ANTI-GLOBALISATION MOVEMENT A MISNOMER?

Dear Colleagues,

A brief survey of letters to the editor in this week's Australian
newspapers on issues around globalisation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) &
S-11 action provide interesting insights into the (Australian) public
psyche & the values people hold.

Rather than being members of the widely assumed 'lunatic fringe', many
people voicing their concerns about the (negative) effects of globalisation
are pretty straight: they comprise young & retired professionals, mums with
young children, pensioners & 'the average punter' (see the article on p.5
in The Australian, Thursday September 7 2000, for example).

These people say they are concerned about corporate behaviour, ethics &
influence; the increasing marketisation of people & society; government
focus on economic policy at the expense of environmental & social policy;
the gaps between rich & poor; human rights, equity & dignity.

The really interesting thing is that these people are NOT against
globalisation at all: some say that 'many aspects of globalisation are OK'
(such as economic growth & more liberalised trade); that they are NOT about
'the rollback of globalisation'.

People are participating in the protest because they feel it's the only way
of effectively expressing their concern: they feel isolated from
government, powerless in the face of corporate interests & are cynical
about the democratic process.  As one letter-writer states: 'Were the world
leaders of WEF elected democratically, the people planning to protest would
happily turn up at the ballot box to express their concern for the
environment & social justice in an economic context'.

Thus, the term 'anti-globalisation' is perhaps a misnomer.

Can others on the list please respond & let me know if these observations
'ring true' about participants in earlier protests at Seattle, Washington,
etc.?  I would be keen to see any similar analyses or anecdotal evidence
along these lines.

Kind Regards, Mark.
------------------------------
Mark Beavis
The IR Theory Web Site
E-MAIL: beavism@wva.org.au
PHONE: +613 9287 2442
FAX: +613 9287 2315
WEB: www.irtheory.com/markbeavis/