Failing States: Role in a Deteriorating World

By Andrew OlsenMarch 23, 2010

What Makes a Country a Failing State

12 Indicators Categorized by 3 TypesSocial IndicatorsEconomic IndicatorsPolitical Indicators

177 countries as of 2009 are listed on the Failed State Index as compared to 146 in 2006 and 75 in 2005

Twelve Indicators:Social Indicators

1. Mounting Demographic Pressures

High Population Density, Lack of Freedom for Human & Physical Activity, Disputes over Settlements, Skewed Population Distribution

2. Internally Displaced PersonsViolence, Repression, Disease, Dirty Water, Competition

3. Group ParanoiaPersecutions, Fighting Based on Group Differences, Political

Exclusion

4. Sustained Human FlightEmigration by Intellects and Middle Class, Exile

Twelve Indicators:Economic Indicators

5. Uneven Economic DevelopmentInequality in Education and Jobs, Impoverishment

6. Economic DeclineDevaluation of Currency, Illegal Trafficking,

Decreased Per Capita Income

Twelve Indicators:Political Indicators

7. Delegitimization of the StateCorruption, Loss of Confidence in Institutions,

Increase im Crime

8. Deterioration of Public ServicesAbsence of State Functions, Lack of Agencies

Serving Governing Body

9. Widespread Violation of Human Rights

Doctorial Military Rule, Political Violence, Increase in Political Prisoners

Twelve Indicators:Political Indicators (cont’d)10. Violence from Security

Small Private Militias to Eliminate Political Competition, Rival Militias, Guerilla Forces, and Private Armies.

11. Fractionalized ElitesFragmentation of State Institutions

12. External Political ActorsOverdependence on Foreign Aid and Peace

Making.

A Review: The World’s Failing States

Rank Country Score Rank Country Score1 Somalia 114.7 11 Cote de Ivoire 102.52 Zimbabwe 114.0 12 Haiti 101.83 Sudan 112.4 13 Burma 101.54 Chad 112.2 14 Kenya 101.45 Democratic Republic of the Congo 108.7 15 Nigeria 99.86 Iraq 108.6 16 Ethiopia 98.97 Afganistan 108.2 17 North Korea 98.38 Central African Republic 105.4 18 Yemen 98.19 Guinea 104.6 19 Bangladesh 98.1

10 Pakistan 104.1 20 Timor-Leste 97.2

Brown, Lester Russell. Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to save Civilization. New York: W. W. Norton, 2009. Print.

Somalia

President is Sharif Ahmed He issued a statement to the

Guardian, a UK News Source (March 7, 2010)

He does not consider his country a failing state, but he implores the help of other countries

He is developing ways to defeat the terrorists in his country

By organizing ways to defeat terrorists, he does not consider Somalia a failing state

"Somalia Is Not a Failed State | Sharif Ahmed | Comment Is Free | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. "Somalia Map AFRICA - Country Map of Somalia." Greece Map (Grecia) | Detailed Map of Greece

In the News of Recent in the US

April 2009: Somalian Pirates take Control of US Cargo Ship

After freeing crew, Captain is Kidnapped

Pirate killed by US Navy Sharpshooters while at Sea

What to do with Somalia?

Can we consider them as bad as a failing states as aforementioned? Yes

Signs of a strong leader are encouraging

Recently, Sharif Ahmed signed with a militia (Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca) to help lead in military offensive on enemies to the administration

Civil War on the Rise?

Sharif Ahmed wants to rid his country of terrorism

No outside support has yetWhat can people in countries like

the USA do?

Haiti: #12

Everyone is aware of the recent Earthquake to devastate the country

Billions of dollars have been raised

Is this really the right way of going about it?

"Haiti Earthquake Appeals Raise Millions - Mirror.co.uk." News Headlines, Celebs and Football - Mirror.co.uk

Money to Haiti?

Reuters, an economic news source in the US, states that sending money is not going to work

Only mobilizing man power can help HaitiDestination of Money unknown: Primary

recipient is a charity called YeleYele have only one tax filing in 12-year

historyNo monitoring that money is going to Haiti

What to do for Somalia, Haiti, and others?

Money is hard to track, therefore what you may be donating may not be for what it is being used for

The UN is raising money to send manpower to Haiti; manpower is the most logical solution

Increasing Population

17 of the top 20 failing states are in the top 100 countries that have the highest rate of population growth in 2008

More People=More ResourcesSomalia is 21, Haiti is 35Population control in necessary

Lowest GDP

17 of the 20 Failing States are in the top 50 countries with the lowest GDP per capita

Think…

Which would solve the other: Solving population problems would

solve GDP problemsSolving GDP problems would solve

population problems

Stop Population Growth, Lower GDP Per Capita

Education must be provided to these failing states to stop population growth

GDP per capita is based on population, with decreasing population, higher GDP

Man power is the answer to improve education

Leasing of Land

"FROM SUPPLY TO FOOD SECURITY | UNEP/GRID-Arendal - Publications - The Environmental Food Crisis."

Our Failing States Leasing Land

4 of the top 5 Failing States have other countries using their farmlandSudanChadZimbabweDemocratic Republic of the Congo

Others on the ListPakistan

1/5 of Failing States listed has their land being leased

Sustainability

Problems are evident in these countries

Overpopulation is a big issueLack of food is a problemGovernments are not stable

enough to fix these problems

What Can be Done

Money is not workingSending resources would be a better option:

People for education and to restructure government and economy

Food, water, building suppliesReducing poverty would reduce problems in

these countriesDecrease population

Give the people the landRegulate the inter-country leasing of farmland

What Can We Do

Develop ways to send resources to the Failing States

Keep InformedAs a regular person, there is not

much we can do. The governments of “successful” countries need to be motivated.

Works Cited"Al Jazeera English - Africa - Somalia Signs Deal with Militia." Al Jazeera English - AJE. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/03/20103165416919724.html>.

Brown, Lester Russell. Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to save Civilization. New York: W. W. Norton, 2009. Print.

"FROM SUPPLY TO FOOD SECURITY | UNEP/GRID-Arendal - Publications - The Environmental Food Crisis." UNEP/GRID-Arendal - Home. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/food-crisis/page/3570.aspx>.

"The Fund for Peace - Failed States Index FAQ." Welcome to the Fund for Peace. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.fundforpeace.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=327#3>.

"Haiti Earthquake Appeals Raise Millions - Mirror.co.uk." News Headlines, Celebs and Football - Mirror.co.uk. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/16/haiti-earthquake-appeals-raise-millions-115875-21971249/>.

"Hostage Captain Rescued; Navy Snipers Kill 3 Pirates - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/>.

"List of Poorest Countries in the World." World Rankings and Records. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.aneki.com/countries.php?t=Poorest_Countries_in_the_World&table=fb129&places=*=*&order=asc&decimals=--&dependency=independent&number=all&cntdn=asc&r=-89-90-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-100-101-102-103&c=&measures=Country--GDP%20per%20capita&file=poorest>.

"PE Html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd" Dont Give Money to Haiti | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters." Reuters.com. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2010/01/15/dont-give-money-to-haiti/>.

"Population Growth Rate by Country. Definition, Graph and Map." NationMaster - World Statistics, Country Comparisons. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_pop_gro_rat-people-population-growth-rate>.

"Somalia Is Not a Failed State | Sharif Ahmed | Comment Is Free | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/07/somalia-failed-state-al-qaida>.

"Somalia Map AFRICA - Country Map of Somalia." Greece Map (Grecia) | Detailed Map of Greece. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.greece-map.net/africa/somalia-map.htm>.