In The News

Indonesia Nabs Ship Believed to Carry Slave-Caught Fish

Margie Mason August 18, 2015
It’s a challenge for national governments to monitor activities of fishing vessels operating in open stretches of the ocean commons. “A massive refrigerated cargo ship believed to be loaded with slave-caught fish was seized by Indonesia's navy and brought to shore Thursday, after The Associated Press informed authorities it had entered the country's waters,” reports Margie Mason for the...

Indian Rapper “Overwhelmed” by Success of Protest Song Against Unilever

August 11, 2015
Indian rapper Sofia Ashraf performed a protest song alleging corporate mercury pollution, posted on YouTube, and quickly attracted near 2 million views. Hindustan Unilever operated a thermometer factory in the town of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu until 2001. “More than 1,000 former workers are alleged to have been affected by mercury poisoning, which can cause skin problems, sensory impairment and a...

Be Honest: You Don't Care If Your Pretty Dress Was Made by Child Slaves

Julia Hartley-Brewer July 30, 2015
Global consumers regard child labor, human trafficking and slavery as despicable yet most do not stop to consider the source and low prices of high-fashion clothes with intricate details. Julia Hartley-Brewer, writing for the Telegraph, contends that “when it comes to modern-day slavery, we are modern-day hypocrites.” Clothing manufacturers locate factories in countries with low wages, like...

Is Uber a Threat to Democracy?

Kemal Derviş July 27, 2015
The nature of work is changing, not simply due to technology, but also a labor force willing to provide services and skills at low prices as well as consumers who demand low costs and fast service. Economists often point to Uber – a driving service that relies on the internet to match willing drivers with clients in need of car service – as a disruptive business, undermining official taxi...

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Professional Foreigner!

Samuel Massie July 24, 2015
Graduating in the midst of a recession, US graduate Samuel Massie went to Guangzhou, China, to become a business analyst. In an essay for the New York Times, he describes the cultural adjustment and the attention received for being the lone foreigner. The company used him for translation and recruiting videos. Colleagues sought advice, not complaining about “censorship, pollution or human rights...

New Birth for Social Democracy

Kemal Derviş June 12, 2015
Structural changes in the global economy are driving inequality. Technology has not only replaced many workers in manufacturing and services, but is also transforming the traditional business model. Decentralized organizations hire low paid, temporary workers instead of long-term employees. Uber, which has threatened traditional taxi services, is an example of a decentralized business model. This...

HSBC’s Local Rethink Can’t Shore Up Global Act

Paul J. Davies June 10, 2015
The world has only a few global banks. HSBC, based in the UK, is cutting costs, laying off 50,000 or 10 percent of its workforce and eliminating units in emerging economies like Turkey and Brazil. “HSBC’s targeted returns are beaten by the best local banks in many countries,” writes Paul J. Davies for the Wall Street Journal. “HSBC insists the fight to remain global is worth it. It claims $22...