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樂施會在2007年6月反G8遊行中打出的標語:「這個世界不能等」

Alternative globalization is a complex social movement that pursues social values and environmental issues and opposes "the economic logic of neoliberal globalization." The content of this movement is highly heterogeneous, and the entire movement is united by the slogan "Another world is possible" or more recently "Other worlds are possible"[1],Its connotation oscillates between reformism (such as imposing a financial transaction tax to assist citizen organizations in their demands for a Tobin tax[2])and "the imagination of rupture". Even so, several common demands can still be summarized under this banner: economic justice[3] people's democracy[4] environmental protection[5] basic human rights[6] Democracy, the specific connotation varies depending on political orientation[7]。 Dissatisfaction with the charters and policies of international institutions; targets include the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Organization of Eight Major Industrial Countries and the World Bank. Looking for alternative possibilities for international order, finance and business.

These themes emerged from different groups of alternative globalization movements: including the declaration of a financial transaction tax to assist civil society organizations at the World Social Forum and the Happy Harbor Declaration, reformists also demanded the concrete implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Rights and Autonomy (see Advocacy section).

Position

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Positions put forward in the name of alternative globalization

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If the diversity of the movement facilitates the establishment of a united front, its heterogeneity is also not conducive to concentrating efforts and proposing a clear political program. However, the biggest common denominator of each movement is still manifested in sustainable development and basic rights, including food sovereignty, peace and even democracy (the latter may be contrary to the tendency of socialist revolution[8]). The alternative globalization movement claims to be the basis for social struggle. One of the driving forces, however, the relevant discussions are often too idealistic. Neoliberalism is their main ideological enemy.

The critique of alternative globalization is based on the widening gap between countries in the North (mainly North America and Europe) and most countries in the South (including sub-Saharan Africa) and [[the least developed countries; dominance on one side and poverty on the other. Alternative globalization activists are also concerned about the widening gap between rich and poor, the ecological threats posed by industrial pollution, the greenhouse effect and genetically modified crops, as well as the issues of chemical and nuclear weapons.

Alternative globalization campaigners also accuse multinational corporations and international financial or business groups of seeking only self-interest at a cost to society and the environment (see Negative Externalities, and see the obstacles to the Kyoto Protocol and emissions trading).

They especially criticize politicians for blindly touting delocalization, which in their eyes is negative for both developed countries and southern countries, because on the one hand it endangers employment capacity, social security and minimum wages in developed countries, and on the other hand, it endangers the employment capacity, social security and minimum wages in southern countries. Resulting in social dumping and exploitation rather than the “development” promised by the Northern countries.

On the one hand, the alternative globalization trend wants to awaken people's attention to the sins they attribute to [[neoliberalism and deconstruct their so-called neoliberal dogma; on the other hand, they propose some reform plans, at least some other options.

Critique

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Critique of global markets

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Alternative globalization campaigners believe that market globalization is not synonymous with progress. In their eyes, market globalization has not spread the rain and dew to all mankind. Instead, it will increase inequality and cause continued poverty.

In particular, they highlight the world's deepening gap between rich and poor, which has widened since the 1960s, and blame globalization rather than internal causes within each country. According to the 2001 report of the United Nations Development Program , the total income of the richest 1% of the world's population is equivalent to 57% of the poorest; in addition, a total of 45 of these 77 countries have income gap statistics. Income gaps within these countries widened between 1960 and 1990, thus exacerbating domestic inequality.

They also point out that although the world's gross national product doubled between 1990 and 2000, indicating a significant increase in productivity, the number of hungry people has not changed significantly (+/- 810 million people).

The liberalization of financial and monetary flows has also been criticized; according to them, such liberalization would destabilize the regional economy. For example, they blame the economic crises in Argentina (2001-2002) and Southeast Asia (1990s). In addition, tax havens are also one of its targets.

Positions towards national and international institutions

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ATTAC參與2005年11月巴黎的反私有化遊行

Alternative globalists believe that economies are not determined by immutable natural laws but are the result of politicians deliberately ceding government power to markets (see the Washington Consensus). According to them, the market reduces people and nature to commodity values. They regard governments, [[international organizations or civil society (this is a vague concept) as external forces balancing the market. However, they do not support the development of international organizations because of this. Instead, they focus on criticizing the restriction or privatization of public services and the economy. of liberalization.

The organization Levy a Financial Transaction Tax to Assist Citizens summarizes the alternative globalization movement’s blueprint for transforming international financial institutions:

In order to build an alternative globalization based on people and sustainable development, the premise is to weaken the power organizations within the existing international financial system in order to complete the fundamental reform of international financial institutions. Alternative globalization campaigners hope to make transnational institutions, such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organization of the Eight Major Industrial Countries, more democratic; these organizations are not elected through direct universal suffrage and have been criticized for their transparency.

