Ethics Newsline®

Dr. Oscar Arias was president of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990, and 1987 Nobel Peace laureate. With the money from the prize, he established the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. Dr. Arias responded in writing from his home in Costa Rica.

Kidder: As a result of September 11, what do you hope will change for the better around the world in the next decade?

Arias: The United States dropping food packets simultaneously with its bombing campaign has been criticized as being simply a publicity stunt. If nothing else, it does tell us that the government of the United States is at least aware that its people care about the plight of the desperately poor in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and that the government must at least give the appearance of doing something about that suffering. I hope that this awareness will be channeled into real and sustained action on behalf of the poor around the world, both now and after the military action has ended.

Another phenomenon that I would like to see sustained is the new spirit of partnership and coalition that has been adopted by the United States in the wake of the September 11 events. I just hope that this attitude does not fade away as soon as the current military campaign is over, but instead remains central to U.S. foreign policy from the present forward. It would be in the interests of the United States, as well as those of the rest of the world, to continue to work together, not only against terrorism, but against the many other ills that plague humanity today.

Another change that I am hoping to see is the abandonment of the wasteful and dangerous missile defense project that President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have been pushing. It should be clear to everyone that nuclear shields will not protect the United States from terrorism, which everyone knew to be a more imminent threat than ballistic missiles even before September 11. Defense resources should be invested wisely in the areas where they are most needed, and not extravagantly to keep defense contractors happy.

Kidder: As a result of September 11, what do you fear might change for the worse around the world over the next decade?

Arias: I am afraid that if we don’t start paying more serious attention to issues of poverty and social justice, the anger and misery of millions of people will feed the fire of extremism. I want it to be clear that I do not see poverty and injustice as excuses for terrorism; all acts of terrorism must be universally condemned. At the same time, to me it seems to be common sense that if we truly want to be free of the menace of terrorism, we must fight both the fanaticism of extremist leaders and the hopelessness of the poor masses that constitute their base of popular support.

Another fear I have, which seems to be coming about already, is a rise in the amount of xenophobia and intolerance of immigrants in the United States and Europe. It would be a real tragedy to punish everyone who is or even looks to be Middle Eastern or South Asian for the actions of a small group. This is a lesson the world should have learned by now.

Kidder: What two or three indicators will you be looking for to see whether your hopes or your fears are more likely to come to pass?

Arias: I would look to indicators such as the levels of defense spending versus spending on health and education — like those published in the United Nations Human Development Report — to see whether the world is learning to adjust its priorities and pay more attention to alleviating poverty.

The upcoming meeting of the World Trade Organization in Qatar will also tell part of the tale: whether the wealthy countries are willing to open their markets to the exports of the developing world. To truly alleviate poverty and make strides in development, rapid and sustained economic growth is required in the developing world. Foreign aid and debt relief are desperately needed, too. But the industrialized countries have been chanting the mantra of “trade, not aid,” for years, and now that the poor countries are on board, the powerful don’t seem to want to give up their grip on their own markets.

Finally, the actions of the U.S. foreign policy and national security teams over the next few years will give us all the evidence we need of whether that country’s change of heart in terms of valuing the international community will remain in place or not. The indicator of whether U.S. defense goals have become more realistic will be the government’s actions on the ABM treaty and missile defense. If missile defense continues to be a high priority and to command huge amounts of funds, then I will know that my fear, rather than my hope, has come to pass: the same old thinking in the White House and Pentagon.