Third world affairs, 1986 editor in chief, Altaf Gauhar printed at the Eastern press, reading, 476 pp.
| Author | Nick Larmour |
| Date | 01 October 1987 |
| Published date | 01 October 1987 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230070416 |
Book
Reviews
411
drawing policy conclusions. In the author's defence the Melanesian experiment (where
most is to be learned)
is,
at most, no more than ten years
old.
Lessons drawn prematurely
may be, well, premature.
The final chapter is the most interesting. It presents a summary of common problems
and issues now being encountered by many island administrations, and suggests a simple
taxonomy
of
governmental systems: 'minimal', 'weak-developmental' and 'decentralized'.
As decentralization reflects ideas about the role
of
the state in society and the nature
of
its power and authority, it has attracted both strong support and much criticism. The
experience of the South Pacific in general, and Melanesia in particular, will provide
ammunition for both.
GRAHAM
TESKEY
Project Planning Centre for Developing Countries, University of Bradford
THIRD WORLD AFFAIRS, 1986
Editor in Chief,
Altaf
Gauhar
Printed at the Eastern Press, Reading, 476 pp.
The Third World Foundation for Social and Economic Studies was established in 1978 as
an independent Trust. One of its objectives was to work for the intellectual, economic and
social advancement
of
the peoples of the Third World through publications and research.
As one means
of
pursuing that objective, the Foundation decided to publish an annual
review, to be called
Third World Affairs,
which would set into perspective the significant
issues
of
the preceding twelve months and discuss what they foresaw as the most important
problems of the year to come. The first edition was published in 1985 and the volume
under review
is
the second in the series. The Editorial Advisory Committee, including the
Editor in Chief, decide in advance the subjects which they consider likely to dominate the
year and invite, and sometimes commission, articles from experts in the particular field.
Thus the articles in the 1986 edition are, in the main, on the subjects identified in 1985.
In making their choice the editorial Committee are, to a large extent, guided by the
assessments, published by the international agencies
of
past and future patterns
of
trends
in the world economy. The main problem, as perceived by the Committee at that time,
was the indebtedness
of
Third World countries and their inability to repay without cata-
strophic damage to their fragile economies. As the editorial Introduction points out by way
of
example, the net outflow of resources from Latin America in 1984 amounted to 27
billion US dollars. Oxfam, in a recent report, has highlighted the fact that for every
fl
of
aid to Africa this year the West took back
f2
in debt repayments. Looking further ahead
the Editor comments that within the next five years over two-thirds of Third World debts
will have to be rolled over
or
amortized, by countries where incomes, growth and export
potential in real terms are contracting, largely as the result of the policies of the developed
world, especially the USA. This problem, examined in detail in several articles, also
underlies,
or
is
relevant to, the discussion of other topics in the annual, which range from
politics in Latin America and Africa, religion in politics, human rights, survival in the
nuclear age, and environmental concerns including urbanization. Surprisingly perhaps, in
the year in which the Foundation awarded the annual Third,World Prize to Bob Geldof
for his outstanding contribution to Third World development, only two brief articles on
famine find a place (just 11 pages out
of
476). By contrast, what might seem to be a more
peripheral topic (the Cinema and Film reviews) rates nearly
50
pages. Considerable space
is also, and perhaps more justifiably, devoted to Book Reviews covering very thoroughly
and effectively a wide range
of
subject matter from the broad economic (the Global
Economy, and International Society) to the political particular (Sri Lanka, Kampuchea
and Afghanistan).
This year's edition
of
Third World Affairs
(some
2000
copies) is already fully
subscribed-about
35
per cent by institutions. It is to be hoped that next year's edition can
be more widely distributed: the subjects projected, if perhaps less emotional, are
of
equal
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