“We urgently need a new global ethic of Responsibility. Humanity is called on Changes, especially in the life style, the mode of production and in the consumption made.“ With these words, the Federal Minister for economic cooperation and development, Gerd Müller, the rethinking final Chapter of his book “begins. Questions of survival of humanity“. Müller is known and appreciated for, daring for the Weakest to enter. This reputation, he is in this book once again. Based on numerous personal experiences, and very committed – you can hear him when you read the talk dealt with the author his subject, and comprehensively to do so. In addition to the Preface and the introduction are outlined in a total of six further chapters, the challenges for humanity and approaches to their management.
The author sees three major challenges for the humanity: population growth and the associated stress on the earth, climate change and the fight against poverty and inequality. In haunting words, he describes the well-known demographic development, the Trend towards urbanization, with all its problems, as well as the increase in quantities of Waste, whose disposal does not take place often in a professional manner. Also, the effects of climate change in detail and knowledge describe. It is the author’s aim to emphasize the relationship of climate change to Development issues, including poverty and inequality. In addition, poverty and inequality will be discussed in connection with the refugee crises of the recent past; the author also highlights the responsibility of rich countries for peace and poverty reduction in developing countries.
of particular concern to Gerd Müller is in addition to the development in Africa. Here is his in-depth knowledge of the continent, the Minister of the 42 countries visited is shown. He has seen Africa, with all its contradictions, the read value will be worked out. There are modern cities, such as Kigali or a modern food factory in Nairobi; there are also textile factories under inhumane conditions, is slaved, or electronic waste landfill sites with high risks to health. There is the President, the listening and the importance of the fight against corruption have been detected; and there is the President of Chad, is a new swanky presidential Palace building and the disastrous health care in his country, declared, that the Sick could fly to his country to Europe or the United States.
in The example of Africa, the three challenges – population growth, climate change, poverty reduction – in fact, very vividly, can be quasi in a burning glass out of work. This is possible the author is particularly good, while emphasising the enormous Potential of the continent. The diagnosis is on the whole little to add, it is coherent and understandable. This part of the book can be recommend to many of the journalists and employees of the Ministry of downstream authorities only for reading – it is high time for a differentiated image of Africa in the German Public.
critical however, that part of the book must be read, which is dedicated to the therapy. The therapy suggestions are, first, not easily understood, because they are always in the diagnostic parts are interwoven. Even if that book wants to be a science fiction book, it would have been but for the force of the reasoning better to separate the diagnosis and treatment of strict. So many suggestions appear in the final Chapter, which is redundant because they were submitted earlier is repeated below.
more serious, however, a second criticism. The author relies on voluntary participation and behaviour changes, usually in conjunction with a proper dash of paternalism (especially in the developing countries). There are also numerous examples – first of all, the BMZ, on the Initiative of the Minister since the beginning of the year 2020 in a climate-neutral. Many companies have also committed to sustainability, and a number of German development cooperation projects focused on sustainability. All of this sounds good at first. But it is worthless if it is not supported by an enforceable set of international rules.
