Trapped In Lace

Twenty Three

"Our last speaker is Ella Scott from NorthRidge high school"

I walk onto the stage as people clap and i stand in front of the podium and put my hands on either side of the podium so I don't fiddle with my jacket.

"Hello. My name is Ella Scott, before I start my speech I would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight and sticking through what might have been the longest three hours of my life" I say making a few laugh

"Today, I'll be talking about the contrasts in development between countries" I begin

"So what is the development of a country?" I ask, "The level of development of a country shows how economically, socially, culturally or technologically advanced that country is. But the way in which countries are classified is changing" i state

"In the past, the development of a country was sorted by the Brandt Line. The Brandt line divided the planet into the rich (north) and the poor (south). However the world has changed a lot in the last 20 years and the Brandt line is now too simplistic. For example, China and India are no longer seen as poor countries"

"A country's level of development is now classified in a different way. The World Bank uses these three names" i begin

"LIC, also known as low income countries. These are countries with a GNI, which stands for Gross national Income, per capita of $1,045 or less"

"Then MIC, medium income countries. These are countries with a GNI per capita of more than $1,045 but less than $12,746"

"And finally, HIC, high income countries. These are countries with a GNI per capita above US$ 12,746" I say

"The main way we measure the development of a country nowadays is through the human development index. The HDI is calculated by the United Nations. It measures average life expectancy, level of education and income for each country in the world. Each country is given a score between 0 and 1 - the closer a country gets to 1, the more developed it is" i say

"Now, the levels of development are determined by several factors such as physical, economic, environmental, social, political factors"

"One of the main contrasts is poverty. The factors influencing development are often linked and countries can find themselves in a trapped cycle of poverty. For example, if a country is in a lot of debt, it cannot afford good schools. If people are poorly educated they are less likely to be employed and on that they won't be told what they are doing to their own land if the education rates are so poor. For example, desertification. Desertification leads to poor crop growth and low incomes. This leads back to the country accumulating debt and the cycle continues"

"So what are the consequences of uneven development in HICs and LICs?" I ask staring out into a bunch or intense faces. Some look confused, some look tired, but some actually look interested about what I'm saying which is always nice.

"Many LICs have a shortage of safe, clean water and have low levels of health. They do not have the products, funding and equipment to support people and struggle to keep people alive"

"Some governments in LICs are corrupt. This means that money earned is not necessarily used to benefit the people that need it meaning disparities in wealth and health occur. Some LICs also have high levels of international migration, as people move to find work and a better standard of living. This results in fewer people of a working age and an increased proportion of dependent people"

"On the other hand, HICs have good clean water supplies and sanitation systems. They are able to buy raw materials for a low price and process them into a more expensive product. Their imports cost less money than their exports and so they have a good balance of trade. They are able to become wealthier as a result. HICs usually have stable governments and so any money earned is used to benefit the people in the country, so fewer disparities in wealth and health occur."

"How can we close this development gap?" I ask, "There are lots of ways that can help to reduce the development gap. For example Investment, large companies can locate part of their business in other countries. This helps a country to develop as the companies build factories, lay roads and install internet cables"

"Another one of the many ways is microfinance loans. Microfinanace loans are when money is lent to LICs to help them to develop. These are often small loans with reasonable interest rates. They are available to people and businesses who may normally struggle to get credit" i say

"One way even everyone in this room can reduce the development gap is by using Fairtrade products. Fairtrade is paying producers a reasonable price for the goods that they produce. Many farmers in LICs are paid very low wages. This means that they cannot escape poverty. Fairtrade gives farmers a better chance in life and increasing their chance of getting out of poverty" i say

"Obviously this change isn't going to happen overnight, but there are even small things you can do to help. For example donating to charities that can make a difference such as NATO who provide humanitarian support. Even doing something as buying a fair trade product could help change someone's quality of life"

"And that is the main thing. As long as we are at least trying to help people who are less fortunate than ourselves that counts as something to be proud of"

"We live in a society today, where we don't realise how lucky we are to be alive" i say tapping the podium slightly, "Just across the world innocent people are living in war zones and in squatter settlements, surrounded by poverty and diseases that they can't fight against because they don't have the recourses. They don't have the funding and medical equipment to cope"

"And we sit here pretending that it's not happening. Turning a blind eye to the horrors that surround us, just pretending it doesn't exist as you document everything on your phone in your pocket right now" i say

"Enough is enough. There need to be a change and it needs to happen now. And it starts with you. It starts with every single person in this room. You can make a difference and I know what your thinking, no I can't. Yes you can" i state

"From a young are your told that you are just a kid and you can't do anything about it, you get told to say out of it. I say that's a load of rubbish, I say get involved. There is always something you can do. Donate. Support. Send supplies over to people who need it. Even it's it's just a shirt, or a pillow, that one item or whatever it may be will improve their lives so much more than you even realise. These people need our help"

"So please, I'm begging you. Do something. People are suffering, people are dying, our world is collapsing around us but your all too blind to open your eyes and see. Too lazy to do anything about it"

"I'll only going to ask you once more. The world needs improving, the world isn't perfect. But with help and the right guidance, we can sure make the world a better place to live in, for everyone" i say

"Thank you" i say and everyone claps loudly.

I step down from the podium and i look out into the crowd, some cheering, some just look shocked.

I smile and I walk backstage