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COUNTRIES, REGIONS AND GLOBALIZATION
GLOBALIZATION
• It as an ideology, a condition, a process and a phenomenon.
• Evolved into a catch-all term encompassing a number of connected changes in the
economic, ideological, technological, and cultural domains in educational and
everyday conversation.
• Production has become more globally interconnected, capital and transnational
firms are much more mobile, and there have been significant changes to how the
economy works.
• Become the source of conflicts and issues across different regions. Because of this,
regionalization has become an essential strategy for nations within the same region
in order to avoid dealing with the negative effect of globalization.
• Also draws lines between rich and poor, developed and developing states or
what we call the global divides.
•
Region vs. Regionalism vs. Regionalization
REGION
• Collection of nations that share a common geographic location and are set up to
control and monitor policy decisions and flow.
REGIONALISM
• Development of political, economic, or social systems based on loyalty to a distinct
geographic region with a largely ideologically and culturally homogeneous
population
• Leads to formally agreed to arrangements between groups of countries
intended to express a common sense of identity while achieving common goals
and improving quality of life. (Longley, 2021)
• The term actually encompasses a broader area. It can be examined in relation
to identities, ethics, religion, ecological sustainability, and health.
• It is the process of dividing an area into a smaller-segments, called regions. It
also refers to formal economic cooperation and economic arrangements of a
group of countries aimed at facilitating or enhancing regional integration.
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REGIONALIZATION
• Described as the practice or trend of separating regions into little portions and
dividing huge areas into regions or distinct. (Regionalization | Definition,
Examples & Principles - Video & Lesson Transcript, 2022)
GLOBAL DIVIDES
• Socio-economic and political division between the wealthy developed countries, known
to be the North and the poorer developed countries known to be the south.
• Known as the development gap which puts greater emphasis on the gap between the
economically rich and poor countries.
• The North–South divide is not an exact line, but one that can involve many
stereotypes, presumptions and other impressions of the surrounding region relative to
other regions.
• Criteria, such as unemployment rates, rates of infant mortality and life expectancy,
standards of living, and distribution of income can be used to determine a country's
status.
FIRST WORLD
• "Developed countries"
• Considered to have reached the upper echelon of advancement in several categories.
• (66) Andorra, Czech Republic, Italy, New Zealand, Slovakia, Argentina, Denmark
Japan, Norway, Slovenia, Australia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Oman, South Korea
Austria, Finland, Kuwait, Panama, Spain, Bahamas, France, Latvia, Poland, Sweden,
Bahrain, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, Lithuania,
Qatar, Thailand, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Romania, Trinidad and Tobago,
Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Russia, Turkey, Canada, Hungary, Malta, San Marino,
United Arab Emirates, Chile, Iceland, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom,
Costa Rica, Ireland, Montenegro, Serbia, United States, Croatia, Israel, Netherland,
Singapore, Uruguay
SECOND WORLD
• Characterized by moderate economic development, political stability, and a
relatively high standard of living compared to developing countries.
• so-called Communist Bloc: the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and friends.
• Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, East Germany, Hungary,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Rep. of, Moldova,
Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
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THIRD WORLD
• Economically poor and non-industrialized countries, as well as newly
industrialized countries.
• Those that display economic, social, political, and environmental issues such as
high poverty rates, economic instability, and lack of essential human resources
compared to the rest of the world.
• Afghanistan, Angola , Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina, Faso Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Djibouti, Philippines, East Timor, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Ghana, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos,
Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua
New Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands,
South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo,
Tuvalu, Uganda Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe
GLOBAL NORTH
• Designated as developed countries or the First World
• The term "Global North" implies the relative strength and richness of nations in various
regions of the world rather than a geographic area in the traditional sense
• United States, Canada, England, nations of the European Union, as well as
Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and even some countries in the southern
hemisphere: Australia, and New Zealand.
GLOBAL SOUTH
• Designated as developing countries or the Third World.
• Sometimes referred to as the “majority world” despite the fact that the South has
historically been home to the vast majority of the world's population, the South's share
of the world's population is growing as the North's fertility rates have decreased more
dramatically.
• Common usage as an alternative to the long-standing geographical and cultural
partition of the world into West and East.
• New names avoided the stigma associated with the term the Third World, and
created the hope that a new world order—one in which the North would be fairer
to the South—was underway. (North And South, The (Global), 2023)
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BRANDT LINE
• created in the 1980s
• divides the world into wealthier and poorer nations, with wealthier nations in the
Northern Hemisphere and impoverished nations in tropical areas in the Southern
Hemisphere.
• Over time, it was realized that despite having higher GDPs, countries like
Argentina, Malaysia, and Botswana are considered in the "Global South," while
Ukraine is among the poorest.
• Many less developed nations have made substantial economic and social progress
• Inequality inside nations has also been rising, and some observers now refer to
the richer or poorer groups that may be found both within and across nations as
the "Global North" and the "Global South," respectively.
REASONS FOR THE PERSISTENT DISADVANTAGE OF THE SOUTH
• They include the South’s historical legacy of disadvantage, much of it stemming
from the colonial system
• Economic and development costs associated with enduring and fighting various
diseases, especially malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, all of which affect a
substantial number of adults, who would otherwise be more productive.
• High levels of Southern indebtedness, poor governance, and corruption are also
important causes.
• Comparatively high fertility rate in most developing countries, especially those that are
the poorest. This leads to a proportionately large number of children and young adults,
many of whom are poorly educated, underemployed, and vulnerable to disease and
economic exploitation.
• Northern countries have behaved collectively as though it is just and proper that
the economic and social privileges of Northern populations be enhanced by
Southern poverty.
• United by comparative disadvantage and poverty, but divided by differences in
culture, language, religion, fertility rates, and stocks of oil and other natural resources.
