theglobalizationgazette

[theglobalizationgazette]

The Power of Globalization Education

Taking the Globalization 1A03 - Global Citizenship course has changed the way I think. I used to believe that globalization and the global community is something that I did not play much of a role in. Global citizenship was not a concept that I truly understood. Though, I have learned that through global citizenship, I belong to this profound greater community and my actions contribute to global implications (Stockdale, 2020). By furthering my knowledge of globalization and global citizenship, my perspectives have also changed, which has allowed me to be critical and analyze topics on a worldwide scale. For example, before taking this course, I saw voluntourism acts to be mostly beneficial for local communities and a great way to help those in need. However, in reality this is not typically the case. An article by Brandon Presser, “Please don’t come to Africa and build a school”: What I learned from a relief mission in Chad, demonstrates the truth of voluntourism. Presser identifies that engaging in acts of voluntourism, like going to a developing country to build a school, is not necessarily beneficial (Presser, 2018). The article states that donating to an organization that delivers supplies and is invested in the long-term development of those communities, like UNICEF, will be of better help to those communities (Presser, 2018). By becoming more educated on voluntourism, I can further examine the adverse effects and better ways to make a global impact.

(Harvard Law School, 2015)

Not only has globalization education changed my way of thinking and understanding, but it has also changed my daily life. I now live more mindful of my decisions as I have a greater awareness of our world’s interconnectedness and my impact within it. I also have begun to pay more attention to the news and I am able to apply different perspectives and criticisms that I have learned to analyze recent events. Lastly, this course has helped me determine what type of global citizen I want to be and what that looks like in my daily life. Whether it be living more sustainably, donating to international causes, or simply becoming more aware of what is happening in our world, I can implement different ways to be a better global citizen.

The power of education really develops new perspectives and opens doors to new ways of thinking. This is precisely what Globalization 1A03 has done for me. I hope to continue to build my understanding of globalization and global citizenship throughout my studies. Furthermore, I believe that everyone should experience the power of globalization education by taking a course centered around this topic to gain new perspectives, critical analysis skills, and change their life for the better.

References

Harvard Law School. (2015, December). Globalization. The Practice. https://thepractice.law.harvard.edu/article/globalization/.

Presser, B. (2018, September 27). "Please don't come to Africa and build a school": What I learned from a relief mission in Chad. https://www.mic.com/articles/191530/please-dont-come-to-africa-and-build-a-school-what-i-learned-from-a-unicef-relief-mission-in-chad.

Stockdale, L. (2020). Week 4: Lecture 1 - Introduction. GLOBALZN 1A03, McMaster University, September 28 - October 4.

[theglobalizationgazette]

Tokyo 2020: Another Battle Between Global Economic Elites and Civilians

(Corrigan, 2016)

Currently, the 2020 Olympic Games that were set to be held in Tokyo, have been postponed to the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Curto, 2020). An NBC News article suggests that, “the Olympics is the biggest event yet to be affected by the growing global pandemic” (García-Hodges et al., 2020).

But, do people even want the games to continue in Tokyo next summer? The impact of the Olympic franchise and economic globalization has influenced people’s opinions towards the question. It seems like the global ‘elites’ are pressuring for the games to occur next year. These elites include international sponsors, investors, the Japanese Government, athletes, coaches, and wealthy individuals across the globe. The 2020 Olympics are seen as a grand global event with great investment and economic opportunities. Who wouldn’t want a global phenomenon that supposedly strengthens global unity while bringing in abundant revenue?

