Alter-globalization is a social movement comprised of supporters of global connection and business. This name could signify "another world is possible," since it could be drawn from a popular movement slogan (Delaney, 2013). It typically opposes what are described as the negative consequences of economic globalization. It usually works against or does not effectively promote human ideals since it resists the negative impacts. Economic justice, civil liberties, labor protection, child protection, climate protection, peace, and environmental protection are some examples of these principles.
Alter-globalization is also known as a cooperative movement. The movement is designed to protest the direction and perceived negative cultural, political, social, economic and ecological consequences of neoliberal globalization. The disestablishment of economies locally and humanitarian consequences that are disastrous is what most of the alter-globalists sought to avoid. A majority of members in the movement tend to shun the label. The word "anti-globalization" is seen by many alter-globalists as a pejorative and incorrect as the members usually support human activity on a global scale and majority of them do not oppose economic globalization per se.
This movement is seen as an alternative to what the alter-globalists term as neo-liberal globalization where international organizations and corporations that are major devote themselves to enrich the developed countries while giving minimum or no attention to the negative effects of their actions on citizens and environments of developing countries, countries that have weak governments that are corrupt to resist or regulate them. This paper is going focus on two organizations that deal with alter-globalization. The organizations are End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT) - USA and Jubilee South Organization. ECPAT organization deals with learning how to fight child sex trafficking while Jubilee South Organization deals with the international debt of Africa.
Preconditions of alter-globalization
According to Delaney (2013), the growth and effects of alter-globalization can be felt all over the world due to the progress made as a result of the internet. The internet has been providing easy, free flowing and mobile network organization that is in its very nature democratic. It is always said that knowledge is for every person and is perceived to be needed for further development of the modern world. The access of the internet makes it possible for the rapid spread of various groups’ principles, progress, development, opposition, and growth. A means of communication has been provided, and it stretches beyond the limits of distance, time and space. Through this, the generation and implementation of ideas have been easy.
The goals of alter-globalization aim to sustain those people and countries that are being afflicted by selfish acts of global corporations and their negative effect on the human value, the environment, and the social injustices. It has always served as a factor that unites people all over the world for a positive cause. It always aims to fight for better treatment for the developing countries and their economies, the rights of workers, and equality of human rights.
Most of the countries especially the third world countries are committed to the goals that are set forth by groups that deal with alter-globalization. This is because the perceived negative effects of globalization are growing rapidly all over the world. Some examples include labor exploitation, jobs outsourcing from foreign countries, local environments pollution, and harm to foreign cultures where most jobs are outsourced.
Alter-globalization is purposeful as it creates solidarity in most countries (Delaney, 2013). The opportunity to see the difference that people are working towards is discovered by eliminating the negative side effects that are already affecting the world, for example; the pollution of the environment. It calls for communities to come together in solidarity which can only be achieved through active participation in the system that causes change. With alter-globalization, every aspect of the community and the movement suggests solidarity because the goals affect the environments, economies and human relations of most countries around the universe.
Alter-globalization Organizations
End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT – USA)
This organization deals with learning how to fight child sex trafficking. Its main common goal is to come up with ways on how to end the sexual exploitation of children. It does thorough research to build a collective understanding of what it will take to end the sexual exploitation of children in over ninety countries in the world. The organizations conduct and coordinate an evidence base advocacy at all levels with the aim of strengthening national justice and protection systems and increase investment in fighting sexual exploitation in children. At the heart of the organizations, work is children's voices that are reflected in the organization's research agenda, campaigns, and programs.
Jubilee South Organization
Jubilee South Organization deals with the international debt of Africa. Buxton (2014) asserts that the organization's path to prosperity does not lie amidst countries building even bigger international debt states. He urges the governments of continents to try and boost tax revenue and not to grab yet more international loans. This statement comes while most countries in Africa grapple with an economic slump.
ECPAT – USA View of Globalization
The organization views globalization it terms of child sex trafficking. It shows that globalization has made this vice rise higher in most countries of the world. This is the main social justice issue that this organization is concerned with. Most children who are victims of sexual exploitation are often denied justice because of cultural and legal barriers in their countries. An estimated 72% of children who are exploited are often under the age of ten whereas 7% are infants who have no voice to speak.
