Exercises on Development

Country Profile:
Country chosen: _______________
1. Summarize the information in the section labeled “Economy-Overview”, highlighting the country’s economic strengths, weaknesses, and recent economic history.

2. Complete the chart below, first providing the data for your country with the information found on the web site. Then, for purposes of comparison, find the same data for the United States.

3. Based on what you have learned so far about the country you were assigned, state two conclusions about its greatest economic challenges.

a.

b.

Global Economic Summit
In this activity, you will participate in a GLOBAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT conference, playing the roles of delegates, from one of the following highly industrialized or developing nations: Angola, Bolivia, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, The United Kingdom, Vietnam, and Yemen.

The summit has been called to debate and vote on these resolutions:
1. ALL BARRIERS TO FREE TRADE BETWEEN NATIONS (E.G., TARIFFS OR QUOTAS) SHOULD BE ELIMINATED.
2. THE WORLD’S WEALTHIEST NATIONS SHOULD FORGIVE ALL THE DEBT OWED THEM BY THE WOLRD’S POOREST COUNTRIES
3. A NATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY STEPS TO DEVELOP ITS INDUSTRIES, EVEN IF THEY HARM THE ENVIRONMENT.

AGENDA
The Chairperson will conduct the summit according to the following agenda:
a. Call to order
b. One member of each delegation will present an overview of his or her nations’s economy, briefly discussing the nations’ economic strengths and challenges.
c. Discussion of Resolution 1: A spokesperson should present his or her nation’s position on the resolution.
d. Vote on Resolution 1. Each delegation shall have one vote.

e. Discussion on Resolution 2. A spokesperson should present his or her nation’s position on the resolution.
f. Vote on Resolution 2. Each delegation shall have one vote

g. Discussion on Resolution 3. A spokesperson should present his or her nation’s position on the resolution.
h. Vote on Resolution 3. Each delegation shall have one vote.

Debriefing the Global Summit

After completing the Global Summit, answer the following questions:
1) What did you learn about the importance of the three issues (free trade, debt forgiveness, and the effects of economic development on the environment) discussed at our summit to the developing nations?
2) Which of the tree issues did you find most interesting to discuss?
3) To what extent did the world’s developing nations agree with the world’s highly industrialized nations on the three issues? To what extent did they disagree?
4) What were the most important arguments presented for ending all barriers to free trade? What were the most important arguments presented against a free-trade policy? Which side presented the stronger case?
5) What were the most important arguments presented for forgiving the debt owed by the world’s poorest nations? What were the most important arguments presented against forgiving the debt owed by the world’s poorest nations? Which side presented the stronger case?
6) What were the most important arguments presented for allowing a developing nation to take all the necessary steps to develop its industry, even if the steps harm the environment? What were the most important arguments presented against allowing a developing nation to take all the necessary steps to develop its industry, even if the steps harm the environment? Which side presented the stronger case?
7) To what extent do you believe that developing nations should be responsible for solving their own problems? To what extent do you believe that the highly industrialized nations should be responsible for solving the problems of the world’s poorest nations?
8) In what ways can the highly industrialized nations best support developing economies’ efforts to improve standards of living?

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Last updated on April 22, 2004
© Kaya V. P. Ford, 2004