Globalization from Below

World business leaders’ greed-as-usual came to a dramatic halt last November when tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Seattle and shut down the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization. This powerful but virtually unknown organization was spotlighted through coordinated actions by such diverse constituencies as environmental, labor, and human rights advocates, catching the attention of the world. The New York Times declared its amazement, “The surprisingly large protests point to the emergence of a new and vocal coalition.” According to the Times , that movement includes “a wide swath of Main Street America.”

As fewer people take greater control of the world’s wealth, natural resources, and decision-making power, more and more people are feeling enraged at what amounts to the theft of democracy. Working with their neighbors to wrest power back from the multinational corporations, these citizens will find Globalization from Below an invaluable tool, a concise presentation of the reasons and the means to galvanize a winning challenge to the powers that be.

This accessible, practical guide lays out a strategy that will reverse the damaging effects of unfettered pursuit of environmental degradation, a widening gap between rich and poor, and a lack of accountability in international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. Globalization from Below will inspire ordinary citizens and challenge veteran organizers as it delineates a process of forging lasting links with activists around the world to gain economic and environmental security now and in the future.

Jeremy Brecher is the author of Strike! Tim Costello is a union activist based in Boston and has co-authored several books with Brecher, including Global Village or Global Pillage . Brendan Smith is a former staff assistant to Representative Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) and is currently working at Stone Soup, Inc. in Connecticut.