Shift in topics for FInal Paper

At first I was thinking about option #1- A critical overview of the material and topics covered in the course.  And as I begun my paper I decided to investigate NGO's a bit and found 2 that interest me a lot.  Therefore I am going to shift topics and choose option #4- Examine the websites of several NGO's which operate in several countries.  Find one which you would join, and one which you would not join.  I am going to give a small overview of NGO's becuase I did not realize how powerful some of them can be. 

Types of NGOs

There are numerous possibilities to classify NGOs. The following is the typology the World Bank uses 1:

Operational NGOs
Their primary purpose is the design and implementation of development-related projects. One categorization that is frequently used is the division into relief-oriented or development-oriented organizations; they can also be classified according to whether they stress service delivery or participation; or whether they are religious and secular; and whether they are more public or private-oriented. Operational NGOs can be community-based, national or international.

Advocacy NGOs
Their primary purpose is to defend or promote a specific cause. As opposed to operational project management, these organizations typically try to raise awareness, acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist events.

AcronymsNongovernmental organizations are an heterogenous group. A long list of acronyms has developed around the term 'NGO'.
These include:
INGO stands for international NGO, such as CARE;
BINGO is short for business-oriented international NGO;
RINGO is an abbreviation of religious international NGO such as Catholic Relief Services;
ENGO, short for environmental NGO, such as Global 2000;
GONGOs are government-operated NGOs, which may have been set up by governments to look like NGOs in order to qualify for outside aid;
QUANGOs are quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, such as the W3C and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is actually not purely an NGO, since its membership is by nation, and each nation is represented by what the ISO Council determines to be the "most broadly representative" standardization body of a nation. Now, such a body might in fact be a nongovernmental organization--for example, the United States is represented in ISO by the American National Standards Institute, which is independent of the federal government. However, other countries can be represented by national governmental agencies--this is the trend in Europe.

NGO stages of development

Three stages or generations of NGO evolution have been identified by Korten’s (1990) Three Generations of Voluntary Development Action. First, the typical development NGO focuses on relief and welfare, and delivers relief services directly to beneficiaries. Examples are the distribution of food, shelter or health services. The NGO notices immediate needs and responds to them. NGOs in the second generation are oriented towards small-scale, self-reliant local development. At this evolutionary stage, NGOs build the capacities of local communities to meet their needs through 'self reliant local action'. Korten calls the third generation 'sustainable systems development'. At this stage, NGOs try to advance changes in policies and institutions at a local, national and international level; they move away from their operational service providing role towards a catalytic role. The NGO is starting to develop from a relief NGO to a development NGO.

The purpose of NGO's

NGOs exist for a variety of purposes, usually to further the political or social goals of their members. Examples include improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. However, there are a huge number of such organizations and their goals cover a broad range of political and philosophical positions. This can also easily be applied to private schools and athletic organizations.

Some of the negative effects of globalization, some we discussed in class:

Developed nations have outsourced manufacturing and white collar jobs. That means less jobs for their people. This has happened because manufacturing work is outsourced to developing nations like China where the cost of manufacturing goods and wages are lower. Programmers, editors, scientists and accountants have lost their jobs due to outsourcing to cheaper locations such as, India.

Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods.

Job insecurity. Earlier people had stable, permanent jobs. Now people live in constant dread of losing their jobs to competition. Increased job competition has led to reduction in wages and consequently lower standards of living.

Companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution.

Fast food chains such as McDonalds is spreading in the developing world. People are consuming more junk food from these joints which has an adverse impact on their health.

The benefits of globalization is not universal. The rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer.

Bad apects of foreign cultures are affecting the local cultures through TV and the Internet.

Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travellers to the remotest corners of the globe.

Local industries are being taken over by foreign multinationals.

The increase in prices has reduced the governments ability to sustain social welfare schemes in developed countries.

There is increase in human trafficking.

Some of the positive effects of globalization, some we discussed in class:

:　

• Globalization has created the concept of outsourcing. Work such as software development, customer support, marketing, accounting and insurance is outsourced to developing countries like India. So the company that outsourced the work enjoys the benefit of lower costs because the wages in developing countries is far lower than that of developed countries. The workers in the developing countries get employment. Developing countries get access to the latest technology.
• Increased competition forces companies to lower prices. This benefits the end consumers.
• Increased media coverage draws the attention of the world to human right violations. This leads to improvement in human rights.
• The flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases.
• The communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases.
• Environmental protection in developed countries increases.
• Worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held.
• Enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture.
• Local consumer products are exported to other countries 

Brief overview of Globalization

The development of globalization has opened gates for economies both nationally and globally. The last three decades saw many governments acquiring the systems of free markets, thereby, maximizing their own potential and opportunities for international businesses as well as investment. As a result of globalization governments all over the world worked towards the elimination of limitations to business and trade of goods and services across the world. With these new opportunities having hit the global economies industries took advantage by constructing new business corporations in foreign markets with their associates. This gave international trade and business an all new business structure which can be summed up under what is economic globalization capable of altogether.

