Jesse Ribot, Senior Associate in The Institutions and Governance Program of The World Resources Institute

The process of globalization has brought rich and poor nations into closer contact than ever. But contact is often to the detriment of the poorer states. This unequal relation is illustrated by the desperate ways the two camps can view and use a mutual interest like sustainable development. Rich countries may claim to protect resources while exploiting them. Poor nations may seek preserve and use their cultural and natural heritage. Through an imaginative poem illustrated with the evocative paintings of Senegalese artist Mor Gueye, Jesse Ribot explains what a proper response should be.