Founded in 1994, Alternatives , Action and Communication Network for International Development , is a non-governmental , international solidarity organization based in Montreal , Quebec , Canada.
41-474: Alternatives works to promote justice and equality amongst individuals and communities worldwide. Active in over 35 countries, Alternatives supports local, community-based initiatives working towards the greater economic, social, and political rights of people and communities affected by poverty, discrimination, exploitation, and violence. The organization publishes the Le Journal des Alternatives newsletter,
82-513: A deepened analysis and comprehension of the conflicts affecting their communities from the outside. Alternatives' and its partners' international solidarity projects are centered upon: Alternatives has been criticised as a political organisation supporting "left-leaning causes" through taxpayer funds, provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) . The Conservative government noted that
123-819: A publication inserted every three months in Montreal's French paper Le Voir . Alternatives also publishes the Alternatives International Journal , a monthly publication in English distributed electronically. Alternatives Montreal is the headquarters of an International Federation consisting of nine NGOs spread across the world. Alternative-Niger, Alternatives Asia (New Delhi), Alternative Information Center (Jerusalem), Forum Macrocain des Alternatives Sud, Initiative Pour un Autre Monde , Institut Alternatives Terrazul, Khanya College , and Teacher Creativity Center. Alternatives knows that, through
164-453: Is an organization that produces and participates in many conferences, that publishes a newspaper and several Web sites, and that organizes educational and informational activities. The Alternatives newspaper, a monthly compendium of international, national, and cultural news, has a distribution of 50,000, creating a window of alternative information on the world. Whether in Quebec, Canada, or
205-417: Is an organization that works for solidarity, justice, and equity the world over. Alternatives' aim is to help the networking, building, and promoting of innovative initiatives in popular and social movements that are fighting for economic, social, political, cultural and environmental rights." The organization says that it wants to "strengthen citizen action and reinforce the contribution of social movements in
246-647: Is different from the Western theory of the Three Worlds or Third World. For example, in the Western theory, China and India belong respectively to the second and third worlds, but in Mao's theory both China and India are part of the Third World which he defined as consisting of exploited nations. Third Worldism is a political movement that argues for the unity of third-world nations against first-world influence and
287-659: Is founded in a desire to offer some simple food production models that are affordable, environmentally friendly and easy to adapt for use in both the South and the North, in a response to growing urbanization, pollution and growing urban poverty. In 2008, the Rooftop Garden Project earned the highest environmental distinction in Quebec, the Phénix de l’environnement, and received the 2008 National Urban Design Award from
328-680: Is more affluent and developed, whereas the Global South is less developed and often poorer. To counter this mode of thought, some scholars began proposing the idea of a change in world dynamics that began in the late 1980s, and termed it the Great Convergence . As Jack A. Goldstone and his colleagues put it, "in the twentieth century, the Great Divergence peaked before the First World War and continued until
369-595: The Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact . The United States , Canada , Taiwan , Japan , South Korea , Western European countries and other allies represented the " First World ", while the Soviet Union , China , Cuba , North Korea , Vietnam , and their allies represented the " Second World ". This terminology provided a way of broadly categorizing
410-535: The Eurasian Union . Most Third World countries are former colonies . Having gained independence, many of these countries, especially smaller ones, were faced with the challenges of nation- and institution-building on their own for the first time. Due to this common background, many of these nations were " developing " in economic terms for most of the 20th century, and many still are. This term, used today, generally denotes countries that have not developed to
451-564: The 21st century. The differences among nations of the Third World are continually growing throughout time, and it will be hard to use the Third World to define and organize groups of nations based on their common political arrangements since most countries live under diverse creeds in this era, such as Mexico , El Salvador , and Singapore , which each have their distinct political systems. The Third World categorization becomes anachronistic since its political classification and economic system are distinct to be applied in today's society. Based on
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#1732780982076492-601: The Alternatives' board includes "supporters of Hezbollah and Hamas, such as Ali Mallah, vice-president of the Canadian Arab Federation." In addition, the government was reported to have been concerned regarding a 2008 "education camp" at Saint-Alphonse de Rodriguez in Quebec, was attended by "500 motivated militants" from Lebanon, Iraq, and Venezuela. Alternatives organizes overseas youth internship programs (such as Alternatives' NetCorps program), with
533-489: The Cold War were considered as Third World Countries, and normally these countries are defined by high poverty rates, lack of resources, and unstable financial standing. However, based on the rapid development of modernization and globalization, some countries previously considered to be Third World countries, such as Brazil , India , and Indonesia , achieved large economic growth and are no longer considered poor nations in
574-682: The French magazine L'Observateur , August 14, 1952, coined the term third world ( tiers monde ), referring to countries that were playing a small role in international trade and business. His usage was a reference to the Third Estate ( tiers état ), the commoners of France who, before and during the French Revolution , opposed the clergy and nobles, who composed the First Estate and Second Estate, respectively (hence
