papers on topics related to world development, such as the family, human rights, and women, from various UN conferences, for example, the United Nations World Summit for Social Development held in March 1995.

Reports

Human Development Report. Produced by the UN Development Programme (phone 1-800-253-9646) and published annually by Oxford University Press.

Hunger 1995: The Causes of Hunger. Published by Bread for the World Institute (1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 301-608-2400).

The State of the World's Children. Produced by the UN Children's Fund and published annually by Oxford University Press. Available at bookstores or from the U.S. Committee for UNICEF (phone 212-686-5522).

World Development Report. Produced by the World Bank and published annually by Oxford University Press (available from the World Bank Bookstore: phone 202-473-2941).

World Military and Social Expenditures. By Ruth Sivard. Published periodically (every three or so years) by and available from World Priorities (phone 202-965-1661).