II. Following the World War, the process of decolonization of the countries of Africa and Asia began. In fact, the soldiers of these countries participated in the triumph of Germany and its fascist allies, and “as a thank you” those subordinate countries had to be recognized as “freedom”. However, it is rarely recognized that the traditional colonial system was being too expensive for dominant States and should devise new ways of exploitation.
In this decolonization process, several leaders emerged who fought for the integral freedom of their countries, which also contemplated socialism and the ownership of their natural resources. This demand led the leaders of many countries to move with China or the Soviet Union. Among these left-wing leaders are Belgian Lumumba Kongo, killed for being dangerous to the West, Nkrumah Ghanan or Nyerere Tanzania.
Western metropolises, Britain and the French State, to preserve their former colonies, gave them numerous subsidies, especially to import weapons or buy the elite of their country of origin. However, these “subsidies” did not meet the development goals.
One more step in approving the Washington Consensus in the 1980s. This agreement was aimed at strengthening neoliberal policy, and every country was asked to have balanced public budgets if it wanted to receive international public money, public enterprises (mines, among others) should be privatized, etc. The neoliberal journal, such as The Economist at that time, recognized us that if these demands were met, developing and backward countries would definitely emerge from underdevelopment.
It is seldom recognized that the traditional colonial system was becoming too expensive for dominant states and should invent new forms of exploitation.
Bored, especially Africans, by the contempt they have suffered, they seek refuge in China if not in Russia, although they also have interests.
The lack of development made NGOs stronger. It began to form in the 1980s and in the coming decades it stabilized and gained a significant prominence.
I will mention two problems in the evolution of NGOs. First, the need to create a twinning organization in the recipient country to carry out the development project; in many cases, the workers of the twinning organizations have higher salaries than the local ministers, causing conflicts in the access to jobs. The second problem arises in the structures of the NGOs, whose authorities, on many occasions, copy the practices of multinational companies, from prosperous wages to luxury travel or speculative investments with the monetary funds they have set up.
In view of the negative results achieved in the economic and social development of these poor countries, a number of NGOs have been set up which have begun to distribute money among private individuals rather than in investment projects. In this new policy, the NGOs of Silicon Valley business giants are pioneering. Instead of earmarking money for investment, they go to the pocket, for consumption, for the poor, and social peace is stabilised.
For the future, cooperatives must create endogenous forces that promote economic and social development. This task highlights the trajectory of Euskal Fondoa, funded by 120 municipalities. Projects are being carried out in several municipalities, be they schools, roads or own productions, as well as cooperative, solidarity and technical training.