There has been a great increase of exploitation of children in travel and tourism all over the world. It seems that through globalization the world seems to be getting smaller due to easy access to the internet and an increase in travel. Most tourists and travelers often use their unique access to these vulnerable children who are not aware of what is going on to exploit and abuse them (Delaney, 2013). This has been going on since the world became global. In addition, the growth of online exploitation of children has grown drastically. This is done especially through the internet.
The traffickers use child abuse imagery or rather child pornography. These images are shared widely around the world, and the volumes have reached unprecedented levels. Most of the people who offend the children have been found to possess millions of these images. More children are being lured with gifts and money by the offenders who usually entice them into taking, creating and sending them the indecent photos of themselves. Most of these children live in migrant communities in most countries. The children who run away are thrown out of their homes, and they often end up begging on the streets and most of them are sexually exploited.
Most countries have had law enforcement training on how to stop child trafficking but have not been effective. For example; in Thailand, every police region has been directed to develop a victim-support system for trafficked victims, who usually work with NGOs that have expertise in protecting children who are victims. The U.S now informs the government of foreign nations when U.S registered sex offenders have bought a plane ticket to their country, under the new federal law. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of travelers that are flagged by the U.S seem to be blocked by Thailand. However, this is is not the case for most of the governments in South East Asia.
The government of Thai has appointed and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (TICAC) to put in place a new legislation that makes it a crime to possess child sexual abuse imagery. This focuses on law enforcement operation against individuals and criminal enterprises that are involved in the exploitation of children and trafficking of human beings.
ECPAT – the USA convened their first global forum for adult survivors of childhood sexual exploitation on November 18, 2016. The forum gave survivors a stronger voice to survivors from around the globe. ECPAT – the USA is requesting all the people who suspect child sex trafficking to speak up so that they can help rescue the innocent children are sexually exploited.
Jubilee South Organization view of Globalization
Jubilee South Organization deals with the international debt of Africa. Buxton (2014) asserts that the organization's path to prosperity does not lie amidst countries building even bigger international debt states. He urges the governments of continents to try and boost tax revenue and not to grab yet more international loans. This statement comes while most countries in Africa grapple with an economic slump. In an interview on Financial Times, another downturn in the economy of Africa is largely being triggered by a slump in prices of commodities. This issue greatly affects countries in Africa as well as slowing down in Chinese economic growth. Africa largely suffers from external economic slowdown because of its relative financial weakness or rather its large level of international debt. Fiscal consolidation phrase is often used to describe Africa’s position and potential solution (Buxtoni, 2014).
The truth is that the decades of borrowing have had only limited success in delivering a long-term growth in the countries. Africa has dragged along through a demand for its commodities especially when economic booms are happening in other countries especially the developed ones. The weakness seems to be evident as soon as the demand falls. For example, a country like Nigeria has plunged into another recession as a result of the fall of the oil prices although this is the first for nearly duration of twenty years.
Jubilee South Organization asserts that many of the nations in Africa are suffering from deteriorating government revenues. The wide budgetary deficiency means that governments have little monetary options. Increasing debt temptation is always there, but this is precisely the reason many African economies are so vulnerable. These governments do not have the capacity to respond in a sprawl is reduced by billions of debt taken up in the good years. The taken debts have to be paid back, and the costs of servicing them often rocket in poor economic conditions. This is because of the weaknesses of most currencies in African Countries. Foreign currencies scarcity also affects African countries and businesses to invest.
African countries should, however, know that borrowing overseas with a currency that is weak is a recipe for disaster. They should source investment funds locally. Pension funds and huge investments could be used ideally to support the economy of Africa. Often, this money is invested in Western countries and businesses to the detriment of African businesses. Depression occurs when one sits when presentations are being conducted for the pension and investment funds produced by some anonymous company that conducts the majority of their business through a residential VPN. These companies extol the virtues of most of the international companies with minimal links to the African continent when the local companies are starved of investment and the potential growth (Buxton, 2014).
Despite the organization trying to come with all the solutions to the global crisis seeming incurring more debt, it is easier to discover and see why most people get uncomfortable with the current levels. The debts are huge, and the people who are in charge do not seem to have any idea on how to reduce or avoid them. The spending of many governments in Africa has risen beyond measures, and this means it will continue heading upwards. Jubilee South Organization tries to curb the rise as the rises of the national debt in relation to policy changes require a thorough look at in the context of a country's overall economy. If there is a drastic rise in the GDP, these should eventually feed through to overall spending and the debt should begin to fall one more time. However, it is a huge risk.
