Holistic Development

This is the first in a four-part series on the Norwegian model for equitable development in a country in terms of economic, social, and political aspects contributed by Mary K. Evjen Olsen, executive director of corporate marketing at Dreamville Entertainment, a media corporation that produces and distributes TV documentaries and various culture contents worldwide. ― ED.

By Mary K. Evjen Olsen

If measured only in economic indices, the world today is definitely seeing greater numbers belonging to the middle class compared to some decades ago, according to Erik Solheim, the Norwegian minister of the environment and international cooperation for development, who spoke at the Korea Development Institute in Seoul early this month.

Inspired by South Korea that had risen to the world's 12th largest economy from a war and poverty-stricken country in a matter of a few decades, many countries including China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are achieving remarkable economic development these days, contributing to poverty reduction and demonstrating positive effects of the market-oriented economy in their regions.

Solheim is a highly profiled world peace negotiator who has devoted much of his political time and professional energy on a healthy, more holistic development in many developing countries around the world.

He expressed great concern over such a single-dimensional economic development in many of the emerging markets today that seem to be overlooking some of the most essential elements that constitute truly healthy development in a country.

What does Solheim mean by ``healthy development'' in a country? Are there truly any other aspects to be considered when it comes to ``development'' in a country, other than the economic growth and greater revenue brought into the national accounting book? Does not the extended or developed economy in a country usually solve most of the nation's usual problems?

If so, how could we explain the fact that so many parts of the world today are torn and swept with wars, environmental disasters and calamities, striking imbalances in wealth, human rights violations, injustice and corrupt regimes in spite of the enormous amount of natural resources like oil, gas and many valuable minerals found throughout the world?

Furthermore, how could we possibly explain the 2 million and more children who are literally starving to death in the era of the mega wealth in the 21st century?

Well, let us stop and chew on some of the perspectives of healthy development delivered by a minister from the low-key, remote country of Norway, which could be in fact quite intriguing and compelling for many of us.

The most fundamental foundation for healthy development in any country is, points out Solheim, peace, which comes from constant and patient dialogue among groups with different interests and not from any forceful military means imposed on one another.

One could not possibly imagine any progress in development of any sort when a nation is split or wrecked by war or a state of anarchy. Excessive natural resources in this case would serve the nation only as a curse. Remember East Timor or Sierra Leon?

Healthy development in any country will be accompanied by conscientious environmental protection and preservation, which will ensure sustainable development for many generations to come.

Consider the Norwegian policy that insists and maintains shockingly high prices for gas consumed by average Norwegian car owners, even though the country is the third biggest crude oil exporter in the world.

Norwegians, politicians and average citizens alike, firmly believe that efforts to restore the damaged environment will be far more costly and time-consuming than maintaining its environment the way it is.

What do we think when the beautiful, inviting mountain hills that occupy nearly 70 percent of the Korean Peninsula have been brutally raped by reckless developers who only ended up planting so many hundreds of tasteless, nauseating ``Love Hotels?''

Finally, what constitute true healthy, holistic development in any country are some principles such as gender equality, transparent governance and management of natural resources of all forms, and the determination by the country that any type of illicit flow of funds within, to and from the nation takes place.

In other words, the complete existence and implementation of popular democracy in a nation will surely guarantee healthy development.

Do we experience the same level of gender equality, justice, distribution of wealth in other oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria or Angola as we do in countries like Norway?

Now, it should be fairly easy to reason what truly makes Norway in general a top ranking country in the world in regards to so many aspects of a developed country ― more than 50 percent of the parliamentary and cabinet members in the Norwegian government are women.

Norwegians share one of the world's most evenly distributed national wealth at $57,000 per capita as of January 2008. At the Transparency International chart that measures each country's corruption and transparency rates, Norway always scores one of the very lowest for the former, and the highest for the latter year after year, together with Sweden and Denmark.

Should we apply Solheim's perspectives on development in a country to today's Republic of Korea, exactly how developed a country would Korea be defined as? After all, Korea is the world's 12th largest economy, is it not?