THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUMAND THE FUTURE OF GLOBALIZATION: THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM AND THE FUTURE OF GLOBALIZATION “Another World is Possible” Larry Bridwell, Ph. D. December 4, 2007


GLOBALIZATION: GLOBALIZATION Definition…Art (Globalization) Depends on the Eye of the Beholder


GLOBALIZATION--POSITIVES: GLOBALIZATION--POSITIVES Implements Economies of Scale that Benefits Consumers Airplanes (Airbus of EU; Boeing of USA) Regional Jets (Bombardier of Canada; Embraer of Brazil) Autos (Daimler-Chrysler, BMW, Toyota, Hyundai) Toys and Textiles from China


RECENT FORCES FUELING GLOBALIZATION: RECENT FORCES FUELING GLOBALIZATION Computers Global Communications (Internet) e.g., Outsourcing of Computer Software Programming from USA, Germany, France and UK to India and China Fall of Berlin Wall NOW ONE WORLD ECONOMY EXCEPT FOR NORTH KOREA AND CUBA


BACKLASH AGAINST GLOBALIZATION: BACKLASH AGAINST GLOBALIZATION 6 1/2 Billion people on the Planet Earth 2 1/2 Billion Live on Less than $2 a Day Perception (Accurate or Inaccurate) -- Globalization is a Tool of American Capitalism and Multinationals in Europe and Japan to Exploit Poor People


BACKLASH AGAINST GLOBALIZATION: BACKLASH AGAINST GLOBALIZATION Image of Hedonistic American Consumerism – MTV Half-Time Show in the Super Bowl Justin Timberlake & Janet Jackson Threatens Moral values in Traditional Cultures- Catholic Church, American Religious Fundamentalists, Orthodox Jews, and Traditional Islamic Family Values.


BACKLASH AGAINST AMERICAN MATERIALISM: BACKLASH AGAINST AMERICAN MATERIALISM “A serious threat is hovering over European Culture. The threat emanates from an onslaught of “mass culture” from across the Atlantic….Indeed one can only wonder that a deep, profoundly intelligent and inherently humane European culture is retreating to the background before the primitive revelry of violence and pornography and the flood of cheap feelings and low thoughts.”


BACKLASH AGAINST AMERICAN MATERIALISM: BACKLASH AGAINST AMERICAN MATERIALISM Quote on previous slide is by Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of Russia


RECENTHISTORICAL TIME LINE : RECENT HISTORICAL TIME LINE 1945 TO 1989 – NATO Fights Communism 1990’s – Age of Globalization Accelerates after Fall of Berlin Wall World Economic Forum Gathers Most Powerful People Each Year in Davos to Advance Globalization 1990’s IMF/World Bank Interventions


IMF/WORLD BANK INTERVENTIONS: IMF/WORLD BANK INTERVENTIONS Loans to Yeltsin’s Russia Go to Corrupt Oligarchs Mexican Peso Collapses in 1994. American Banks Loans Covered by IMF/World Bank and US Treasury


IMF/WORLD BANK INTERVENTIONS: IMF/WORLD BANK INTERVENTIONS 1997- Thailand Currency Collapses with Subsequent Effects in Indonesia and Korea Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz Blames Mistakes by IMF/World Bank Argentine Peso Crashes with Devastating Impact on the Poor and the Middle Class


WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO): WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) Seattle, 1999—First Meeting Collapses in the Streets Doha, 2001—Agenda Items TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property) Agricultural Subsidies of US/EU/Japan Harming Third World Farmers Brazil, 2002—Union Activist Lula da Silva Elected President of Brazil Cancun, 2003—WTO Meltdown Punctuated by a Korean Farmer Burning Himself to Death


WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2000—French and Brazilian Social Activists Seek Alternative to World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland 2001—First World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil with 15,000 Attendees “ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE”


WORLD SOCIAL FORUM(WSF): WORLD SOCIAL FORUM(WSF) 2002—Second WSF with 40,000 Attendees —European Social Forum held in Florence, Italy 2003—Third WSF with 100,000 Attendees President Lula da Silva Goes from Porto Alegre to Davos with Strong Message


2003 WSF—PROTEST MOBILIZATION: 2003 WSF—PROTEST MOBILIZATION Porto Alegre Attendees Plan World-wide Protests Against Iraq Invasion in March, 2003 Leading to Demonstrations in the Millions President Lula da Silva Leads Group of 22 Developing Nations to Confront the US/EU/Japanese Alliance in Cancun


2003 CANCUN WTO DISASTER: 2003 CANCUN WTO DISASTER USA & EU Refuses to Yield on Agricultural Subsidies American Govt. Says There are “Can Do” and “Won’t Do” Countries Attacks are Aimed at Brazil for being Inflexible Lula Counters He is Fighting for the Poor of Latin America, Africa and Asia


WTO FINANCIAL ISSUES: WTO FINANCIAL ISSUES USA/EU/Japanese Agricultural Annual Subsidies are $300 Billion USA/EU/Japanese Humanitarian Assistance is $100 Billion (2005)


WTO FINANCIAL ISSUES: WTO FINANCIAL ISSUES EU humanitarian Aid is triple that of the United States 60% EU 20% USA (**excluding Iraq and Afghanistan) 13% Japan 7% Other 100%


2004 WORLD SOCIAL FORUM—MUMBAI, INDIA: 2004 WORLD SOCIAL FORUM— MUMBAI, INDIA Statement by Several Speakers—Most Important Global Issue is the WTO Negotiations Many Activities and Demonstrations Opening Ceremonies


OPENING CEREMONIESINDIAN HERITAGE: OPENING CEREMONIES INDIAN HERITAGE Former Mayor of Mumbai (81 years old) Captain Laxmi Sehgal (90 years old) Female Military leader of India against the British during the Independence Struggle Arundhati Roy (Booker Prize Author)


2005 WORLD SOCIAL FORUMRETURNS TO BRAZIL: 2005 WORLD SOCIAL FORUM RETURNS TO BRAZIL 200,000 attendees Will the World See a Confrontation Between the Rich (1 Billion) and the Developing World (5 Billion)


DEMOCRACY AND THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: DEMOCRACY AND THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM Major Democracies in the Developing World– Brazil and India World Social Forum Cannot be Held in China Because NGO’s Must Be Free to Express Themselves Future Organization Initiatives ???


FUTURE OF THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: FUTURE OF THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - Will the World Social Forum Become the Major Organizing Vehicle for the Global Justice Movement? “The Movement of Movements” Big, Big Celebration!!! “Another World is Possible”