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Impact on developing countries
However, the alarming factor is that a large number of highly qualified people in the developing world leave their countries in search of better job opportunities and living conditions for themselves and their families. The concern is that most of them never return to their home countries. Van Audenhove (2003:58) correctly points out that it is very questionable whether developing countries under these circumstances will ever be able to bridge the, as he puts it, “knowledge gap”. Meyer et al. (2001:316) also comment: “The migration of skilled persons contributes to the sharpening of inequalities, both between countries and within countries, that is such a characteristic feature of globalisation. At the same time, those very inequalities as between countries, further promote and underpin the process of skill migration which responds to the growing skill wage gap as between the developed and developing world”.
According to the UN Human Development Report (2001) brain draining costs the developing countries billions of dollars. During 2001 India alone had lost more that US$2 billion in human resources. This is mainly due to the migration of scientists to the US.
Africa is on the brink of a ‘brain collapse’. Some of the horrific statistics provided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN’s Economic Commission (2000) for Africa are:
• Between 1960 and 1975 an estimated 27 000 highly qualified Africans left the continent.
• This number increased to 40 000 between 1975 and 1984.
• The number doubled in 1987. It then represented 30% of the highly skilled labour force.
• Africa lost more than 60 000 professional people between 1985 and 1990 and an estimated 20 000 every year since then.
Another study by the World Bank (2002) reported that some 70 000 highly qualified African scholars and experts leave their home countries every year in order to work abroad. Africa spends an estimated US $4billion annually on recruiting some 100 000 skilled expatriates (World Markets Research Centre 2002). Although these statistics does not correctly add up in terms of numbers, it bring across a very clear message, namely that brain draining is a serious threat to the African continent. Apart from the direct and indirect economic impact of brain draining on most of these countries, it has also a profound effect on health care – not only in terms of costs but also in terms on human resources. After a weeklong visit to Southern Africa during June 2004, James Morris, the UN special envoy for humanitarian needs in Southern Africa, made the following comment based on his observations: “The number of trained health practitioners, teachers, and other professionals that are succumbing to HIV/AIDS is causing a truly extraordinary human resources vacuum in societies across the region;” and: “It is impossible to counter the crisis if people aren’t on the ground to implement effective programming, or to deal with the sick and dying, or to care for the unprecedented number of orphans and other vulnerable groups.” (IRINnews.org, 2004).
Trade barriers
What causes this trend? According to Gibbs (1995) scientists from developing countries face severe obstacles when they wish to contribute to the international body of scientific and scholarly knowledge which is predominantly published in Western scientific journals. A series of these barriers can be identified. Based on research done by Britz and Lor (2003) I summarise the most important barriers:
• Research done in the developing countries is sometimes viewed as inferior or of lesser quality. Apart from plain prejudice, some of the research undertaken is indeed of poor quality. This is among others due to poor training and/or a lack of equipment and an inability to command English.
• Poor communication between scientists in the North and the South must also bear some of the blame. The inadequate flow of scientific literature from the North to the South makes it difficult for researchers in the developing countries to reach the cutting edge of research in their fields. Access to high-quality scientific journals is also very expensive and these journals are in many cases inaccessible to researchers in developing countries.
• Much of the research done in the developing countries does not get published in the well established international academic journals. This is mainly due to a lack of access to publication media. Britz and Lor (2003) point out that some of the research might end up being published in the grey literature and can, due to poor bibliographic control, get lost to the scientific community and not form part of the world’s body of knowledge.
• Rosenberg (2002:51, 54, 55) also points out that authors in the developing world, and more specifically Africa, run into considerable difficulties when they want to publish in local journals. There are a variety of reasons. Academic journals are declining, and libraries are reluctant to subscribe to these journals because of the fact that they are poorly managed.
• Scientists from developing countries who do publish in local academic journals find that their contributions are mostly ignored by the developed world (mostly the West). Most of these journals are also not indexed in the major indexing databases. This has led to the perception that these journals are not up to standard and that the content is of a lower quality.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General introduction and statement of problem
1.2 Research methodology
1.3 Current research
1.4 Limitations of current research and value of this study
1.5 The purpose and contribution of this study
1.6 Chapter division
1.7 Definitions and terminology
1.8 Clarification of concepts
CHAPTER 2 DEFINITION OF POVERTY
2.1 General introduction and objective of chapter
2.2 The meaning of poverty
2.3 Different forms of poverty
2.4 Different levels of poverty
2.5 Causes of poverty
2.6 Measuring poverty
2.7 Results and impact of poverty
2.8 Morality and poverty
2.9 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3 DEFINITION OF INFORMATION
3.1 General introduction and purpose of chapter
3.2 A diachronic approach to the definition of information
3.3 The concepts of information and data
3.4 Some scientific approaches
3.5 A personal approach to information
3.6 Characteristics of information
3.7 Implications for the study of information poverty
3.8 Conclusion
CHAPTER 4 DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION POVERTY
4.1 General introduction
4.2 Literature overview of information poverty
4.3 Conclusion
4.4 Own description of information poverty
4.5 Conclusion
CHAPTER 5 INFORMATION PROVERTY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
5.1 General introduction
5.2 Information poverty as a matter of social justice
5.3 Justice and human rights: moral tools to assess and guide information poverty
5.4 Justice and human rights
5.5 Human rights, freedom and social justice
5.6 Basic principles of justice
5.7 Different categories of justice
5.8 Categories of justice applied to information poverty
5.9 Conclusion
CHAPTER 6 INFORMATION POVERTY AND MORAL GUIDELINES
6.1 General introduction
6.2. Social justice and economic realities
6.3 Social justice and the complexity of information
6.4 Moral guidelines based on social justice
6.5 Conclusion
CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION AND TOPICS FOR FUTHER RESEARCH
7.1 Conclusion
7.2 Topics for further research
Reference
