Peking University, Nov. 6, 2010: On the morning of Nov. 6, Session 3 of the panel session “Global Imbalances and Their Solutions” of Beijing Forum 2010 was held at Peking University (PKU) Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center, focusing on “globalization and local communities.”
As the globalization process may shape future development in an inter-dependent international/regional community, all the five speakers cast their sights on the cases of developing countries, their imbalanced status and roles, and possible rebalancing measures.
The first lecturer, Prof. Carlos Forment of the New School University (NSU) in New York, introduced factories’ recuperations in contemporary Argentina, illustrating his positive attitude towards globalization - despite the absence of a labor party, the workers took full advantage of their votes, and organized strong alliances to speak louder in the society. He suggested everyone should play an active role to avoid marginalization. ”"It is globalization that maximizes social benefits, and cosmopolitanism that helps settle international disputes.”
However, in Ayo Obe’s eyes, globalization was not always coming with flowers and applause. From Nigeria’s Ogunsola Shonibare, the legal practitioner noted that her homeland had benefited little from the current globalization process. She pointed out that the western countries were concerned with their own interests rather than the ones of the Third World. Hence, their outreaching hands were “easily associated with the evil colonialism.”
In Obe’s speech, she mentioned the successful experience of China, which was developing rapidly without any international aids. And she appealed that a new global economic system should be established, in order to protect the developing countries against the vagaries of volatile world commodity markets. At the same time, African economies were expected to get rid of their dependence on commodity exports.
As a less industrialized region similar to Africa, Indo-China was also deeply touched by the globalization tide, both positively and negatively. The third speaker, Prof. Bouadam Sengkhamkhoutlavong from National University of Laos, analyzed five major impacts - on economy, environment, communication, governance, and on society and culture.
Later during the discussion, globalization was also found to be interacting with multiple domestic factors. In Prof. Bohdan Krawchenko’s case of the Kyrgyz Republic, he spoke highly of its economic policy capacity in government and the research community. Yet on the contrary, Mark Levin expressed his worry about the coming storm of corruption in Russia.
“I realized that not all countries are globalized equally,” Yanguo, one of the attendants, responded after heated discussions among the scholars and the audience. “Since the situation was dependent on the context of an individual country.” And the economic panel will continue to further explore solutions to the global inequality.
Reported by: Jin Ludi
Edited by: Jacques
