In The News

A Discussion On Ethical Globalization

January 15, 2003
Is globalization unethical? That seems to be the view of many critics of globalization. Former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson is taking an initiative to address that concern. The Ethical Globalization Initiative that she directs seeks to integrate human rights norms and standards into a more ethical globalization process and to...

Will Travel, Wreak Havoc: How Invasive Species Affect Ecological Diversity

Michael Richardson January 14, 2003
Flora and fauna have long moved around the globe along with wandering human beings. As the native Indians in North America learned after the arrival of diseases from the Old World, not all these exchanges have been beneficial. In recent years this problem has become even more acute, as increased travel and commerce have enabled invasive organisms to spread with alarming speed. In the United...

For This Delicacy, Brand Recognition Is a Problem

Neil MacFarquhar January 13, 2003
Although UN sanctions on Iraq ban all exports except crude oil under the oil-for-food program, Iraqi dates, long prized for their delicious flavors and textures, still manage to make their way out of Iraq to other countries. According to this article in the New York Times, Iraqis use creative methods – such as shipping dates on Iranian-flagged ships and attaching phony labels – to reach markets...

Koizumi Visits Energy-Rich Russian Region, Seeking Oil

James Brooke January 13, 2003
Search for a secure source of energy has been a major concern for industry-rich, resource-poor Japan. It is a concern that has been further heightened by growing insecurity in the world and rising tension in the Middle East -- its principal energy source. A new geopolitical concern about competition from a rising China has now been added to Japan’s foreign policy calculations. In a diplomatic...

BMW, Mercedes, Porsche Upstage Motown Makes

Heidi Sylvester January 10, 2003
Globalization has resulted in the creation of multinational corporations whose activities span the globe. Now, even as Germany experiences an economic downturn, with the demand for new automobiles declining, German automakers have been able to enjoy profits thanks to the increasing demand for their products in the United States. The companies predict continued growth in the demand for German...

Globalization: Concept and Concerns

C. Rangarajan January 6, 2003
Writing for The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, C. Rangarajan outlines the concept of economic globalization and its problems. One of the concerns of the current period of globalization is its connection to unequal distribution of wealth within and between countries. Looking at ‘developing economies,’ and at India in particular, Rangarajan examines the impact globalization has had so far and...

Strict International Patent Laws Hurt Developing Countries

Amy Kapczynski December 16, 2002
In 1998, 39 pharmaceutical companies filed a lawsuit against South Africa. They hoped to stop the government from producing the generic drugs that would have made treatment affordable for the country's AIDS victims. A public outcry ensued, and critics accused pharmaceutical companies of valuing profit over human life. Although these same companies were eventually pressured into dropping...