Globalization

Abstract

The last century, intense with dreams and major social experiments, has ended with a general collapse of initiatives for social transformation, and also total disillusionment with efforts for ‘development’ of so-called ‘developing’ nations. The victorious ideology of the day – capitalism – has sought to consolidate its triumph with a call for ‘globalization’, for the freeing of markets, for unchecked hunting by private capital within and across nations with total disregard for national and global welfare. For a period no answer to this was in sight, until at the turn of the century the global protest movement rekindled the torch of resistance. It is now appropriate to review where we are today and the task that lies ahead of us. With this end in view this article will look back at the experiments in and efforts for social change to draw enlightenment from them, review where we are today, trace elements of the new ideology that is emerging in the protest movement, and reflect upon the task ahead for grassroots social activism.