Well, it seems like the common folk in Japan are against hosting the games in 2021, despite all of the money and effort that has been put into the event thus far (The Associated Press, 2020). This is no surprise that Japanese citizens do not want the games to be held in Tokyo. We have seen this pattern before. The costs of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games were seen as “taking money from the poor and middle class via taxes and giving it to the rich” (Gordon, 2016). This same issue has likely occurred in Japan as well, especially considering that the preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games is estimated to be the most expensive yet (The Associated Press, 2020). In Brazil before the 2016 Olympic Games, there were many anti-Olympic protests (Phillips, 2019). Much like in Brazil, there were protests over the 2020 Games in Japan, and one of these instances of protest occurred where “about 30 anti-Olympic protesters showed up Sunday outside the gymnastic event. They distributed leaflets and warned Bach in their handout that they would be around when he arrives "to deliver our message to cancel the Olympics”” (The Associated Press, 2020). Once again, there is clear discontent by Japanese civilians of the Tokyo games in general.

(Boykoff & Zirin, 2019)

A VICE article argues that, “for the foreseeable future, then, the Olympics will continue to be unjustifiable for anyone who considers the lives of the impoverished or politically marginalized as worthwhile, worthy of the same basic human dignities as their own” (Gordon, 2016). I think that it is time for the International Olympic Committee to listen to the intensifying civilian outrage and put human rights first, instead of bowing down to the economic elites who profit off of the struggles of the poor. I believe that the Japanese Government and the IOC need to listen to the voices of the civilians and take them into consideration when determining whether or not the games will resume in 2021.

References

The Associated Press. (2020, November 13). Critics speak out on Tokyo Olympic costs, pandemic, fairness. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/tokyo-olympics-fans-critics-leaders-raise-question-games-1.5800467. 

Boykoff, J., & Zirin, D. (2019, July 22). The 2020 Olympics Are Likely to Be a Disaster. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/tokyo-okotowari-olympics-protest/. 

Corrigan, K. (2016, August 3). Climbing Officially Approved for 2020 Olympics. Climbing Magazine. https://www.climbing.com/news/climbing-officially-approved-for-2020-olympics/. 

Curto, J. (2020, March 24). The Olympics Are Officially Postponed to Summer 2021. https://www.vulture.com/2020/03/2020-olympics-cancelled-coronavirus.html. 

García-Hodges, A., Talmazan, Y., & Yamamoto, A. (2020, March 24). Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed over coronavirus concerns. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/tokyo-2020-olympics-postponed-over-coronavirus-concerns-n1165046. 

Gordon, A. (2016, August 22). The Rio Games Were An Unjustifiable Human Disaster, And So Are The Olympics. https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvayg4/the-rio-games-were-an-unjustifiable-human-disaster-and-so-are-the-olympics. 

Phillips, D. (2019, April 18). Thousands join anti-Olympic protest in Rio before Games begin. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/08/05/thousands-join-anti-olympic-protest-in-rio-before-games-begin/.

[theglobalizationgazette]

CANZUK and Globalization

A lot is happening in our world right now. From civil rights movements, to a climate crisis, and even national elections. Some of these events have resulted in the CANZUK proposal to regain attention in the media.

CANZUK International is an organization that is centred around the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The organization is focused on, “closer cooperation between these four nations so they may build upon existing economic, diplomatic and institutional ties to forge a cohesive alliance of nation-states with a truly global outlook” (CANZUK International, n.d.).

The recent elections, both in the United States and New Zealand, have brought attention to the debate over the CANZUK proposals. New Zealand recently elected Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister and she may be the driving force for CANZUK to become a reality (Hammond, 2020). Another article by The National Post demonstrates the impact of the American election for Canada in regards to the CANZUK alliance, “If President Donald Trump is re-elected, Canada can protect its interests by sticking close to its other Five Eyes partners” (Thompson, 2020).

(Grant, 2018)

After reading these articles about the current elections and the influence on CANZUK, I realized that the CANZUK proposals are a wonderful example of globalization and the benefits it presents to our world politically, culturally, and especially economically. 

