Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Labour Organization, in which they proposed a
fair
and
inclusive
glo-
balization as a worldwide priority. Many domains of policy making
and institutional organization were addressed, but the impacts of
globalization on the life and work of people, on their families and on
societies were specifically singled out. Concerns were raised about the
impact of globalization on employment, working conditions and
income inequalities. The Commission also felt that a 'fair globaliza-
tion project' should include social protection issues beyond the world
of work; importantly, security, culture and identity, inclusion and/or
exclusion and the cohesiveness of families and communities should be
safeguarded.
The World Commission's vision was that a better world was do-able
but that it would take a major commitment for a sustainable future to
be achieved. Notably, the strategies which were advocated built upon
social democratic practices, not neoliberal tenets. Several themes
underpinned the Commission's recommendations. The most important
were: 'beginning at home', in local and national arenas and 'fair rules
and equitable policies' in the governance of global markets. Important
at the supranational scale was 'reinforcing the UN multilateral system'
by improving the quality of global governance, and democratizing par-
allel governing institutions. At the local scale, 'buy-ins of multiple
stakeholders' were recommended to increase accountability and citi-
zenry participation. Finally, 'utilizing the value and power of dialogue'
as an instrument for change was recommended at local, national,
regional and global levels (ILO, 2004). They were all 'people-centred
solutions' (see Chapter 2.2).
90
key
points
•
Neoliberal capitalism would become the dominant ideology and 'new
faith' of the post-1980s era of globalization, while excessively favour-
ing the world's wealthy elites.
•
An accelerated internationalization of societal, financial and eco-
nomic processes is at the heart of neoliberalism's ascendency to
geo-economic dominance and globalization's influences, practices
and consequences.
•
Globalization's often-contradictory, destructive and disruptive forces
play out across multiple scales of society: globally, nationally,
regionally and locally.
