GHANA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

MEANING OF KEY TERMS

§  Globalization is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. It is primarily economic in nature but encompasses social and cultural aspects.

Or 

Globalisation refers to the sharing of ideas, cultures and increased interaction among people facilitated by technological skills.

 

§  International community refers to the community of nations all over the world

 

§  Co-operation refers to the coming together of individuals or nations whose main aim is to work together for their common interest.

 

§  Interdependence can be described as the relationships in which the members of one group are mutually dependent on the others.

 

§  Self-sufficiency refers to a state whereby one can sustain itself without using outside resources

 

§  Trade Agreement - it is defined as any contractual agreement between countries concerning their trade relationships with each other. The agreement may be political, economic, and technological.

 

 TYPES OF CO-OPERATION

There are basically two (2) types of co-operation. These are:

Ø  Bilateral co-operation: is a type of co-operation which exist between two countries. For example, co-operation between Ghana and Nigeria to promote trade.

 

Ø  Multilateral co-operation: is a type of co-operation which exists between several countries and international organizations. Examples include, Commonwealth of Nations, United Nation (UN), etc.

 

FORMS OF CO-OPERATION

Ø  Economic co-operation (the aim is to solve their economic problems.)

 

Ø  Political co-operation (the aim is to promote their political interest)

 

Ø  Cultural co-operation (the aim is to promote better understanding among the countries involved in areas such as languages and culture. E.g Pan-African Festivals of Arts and Culture (PANAFEST))

Ø  Educational co-operation (the aim is to improve quality education in the countries involved. E.g Commonwealth scholarship)

 

Ø  Technical co-operation (aim to benefit from the technical expertise of one another)

 

BENEFITS GHANA DERIVES FROM CO-OPERATING WITH OTHER NATIONS

        i.            Promotion of friendly relations with other countries

      ii.            Maintenance of international peace and security

    iii.            To receive help in times of difficulty

     iv.            Finance assistance

       v.            To promote cultural solidarity

     vi.            Opportunity to serve on international organizations; individuals get opportunity to serve on international organization, e.g Kofi Annan who played a role in UN.

   vii.            Settlement of disputes

 viii.            Loan agreement and aids

 

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CO-OPERATION

        i.            Overdependence on other countries for assistance

      ii.            Dumping of foreign inferior goods in the Ghanaian local market

    iii.            Over-burdened with refugees

     iv.            Unfavourable conditionalities attached to aids from donors

       v.            Unfavourable terms of trade

     vi.            Payments of dues and levies leading to financial constraints

   vii.            Contribution of troops for peacekeeping duties leading to loss of human resources

 viii.            Immigration challenges