Learning Resources
Up one levelStrong Communities, Sane World: challenging the G20's neoliberal agenda
This issue of Friends of the Earth Australia's national magazine Chain Reaction focussed on the Group of Twenty countries (G20) Melbourne meeting that was held in November 2006. The issue highlights the social and environmental implications of neoliberal economic policies and looks to an alternative social and economic agenda.
Globalisation: What are the Impacts on Women?
The era of globalisation is increasingly characterized by greater economic integration and the further internationalisation of capital and production. The phenomenon of globalisation has come to signify a variety of notions and realities for politicians, the media, activists and peoples adversely affected by its objectives, Some of the features of economic globalisation include things like the speeding up of communications, the creation of new technologies, increased capital mobility and the growing power of transnational corporations. Equally important has been the changing modes of production, such as the expansion of the global assembly line where goods are made in various stages around the world according to the availability of cheap wages or lack of unions and so on.
The World Bank and IMF
Like the WTO, both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have come under increased scrutiny and their role in shaping the global economy and promoting free trade has been recognised. Many of their policies have had huge ramifications on local populations and these institutions have been widely criticised for implementing large inappropriate projects with no concern of social and environmental impacts. As resistance against the World Trade Organisation has gathered momentum, the media has heralded the dawn of a new movement around the world, epitomised by protests aimed at the WTO, IMF and the World Bank.
Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement
The Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement entered into law on the 1 January 2005. This information sheet is from our campaign on the AUSFTA, it provides background information on the agreement however it has not been recently updated. The campaign against the AUSFTA did not stop the agreement however it made some important gains, for example, the AUSFTA does not include measures that enable corporations to directly sue nation states (investor-state measures), these measures are included in the North American Free Trade Agreement and other US bilateral agreements. For the latest on the Australia US Free Trade Agreement please see AFTINET, www.aftinet.org.au