Africa countries should invest in areas that would help them curb debts since investing in something like education brings high debt in a very short period yet an educated work is often more efficient and productive. The countries, however, need to invest heavily in infrastructure and capital projects so that to create the kind of employment required and needed by all. If they have to invest in education, the international debt organizations should come up with new ways of charging fewer interests on the less developed countries. This would rather make it easy for them when it comes to clearing the debts.
Comparison of ECPAT-USA and Jubilee South Organization interpretation of globalization
The two organizations seem to be concerned about alter-globalization in a similar manner. As seen in the introduction, some examples of values of alter-globalization are economic justice, civil liberties, labor protection, climate protection, child protection, peace and environmental protection. ECPAT-USA and Jubilee South Organization views of globalization are among this list. ECPAT-USA views alter-globalization in terms of child protection and Jubilee South Organization views it in terms of economic justice.
Both of them are concerned with the welfare of human beings in every country of the world. They are concerned with exploitation and are developed to find ways on how to deal with them. ECPAT – the USA is concerned with solving the problem of child exploitation in most countries around the world while Jubilee South Organization is concerned with the exploitation of international debt in African countries. The aim of these organizations is to solve the problems that are both brought by globalization.
The alter-globalization organizations are concerned with not only a majority of countries but all the countries that are suffering from the problems they are dealing with. ECPAT seems to deal with child sex exploitation in over ninety countries while Jubilee South Organization deals with international debt in African Countries which are many in number.
Contrast ECPAT-USA and Jubilee South Organization interpretation of globalization
Each organization seems to deal with a different type of exploitation. ECPAT – USA deals with the fight of child sex trafficking while Jubilee South Organization deals with the international debt of Africa.
ECPAT – the USA does thorough research with the aim of building a collective understanding of approaches needed to end the sexual exploitation of children in over ninety countries in the world. Jubilee South Organization tries to come up with ways on how to help the African countries from incurring more international debts.
ECPAT – the USA is concerned with the exploitation of children and how they are exploited sexually, that is; they deal with human beings while Jubilee South is concerned with countries and how international debts affect them, that is; they deal with Africa countries economy. ECPAT – the USA is requesting all the people who suspect child sex trafficking to speak up so that they can help rescue the innocent children who are sexually exploited. Jubilee South Organization asks Africa countries to invest in areas that would help them curb debts since investing in education brings high debt in a very short period yet an educated work is often more efficient and productive.
Conclusion
This paper has discussed alter-globalization. It has defined alter-globalization as a social movement that comprises of proponents that support global interaction and corporation. Alter-globalization has also been defined as a cooperative movement. The movement is designed to protest the direction and perceived negative cultural, political, social, economic and ecological consequences of neoliberal globalization.
It has discussed two organizations that deal with alter-globalization. These are ECPAT-USA and Jubilee South Organization. It has stated that ECPAT-USA organization deals with learning how to fight child sex trafficking. Its main common goal is to come up with ways on how to end the sexual exploitation of children. It does thorough research to build a collective understanding of what it will take to end the sexual exploitation of children in over ninety countries in the world. Jubilee South Organization deals with the international debt of Africa. It has been stated that the economy of Africa is largely being triggered by a slump in prices of commodities. These issues greatly affect countries in Africa as well as slowing down in Chinese economic growth. Africa largely suffers from external economic slowdown because of its relative financial weakness or rather its large level of international debt.
The article has stated that these organizations are trying to come up with ways on how to curb the exploitation of the children and the international debt African countries. Most countries have had law enforcement training on how to stop child trafficking but have not been effective and hence the emergence of ECPAT – USA. Jubilee South Organization asks Africa countries to invest in areas that would help them curb debts since investing in education brings high debt in a very short period yet an educated work is often more efficient and productive. The countries are however asked to invest heavily in infrastructure and capital projects so that to create the kind of employment required and needed by all.
REFERENCES
Buxton, N. (2014). Debt Cancellation and Civil Society: A Case Study of Jubilee 2000. Fighting for Human Rights London: Routledge, 54-77.
Delaney, S. (2013). Protecting children from sexual exploitation & sexual violence in disaster & emergency situations. ECPAT International.