Imagine if CANZUK gets endorsement from all four political leaders involved and becomes a reality. It will immensely encourage economic globalization as CANZUK will permit, “facilitated migration, free trade and foreign policy coordination between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (the “CANZUK” countries)” (CANZUK International, n.d.), basically eradicating economic borders and restrictions that currently divide the four countries mentioned. These economic goals essentially align with neoliberalism principles which will allow for these countries to strengthen their economies. In regards to political globalization, CANZUK will forge stronger political ties between the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Additionally, the decision to align with the goals of CANZUK, which impacts globalization, will ultimately come down to the political leaders of these countries. Lastly, CANZUK will affect cultural globalization because there will be an increase in travel between the nations, allowing for exposure and interaction between the different cultures. All of these benefits that CANZUK will create, specifically economically, further emphasizes the pro-globalization argument.

In the next few years, I suspect that we will see CANZUK become more of a reality in uniting the four nations and promoting globalization, especially considering the outcomes of current elections.

References

CANZUK International. (n.d.) About Us. https://www.canzukinternational.com/about.   

Grant, A. (2018, June 18). [Cooperation of the four CANZUK countries would lead to a bright future for post-Brexit Britain]. CANZUK International. https://www.canzukinternational.com/2018/06/why-brexit-canzuk.html.

Hammond, J. (2020, October 21). CANZUK is a cause in need of a champion - enter Jacinda Ardern. CityAM. https://www.cityam.com/canzuk-is-a-cause-in-need-of-a-champion-enter-jacinda-ardern/. 

Thompson, G. (2020, September 30). Graeme Thompson: Two cheers for CANZUK - an increasingly important alliance in an uncertain world. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/graeme-thompson-two-cheers-for-canzuk-an-increasingly-important-alliance-in-an-uncertain-world.

[theglobalizationgazette]

Grocery Globalization

Globalization, it's everywhere, in every part of our lives, whether we are aware of its presence or not. I have become more aware of the elements of globalization that impact my life. I am able connect globalization to my life through online shopping, using social media, driving a car, and so much more. 

One morning, as I was eating breakfast, I realized that without the forces of globalization I would not be able to have my avocado toast for breakfast. I thought back to the grocery store where I had bought the avocados and I realized that globalization has influenced Canadian grocery stores tremendously. 

The goods that I am able to purchase are imported from all across the world. While I was at the grocery store recently, I noted that the avocados were imported from Mexico. This meant that workers in that country had to grow and harvest the avocados in order for a company to be able to export the produce for it to be sold to me, the consumer, in Canada. There were many decisions and transactions that occurred during the process that have allowed for the avocados to travel across the continent. 

Through further research I discovered that my purchases at the grocery store and my consumption of avocados may have more of an impact than I initially thought. Recently, there has been issues regarding drug cartel involvement in the avocado industry in Mexico. The article by Business Insider, “America's appetite for avocados is helping to fuel the Mexican cartels, but giving up guacamole isn't the solution.” (Ernst, 2020), demonstrates how our purchase and consumption of avocados are having impacts crime in Mexico, “The super fruit is a big magnet for the warlords, the more so due to the recent explosion of demand and prices on global markets” (Ernst, 2020). This just speaks to how globally connected we are and how our decisions here in Canada can have impacts all the way across the continent. 

Another element of a grocery store that has been touched by the wonders of globalization is the ethnic/international aisle. The aisle contains products imported from all across the world from different countries and cultures. We may think of this as a sort of cultural globalization where we are able to learn about and enjoy foods from different cultures thanks to the advancements of globalization.

Lastly, the grocery store and the company itself are a direct product of globalization. The store that I happened to go to recently was Walmart. Walmart is an American company which has broadened their market by expanding internationally. Walmart currently has, “11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries”  (Walmart, 2020). This international expansion has been made possible through globalization and it is the reason for which I am able to buy my groceries in a Canadian Walmart today. 

Overall, the power of globalization has made my day-to-day experiences of eating avocado toast for breakfast and going to the grocery store a reality.

References

Ernst, F. (2020, February 23). America's appetite for avocados is helping to fuel the Mexican cartels, but giving up guacamole isn't the solution. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/us-avocado-consumption-helping-mexican-drug-cartels-border-guns-2020-2. 

Walmart. (2020). Location Facts. http://www.corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-locations.