Here is an eye-catching development from a corner of Europe! Wallonia, a small constituent of Belgium has vetoed a prospective deal with Canada, citing environmental and social reasons.This has paid put to intensive negotiations that preceded the tabling of the proposition.
Wallonia has been 'faced with a "marmalade of texts" ,and needed time to assess the legal value..'The Belgians thought that every time one tries to impose ultimatum (in this case, the EU),'it makes calm discussions and a democratic debate impossible.'
The rejection of a deal by small constituency of a country amounts to a veto by the whole country. That is right to dissent and franchise is all about.
EU has drawn flak from the Brexiters on the ground as to how an unelected body goes into petty-fogging about size of banana or types of cheese to enter the common market, let alone laying down generalized prescriptions as though there's a one-size-fit-all solution to problems.
Some in Britain like to speculate that the UK could perhaps cut a deal with Canada. British prime minister Theresa May, however, refused to give a blow-by-blow account of what she intends to do by way of fleshing out the gaps following Brexit.
That said about the regulatory swipes of an economic grouping, some of which may have been benevolent while others need to be perfected, we may turn to the amorphous set of conventions rather than rules of globalization.
For all its inevitability, interdependence and growing- together philosophy, globalization has left behind a large chunk of the world on development parameters. This is obviously because of the seamless yet non-inclusive , unfocused and asymmetrical expansion of globalization.
This phenomenon is intertwined with geo-political power struggle; defence of life-style choices; ideological, religious and ethnic predilections; economic groupings or trade blocs.The formidable admixture is manifestly present in varying degrees with the following impacts.
In the first place, huge residues of internally displaced or externally thrown-up people from war ravaged Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya apart, we have had a gigantic migration problem on our hands. The intensified, mutually cancelling battle targets within an unwinnable war in Syria have given rise to the worst humanitarian disaster in recent times.
This in turn has had three serious repercussions: first, the UNHCR has revealed much to its discomfiture that developing countries who are neighbours to a crisis despite their limited capacities have to host a major portion of the exodus. By contrast, the developed world's problematic attitude is symbolised by the demolition of the 'jungle' at Calais, a squalor-infested collection of make-shift plastic-wrapped shags.
Both West and East European countries, after an initial show of sympathies-the former more than the latter-now balk even at the idea of agreeing to any burden-sharing formula. The terror attacks in Paris and Germany were perpetrated largely by their naturalized citizens of Middle-East origin. Also, there's a speculation that a beleaguered ISIS may have been pushing their men into the refugee ranks.
As a result, we see a spate in xenophobia amongst the people on the one hand ;and on the other, the rise of the Far-right in political discourses, let alone in electoral politics of some reputably liberal democracies.
One upshot of the desperate migratory trend relates to the danger of human traffickers trying to cash in on it. There is a strong impression of this may be actually happening. If unchecked, this could jeopardise prospects for the genuine refugees.
Sooner rather than later, however, the powerful at the top of the world's pecking order must feel obliged to address the root causes of what in the first place had triggered the unprecedented migratory surges. A collective statesmanship is imperative if we are to apply a screeching halt to a free fall of a catastrophic proportion that stares us in the face.
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- Friday, 22 November 2024 |
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