In The News

Child Labor: The Cause Can Also be a Cure

Susan Ariel Aaronson March 13, 2007
Pressure of globalization has led to child trafficking and forced labor. Similar global pressure from public opinion can also put an end to the practice. Five years ago, reports emerged about small groups of children being trafficked and forced to pick cacao beans – the main ingredient for chocolate – in West African plantations. Outraged US officials, industry groups and activists organized the...

The Opening of Libya

Stanley Reed March 9, 2007
As Libya gradually emerges from 20 years of economic isolation, international energy firms rush to grab a piece of the North African nation’s extensive untapped oil reserves. Libya has organized an intensely competitive bidding process for exploration rights, pitting companies from the US, Europe and Asia against one another in a race to secure new sources of energy. Such investment will have...

Spotlight: Selling Globalization to France

Katrin Bennhold March 9, 2007
The French trade minister has taken on two challenging tasks: convincing firms that France is a great place to do business and convincing citizens that globalization is good for them. Globalization for the French has become synonymous with outsourcing jobs, reports this article in “The International Herald Tribune.” France has a reputation for protectionism, admits trade minister Christine...

Managing Globalization: How Fast China Grows Will Affect Everyone

Daniel Altman March 8, 2007
Since the end of its civil war, China has achieved staggeringly high rates of growth. Except during crisis periods like the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, the Chinese economy has increased its size by between 8 and 10 percent a year. Today’s economists are divided over the question of whether China’s extraordinary growth will continue. Some, like James Trippon of “The China Stock...

Africa and the Winds of Globalization

Okechukwu Emeh March 1, 2007
Africa is often described as a victim of globalization. However, analyst Okechukwu Emeh argues that the continent’s developing states can join together to make the process work in their favor. On the theory that a rising tide lifts all boats, incorporating African industries into global markets can improve everyone’s level of wealth. Imports of gadgets, modes of organization and “neo-liberal...

The Perilous Fantasy of Pursuing Energy Independence

A.F. Al Hajj February 27, 2007
Advance public announcements on research plans can lead to market manipulation. Leaders of developed nations – weary of instability in nations that supply oil and high prices – openly seek energy alternatives. But oil markets respond to the chatter about alternative energy in two ways: Some producers might reduce investment in infrastructure or additional capacity, and others might increase...

On a Dilemma in the Horn

February 27, 2007
Ethiopia's quality-of-life indicators have improved in recent years, but poverty remains at crushing levels. Meles Zenawi's government has become increasingly intolerant of opposition, arresting dissidents, closing newspapers and websites. Human-rights advocates in the EU and US, including some in the US Congress, pressure their governments to cut aid to the regime. The US Pentagon,...