615-949: The Québec Sans Frontières Program of Québec's Ministère des relations internationales. The 2009-2010 Program offered 4 types of internships, under the following 3 themes: Ecuador: Documentaries for the rights of youth and children in Ecuador Also, one position of the OCI program of Québec Sans Fronitères was available at Alternatives' offices in Montreal: As part of the Youth Eco Internship program of YMCA of Canada, Alternatives offered 2 internship positions in Montreal: Urban agriculture mobilization and education officer Alternatives
656-807: The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) for its collaborative project with McGill University 's Minimum Cost Housing Groupe and Santropol Roulant. Alternatives garners its financial support from a combination donors and members, as well as partner organizations working alongside Alternatives including major unions and church groups, international organizations and governments. Individuals across Canada contribute to Alternatives either as donors, members, or by subscribing to
697-471: The Third World, from Indonesia to Afghanistan , ranged widely from economically primitive to economically advanced and from politically non-aligned to Soviet- or Western-leaning. An argument could also be made for how parts of the U.S. are more like the Third World. The only characteristic that Bauer found common in all Third World countries was that their governments "demand and receive Western aid," which he strongly opposed. The aggregate term "Third World"
738-718: The United States in Vietnam or the Soviet Union in Cuba). By the end of the Cold War, many Third World countries had adopted capitalist or communist economic models and continued to receive support from the side they had chosen. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the countries of the Third World have been the priority recipients of Western foreign aid and the focus of economic development through mainstream theories such as modernization theory and dependency theory . By
779-463: The aim of developing a sense of solidarity and curiosity about other regions within youth. These internships emphasize understanding Third World realities and encouraging actions that will advance Alternatives' message of justice. Thanks to the internships, hundreds of young people have had the opportunity to participate in uncommon professional, cultural, and human experiences. Alternatives' Internships Program for 2009-2010 offers internships funded by
820-686: The construction of sustainable societies." Alternatives is present in Latin America , Africa , Europe and the Middle East , as well as Central, South and Southeast Asia . Alternatives Montreal is the headquarters of a federation consisting of nine NGOs spread across the world. Alternative-Niger, Alternatives Asia (New Delhi), Alternative Information Center (Jerusalem), Forum Macrocain des Alternatives Sud, Initiative Pour un Autre Monde , Institut Alternatives Terrazul, Khanya College , and Teacher Creativity Center. In each of these regions,
861-445: The development of sustainable societies, another world is possible. This belief is grounded in the engagement, experience, and values of Alternatives' members and the social movements to which they belong. • In this world, women, men and children will live in dignity and respect, and will equitably share the power and resources they need to live and thrive. • In this world, the diversity of peoples and persons will be respected, as will
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#1732780982076902-503: The early 1970s, then, after two decades of indeterminate fluctuations, in the late 1980s, it was replaced by the Great Convergence as the majority of Third World countries reached economic growth rates significantly higher than those in most First World countries". Others have observed a return to Cold War-era alignments ( MacKinnon , 2007; Lucas , 2008), this time with substantial changes between 1990–2015 in geography,
943-864: The end of the 1960s, the idea of the Third World came to represent countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that were considered underdeveloped by the West based on several characteristics: low economic development, low life expectancy , high rates of poverty and disease, and others. These countries became the targets for aid and support from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and individuals from wealthier nations. One popular model, known as Rostow's stages of growth , argued that development took place in five stages: traditional society, pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity, and age of high mass consumption. W. W. Rostow argued that "take-off"
984-472: The food cycle, for a greener city and healthier communities. The Rooftop Garden Project is a combination of hydroponic cultivation, permaculture, organic agriculture and collective gardening. It has inspired numerous initiatives in Québec, Canada and elsewhere in the world. The new green community spaces have been designed as collective gardens, making participation possible in both public and private areas. This
1025-532: The human, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights of all of its inhabitants. • In this world, solidarity, cooperation, respect for the environment, participatory democracy, and peace will be the pillars that hold it aloft. • In this world, founded upon sustainable, just, and democratic social and economic development, construction has already begun at a local, national, and global level. Alternatives' mission statement (2009) reads: "Strengthened by our vision and national and international experience, Alternatives
1066-529: The nations of the Earth into three groups based on political divisions. Due to the complex history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition of the Third World. Strictly speaking, "Third World" was a political, rather than economic, grouping. Since most Third World countries were economically poor and non-industrialized, it became a stereotype to refer to developing countries as "third-world countries". In political discourse,
1107-614: The newspaper. Many activists, journalists, and public figures from Quebec, Canada, and the world support Alternatives. Among these are: Alternative Information Center Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 223655178 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:03:02 GMT Third World The term Third World arose during
