Ruffling attitudes, preconceptions, and ingrained behaviours

Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Development

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- Broadening vision and disrupting set ideas...
  - Ruffling attitudes, preconceptions, and ingrained behaviours - Bernard Kouchner

Ruffling attitudes, preconceptions, and ingrained behaviours - Bernard Kouchner

Globalisation must first of all involve dialogue, information, and sharing. This is our objective today. Not a single decision without this globalisation. But commitment to this notion in our country is inadequate. We only allocate 0.23% to the development of poor countries.

In the past, there has been too much emphasis on the opposition between humanitarian emergencies and development. Very soon, it became apparent that emergencies also had an influence on the living conditions of populations, and that action to remedy emergencies were the complement of action for development. Very frequently, in both cases, commitment is the result of training at the local level, as early in the process as possible.

After "Médecins sans Frontières" (Doctors without Borders), we are now working on a new concept, "malades sans frontières" (patients without borders). I am convinced that globalisation will turn out to be a positive factor for health, if certain conditions are met. The "alter-mondialistes" (those in favour of "alternative globalisation"), whose demands I support, find it difficult to accept that a certain amount of progress has been achieved through a movement that focuses not just on medical matters but also on economics. Remember the successful eradication world-wide of smallpox. Tomorrow, it will be the turn of polio.

As regards sustainable development, promises were made at the Johannesburg summit. Where do we stand two years on? Declarations that don't lead to deeds are shameful. Sustainable development is still an objective, but achievements are slow.

Training of people is not sufficient, we have to learn to work together
The problem is not only one of training local populations. Of course this is useful but it is not sufficient. Training has to produce highly qualified specialists, health care systems must be able to anticipate problems, and there is a need for reinforcing capacity to bridge the gap between knowledge and solving problems, the world over. Unless this is done, scientists will remain isolated from the real world and remain in their ivory towers, political leaders will take decisions that are not based on science, and those populations who are most concerned will be the first to suffer.
Mamphela RAMPHELE- Managing Director of the World Bank

Training of people is not sufficient, we have to learn to work together

The problem is not only one of training local populations. Of course this is useful but it is not sufficient. Training has to produce highly qualified specialists, health care systems must be able to anticipate problems, and there is a need for reinforcing capacity to bridge the gap between knowledge and solving problems, the world over. Unless this is done, scientists will remain isolated from the real world and remain in their ivory towers, political leaders will take decisions that are not based on science, and those populations who are most concerned will be the first to suffer.

Mamphela RAMPHELE- Managing Director of the World Bank

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INSTITUT Veolia Environnement

Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Development