Economist Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University s Earth Institute visited the World Bank on April 2nd, to participate in a video conference on globalization and sustainable development with the World Affairs Council of Oregon and three West Coast sites the Council organized. Sachs was introduced by Carter Brandon, Lead Environmental Economist in the World Bank s Latin America region, and Michael Carnahan, Director of Programs on World Affairs for the World Affairs Council.
Sachs called the current period with the ongoing conflict in Iraq a troubling and dangerous period in world history. He questioned the justification for the war, but noted that the ramification of the war would be consequential and lasting. In a recent article entitled "Weapons of Mass Salvation", Sachs said the US emphasis on military solutions came at the expense of sustainable development for impoverished countries. Science and technology has provided health care drugs to fight diseases and pandemic s such as malaria and AIDS, and nutritional opportunities for millions in need. He suggested that people in the US are often not cognizant of the crisis of thousands dying every day. He also suggested the Iraq war is justified only if there is found to be weapons of mass destruction.
The heart of Sachs discussion focused on the cost of the war and its impact on development. He said his efforts to get the US to spend money on fighting diseases and road building in the developing world has been met with responses that said no money was available for such requests. The Administration s request to Congress is for $75 billion for troop movement and logistical support for the first six months, and Sachs estimated $100 to $200 billion will be spent over the next 36 months. For the World Health Organization, Sachs said he led a study of health problems in the poorest countries. The group looked at whether health influenced development, what were the key health challenges, and who could pay for these costs. A number of interventions were identified to address the health problems, and the group estimated the cost to be about $40 per person per year for a total of $25 billion. This would save 20,000 lives a day or about eight million a year. The cost of the war would be six years of such health care, at the cost of tens of millions of lives Sachs believes.
Failed states often have economic collapse at their root, Sachs noted. Al Queda s presence in Afghanistan was not a coincidence. Sachs cited the CIA report suggesting economic hardships and mass deaths from disease are precursors for state failures. Therefore, he believes US developmental aid would stabilize countries in jeopardy, and reduce the opportunities for harboring terrorism organizations. Sachs is currently looking at a range of economic barriers to achieving the Millennium Development Goals as part of his work with the UN. The MDGs consists of eight basic goals for which most nations have become signatories. They include reducing by half all those living under the poverty line, reducing by half those living with extreme hunger, reducing by two-thirds the number of children dying below the age of five, all by 2015. Sachs said the US has the science, technology and financial means in which to help the world achieve the MDGs. He suggested the conservative political movement in the US that attacks the UN is completely ignorant of that institution s vital development role. Sachs said a partnership between the rich and poor countries will be necessary to achieve the MDGs. He acknowledge that poor countries must also be responsible for their own development through good governance practices.
He then concluded his discussion and opened up the event to questions from the West Coast participants.
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