Essays

In recent years, the term ' global ization' has become a catchphrase for those interested in the world and the way it works. At the same time, n has become a bogeyman for those who fear change, and for those who believe the modem world has taken a turn for the worse. Those who are critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism are considered part of the anti-global ization movement, also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, after-global ization movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or movement against neo-liberal global ization.

 Participants of anti-global ization movement oppose large, multi- national corporations having unregulated political power as well as the powers exercised through trade agreements and deregulated financial markets. Specifically, they accuse corporations of seeking to maximize profit at the expense of sabotaging work safety conditions and standards. Labour hiring and compensation standards, environmental conservation principles, and the integrity of national legislative authority. Independence and sovereignty.

Many anti-globalization activists generally call for forms of global Integration that better provide democratic representation, advancement of human rights, fair trade and sustainable development and therefore feel the term 'anti-globalization' is misleading. Recent unprecedented changes in the global economy have been characterized differently as -iurbo-capilalism' by Edward Luttwak, 'market fundamentalism' by George Soros, 'casino capitalism' by Susan Strange, 'cancer-stage capitalism' by John McMurtry, and as 'McWorld by Benjamin Barber.

Supporters of the term anti-globalization' argue that their movement has emerged to challenge the combination of the Breuon Woods institutions, slates, and multinational corporations, called 'global ization' or 'globalization from above'. Hence, it can also be called globalization from below'. Protestors of these social movements believe that me global financial institutions and agreements undermine local decision-making methods. They opine that corporations exercise privileges that human citizens cannot; for example, moving freely across borders, extracting desired natural resources, and utilizing a diversity of human resources, Moreover, these corporations are able to move on after doing permanent damage to the natural capital and biodiversity of a nation, in a minim impossible for that nation's citizens.                              

The goals of anti-globalization activists are to achieve an end to the legal status of 'corporate personhood', the dissolution of free market fundamentalism, and an end to the radical economic privatization measures of the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organization (WTO). These activists are especially opposed to 'globalization abuse' and the international institutions that promote neo-liberalism without regard to ethical standards. Besides the WB, IMF and WTO, the activists commonly target the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and tree trade treaties like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

The adherents of anti-globalization movement claim that 'free trade' without adequate measures in place to protect the environment and the health and well-being of workers, will only strengthen the power of  Industrialized nations, often termed the 'North' in opposition to the  developing world's 'South'. Given the gap between the rich and poor nations, activists point out that the current inequities of the global trading system are being perpetuated by the WTO and with respect to global trade, most specifically in relation to the protectionist policies towards agriculture enacted in many developed countries. These activists also point out that heavy subsidization of developed nations' agriculture and the aggressive use of export subsidies by some developed nations to make their agricultural products more attractive on the international market are major causes of declines in the agricultural sectors of many developing nations.

Some business alliances like the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as the governments which promote such agreements or institutions are also opposed by anti- globalization activists. They also oppose the U.S. dollar hegemony.

As a movement, anti-globalization is of very recent in origin. It developed as a worldwide movement through the Internet, in opposition to the doctrines of neo-liberalism which were manifested on a global scale in the 1990s when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) proposed liberalization of cross-border investment and trade restrictions through its Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI). By 2002, many pans of the movement showed wide opposition to the impending invasion of Iraq. Anti-globalization activists worried for a proper functioning of democratic institutions as the leaders of many democratic countries like Spain, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom were acting against the wishes of the majorities of their populations in supporting the war.

The anti -globalization movement has been inspired by several influential critical works. No Logo, the book by the Canadian journalist Naomi Klein, has become 'manifesto' of the movement. It criticizes the production practices of multinational corporations and the omnipresence of brand-driven marketing in popular culture- In France, the well-known monthly paper Le monde Diplomatique has advocated the anti- globalization cause. Susan George of the Transnational Institute has also been a long-term influence on the movement, as the writer of books since 1986 on hunger, debt, international financial institutions and capitalism. The works of Jean Ziegler, Christopher Chase-Dunn. and Immanuel Wallenstein have detailed underdevelopment and dependence in a world ruled by the capitalist system.

In India, Vandana Shiva, an ecologist and feminist, in her book biopiracy documented the way in which the natural capital of indigenous peoples and eco-regions is converted into forms of intellectual capital, which are then recognized as exclusive commercial property without sharing the private utility thus derived. Booker-prize winner Arundhati Roy is famous for her anti-nuclear position and her activism against India's massive hydroelectric dam project, sponsored by the World Rank.

Although they may not recognize themselves as anti-globalists and are pro-capitalism, some economists also have strongly influenced the movement. Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom argues that third world development must be understood as the expansion of human capability, not simply the increase in national income per capita, and thus requires policies attuned to health and education, not simply GDP. James Tobin's proposal for a tax on financial transactions (called, after him, the Tobin Tax) has become part of the agenda of the movement. Similarly, George Soros. Joseph E. Stieglitz and David Kurten have made .arguments for drastically improving transparency, for debt relief, land reform, and restructuring corporate accountability systems.

The movement's ideas are diffused through Internet sources and free-information websites, such as Indymedia. It is believed that the vast array of material on spiritual movements, anarchism, libertarian socialism and the Green Movement that is now available on the Internet has been perhaps more influential than any printed book.

Although over the past years more emphasis has been given to the construction of grassroots alternatives to globalization, the movement’s largest and most visible mode of organizing remains mass decentralized campaigns of direct action and civil disobedience. Despite the lack of formal coordinating bodies, the movement manages to successfully organize large protests on a global basis, using information technology to spread information and organize. One common tactic of the protests is to split up based on willingness to break the law. This is designed, with varying success, to protect the risk-averse from the physical and legal dangers posed by confrontations with law enforcement.       

Some of the key grass-roots organizations are Abahlali based" Mjondolo in South Africa, the EZLN in Mexico. Fanroi Lavaias in Haiti, the Homeless Workers' Movement in Brazil, the Landless Peoples Movement in South Africa, the Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil, Movement for Justice en el Barrio in the U.S., Grassroots Global Justice in the U.S.. Narmada Bachao Andolan in India and the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign in South Africa. These and other groups have demonstrated at the annual meetings of the IMF. The WB, G8, etc. since 1988.                                                      

The anti-globalization movement has been criticized by politicians. Members of conservative think tanks, and many mainstream economists. They assert that the empirical evidence does not support the views of the anti-globalization movement. The movement is also criticised for being disorganised, lack of effective participation of Third World countries, and various other counts.