Tonight's class with Eva is addressing the Future of Globalization...I did my time on Wikipedia and Google, and instead am more fascinated by NPR...

I heard a story on NPR a few weeks ago, that the UN had taken out an insurance policy against Drought in Ethiopia...which is currently in the grip of a deadly drought. If the rainfall totals measured from multiple stations throughout the country drop below a certain level between March and October, then the payout of 7.1 million can begin...

I am going to try to link this to our discussion tonight...One thing brought up in the NPR story is that a partial reason for the drought is the farming techniques used by the local farmers are not in harmony with the land being farmed. Instead of working with crops that can survive and are of value to the inhabitants of the area, they are instead farming crops that support faraway nations and communities. Globalization allows African farmers to sell their crops to the highest (low) bidder who in turn has no stake in their economy. These crops are not sustainable in this environment but provide a temporary payout for the farmers, and a long term detriment to the quality of the land. No amount of rain I think can reverse this process.

Reading on the International Forum on Globalization's website link they talk of their programs, one being SUBSIDIARITY””FAVORING THE LOCAL
"Rules and structures that consciously favor local control over issues that have local consequences; a model of subsidiarity that recognizes the inherent democratic right to self-determination and self-reliance. In regard to trade agreements and institutions, the IFG supports fair trade based on a framework that favors local production for local consumption, supplemented by long-distance trade for those goods and services that cannot be supplied regionally."

But I also question: "The International Forum on Globalization (IFG) is an alliance of sixty leading activists, scholars, economists, researchers and writers formed to stimulate new thinking, joint activity, and public education in response to economic globalization."

Only 60 members represnting the entire world? I quickly tried to find a way to figure out just who these 60 people are but there wasn't any obvious list of: "meet the International Globalizationists..." Kinda reminds me of the "Save the Children" group. They REALLY want your donation on the street there, but they won't let you take their flyer home with them. I just want to do a little research on you before I save your children...

That's all I got...

Heres link to the Ethiopia story:
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