Agency and Currency Are Important Factors For Organization Of State and Non-State Entities

States, through an existential service apparatus, are a starting point in putting in place mechanisms that define and enforce rights to development for all people including health rights, especially for women. This notion should be protected more affirmatively in order for standards of living to be improved. This in turn ensures accessibility by all not because they are economically or politically powerful but because all people deserve it. This analysis, shows the possibilities that arise when state and non-state actors combine efforts to promote development. Examples are drawn from the Roma, Cultural Institutions, Pygmies, Yazidi, Rohingya, Women experiences, Conflicts, Hunger, Environment and Markets. 

States are an example of the agency and currency derived from structured organization. Organization brings about integrity and is a catalysis for development. So, wherever there is an element of organization it is possible to formulate  direction which development goals will take. This means that  organized entities, are drivers of development.

Agency is an inherent force drawn upon to make something happen or be known. Currency is the channel through which agency can be made known or becomes apparent. These two are so important in ensuring progress is felt. 

Organization has the following characteristics: reporting structure, name, location, physicality, durability, scalability, monitor-ability, reproducibility, manageability, traceable and track-ability.  

Organization that drives development can be in form of people who identify under a given mission and objective; or it can be to address a problem faced by many on a large scale. The mission behind the organization is both problem-posing and solving. The objectives are the ways the people have come up with to address the self evident needs. Some of these needs are internally stimulated while others are external in nature. The external needs can be divided further into universal and local.

Needs are those claims or aspirations that once available make self preservation possible. The examples that come to mind: need to belong, family, food, education, employable skills, interpersonal skills, contribute to communities, interact with surroundings, security, life preservation, liberty and many others. These then lead to the next level of utilizing resources to survive and improve on oneself, ability to produce or be productive, as well as being able to improve one’s society.

Humans become aware that they have to address the needs not only for self preservation but for many other growth and development reasons such as: training for job opportunities or civil service; and gaining high skilled status to be able to join quality level expertise in many fields e.g., medicine, engineering, politics, law, governance to name but a few. This is the backbone upon which people of all categories can enjoy life.

Needs in form of claims can range from tools to use in form of resources, property (private or public) or are a manifestation of a missing entity that needs to be made available. In form of aspirations, needs become goals to meet. 

States can play a guarantor role for permanence and socially uplifting institutionalization  however when the state structure are used to persecute or fuel inter-ethnic rivalries, this can bring about displacement, insecurity and genocides. This makes states the bane of the life of people. Sometimes states  do not have the structures to consolidate hegemony. Still others are overwhelmed by say, civil strife that some people who are marginalized suffer a lot by the hands of the uniformed. At other times states are simply not the only reliable platforms to provide means for meeting needs and securing enjoyment of life of people. 

But, if states have been the default power centres what then makes them fail to address all the problems in their geographical areas? 

One reason is that states evolved to address issues at formal and technical levels which tend to lock out voices of those deemed not organized or have credentials for representation at dialogue round tables. States fail in some cases to address all the needs of people under their jurisdiction. 

But, this is more of an excuse and not an exception. There is more to addressing minority issues, hunger, famine, poverty and inequality than states have invested in. At some point not including the very beneficiaries in planning may be a hiccup. At another, it could be how to turn skills or knowledge into transformative action.

European Union Minorities

In a book titled: Minority Rights in Europe: European Minorities and Languages by Snežana Trifunovska and Fernand de Varennes (2001), the authors point out very important characters about minority ethnicities. According to them “there are around 5,000 national minority groups living in the contemporary world, and about 3,000 linguistic groups. The existing estimates are usually based on different and sometimes not very clear criteria and mostly take into account those groups and numbers which are the result of the individual choice of a person and are not based exclusively on the objective differences. A brief calculation would indicate that in Western Europe 14. 7% of the total population belongs to minority groups, and the same percentage exists in the Central and Eastern European region - 14. 7%, whereas in the countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States this percentage is slightly higher - at 18. 9%. Throughout the history of the European continent minorities have had a significant impact on political stability and security. Currently, most of the situations of internal tension as well as conflicts, whether internal or international, involve inter-ethnic relations. Thus the international community at large and - for the European minorities more importantly - the European institutions have placed minority issues high on their ‘agenda."

The European Commission has in place organized structures, contributed by the states that make up EU. Through this it is possible to highlight the issues of minority people and to tackle them categorically as follows: 

Raising awareness on discrimination and protecting people from racial discrimination, religion or belief, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation.

