A. SUMMARY.
Grant[1] believes that the progress in science and
technology has offered man the opportunity to achieve a global economic development.
He points out that there are increases in the average annual G.N.P. of the developing countries but notes that only a minority are better off, while the majority poor are still worse off. Massive drift into the already over-crowded cities and towns poses a health problem. Therefore, the churches he says, must play their role in defining man’s relationship to man with respect to the preservation of man’s evironment and fair distribution of the benefits of economic growth.[2] For society itself now realizes that economic growth, affluence and material well being are not the be all and end all in life.
Grant also recognizes three basic causes of underdevelopment in the poorer nations: In comparison with the richer nations, the physical endowments of the poor nations which
include their natural resources and capital
1. Mr.James P.Grant was President of the Overseas Council, Washington and a member of the WCC Commission on the Churches’ Participation in Development, He writes on: "Can The Churches Promote Development?"
2. "... the role of the churches in social justice - their social responsibility in today’s changing world is a challenge and an opportunity that the churches can no longer
ignor Social justice is the concern of religious
leaders; it is not the speciality of engineers, farmers, political scientists or economists."[E.R.Vol.26,page 22]
accumulation are much less. And the international economic
environment is unsuitable for their development. The
international economic structure, he says, was designed by the developed nations to meet their own needs and in their own favour against the interest of the developing nations. Thus growth in the developing nations would continue to be
blocked by the international economic structure. He
therefore suggests that changes be made in the ways the rich nations relate to the poor nations, as this would make for a real increase in the transfer of resources to the poor nations.
For the purpose of international trade. Grant suggests that the developed nations concentrate on products that require high level skills and capital and the developing nations on labour intensive industrial products. But he regrets that the developed nations are working against this, for example, by restricting access of poor country products to their markets.[1] He therefore suggests that changes be made in international trade relations and in the developing nations for mass participation in the production process.[2] The problems of development and social justice, he says, should be seen by the churches as a great challenge and a
IT“ETRTvôî726,page 28.
2. "Reform within countries ~ as well as changes in the trade, investment and aid patterns between rich and poor nations have become more than requirements of justice: they are becoming fundamental to the political survival of nations and of the international system. Greater equality of opportunity to participate, rather than more aid of their welfare variety, is the most urgent need of the poor as well
as of the low-income states within the community of
great opportunity for them to put their faith to work and avoid taking sides with the privileged few and the powerful in society. For the churches "...are slow to change where the basic need is structural reform, in which their parishioners-whether landlords, doctors or skilled workers- are asked to give up their vested interests in favour of the
disadvantaged. The established churches after all are
heavily dominated by the already successful ... however, the churches do have certain unique potential for providing leadership in development. First, the churches cut across many class and geographical lines. Second, Christianity has much to say on the subject of social justice, and once injustices are apparent, there are forces within the church that seek an honest treatment of the issue and challenge the church to take the lead in encouraging remedial change... Third, Christian teaching does stir many to action on behalf of Christian principles, even where the churches themselves,
with all their interests in the status quo, may
not,"[E.R.Vol.26, page 30]
The churches should try to analyse the problems of societies in sufficient depth and find solutions to these problems with a minimum of social cost; this should not be left to others.[1]
1. "Their emphasis is in protesting injustice, leaving to others the intellectual arena. As a result, it is the scholars of development, not the intellectuals of the churches, who are now hammaring out the new doctrine that greater equity and greater participation by the poor majority of a nation can support and reinforce development, not retard it."[E.R.Vol.26,page 32]
B. COMMENT.
Grant may be wrong to say that the natural resources of the poorer nations are much less in comparison with the rich
nations’ and that this contributes to their
under-development.[1] No other writer shares this view. They argue rather that their lack of capital, technology and qualified manpower, with the problem of corruption, exploitation, adverse trade terms and unfair international economic structure are partly responsible for their
under-development. Though Hastings believes that the
resources of most African countries were far more limited than previously anticipated during the early years of their independence,[2] this does not mean that their resources were that much less than those of the rich nations as to keep them still under-developed. In fact if the issues and the difficulties created by what the other writers have pointed out are properly dealt with, almost every nation would possibly attain full authentic development and our world would also be made more peaceful.
1. E.R.Vol.26,page 25.
2. A.Hastings; A History of African Christianity, 1950-1975,
3. AARON TOLEN (ECUMENICAL REVIEW VOLUME 26. 1974 PAGES