A sense of insecurity, lost jobs, and growth in education and business are among the difficulties and positive outcomes being experienced worldwide. This is what The Epoch Times reporters from Spain to the Philippines discovered when they asked locals around the world: “How is your country coping with the global economic crisis?”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Albano Loureiros, 55, Trade Representative
Brazil was affected in exports. ... Chinese products have continued to enter [the country]. But now I’m noticing some growth at the level of industrial production. If it’s growing here, then it’s coping.
Albano Loureiros, 55, Trade Representative
Brazil was affected in exports. ... Chinese products have continued to enter [the country]. But now I’m noticing some growth at the level of industrial production. If it’s growing here, then it’s coping.
Canary Islands, Spain
Arturo Delgado, 64, University Head of Finance Dept.
As a first approach, I would say that in the initial stages of the economic crisis, Spain’s government was paralyzed, and let things unfold without reacting to it, that was a mess. Now we are obliged because of the circumstances and the requisites of being a member of the European Union, several measures have been taken, hard ones, so what we can do at this moment is wait and see if macroeconomic ratios begin to change, which would be a sign of hope.
Arturo Delgado, 64, University Head of Finance Dept.
As a first approach, I would say that in the initial stages of the economic crisis, Spain’s government was paralyzed, and let things unfold without reacting to it, that was a mess. Now we are obliged because of the circumstances and the requisites of being a member of the European Union, several measures have been taken, hard ones, so what we can do at this moment is wait and see if macroeconomic ratios begin to change, which would be a sign of hope.
Philippines (living in Dubai)
Ervic Deleon, 39, Store Supervisor
The Filipino people still work abroad because there is more opportunity, and they are using their own cars less, so they take the public transport. The government is trying its best to do something about the crisis, but still the Filipino people are suffering a lot during this economic crisis.
Ervic Deleon, 39, Store Supervisor
The Filipino people still work abroad because there is more opportunity, and they are using their own cars less, so they take the public transport. The government is trying its best to do something about the crisis, but still the Filipino people are suffering a lot during this economic crisis.
Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Katie Woodhead, 48, Teacher
I think the main impact has been a general sense of insecurity. Of course, some people have felt it directly and lost their jobs, but for me, it is a feeling of insecurity, of not knowing how things are going to pan out. And also, there are cuts in services, and I am concerned about the impact it will have on my daughter’s education. I hope the government is painting a bleaker picture than it really is, so they can turn around and say, ‘Look how well we’ve done.’
Katie Woodhead, 48, Teacher
I think the main impact has been a general sense of insecurity. Of course, some people have felt it directly and lost their jobs, but for me, it is a feeling of insecurity, of not knowing how things are going to pan out. And also, there are cuts in services, and I am concerned about the impact it will have on my daughter’s education. I hope the government is painting a bleaker picture than it really is, so they can turn around and say, ‘Look how well we’ve done.’
Cossato (Biella), Italy
Piero Lavino, 64, Business Consultant
In my opinion, the crisis extends from the fact that we are governed badly—there is corruption, a widespread sense of impunity. There is a culture that it is normal to defend oneself and not worry if everything goes wrong. The crisis is managed very badly, because there is no attempt to remedy the things that are the real cause. In my opinion, Italy wouldn’t go so badly if we were governed in a better way, and if there were more correct behaviors.
Piero Lavino, 64, Business Consultant
In my opinion, the crisis extends from the fact that we are governed badly—there is corruption, a widespread sense of impunity. There is a culture that it is normal to defend oneself and not worry if everything goes wrong. The crisis is managed very badly, because there is no attempt to remedy the things that are the real cause. In my opinion, Italy wouldn’t go so badly if we were governed in a better way, and if there were more correct behaviors.
The Netherlands
Michiel Verlaat, 23, Web Designer
You notice by, first of all, unemployment rates and secondly by the unrest. And also, the political unrest, we’ve just had our national elections, and it was all about the crisis. It is hard to imagine that whole companies are going bankrupt, but actually, I have enough work. I’m not affected really. We’re doing it ourselves: being afraid, we stop buying things and then, yes, of course, there will be a crisis.
Michiel Verlaat, 23, Web Designer
You notice by, first of all, unemployment rates and secondly by the unrest. And also, the political unrest, we’ve just had our national elections, and it was all about the crisis. It is hard to imagine that whole companies are going bankrupt, but actually, I have enough work. I’m not affected really. We’re doing it ourselves: being afraid, we stop buying things and then, yes, of course, there will be a crisis.
Gold Coast, Australia
Peter Kentwell, 51, Fraud Investigations
From all accounts—be they media, political, also I’m an ABC radio avid listener, so I’m hearing it from both academic points of view as well—it would seem as though this country so far is fairing the economic global crisis better than just about any other established country in the world. I stress “so far,” because I think it could be a revolving door, whether that’s a year away, six months away, two years, three years away, I think we’ll find out within that time frame at the most and then it’s whether or not we’ll be able to still be in a position once we come out again.
Peter Kentwell, 51, Fraud Investigations
From all accounts—be they media, political, also I’m an ABC radio avid listener, so I’m hearing it from both academic points of view as well—it would seem as though this country so far is fairing the economic global crisis better than just about any other established country in the world. I stress “so far,” because I think it could be a revolving door, whether that’s a year away, six months away, two years, three years away, I think we’ll find out within that time frame at the most and then it’s whether or not we’ll be able to still be in a position once we come out again.
Afghanistan (living in Dubai)
Ahmad Rashiq, 23, Marketing Executive
Actually, I am from Afghanistan and in Afghanistan, the economic crisis does not affect us too much because this is a country that is growing again, and is building up again, everything—education, business. And it effects us through other companies from overseas; when the economic crisis in the world began they stopped working and stopped growing, so still we hope it’s going to be better. After the economic crisis worldwide, we would have more education, more universities, and more companies which will help Afghanistan.
Ahmad Rashiq, 23, Marketing Executive
Actually, I am from Afghanistan and in Afghanistan, the economic crisis does not affect us too much because this is a country that is growing again, and is building up again, everything—education, business. And it effects us through other companies from overseas; when the economic crisis in the world began they stopped working and stopped growing, so still we hope it’s going to be better. After the economic crisis worldwide, we would have more education, more universities, and more companies which will help Afghanistan.
Stockholm, Sweden
Sandra Kinnaman Nordström, 25, Student
I did not notice anything last winter when the crisis hit, but I lost my job. I have not noticed that they [the government] has done anything about the crisis in Sweden.
Sandra Kinnaman Nordström, 25, Student
I did not notice anything last winter when the crisis hit, but I lost my job. I have not noticed that they [the government] has done anything about the crisis in Sweden.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “How far can you get on $10?”
