Global Wealth

Whāinga ako: Lesson Goals

To understand how the management of resources has a positive or negative impact on society

Kupu matua - Keywords

Wealth, resource, blood diamonds, terrorist, rebel, civil war, child soldiers

Mahi - Work

Does having a valuable resource make your country rich?

For some countries the discovery of natural resources is a curse rather than a blessing, it causes conflict and the country does not become wealthy. This is known as the 'resource curse'.

What do you think of when you think of riches or wealth? Discuss what wealth/riches looks like to you.

Case Study One: Mali's Gold

Take a tour of the capital of Mali.

Does this snapshot given look like a wealthy country to you?
Why/why not?

Believe it or not, Mali has a lot of gold. So why doesn't the country look really rich and wealthy?

Watch the video and take the Quiz

The facts:

Mali is the fourth biggest producer of gold in Africa
Mining relies on child labour and poor conditions for the workers
Mines have been seized by terrorists and the funds are used to pay for their interests
Ultimately the money isn't going back to the people of the country

Case Study Two: Sierra Leone's Diamonds

The Resource Curse

Ever heard of blood diamonds or conflict diamonds?

In 1991 in a small country called Sierra Leone, civil war broke out. Since then over 50 000 people have been killed as a result of the war. Over a million have been displaced. But what has this got to do with diamonds?

Case Study Three: Norway's Oil

One country that has managed their resources well is Norway. They believe that wealth from the land should belong to all of the people of the nation. This became especially relevant when oil was discovered out to sea in the 1970's. Profits from this resource go into what is now known as the Norwegian Pension fund. Through this fund, Norway owns almost 1.5% of all listed stocks worldwide.