Non-governmental organisations fighting against discrimination. These networks promote rights, social inclusion and gender equality funded by the European Commission.

Diversity management as an EU platform of diversity charters to make representation possible for all irrespective of background and status.

Network of experts in the field of anti-discrimination includes:Anti-discrimination networks, EU anti-discrimination laws, reports on discrimination in EU countries.

EU funding to combat discrimination; this is a funding opportunity for rights, equality and citizenship.

But, with all the above, the EU has not tackled the issues of nationalism, immigration and the itinerant Roma people. When one digs deeper identity issues need being given much thought and resources to address them. There is need to research into the Roma according to many authorities. According to them “millions of Roma and other persons regarded as “Gypsies” live throughout Europe, from Lisbon to Vladivostok. The Romani language is Indic and closely related to modern Hindi; Roma are descended from a disparate group of persons who arrived in Europe from India around one thousand years ago. However, not all persons regarded as Gypsies accept the term “Roma” as their ethnonym.”

So, it is hoped that the European Commission will use the organized structures, to highlight the issues of minority people and to tackle them categorically.

Buganda Kingdom

Uganda has for the last 33 years held herself together peacefully and it is prospering at a very fast pace. Buganda Kingdom, is an enduring social magnet within the state of Uganda. These two have had love/hate relations but Uganda is increasingly realizing the advantage of working in partnership with Buganda. Buganda too, has long since learnt how valuable it is to work within the state of Uganda. The King who called on his people to engage in development drives. At an address to mark the 30th the attack of the King’s Palace called Lubiri by the state, the King rallied his subjects to participate fully in all development initiatives. In one of his speeches, the Kabaka of Buganda emphasized the principle of accommodation as one of the most important values that allowed tolerance and diversity to thrive in this region.

“It is sweat and toil that makes countries prosperous. The Baganda must, therefore, sweat and toil to make the land of their ancestors a great place to live in once again. The Baganda should stop running away from Buganda in the hope that somehow miraculously somebody else will develop the land for them to come back to when it begins to flow with milk and honey. Nobody will develop the land for you but yourselves, and this is the greatest challenge that you face. Baganda derived great pride and satisfaction in the payment of taxes in the past. Baganda were very proud of their good manners. It is paramount to rediscover that pride and use it to rebuild Buganda and Uganda. Buganda was built on accommodation and the Palaces of the Kabakas were the salad bowl of ethnicities, vigour, initiative and talents. Buganda still stands on her record of accommodation which can thrive well when kindled by reciprocity. Indeed Uganda would become a very strong and united nation if there was reciprocity all around.” According to sources, Buganda owns valuable property but “the central government confiscated Buganda property, including criminalizing cultural institutions and grabbing land during Obote’s regime in 1966. After the cultural institutions were restored in 1993, some Buganda properties, including county headquarters (currently occupied by districts and municipal councils), are yet to be returned. Buganda Kingdom has on several occasions accused government of occupying its properties without remitting rent arrears in billions (UgX). However, government agreed to return all kingdom property and pay back money owed to Buganda Kingdom.”

Buganda Kingdom has prime land which has been set aside for housing estates. According to sources, “a recent survey by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicates that Uganda has a housing deficit of 550,000 units. About 160,000 of this backlog is in urban areas. Kampala alone has a housing deficit of 100,000 units. Uganda’s population of 38 million, which is growing at a rate of 3.3% per year, is projected to increase to 63 million by 2030. With a rapid rate of urbanization, it is estimated that two decades from now, Uganda will have a housing shortage of close to 8 million units, of which 2.5 million will be in urban centres and one million in Kampala.”

Sources continue to argue the advantage of having non-state actors supporting development. In Uganda, “housing which is a basic human need for all is still unmet, the central government still remains unable to meet the housing needs of all people and cannot afford to build and maintain pool houses. But now the government has adopted an enabling policy to guide housing development, improvement and management which has enhanced the role of various actors in the sector. To bridge the housing gap, several industry players have invested huge sums of money in the sector  , among them Buganda Kingdom  which has launched a master plan for 220 housing units on a 70 acre piece of land in Kigo, Wakiso district.”

Uganda is one example demonstrating that cultural institutions which pre-existed the Westphalia model of states are a catalyst for development. In Buganda Kingdom, the King repeatedly calls on his people to engage in development drives.