Pictures and Websites for Final Paper

Great website that offers lectures on globalization:
http://videolectures.net/eccs07_blossfeld_gcs/

Globalization of culture forum:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/globalization-of-culture.html

NGO Directory
http://www.wango.org/resources.aspx?section=ngodir#tab2

Cartroons on Globalization:

Final Paper Layout

What globalization means to me-

Topics that I enjoyed learning about throughout the semester which help define my term of Globalization:

-Globalization of culture: Arcaro Chapter 2
-Media: Arcaro Chapter 6 (p 143,145,152, conclusion); Jackson Article 19 and 20
-Global Politics: Arcaro Chapter 12; Jackson Article 1, 11, 34
-Women and Gender: Arcaro Chapter 9; Jackson Article 5, 40
-Future of Globalization: Arcaro Chapter 13; Jackson 15, 22, 42

Outside sources
-Making Globalization Work by: Joseph E. Stiglitz
-In Defense of Globalization: With a New Afterword by: Jagdish Bhagwati

Globalization Poem

By Angie

INTERNATIONAL
THINKING AT ITS BEST!

Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer: Princess Diana's death.
Question: How come?
Answer: An English princess
with an Egyptian boyfriend
crashes in a French tunnel,
driving a German car
with a Dutch engine,
driven by a Belgian who was drunk
on Scottish whiskey,
followed closely by Italian Paparazzi,
on Japanese motorcycles;
treated by an American doctor,
using Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by an American,
using Bill Gates's technology,
and you're probably reading this on your computer,
that use Taiwanese chips,
and a Korean monitor,
assembled by Bangladeshi workers
in a Singapore plant,
transported by Indian lorry-drivers,
hijacked by Indonesians,
unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,
and trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....
That, my friends, is Globalization

Election Day

The recent Election
The one race that I have been following has been the Illinois Governor's race.  This has been the first true governer's election since the great debacle with Rod Blagojevich so it does have a lot riding on it.  I think that a lot of people both inside and outside the state view Illinois politics as a joke, this was going to be the election that would put our state back on the right track.
From the get go this race has been marred by controversy and a lack of enthusiasm.  Before the election was even held it seemed as if the majority of our "classically" democratic state was in support of the republican candidate Bill Brady.  Not because of his political plan or his past experience, simply because the democratic candidate Pat Quinn has been so closely associated with Rod Blagojevich.
I never truly understood either of the two candiates political plans because as the election drew closer and closer the advertisments that were seen in press or on TV were entirely focused on mudslinging.  I dont recall one ad that just talked about one candidates plans to improve, it was all criticisms and accusations.  I think this left a large population of the people in the dark about the candidates and what they will do to help our state.
These point are probably why this was one of the closest elections on record.  Usually a candidate stands out by the end of the election day and this race was so close that even after two full days there is no definitive winner to this race. 
Although either of these two candidates will probably do a better job than Rod Blagojevich, I dont see them being the answer to the problems that Illinois is having right now.

Critique of a Classmates blog

I really enjoyed reading a post my classmate Cal wrote on his blog.  It was titled "What we expect from our children"  In his blog he said that he believes children do not understand what life is really about when they are spoon fed.  And I completely agree with this statement.  I see examples of this every day at my store, since it is located in the heart of Lincoln Park across the street from a private K-12th grade school.  I hardly see parents, the majority of the time its babysitters and kids coming in on their own.  They have their parents money to spend and they spend every last drop of it.  When the parents do come in they are either on the phone or not very interested in what their child/children are doing and they buy them whatever they want even if they are not going to finish it (if they want it they will get it).  I do not really hear the words please and thank you very often and the kids have trouble being patient and waiting in line.  I feel that in many was parents set these examples for their children, whether they are good or bad examples they are passed on.  Examples like these make me question the American norms Cal speaks of.   

Another blog that i enjoyed looking at was Bilal's.  He did a great job with the structure and content in his blog.  The cartoons that he added within each blog really helped convey the message.  Sometimes when reading blogs I find it tough to keep focused when there are just words among words. 

Response to "Commanding Heights" video

I feel the that the passing of NAFTA was both a blessing and curse to our economy.  It was a

blessing to the economy as a whole.  As Clinton stated, it forced us to push the American

economy out of the industrial age and into the technological age.  With less emphasis on

mass production of material goods and more of a focus on technology advancement, the American

economy flourished during Clinton's terms in the White House. 
But it was a curse to many of the blue collar workers with no formal training in one field. 

Again during the debates Bill Clinton spoke about the positives of NAFTA, just as long as

there was a plan to help out those who would end up losing out due to the transferring of

many businesses to Mexico.  Helping out the blue collar workers with advanced training in

more up to date fields, and better on the job training.  Sadly these plans were never

enacted and many of the blue collar workers were left without jobs and without further

training that would help them enter other fields of work. 
There are so many people who are out of work, and there are jobs available for them, the only problem is that they lack the essential training to be able to function in a white collar workplace.