THE MYTH OF THE RESPONSIVE NORTH

The North-South policies of Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden towards Third World demands for global equality and justice are often regarded as models of responsiveness. A recently published set of books claims that this is a myth. The 'Humane Internationalism' characteristic of the policies of these countries is today more liberal and less radical. This essay discusses the reasons for the change, and critically evaluates proposals for what needs to be done to revive Northern responsiveness.