China and India
• The South has also been divided by the policies of OPEC, a cartel whose richest
countries have shown little interest in promoting the broader interest of the
South. (North And South, The (Global), 2023)
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NON-STATE REGIONALISM
• is an international organization in the regions whose members are common
people or philanthropists and not directly connected to the states. (University of
Mindanao, 2021-2022)
• Relies on the power of individuals or nonstate actors, such as non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), multinational corporations, and international advocacy
groups, who can play a significant role in non-state regionalism, and associations
to link up with one another in pursuit of a particular goal. It’s identified
with reformists who share the same values, norms, institutions and systems.
• Tiny associations that include no more than a few actors and focus on a single
issue, or huge continental unions that address a multitude of common problems
from territorial defense to food security
• Rely on the power of individuals
• Specifically emphasizes the involvement of non-governmental actors (non-state
actors) in regional integration processes.
Examples of Non-State Regional Groups:
A. Rainforest Foundation
• They protect indigenous peoples and the rainforest of Brazil, Guyana,
Panama and Peru.
B. Regional Interfaith Youth Networks
• In 2006, Religions for Peace launched six Regional Interfaith Youth
Networks, in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and
Latin America and the Caribbean. They Promote conflict prevention,
resolution, peace education, and sustainable development.
C. Migrant Forum
• They are another regional network of NGOs Trade unions who are
committed to protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of migrant
workers. (University of Mindanao, 2021-2022)
"New regionalism"
• typically refers to a theoretical framework or approach that examines the
changing nature of regional cooperation and integration in the contemporary
world.
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STATE REGIONALISM
➢ Coordination of countries and a general phenomenon or may refer to a formal project,
policy, or scheme promoted by regional states and the term actually encompasses a
broader area.
Regional Governance
• They collaborate with government representatives to make decisions on regional
issues.
• Can enhance democratic representation
• Non-state actors often have strong connections to local communities, ensuring that the
voices of the public are heard and considered in regional governance.
• The participation of non-state actors towards the regional governance also brings
conflicts, non-state actors may have their own agendas, which may not always align
with the broader regional interests and this can lead to conflicts of interest and decision-
making challenges.
• In regions with significant indigenous populations, organizations representing
indigenous peoples, such as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) in the
Cordillera region, advocate for the rights, culture, and well-being of indigenous
communities. These organizations empower indigenous communities to have a
voice in decisions that affect them. They often facilitate community
consultations and engagement with government authorities to ensure that
indigenous perspectives are considered in policy and development processes.
• Organizations focused on culture and heritage work to preserve and promote the
cultural identity and traditions of a region.
• It often involves a careful balance between government authority and non-
governmental input to ensure effective, inclusive, and accountable regional
governance.
• The key is to establish clear rules and mechanisms for participation,
transparency, and accountability to make the involvement of non-state actors a
positive and constructive force in regional decision-making.
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CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES TO REGIONALISM
DIFFERENCE of GLOBALISM AND REGIONALISM
movement
towards
economic
integration
and
development
of more than
one country.
What could be the contemporary challenges to Regionalism?
➢ Organizations’ primary power lies in their moral standing and their ability to combine
lobbying with pressure politics.
o Unfortunately, most of them are poorly financed, which places that
adisadvantage when dealing with their official counterparts who have
large state funds. Their impact in global politics is, therefore, limited.
➢ The most serious of which is the resurgence of militant nationalism and populism
o The refusal to dismantle NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union, for
example, has become the basis of the anti-NATO rhetoric of Vladimir
Putin in Russia Now, even the relationship of the United States—the
alliance’s core member—with NATO has become problematic after
Donald Trump demonized the organization as simply leeching off
American military power without giving anything in return.
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➢ The most crisis-ridden regional organization of today is the European Union
(EU).
o The continuing financial crisis of the region is forcing countries like Greece
to consider leaving the Union to gain more flexibility in their economic
policy Anti-immigrant sentiment and a populist campaign against
Europe have already led to the United Kingdom voting to leave the
European Union in a move the media has termed the “Brexit.”
➢ ASEAN members continue to disagree over the extent to which member
countries should sacrifice their sovereignty for the sake of global stability
o The Association’s link to East Asia (China, Japan and South Korea) has
also been problematic—ASEAN countries also disagreed over on how
to relate to China, with the Philippines unable to get the other
countries to support its condemnation of China’s occupation of the West
Philippine Sea Cambodia and Laos led the opposition favoring diplomacy
over confrontation, but the real reason was the dramatic increase of
Chinese investments and economic aid to these countries When some
formerly authoritarian countries democratized, this “participatory
regionalism” clashed with ASEAN’s policy of noninterference, as civil
society groups in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand demanded
that the other countries democratized adopt a more open attitude
towards foreign criticism.
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➢ Differing visions of what regionalism should be for Western governments may
see regional organizations not simply as economic formations but also as
instruments of political democratization.
o Non-Western and developing countries, however, may have a different
view regarding globalization, development, and democracy Singapore,
China and Russia see democracy as an obstacle to the implementation and
deepening of economic globalization because constant public inquiry
about economic projects and lengthy debate slows down implementation
or lead to unclear outcomes Democracy’s tedious procedures must,
therefore, give way to efficiency
➢ Discord that may emerge among them.
o For example, disagreements surface over issues like gender and religion,
with pro-choice NGOs breaking from religious civil society groups that
side with the Church, Muslim imams, or governments opposed to
reproductive rights and other pro-women policies.
NOTE:
Addressing these contemporary challenges to regionalism requires flexibility,
adaptability, and a commitment to finding common solutions among member states.
Regional organizations must evolve and respond to changing global circumstances to
effectively promote cooperation and achieve their goals.
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