<incom> OII invites applications from the global South

[Pat Hall]

Hi!

I found the term 'global south' rather good.,  We all look for  
circumlocutions to avoid the comparative terminology of "less  
developed countries", "emergent economies" and similar, and using  
geographical metaphors seems a reasonable though incredibly obtuse  
alternative.   Personally I have been wobbling between the west-east  
and north-south dichotomies, now homing in on north-south which seems  
to be more prevalent.  Putting the word "global" in seems to lessen  
the starkness of north-south metaphor, saying everything like the  
south.  So I am sure it embraces the kind of countries Steve is  
concerned about - well, maybe not Dubai.

What we really need is some alternative which is neither comparative  
nor geographical - any ideas?  Of course the main thing is to be  
understood.  In this particular instance I am sure an email exchange  
with OII would clarify.  Personally I am encouraging people here in  
Nepal (in the northern hemisphere but definitely in the global south)  
to go for it, 6 weeks at the Oxford Internet Institute would be a  
great experience.

Pat Hall


On 04-Sep-07, at 12:39 AM, Steve Cisler wrote:

> Does anyone else find the designation 'global South'
> to be rather fuzzy? The application from the Institute
> did not help. Evidently, you are supposed to know if
> you fall into that category. Of course, if you are
> Dutch, Canadian, Japanese, etc. you need not apply. If
> you are in Uganda, or Nepal or Paraguay, fine. Fill it
> in.
>
> But there are other countries with resurgent or
> booming economies (or just a steady stream of oil
> revenues) that make me wonder. What about places like
> Chile, Russia,  Dubai.  When does  a country move from
> global South which has little to do with geography and
> like S. Korea, join 'the north'?
>
> Steve Cisler
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