Category: English

Analysis, Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig

Part 3: The State of Play on the debate on the Rules

[Español] As early as 1998, the World Trade Organization (WTO) had issued a Ministerial Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce at the Second WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Simply recognizing that global electronic commerce was growing and that therefore the WTO needed to have a work program to discuss rules that would govern this new form of trade. The most significant impact of this Ministerial … Continue reading Part 3: The State of Play on the debate on the Rules

Admin1 Comment
Analysis, Economic, English

Part 2: The Digital Platform Economy and Who Owns It

[Español] To understand the digital platform economy better, this paper breaks down below the various types of platforms, how data changes from raw material to monetized good in the digital value chain and how the discussion on digital trade should not be limited to whether or not tariffs are to be imposed on electronic goods and services but rather, more importantly, should include the complex … Continue reading Part 2: The Digital Platform Economy and Who Owns It

Admin1 Comment
Analysis, Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig

Part 1: What is Digital Trade?

[Español] Digital trade as traditional trade, is a part of the larger picture of the economy. Digital trade is part of the growing digital economy and affects the non-digital larger economy. Digital trade is not new. However, despite it being around for a while, there is no definitive definition and scope globally agreed upon. This has led to lack of consensus and a plethora of … Continue reading Part 1: What is Digital Trade?

Admin1 Comment
Analysis, Economic, English, Mary Louise Malig, Publications, Reflexiones Sistémicas

Is the future really digital? A deeper understanding of digital trade

By: Mary Louise Malig [Versión en español] Read the entire publication in PDF here Contents Part 1: What is digital trade? Part 2: The Digital Platform Economy and Who Owns It Part 3: The State of Play on the debate on the Rules Part 4: The Digital Economy: There is more to it than trade Conclusions Introduction A current buzzword not only in technology circles … Continue reading Is the future really digital? A deeper understanding of digital trade

Admin
Analysis, Economic, Edgardo Lander, English, Geopolitical, Global, Nature, Social Movements

Dominant trends in the capitalist world system in the context of the pandemic

Edgardo Lander

1. With the pandemic, debates that had already been taking place from a wide political spectrum of questioning neoliberal globalization are accelerating. The fragility of the productive chains long established with the aim of maximizing short-term corporate profits has fallen to bare in their extraordinary vulnerability. What happens in one link in the chain can have global consequences. Dependence on imports for materials is as critical as basic health equipment and food. This situation has placed in political debate the need for higher levels of self-sufficiency or sovereignty in many different countries of the world. The pandemic has stripped the world like never before. While richer countries are grabbing vaccines for their population and refuse to relax the rules on protection of intellectual property controlled by pharmaceutical corporations developed thanks to massive public funding, many countries in the South will not have widespread access to vaccines until 2022, according to estimates by the People’s Vaccine Alliance[1].

Continue reading “Dominant trends in the capitalist world system in the context of the pandemic”
Admin
Analysis, Economic, English, Walden Bello

Reading Piketty I: A Concise and Comprehensive Summary of Capital and Ideology

By: Walden Bello In this summary, Walden Bello distills the key ideas and data contained in Thomas Piketty’s monumental work Capital and Ideology. The French economist deserves to be read by more people, but many have neither the time nor energy to work through this sprawling 1,042-page classic. This short volume is motivated by the conviction that Piketty cannot be left to specialists in social … Continue reading Reading Piketty I: A Concise and Comprehensive Summary of Capital and Ideology

mlou88
Alternatives, English, Pablo Solón

Systemic Transitions

By Pablo Solón[1]

[Español, Italian] The following proposals[2] seek to motivate reflections on how to deal with the systemic crises. These are ideas that arose from a South American and in particular, a Bolivian context.

1) We must rethink the processes of transitions based on the systemic crises that the Earth community is now experiencing. Although there is no doubt that the ecological and climate crises are the most relevant because they put at risk the continuity of life as we know it, transitions must be multidimensional and inclusive of our relationships with nature, our daily behavior patterns, the State and the political system, the economy, the social, the spiritual, energy, international relations and ethics.

Continue reading “Systemic Transitions”
Admin
Analysis, English, Pablo Solón, Social Movements

Why Lucho & David won the Bolivian elections

By Pablo Solón

[Version en Español] The Movement towards Socialism (MAS in Spanish) has won the Bolivian elections in the first round this October 2020. Two exit polls (by Ciesmori and Tu Voto Cuenta) based on different samples concluded that Luis (“Lucho”) Arce and David Choquehuanca had obtained more than 50% of the votes, with a lead of more than 20% over the second place candidate, Carlos Mesa of Citizens Community (CC). We await the results of the official count that will be available on Wednesday or Thursday, but don’t expect a substantive change in the trend of the results of these two exit polls.

Why did Lucho and David won?

Continue reading “Why Lucho & David won the Bolivian elections”
Admin5 Comments
Analysis, English, Others, Pablo Solón, Social Movements

¿Una nueva crisis? Reflecting Upon MAS’ Legacy and the Future of Bolivia

A dialog between Linda Farthing -journalist and researcher who has co-authored three books on Bolivia-, Pablo Solón -social and environmental activist and former ambassador for the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations (2009-June 2011)-, and Bret Gustafson (Moderator) author of two books on Bolivia, most recently Bolivia in the Age of Gas.