Pygmies

The Pygmies are found within the borders of many African countries. They have very rich cultures and have survived side by side with other nature in most of the African forests. There is need to advocate for and promote their protection, incorporate them in general civic life of states. An Italian anthropologist and writer Luis Devin argues that “It is through these mechanisms that life, liberty, dignity and productivity of pygmies is promoted. With their own participation in the progress of their life it is possible to ensure their security, safety, development and address issues threatening their survival.”

 In one of his works he provides examples of Pygmies:

Baka of Cameroon, Gabon and Congo, including hunting, fishing and gathering, material culture, traditional architecture, music and dances, daily life in the rainforest, etc. Plus the male initiation rite to the Spirit of the Forest.

The BaKola-BaGyeli Pygmies are sometimes referred to as Bakoya Pygmies (name variants: Koya, Kola, Likoya and Bakuele) or as Gyeli Pygmies (name variants: Gyele, Bagyele, Giele, Bagiele, Bogyel, Bogyeli, Bondjiel, Jele, Bajele, Jeli, Bajeli, Gieli and Bagieli), or as Bako or Bekoe Pygmies.

Luis recorded the following about the Pygmies: 

DAILY ACTIVITIES: Weaving works (woven plant fiber panniers, baskets and mats), Food preparation (cassava drying and pounding, palm oil, food cooking, etc.), Forest material gathering, Other daily works and activities of the Baka (material culture, making of tools and huts, games, medicine, etc.), Infant care.

ECONOMY: Bow hunting, crossbow hunting and trap hunting, Food search and gathering in the rainforest (caterpillars, termites, wild yams, mushrooms, honey, etc.), Dam fishing in forest rivers and streams, Fishing with nets and pirogues, Forest plantations and subsistence farming (plantains, cassava, peanuts, tobacco, slash and burn method, etc.)

MUSIC & RITUALS: Traditional music and musical instruments, Ritual and participation dances, Water drums, Male initiation rite to the Spirit of the Forest.

SOCIETY: Baka women, men and children, interact with neighboring peoples e.g, Luo, Madi, Hamites and Bantu. This interaction enabled sharing of knowledge, skills and cultural competencies in dealing with each other.

According to Wren, an expert humanitarian worker among Pygmies, “the Pygmies are on the lowest rung of society; they aren’t afforded any rights like citizens and have been enslaved by neighboring non-Pygmy tribes to work in their fields for generations upon generations. Pygmies are paid for their labor in clothes or with scraps of food, like two small bananas or a minnow or two for an entire family. One woman I met was paid with a small patch of goatskin hide, not to wear, but to eat!” According to him, the Pygmies are the mercy of their slave master tribes, who called them their “animals.” The hunting-and-gathering people had lost their way of life when deforestation scared all the animals away and pushed the Pygmies off their own land. In addition, there were over 30 rebel militia groups moving through the forest as part of the war over the country’s minerals, and they pillaged Pygmy villages that fell into their path. The Pygmies, who were known as “The Forest People,” had come to call themselves “The Forgotten People.”

So, the Pygmies are equal actors in their self preservation. States can empower and work with them to make life, liberty, dignity and productivity of pygmies  possible. Indeed, with their own participation in the progress of their life it is possible to ensure their security, safety, development and address issues threatening their survival.

Yazidi

Iraq is a state in which Jews, Yazidi, Christians, Sunni, Shia and Sunni are found. The Yazidi, according to sources are an ancient, persecuted religious minority struggling to survive in Iraq.  “Sinjar mountain area in Iraq, Turkey and Syria is home to the Yazidi. The Yazidi are targeted for their beliefs and have been the target of hatred for centuries. Considered heretical devil worshippers by many Muslims—including the advancing militants overrunning Iraq—the Yazidis have faced the possibility of genocide many times over. Now, with the capture of Sinjar and northward thrust of extremists calling themselves the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS), Iraq's estimated 500,000 Yazidis fear the end of their people and their religion. In less than two weeks, nearly all the Yazidis of Sinjar have fled north, seeking refuge in Kurdish territory, while thousands remained trapped in the rugged Sinjar mountains.” Iraq is still going through development and political transition. However, because of wars and past governments that sidelined the Yazidi, an international intervention is what will bring about their utmost dignity. 

Sources say that the Yazidi are “a historically misunderstood group, the Yazidi are predominantly ethnically Kurdish, and have kept alive their syncretic religion for centuries, despite many years of oppression and threatened extermination.”

