the Hill 2004 - Hoover Library - McDaniel College

FINAL
WORD
The View from Nepal: Poverty is a Global Problem
Y U A I BAS N ETT • 03
Acolleague working in an area just that lack of op!>orrunities, cnstrnined by
~~;~r.~·:~~~l~:rk.I~~O. t~tn~~.~~,rI1~~;s f~c~:r:t~::l:~e~~'~er::~~, ;,~~:l~~e ~:m.
see the sunrise, we say to each support the market theory I learned in the
other, '\Ve have one more day classroom. j\tlarket operations does result
to live." Thatis the difference in economic allocation of scarce resources.
between being a senior 011 the where markets have been allowed to
Hill and working here in Knrhrnandu. func~ion without e;{ternal. restrictions, they
After graduating in 2003 with a double- COntl11UC to perform and Improve the lives
major in Economics and Political Science, of the people. J have seen small markets in
I rcrumed to the capital of my native remote areas, isolated from other parts of
Nepal to work for an international, non- the country, ~ontinue to function efficiently
governmental organization called \Vorld by setting prices that reflect the true costs,
Vision International-Nepal. Iam a micro- providing essential market signals for farm,
enterprise development associate and myers and traders alike. Entire communities
work involves economic empowerment of continue to live and exist through these
people in the rural sectors of this country. signals. \Vhat is most interesting is that
Our clock is approximately 14 hours some imported economist did not impose
ahead of United States Eastern Standard market theory on these communities; it is
Time. But in so many other tangible ways, a working dynamic that has existed ever
our economy is light years behind. since human settlemcnt.
The country exists in a "rime-warp" I have witnessed fish farmers set the
where three political forces exist together- daily price of their products depending on
monarchy, Nhoism, democracy-c-all 'ying market prices, resulting in accruing profits.
for a piece of the pic. Nepal is among the I have had the privilege to learn from a
poorest nud least-developed countries in women's self-help group, created for ecothe
world, ranking 144 with per capita nomic empowerment by the International
annual income at $21 0, according to the Labor Organization. The 100-plus mem-
United Nations Development Program's bers conduct financial tronsactiona among
Human Development Index. A Maoist themselves better than any commercial
insurgency bunched in 1996 has further bank in Nepal; they provide interest on
destabilized the country. savings of 5-6 percent (2 percent higher
My original plan did not involve returning than commercial banks) and provide loans
to my home country after graduation. 1 was at 12 percent (2 percent lower than cernaccepted
and eager to enroll in a graduate mercia! banks). The entire group consists
program at the University of London of women who possess no formal eduCltion
School of Oriental and African Studies, but and neither are they being tutored by any
could not secure the funding to attend economist: what makes them perform at
Happily, my education ur NlcDaniei has such levels is that they study the market
provided me with the intellectual signals, worry deeply about profits and
weapons [need [Q carry out the job Iam conduct their transactions in the most
doing right now-when I •__ =*===:=;;;; efficient manner.
run our of ammunition In Kaski district,
1 will find a wav to entire villages
go back to sch~o1.
have renounced
Here, I have lIsageof
already learned chemical
so much.
manures311d
After numerous
have adopted
interactions, I've
organic
concluded that
funning. Hie
people in poverty
are financiallv
are equally capable of
supporting the;n.
benering their lives; it's
Their products have
already found favorable markets and are
profiting far better than their counterparts,
who are engaged
in using chemical
manures and traditional farming.
HOlVever, this optimism is limited by
restriction on international trade. 1 can
foresee a stage of saturation of local mar-
~ets. ~emand for such products are higher
111 the International markets and the costs
of production lower here, so by economic
principles alone, Nepal possesses a cornparanve
advmnage.
But I know it is next to
impossible for this enterprise to enter
mternatlOnalmarketsbec:1usethefurmers'
lobby in the United
States and Western
Europe will never allow this enterprise to
do business, no matter how competitive
~hey are. Hence, these farmers' annual
Income will rise, but never so much to
transform them and, therefore, they will
COntinue to live in poverty
marginal
improvement
with only
I have learned that a farmer in
a village knows as much about
economics as I do and that a
rickshaw puller in the city knows
as much about politics.
The above-mentioned is just one of the
many factors that limit development. \Ne
have our fair share of blame for the deStitution,
but the international community has
Its fair share as it continues
to cxist in a
hypocrisy where globalization does not
mean free flow of goods and services across
the oard, but rather only my goods and
servIces not yours.
k 1 have learned that a farmer in a vilbg e
news as much about economics as [ do
and that a rickshaw puller in the city knows
as much abonr politics. And what we all
~on't know too well is where the ch~nge
lies. The only difference between them ~nd
me is th~t J can drnw the m~rgill