In the era of globalization challenges of Disparities among humanity are growing everywhere. The powerful forces hit different places differently! The polarized arguments regarding the gains and pains of globalization have been gaining momentum and the for and against debates do not seems to reach any consensus and hence it remains an open-ended question!

A distinguished Indian-American journalist Fareed Zakaria of CNN contends that

“…hetre is a wretched view of contemporary life owing to globalization, those against it professes that a dysfunctional global order producing stagnant earnings, growing uncertainty, insecurity and environmental deterioration…“ Such groups of opinions are enthusiastically backed by the evolution of the right-wing nationalists and become fertile ground for the evolution of populist politicians. But is this representation in fact true?

“Are we moving so painfully that we need to be back to the old age practice and is that practical” He inquires.

What is the bottom line for such rambling nabobs of resentment! The key story for the development community that has been pouncing globally making head-lines and considered as one of breathtaking progress since 1990 is regarding infant mortality. According to the most recent UNICEF statistics,

The world made phenomenal improvement in infant survival in the recent few decades and millions of kids have better survival chances than in 1990. To illustrate 1 in 26 children passed before attaining age 5 in 2017, contrasted to 1 in 11 in 1990. It has boosted up improvement in slashing child mortality in the 2000–2017 period contrasted with the 1990s, with the annual percentage of a cutback in the overall under-five mortality rate rising from 1.9 percent in 1990–2000 to 4.0 percent in 2000–2017. Despite the universal improvement in reducing infant mortality over the previous few decades, about 5.4 million kids under age 5 passed in 2017—roughly half of those deaths took place in sub-Saharan Africa. Mortality rates among older kids and young adolescents (aged 5-14) also declined by over 50 percent since 1990, even though approximately one million infants vanished in this age group in 2017 alone. The overall burden of infant deaths is a plea for critical and united effort to significantly enhance the survival chances of the world’s children.

Besides, undernourishment has dropped by 41%, one billion people have climbed out of absolute poverty and on and on. Inequality from a universal context has dwindled greatly. All these have resulted essentially because of countries from China, India, Ethiopia that has followed more market-friendly practices and western countries have helped them access to markets, humanitarian aids have been scaled up and loan forgiveness has been granted. These are policies supported by these very global elites. Look at any resolution at a universal viewpoint and the statistics are astonishing. I share the cold response some will have to these statistics. These figures relate to the world but may not be especially true for the Ethiopian situation. Things might have advanced for the Chinese, but not for the dozens of rich countries. More bewilderingly, the left traditionally is connected to universal thinking is now becoming critical of these chronicles.

We deprived women of the workforce market in the 1950s and in a dangerous situation and women can hardly work higher than centrism secretaries, 1980 when 2/3 of the world stagnated under state communism, oppression and desolation. What group of elites? Kings, commissars, moderates, or who run the world better than the current hatch batch of politicians, businessmen, and professionals and so forth?

Even in the West, it is unambiguous to take for granted the wondrous progress they live longer! The air and water are cleaners, science and conversations are essentially free economically there have been gains crucially though they have not been distributed equally! However, there have been remarkable advancements in access and freedoms for substantial sections of the community of the state. People who are locked out and pushed down are … female membership in the three organs of the government has been surging. In each sector, there has been astonishing development. I realize that a greater number of Ethiopian are nevertheless under economic pressure and these people often feel marginalized, dominated, ignored and left behind from the progress made. And even they think these happened by deliberate policy designs!

Extensive research further establishes that some of their discomforts come from observing the community that those who were supposed to be stay behind are moving up, coming into the vigorous competition, taking big business and creating a new challenge and a new system. That these gains might create discomforts to some is not a reason to pose nor forget that it represents a deep and lasting human progress we should celebrate!

Nevertheless, there seems nonstop discussions, controversies and attitudes whether globalization is grace or a curse remains wrestling ground and hence I humbly believed that we could share great opinions on such vital agenda and it could be a top opportunity to be enlightened and get a tremendous lesson from the wonderful people of academic community!