Introduction to the Fourth World
The Fourth World represents a term once used to describe the world’s most underdeveloped, impoverished, and marginalized regions and communities. Many of these populations live without political affiliation, frequently as hunter-gatherers or as members of nomadic or tribal societies. Though fully functional and self-sufficient, their economic performance during the Cold War era branded them as part of the Fourth World.
Key Insights:
- Definition: The Fourth World concept encapsulates the most impoverished and marginalized regions and populations globally.
- Inhabitants: Many residents of these regions have no political connections, often living in nomadic tribes or as hunter-gatherers.
- Relevance: The term is outdated and considered offensive, frequently associated with indigenous peoples without sovereign status.
Decoding the Fourth World
During the Cold War, global nations were categorized into specific worlds: the First World aligned with NATO and capitalism; the Second World supported communism and the Soviet Union. The Third World included countries not aligned with either front, many from impoverished former colonies in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.
The term Fourth World emerged later to depict regions within the Third World possessing extremely low income per capita and scant natural resources. It described societies excluded from mainstream global economies, such as Aboriginal tribes in South America and Australia. These communities, while self-reliant and unaffected by global events, were classified as Fourth World for their lack of engagement with the global economic system.
Unlike other categories, Fourth World regions are not determined by political borders but often by their lack of political recognition and participation in the global economic system. Groups such as First Nations across the Americas exemplify this categorization.
The Evolution of the Fourth World Term
First coined in Canada by Mbuto Milando during a discussion with George Manuel of the National Indian Brotherhood, the Fourth World described the aspiration for indigenous peoples to thrive based on their cultural and traditional values. Following Manuel’s publication of The Fourth World: An Indian Reality in 1974, the term became indicative of stateless, impoverished, and marginalized nations.
Since 1979, organizations like the Center for World Indigenous Studies have highlighted relationships between ancient, tribal societies and modern nation-states under the Fourth World label. The 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples further accelerated dialogue among Fourth World communities, fostering international agreements in trade, travel, and security.
Related Terms: First World, Second World, Third World, indigenous rights, poverty, global economy.
References
- G2. “Fourth World”.
- Center for World Indigenous Studies. “Fourth World Journal Summer 2023”.
- Manue, George and Posluns, Michael. “The Fourth World: An Indian Reality”. University of Minnesota Press, 2018.
- Center for World Indigenous Studies. “Our Story”.
- United Nations. “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”.