1148-410: The organisation works in direct partnership with groups of women and men who are struggling for progress, respect and justice; as well as the peace and sustainable development of their community, their environment, and their region. Alternatives supports network creation between groups so that they can benefit from their shared experiences and successes. Network formation is crucial since it allows for
1189-697: The principle of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs . Groups most notable for expressing and exercising this idea are the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 which provide a base for relations and diplomacy between not just the third-world countries, but between the third-world and the first and second worlds . The notion has been criticized as providing a fig leaf for human rights violations and political repression by dictatorships . Since 1990, this term has been redefined to make it more correct politically. Initially,
1230-556: The promotion of pro-social policies. For the last 16 years, Alternatives has been hosting the Journées Alternatives, a three-day retreat with Alternatives volunteers at Camp Papillon de St-Alphonse de Rodriguez. The retreat promotes reflection, engagement and education and has hundreds of participants yearly. Since 2003, Alternatives has funded and promoted promotes a Rooftop Garden Project , which has been exploring new ways to interact with urban man-made environment and
1271-405: The same levels as OECD countries, and are thus in the process of developing . In the 1980s, economist Peter Bauer offered a competing definition for the term "Third World". He claimed that the attachment of Third World status to a particular country was not based on any stable economic or political criteria, and was a mostly arbitrary process. The large diversity of countries considered part of
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1312-536: The sense of not joining NATO, but were prosperous, never joined the Non-Aligned Movement , and seldom self-identified as part of the Third World. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War , the term Third World has decreased in use. It is being replaced with terms such as developing countries , least developed countries or the Global South . The demographer, anthropologist, and historian Alfred Sauvy , in an article published in
1353-433: The term "underdeveloped countries" was frequently used to refer to roughly the same group of countries. This term was in turn replaced by 'developing' and 'less-developed' countries, as politicians found that the earlier term contributed to stereotypes or disrespect of this group of countries. The general definition of the Third World can be traced back to the history that nations positioned as neutral and independent during
1394-547: The term Third World was often associated with being underdeveloped. China was labeled 'Third World' for several decades in the 20th century before its robust and phenomenal development of the 21st century. Some countries in the Eastern Bloc , such as Cuba , were often regarded as Third World. The Third World was normally seen to include many countries with colonial pasts in Africa , Latin America , Oceania , and Asia . It
1435-520: The term “third world” meant that a nation is “under-developed”. However, today it is replaced by the term “developing". Many times there is a clear distinction between First and Third Worlds. When talking about the Global North and Global South , the majority of the time the two go hand in hand. People refer to the two as "Third World/South" and " First World /North" because the Global North
1476-484: The use of the older form tiers rather than the modern troisième for "third"). Sauvy wrote, "This third world ignored, exploited, despised like the third estate also wants to be something ." In the context of the Cold War , he conveyed the concept of political non-alignment with either the capitalist or communist bloc. Simplistic interpretations quickly led to the term merely designating these unaligned countries. The "Three Worlds Theory" developed by Mao Zedong
1517-578: The world economy and relationship dynamics between current and emerging world powers; not necessarily redefining the classic meaning of First , Second , and Third World terms, but rather which countries belong to them by way of association to which world power or coalition of countries, such as the G7 , the European Union , OECD ; G20 , OPEC , N-11 , BRICS , ASEAN ; the African Union , and
1558-488: The world, Alternatives works to raise public awareness of international and local policy debates and keep people informed of the links between them. Through its information and educational campaigns, reflecting our concerns with equality and justice for the South, Alternatives goes beyond the general public to reach policymakers. At the local level, our work involves environmental concerns, participatory democracy , out-reach and solidarity programs with immigrant communities and
1599-493: Was also sometimes taken as synonymous with countries in the Non-Aligned Movement . In the dependency theory of thinkers like Raúl Prebisch , Walter Rodney , Theotônio dos Santos , and others, the Third World has also been connected to the world-systemic economic division as "periphery" countries dominated by the countries comprising the economic "core" . In the Cold War, some European democracies ( Austria , Finland , Ireland , Sweden , and Switzerland ) were neutral in
1640-546: Was challenged as misleading even during the Cold War period, because it had no consistent or collective identity among the countries it supposedly encompassed. During the Cold War, unaligned countries of the Third World were seen as potential allies by both the First and Second World. Therefore, the United States and the Soviet Union went to great lengths to establish connections in these countries by offering economic and military support to gain strategically located alliances (e.g.,
1681-415: Was the critical stage with which the Third World was struggling, which some argued could be facilitated through foreign aid. Since 1990 the term "Third World" evolved to denote countries with less economic development. The term "Third World" is increasingly perceived to be politically incorrect or outdated, as it is a historical term that isn't as relevant in modern day geopolitics . Around the early 1960s,