The continent of South America manifests diverse issues that would categorize most of its countries as underdeveloped nations. An underdeveloped nation is one that has not achieved any headway in matters such as the national currency, international affairs, and particularly education and poverty. In the vastness of the South American continent lies Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil, each having its own unique flaws and virtues. These three countries are all considered Third World nations or underdeveloped nations due to their instability in education and poverty reform. Bolivia, Peru and Brazil long to venture into the international market, but are hindered by these obstacles. Attention to poverty and education is imperative for the development of a nation. Education plays a significant role in molding the citizens into solving their economic problems. Both poverty and education needs attention in Bolivia, Peru and Brazil.

Bolivia, named after the revolutionary Simon Bolivar, lies in the heartland of the continent. Bolivia’s borders are completely surrounded by the countries of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Peru. Out of all the South American countries, Bolivia has the highest population of indigenous cultures. Bolivia is a diverse nation where ancient cultures have merged with newer ones in a land scattered with natural resources as rich and diverse as its people, geography and climate. Despite all these resources, Bolivia is known as one of the poorest countries on the South American continent. The majority of the labor force is poorly trained and education is limited in most areas, causing an inadequate infrastructure for today’s highly competitive global economy.

Bolivia is now committed to overcoming its poverty and becoming a land of opportunities for all. Bolivia’s president, General Hugo Banzar Suarez, is determined to establish regulations to help boost the country’s economy. The president has established a plan known as The Four Pillars. The structure of this plan includes four development pillars identified as Opportunity, Equity, Integrity and Dignity. These will integrate development perspectives that will speed up economic growth, create employment and improve income distribution. Although poverty exists in urban areas of Bolivia, the peasants and indigenous people who live in the Andes comprise most of the impoverished population. Until recently, these people had no contact with the outside world because of the natural barriers of the mountains. Yet, many unforeseen problems have forced the men of these villages to migrate into cities looking for employment. One reason for this is that crops have been destroyed by the phenomenon of El Niño. Modernization also played a major role in influencing migration. Many neighboring villages that had been trading with one another for centuries are now starting to trade with cities, introducing a new form of contact between urban and rural Bolivia. Migrating to neighboring cities was often difficult for rural men since they were often discriminated against for their lack of education.

Bolivia must work together as a nation to overcome these obstacles. The nation has a long way before they can obtain their goals, but once the citizens are included in the process of constructing educational and economic policies, Bolivia will have an opportunity to grow.

Once known as the ancient home of the Incas, Peru is an alluring country which lies in western South America. Since gaining their independence in 1821 against the Spanish Conquistadors, Peru has alternated between periods of military dictatorship and democracy. President Fujimori stated in a press conference in 1998 that he will work to fight against poverty and fight for education. Like Bolivia, much of the poverty comes from rural citizens who migrate into urban areas.

In a message by President Fujimori to the Peruvian population, he affirmed that in recent years, some of the South American countries have longed to reach the development they have needed. He hopes that Peru will not only be included in these nations that back away from old traditions, but also will advance and be in the vanguard of the world. He claims that something is happening in Peru that has never happened before; that is, the Andean population that has been asleep for many centuries is now awakening and is integrating itself into the globalization process, the backbone of the nation. Peru is starting to mold itself.

Brazil, the largest country in South America, is full of potential in becoming a leader in our world today. Although Brazil’s large landmass accounts for a variety of natural resources, they are still a high debtor nation in dire need of financial assistance. As a result of Brazil’s indebtedness, two issues that were left on the back burner need attention; education and poverty need reform.

In 1997, 51 million out of 169 million people in Brazil were poor. Poor means not having the bare necessities. In a country that is rich in natural resources and so large in land area, how is this possible? Some governmental programs were implemented to help with this problem, but they have all failed.

Brazil also faces another problem, that of education. The country only spends 1% of their GDP in education. Education minister Paulo Renato de Souza says that in order to provide more funding for schools, the government needs to reshuffle money and direct more towards education.

As we travel down the paths of each of these countries, we can conclude that major reforms must take place. The solutions, though, are not as simple as they seem. It will take both willingness and discipline on the part of these countries to develop their economic potential.

Bibliography

Britton, John A. Molding the Hearts and Minds: Education, Communications and Social Change in Latin America. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources, 1994.

Cowen, Robert, ed. The Evaluation of Higher Education Systems. Philadelphia: Kogan Page, 1996.

Paerregaard, Karen. Linking Separate Worlds: Urban Migrants and Rural Lives in Peru. New York: Oxford, 1997.

Psacharopoulous, George and Harry Anthony Patrinos. Indigenous People and Poverty in Latin America. Brookfield: Avebury, 1996.

Raczynski, Dagmar, ed. Strategies to Combat Poverty in Latin America. Washington DC: John Hopkins University Press, 1995.

Strohm, Paul, ed. “From Political to Economic Siege in Brazil” Academe. May-June 1990: 27-30.