Closing the gap between rich and poor countries - Essay Example

We have to create good jobs, here at home, for everyone who wants to work” (Closing the Gap Between Rich and Poor, 2012). Governments can play an important role in reducing inequalities within and among nations. BRICS countries such as Brazil, India and China are doing everything possible to reduce the gaps between rich and poor. In all these countries, antipoverty programs are implemented by the government to raise the standard of living of the poor class and also to abolish inequalities. This paper analyses the strategies implemented by the governments or countries to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

“The emergence of information, and more recently, mobile broadband telecommunication technologies, was accompanied by the hype that they could serve to close the economic, educational, digital, and social gaps of our planet among the rich and the poor regions” (Laouris & Laouri, 2004, p.254). However, it is necessary to develop infrastructure necessary to use these technologies effectively. It should be noted that poor countries or developing countries have less infrastructure facilities compared to developed countries and hence such countries are struggling to use the opportunities provided by modern technologies.

“The International community (and especially the G8, the UN, and the EU) must engage in an orchestrated effort to bring technology closer to the poor countries. Moreover, the countries themselves must focus on development goals and transformation tasks that are easier to achieve, have lower costs, and faster implementation rates” (Laouris & Laouri, 2004, p.259). Poor countries have less resources to use the technology effectively. It is the duty of the international bodies to help such countries in developing infrastructure suitable to use technology properly.

In order to reduce the gap between rich and poor, ‘developing nations need not only to understand the complex interrelationships between technology and development, but moreover, to demonstrate their commitment and will by implementing a well-thought and aggressive strategy” (Laouris & Laouri, 2004, p.254). In other words, visionary leadership or administration is necessary to implement modern technologies effectively to reduce the gap between the rich and poor. For example, India and Pakistan are two neighboring countries with democratic administrations.

However, India is developing rapidly to become a superpower in the world whereas Pakistan is struggling to develop properly. This anomaly is existing because of the differences in leaderships of these countries. It should be noted that India is a secular democratic country whereas in Pakistan religion dominates over the administrative procedures. In other words, Pakistani leaders cannot function against the will of religion and hence they fail to implement necessary strategies to reduce the gap between the rich and poor.

There might be lessons to be learned from experiences gained in trying to close the gap within a community, that is, the gap between the rich and the poor within a country or the gap between different communities of one and the same country (Laouris & Laouri, 2004, p.258). It should be noted that in countries where one religion dominates other, administrations often neglect the needs of the minorities and give more importance to