Criticism of the World Trade Organization

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Some organizations, such as Oxfam, have criticized developed countries for only looking out for their own interests in trade negotiations. The alternative globalization movement goes further: they accuse the World Trade Organization of making decisions that favor rich countries and multinational corporations. These decisions are often biased and run counter to the principles of [[sustainable development. For example, the agreements signed by the World Trade Organization allow products from industrial countries to enter the Southern market, but there is no reciprocal treatment for the main export products of Southern countries (such as agricultural products). Alternative globalization campaigners believe that this hypocrisy will only undermine the internal market of southern countries and make them increasingly dependent on advanced industrial countries. Yet some protectionists support the Common Agricultural Policy, which subsidizes agricultural exports from rich countries. Alternative globalization campaigners decry delocalization, arguing that moving factories to developing countries will only lead to exploitation rather than local industrial and social advancement.

2005年WTO會場的另全抗議者
2005年反國際貨幣基金的抗議
反國界組織的抗議者

The WTO has also been criticized for its closed consultation system, which is run by non-democratically elected committees and hides the lobbying activities of private interest groups. On the other hand, the dominant position of industrial countries in organizations has also been pointed out as the reason why poor countries and minority groups have no way to oppose organizational decisions.

The alternative globalization movement mainly appeals to more democracy, greater transparency, and the establishment of a power system that gives developing countries a greater voice.

In addition, because the WTO is mainly run by the economic ministers of member states, it has been criticized for focusing only on the economic aspect, although its decisions often affect social and environmental fields.

As for intellectual property-related agreements (such as TRIPS), they are often criticized in areas involving "life" (food, medical care, water). The main controversies are over genetically modified crops and the high prices of certain medicines, examples of the latter being those related to HIV. Some groups have proposed the concept of [[positive patents as a countermeasure. Alternative globalists often support free software as well.

Criticism of the International Monetary Fund

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In the eyes of alternative globalization campaigners, the prescriptions prescribed by the International Monetary Fund often lead to the social, economic and political collapse of the country: notable examples include the Asian financial crisis in 1997, shock therapy in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the market in South America. Reforms and the governance of African countries. Alternative globalization campaigners want to compare the economic outcomes of those who follow the prescriptions and those who reject them (such as non-aligned countries).

There are many reasons for the collapse, including the interests of international financial groups, the blindness of political leaders (alternative globalization campaigners call it "neoliberal market dogma"), and the lack of flexibility in policies that are out of touch with concrete matters. Specifically, alt-globalists expose that the IMF's prescription for forced economic liberalization through privatization and curtailment of government power rests on the assumption that markets will always move toward optimal allocations, even if they have to go through A period of labor pain; this is the assumption that alternative globalization campaigners reject.

After the financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, the International Monetary Fund was also accused of opening the door to speculative capital because of its capital liberalization policy, which threatened the balance of the economy. In response, alternative globalization campaigners demand restraint on financial capital.

Finally, the International Monetary Fund is partly run by national economic ministers and partly secretly managed by bankers. It is also strongly influenced by the rich countries of the North. Therefore, alternative globalization campaigners believe that this institution lacks democracy and transparency.

Criticism of large multinational corporations

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The alternative globalization movement opposes large multinational corporations such as [[Monsanto (producer of genetically modified seeds). The emblematic figure of this type of struggle was [[Joseph Bovey.

Generally speaking, alternative globalists oppose all gene patents and believe that no one can patent a living thing.

They also oppose large multinational pharmaceutical companies (Roche, Pfizer, etc.). The patents and drug prices of these companies hinder the medical rights of people in poor countries; otherwise, Roche's Diflucan® or Triflucan® drugs could have saved tens of millions of AIDS patients in Africa.

They revealed that some multinational companies have used deregionalization (ie relocation of factories) and cheap outsourcing to violate human rights or cause ecological disasters through liberalization of exchange and industrial free zones. For example, [[Shell was accused of refusing to clean one of its most heavily flooded oil wells in Durban, South Africa, where more than one million liters of crude oil may have spilled.

Greenpeace and non-governmental organizations have collaborated to organize the Unscrupulous Business Awards since 2005, selecting the most unscrupulous companies in the world every year.

References

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  1. ^ This slogan comes from Eluard's poem: "Another world is possible, and it is in this world."(Un autre monde est possible, mais il est dans celui-ci.
  2. ^ Economist Tóibín opposes the alternative globalization movement and the use of his name for the movement's demands.
  3. ^ 可參考2002年世界社會論壇宣言 Archived 2020-09-18 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Including the demands of the Zapatista National Liberation Movement, Vandina Silva's theory of peasant autonomy and her struggle for seeds of freedom, the latter's main object of struggle is the payment of Monsanto company Seeds.
  5. ^ For example, support Kyoto Protocol
  6. ^ For example, we pay attention to the labor conditions of Western multinational companies in Southeast Asia, such as Nike.
  7. ^ Because the alternative globalization movement includes reformist people, anarchist people, and other different trends.
  8. ^ Hugo Chavez envisage la présidence à vie - Nouvel Observateur