They continue to say that “the ancient religion practiced by Yazidi is rumoured to have been founded by an 11th century Umayyad sheikh, and is derived from Zoroastrianism (an ancient Persian faith founded by a philosopher), Christianity and Islam. The religion has taken elements from each, ranging from baptism (Christianity) to circumcision (Islam) to reverence of fire as a manifestation from God (derived from Zoroastrianism) and yet remains distinctly non-Abrahamic. This derivative quality has often led the Yazidi to be referred to as a sect. They have been ridiculed by Muslims. At the core of the Yazidis’ marginalization is their worship of a fallen angel, Melek Tawwus, or Peacock Angel, one of the seven angels that take primacy in their beliefs. Unlike the fall from grace of Satan, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, Melek Tawwus was forgiven and returned to heaven by God. The importance of Melek Tawwus to the Yazidis has given them an undeserved reputation for being devil-worshippers – a notoriety that, in the climate of extremism gripping Iraq, has turned life-threatening.”

Other sources say that some “Yazidi are Kurds who do not practice Sunni Islam. Kurds have their own language and culture, most Kurds live in the generally contiguous areas of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Syria – a mountainous region of southwest Asia generally known as Kurdistan ("Land of the Kurds”). With 25 and 35 million Kurds, make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.

So, embracing the Yazidi will reduce conflicts, displacement and tension in the Arabian Peninsula. Treating them with dignity contributes to the critical tolerance expected of people who are part of larger diversities.

Rohingya

According to sources, the Rohingya number more than one million and they are practicing Muslims described as the 'world's most persecuted minority’. The Rohingya are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim, who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingya in the Southeast Asian country. The Rohingya speak Rohingya or Ruaingga, a dialect that is distinct to others spoken throughout Myanmar. They are not considered one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, which has effectively rendered them stateless. Muslims have lived in the area now known as Myanmar since as early as the 12th century, according to many historians and Rohingya groups.During the more than 100 years of British rule (1824-1948), there was a significant amount of migration of labourers to what is now known as Myanmar from today's India and Bangladesh. Because the British administered Myanmar as a province of India, such migration was considered internal, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The migration of labourers was viewed negatively by the majority of the native population.

So, the Rohingya were migrant labourers who supplied labour cheaply during the Colonial days. Their effort contributed to the nation building in all the countries where they were stationed. They should be allowed to experience the benefits of those countries they helped build and in which they were born.

Women

According to sources, around 49.6 percent of the world's population is female, with a total female population of 3,710,295,643. There are 101 men for every 100 women across the globe. At birth, men outnumber women 107 to 100, but male life span is shorter. 

Women, are the most under developed gender. But, why is this so? One explanation points to the vulnerability women face due to stereotypes, pregnancy, ill-health, during wars and health related needs. Access to court services, healthcare and other social services which cater to women without discrimination and inconsideration will help address unmet needs. Epiu ( 2019) argues that "countries can achieve the goal of making sure that every citizen whatever their income has access to universal health care. And priority must be given to investing in medical facilities that are able to provide adequate prenatal care as well as healthy deliveries. Strengthening the option for women to have safe surgery during birth complications would decrease maternal and neonatal morbidity and move closer to the goal of safe motherhood."

States alone cannot tackle the issues of women without support from non state actors. The plight of women has been taken on at international levels. The UN Women is  one such global champion for gender equality, working to develop and uphold standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl can exercise her human rights and live up to her full potential. The UN has put in place the following road map touching on:  Leadership and political participation; Economic empowerment; Ending violence against women; Peace and security; Humanitarian action; Youth; Governance and national planning; Sustainable development agenda; HIV and AIDS. These standards are hoped to drive development of women and the UN is working with trusted partners to advocate for and engage in decision-making in the effort to achieve gender equality. 

The USA is a very powerful sponsor of the UN. But the Trump Administration’s double blow of the ‘Global gag Rule’ and cutting aid to UN has had its toll on health interventions accessed by women. Research in Nigeria shows that “several Nigerian NGOs that had been receiving reproductive health supplies from UNFPA told Devex that if new funds are not mobilized from elsewhere, it could significantly harm family planning efforts in Nigeria, where the use of contraceptives remains so low. Family planning services include improving access to family planning services and commodities, slowing the rate of population growth, and enabling an environment in which women and girls can make informed choices about their health.”