Continue reading “¿Una nueva crisis? Reflecting Upon MAS’ Legacy and the Future of Bolivia”
Admin
Alternatives, Analysis, Deglobalization, English, Geopolitical, Global, Pablo Solón, Walden Bello

How do we avoid the fate of the dinosaurs?

[Español] Pablo Solón: We are here in a new dialogue of systemic reflections, and this time, with Walden Bello who is a very well known sociologist from the Philippines, author of many books, his most recent book: “Counterrevolution: The Global Rise of the Far Right”. Walden was the Executive Director of Focus on the Global South a think-tank in Southeast Asia, and now he is … Continue reading How do we avoid the fate of the dinosaurs?

Admin1 Comment
English, Global, Social Movements

Global Dialogue for Systemic Change

(Español/Français) (download pdf file) We are living in an unprecedented global crisis that requires a deep reflection, rethinking and dialogue among activists, organizations and social movements around the world. Critical strategies are essential, to deal with the current crises and to shape what comes next. More than ever we need to share analysis, experiences, ideas and alternatives, in the face of growing health, social, economic, … Continue reading Global Dialogue for Systemic Change

Admin3 Comments
Economic, English, Social Movements, Various

Liberating labor to heal the world

Thomas Coutrot (Español/Français) Every morning, millions of workers wake up and go to work to produce, use or sell something contributing to destroying life on earth, and this work makes them ill. Whether in the automobile or ship-building industries, or the electrical, chemical, oil and food ones, finance, agriculture, computer science, civil engineering, advertising or research, capital needs the active engagement of employees in all … Continue reading Liberating labor to heal the world

Admin
Economic, English, Geopolitical, Global, Pablo Solón, Reflexiones Sistémicas, Social Movements, Xavier Ricard Lanata

Will the coronavirus end capitalism?

Xavier Ricard Lanata: The dilemmas of the reconfiguration of capitalism The crisis of globalization comes from 2008. Commercial exchanges have been declining. There was a contraction process that predated the virus. Now the virus has aggravated this situation. What is going to happen? Those who are creditors of capital will look for ways to increase the value of it at any cost. In the northern … Continue reading Will the coronavirus end capitalism?

Admin
English, Various

In memoriam ‒ Martin Khor

By Yilmaz Akyüz and Richard Kozul-Wright

GENEVA, Apr 3 2020 (IPS) – We are greatly saddened by the passing of Martin Khor, a long-time friend and colleague, an undaunted fighter for the poor and underprivileged, a passionate believer in a more balanced and inclusive multilateralism, a rare intellectual and eloquent orator, an icon of the Global South worthy of veneration, greatly respected for his struggle for justice and fairness against the dominance and double-standards of big economic powers. Continue reading “In memoriam ‒ Martin Khor”

Admin
Christophe Aguiton, English, Others, Power

The new frontiers of democracy

Christophe Aguiton

(Español/ Français)To talk about “systemic alternatives” means to address concepts or experiences that result from real social practices which emerged either recently or in the past, and which question, partially or entirely, the current system of domination. In this way we have to examine the ways in which these alternatives are managed, that is, the democratic models that ensure their regulation. Continue reading “The new frontiers of democracy”

Admin1 Comment
Analysis, English, Pablo Solón

Evo’s questions*

By Pablo Solón

[Español, français] Saturday, the night of November 24. Any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence. A series of questions pass through Evo’s mind as he reads the law that just passed unanimously in the Senators and Deputies chamber:

Why did they not consider my resignation letter in the Legislative Assembly? Does my party not have more than two thirds in the parliament? How can they unanimously approve, together with the coup plotters, a law to annul the elections of October 20, and call to new elections? Why did they not follow the path to reject my resignation and thus make it clear to the world that there are two governments, one fascist and racist coup, and another legitimate and indigenous ready to return to Bolivia? Do they not realize that by not discussing my resignation letter they are admitting that I abandoned my duties and that is why Añez proclaimed herself President? Continue reading “Evo’s questions*”

Admin3 Comments
Economic, English, Geopolitical, Global, Publications, Walden Bello

Counterrevolution The Global Rise of the Far Right

By Walden Bello The far right is on the rise. The rhetoric of anger and resentment is emanating from personalities like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Rodrigo Duterte and Viktor Orban and is captivating and mobilizing large numbers of people. In an increasing number of countries, the extreme right has already captured the government or is on the threshold of power. While this swift turn … Continue reading Counterrevolution The Global Rise of the Far Right

mlou88
Analysis, Economic, English, Events, Geopolitical, Publications, Walden Bello

Paper Dragons: China and the Next Crash

Comments of Walden Bello on his new book, “Paper Dragons: China and the Next Crash” Why China might be the trigger of the next global financial crisis is the subject of the first event in my book tour at Sciences Po in Paris, with Prof Cornelia Woll and Victor Mallet, Paris bureau chief of the Financial Times, serving as commentators. Sept 19, 2019. Brief Remarks … Continue reading Paper Dragons: China and the Next Crash

mlou88