FIND OUT MORE. Economy 302–303 • Human Impact 64–65 • New World Order 314–315
People who object to their government’s policies may
gather together in protest. But many issues, such as
. DEBT and the. ENVIRONMENT, affect people across
the globe. In the 1990s, global protest groups emerged,
uniting voices of protest from all nations.
WHAT CAN PROTESTORS ACHIEVE?
By questioning decisions made or actions taken by world leaders and big business,
protesters can draw other people into a wider discussion of the issue. This
democratic debate can influence global as well as national decisions. Protestors can
also share knowledge with others about how such issues affect their own countries.WHAT ARE THE PROTESTS AGAINST?
Although global protests express many different
concerns, an issue at the root of many protests is
equality. For example, some protestors feel that people
in poor countries are treated unfairly in the global
community, because international rules are made by
powerful countries to help their own economies.WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
In the past, Western countries have often achieved
wealth by using up natural resources such as coal or
forests, without considering the future effects on the
environment. Sustainable development aims for
growth that works with nature rather than against it –
for example, replanting logging areas with new trees.
CAN DEBT BE CANCELLED?
About five per cent of the debt of developing
countries has been cancelled by wealthy countries. In
return for this, countries in debt had to agree to open
their economies to the global market. People fighting
to reduce such debt want more of it cancelled faster,
with fewer controls placed on the countries in debt.Companies desperate to compete in the global market often do not
respect the environment. Protestors campaign to protect the natural
environment from human damage – pollution, habitat destruction, and
the threat of global warming – by setting up international controls.
Wealthy countries have loaned money to the governments of poor
countries. As a result, debt payments cost the world’s poorest
people US$100 million a day, on top of the cost of basic survival.
This makes it difficult for the poor to escape poverty.HOW DO GLOBAL PROTESTORS GET ORGANIZED?
Cheaper travel and improvements in communications, such as the development
of the Internet, have made it easier for people from different countries – already
united by shared opinions – to meet and plan political action or demonstrations.4 ON THE MARCH
Protests can alert the wider
public to issues that demand
action. This protest in Seattle, in
1999, drew media attention to
issues being discussed by the
World Trade Organization, and
inspired more people to support
global protest in other countries.ENVIRONMENT
DEBT
GM CROP PROTEST 3
Greenpeace activists attack
a field of genetically modified
(GM) crops in the UK. They
aim to persuade more people
that GM plants are a hazard
to the environment.Global Protest
global
protest