Ivanka Trump a senior adviser to the president has lobbied the Trump Administration to invest in the W-GDP initiative which will help 50 million women in developing countries realize their economic potential by 2025. W-GDP establishes a cohesive three-pillar structure to support governmentwide programs and partnerships. 

Pillar One will advance workforce development and vocational education for women.

Pillar Two will empower women to succeed as entrepreneurs. Women own or run more than a third of all small and medium-size enterprises in emerging markets, yet the United Nations has found that less than 1% of spending by large corporations on suppliers is allocated to women-owned businesses. 

Pillar Three focuses on eliminating the legal, regulatory and cultural barriers that prevent women from participating in their local economies

According to Ivanka, “President Trump will sign a memorandum establishing the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, or W-GDP. This new initiative will for the first time coordinate America’s commitment to one of the most undervalued resources in the developing world—the talent, ambition and genius of women. This initiative aims to help 50 million women in developing countries realize their economic potential by 2025. President Trump’s 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States recognized women’s critical role in achieving global peace and prosperity. The economic empowerment of women shouldn’t be viewed as a “women’s issue.” Smart development assistance benefits families, communities and nations. By investing in women, we are investing in a future in which countries can support themselves by unleashing the potential of their own people.”

So, to drive development specific to women there has to be willingness to involve them in planning as well as execution. That way targets such as leadership and political participation; economic empowerment; ending violence against women; peace and security; humanitarian action; youth; governance and national planning; sustainable development agenda; HIV and AIDS will be addressed and met when women are able to come up with the solutions to problems hand in hand with men.

Conflict, Hunger, Environment & Market (CHEM)

There is a chemistry behind conflict, hunger, environment and markets. When all four deteriorate, it clearly shows where states should place priority investments in order to address all four. 

Land, if overused gets depleted, this forces people to move into areas already occupied by others. Subsequently, there are disputes that arise. Also depleted land is no longer productive and may cause deforestation, desertification, droughts, poor crop harvest and hunger which lead to famine. All this fuels conflict. 

Christin Roby (2019), argues that ongoing conflict exacerbates the magnitude and severity of food crises and creates the greatest emergency food needs. In another report by the  UN, it was found that the magnitude, severity and drivers of acute food insecurity also drive the highest burden of people in need of emergency food, nutrition and livelihood assistance. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC]), gives around 56 million people who are in need of urgent food and livelihood assistance.  Most of the time this is a result of protracted conflict combined with other factors. Examples of countries the highest burden of people in need of emergency food are: Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Chad Basin, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. This is according to latest analyses from late 2018 (mainly Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC]), around 56 million people need urgent food and livelihood assistance in these countries. In Afghanistan alone, the protracted conflict, forced more than half a million to abandon their homes in 2018. The percentage of rural Afghans facing acute food deficits was projected to reach 47 percent (10.6 million) from November 2018 to February 2019 if urgent life-saving assistance was not provided, the source continues. Some 1.9 million people were experiencing severe food deficits in August 2018 with over half a million classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4). Armed conflict remained the major driver of this alarming situation, especially in prefectures where both host communities and displaced people had lost access to their livelihoods and insecurity undermined the consistent delivery of humanitarian assistance.

According to experts, escalating conflicts, compound the hardships facing the highly vulnerable populations. They lead to scarcity, soaring prices of basic commodities, the shrinking of economies and more people living below the poverty line. Lack of food availability means that it is not possible to rely on the markets to meet their food and other needs such as fuel. This means that food prices rise and people’s purchasing power falls and this adversely affects market availability in general. 

So, where there is conflict, there is most likely to be hunger. Where there is hunger, there is most likely to be environmental degradation. And, where there is all these three, there is most likely to be adverse effects on markets.

Conclusion

From the above one can tell that states, are indeed a starting point in putting in place mechanisms that define and enforce rights to development for all people.  But, as seen in Nigeria, cutting aid and the ‘Global gag Rule’ denied women family planning services.  So, their health and cultural rights were infringed upon. With resources available, it was possible to execute and enforce protection more affirmatively. The standards of living of people can be assured not because they are economically or politically powerful but because all people deserve quality life. This analysis shows one that the examples of Roma, Cultural Institutions, Pygmies, Yazidi, Rohingya and Women are just a few of those situations where states need to work with non state actors to pool efforts toward quality development of all people. 

Source: Google