Tous les articles et traductions

, by BELLO Walden

The Forum at the Crossroads

Focus on the Global South

A new stage in the evolution of the global justice movement was reached with the inauguration of the World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in January 2001.
The WSF was the brainchild of social movements loosely associated with the Workers’ Party (PT) in Brazil. Strong support for (…)

, by BELLO Walden

Why Asia’s farmers deserve protection

Focus on the Global South

One of the terrible truths of the 20th century is that it was a blight on small farmers or peasants everywhere. Before looking at the question of whether Asia’s farmers need protection, it is necessary to consider this historical background.
In both wealthy capitalist economies and in (…)

, by BELLO Walden

Globalization in retreat

Foreign Policy in Focus , December 27th, 2006

When it first became part of the English vocabulary in the early 1990s, « globalization » was supposed to be the wave of the future. Fifteen years ago, the writings of globalist thinkers such as Kenichi Ohmae and Robert Reich celebrated the advent of the emergence of the so-called « borderless (…)

, by Focus on the global south

Unconventional warfare : are US special forces engaged in an "offensive war" in the Philippines ?

"Focus on the Philippines Special Reports", n° 1, January 2007

Since January 2002, US Special Operations Forces (SOFs) have been stationed in the southern Philippines and have not left since then. Their deployment has significant implications for issues of peace and security in the southern Philippines, on democracy in the country and its sovereignty, on (…)

, by BELLO Walden

The rise of the relief and reconstruction complex

50 Years is Enough, This article first apeared in the Journal of International Affairs, Spring/Summer 2006, vol. 59, no. 2.

Massive infrastructure damage and great social dislocation have been common consequences of natural disasters and social disasters like wars. Up until a few years ago, the aims of relief and reconstruction efforts were fairly simple: immediate physical relief of victims, reduction of social (…)

, by BELLO Walden

Humanitarian Intervention: Evolution of a Dangerous Doctrine

Thursday, 19 January 2006 (Revised version of a speech delivered at the Conference on Globalization, War, and Intervention sponsored by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, German Chapter, Frankfurt, Germany, January 14-15, 2006)

“Humanitarian intervention,” defined simply, is military action taken to prevent or terminate violations of human rights that is directed at and is carried without the consent of a sovereign government. While the main rationale for the invasion of Iraq by the United States was its alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, an important supporting rationale was regime change for humanitarian reasons. When it became clear that there were in fact no WMD, the Bush administration retroactively justified its intervention on humanitarian grounds: getting rid of a repressive dictatorship and imposing democratic rule. The show trial of Saddam for human rights violations now taking place in Baghdad is part of this retroactive effort to legitimize the invasion.

, by BELLO Walden

The Real Meaning of Hong Kong: Brazil and India Join the Big Boys’ Club

Focus on the Global South, Dec 2005

"What was at stake in Hong Kong was the institutional survival of the World Trade Organization. After the collapse of two ministerials in Seattle and Cancun, a third unraveling would have seriously eroded the usefulness of the WTO as the key engine of global trade liberalization. A deal was needed, and that deal was arrived at. How, why, and by whom that deal was delivered was the real story of Hong Kong."

, by ETC Group

Oligopoly, Inc. 2005 - Concentration in Corporate Power

ETC group, Dec 2005, PDF

This report compares the ETC’s findings from 2003 to the current situation to reveal the dramatic increase in corporate concentration in 2005. Furthermore, it demonstrates how what looks like buying and selling between countries is very often the redistribution of
capital among subsidiaries of the same parent multinational corporation.

, by Focus on the global south

The Derailer’s Guide to the WTO

Focus on Global South, Nov 2005

An introduction guide to some of the major issues which will be battled out during the WTO meetings in Hong Kong this December. As well as suggesting ways disrupting the meetings and explaining why it feels this action is necessary, the guide also presents an idea of what the alternatives to the current make-up might be.

, by Grain

USAID: Making the world hungry for GM crops

April 2005, Liberation Afrique, 24 pp

This briefing examine how the US government uses USAID to actively promote GM agriculture, as part of a multi-pronged strategy to advance US interests with GM crops. This is effected by the use of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, high-level diplomatic pressure, and of course lobbying and funding by biotech networks.