People power
At times we may feel completely powerless. Every day we can witness the power of transnational corporations dictating what we buy through mass advertising. New agreements may be made by the G8, EU or other intergovernmental organisations, which we have no control over. Even if our own government is democratically elected, we may feel they do not take account of the views of ordinary people. It is easy to feel that in our interconnected globalised world, individual people do not have a voice.
Democracy is not just about voting for our political leaders, but also about being able to participate actively in our society. Having freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association makes for a healthy civil society, where people with shared interests can get together for their own enjoyment, support and to make a difference. Recent decades have actually seen a growth in the number of non-governmental organisations and civil society groups. Neighbourhood associations, trade unions, cultural groups, recreation clubs, environmental lobbies, human rights activists and youth clubs are just some of the ways citizens are organising themselves together to participate in society.
The Internet has made it increasingly possible for activists around the world to share experiences, give each other support and work together on common goals. The negative impacts of globalisation are being felt all over the world, but rather than admitting defeat people are organising together to challenge them. Development of global NGO networks and civil society groups are linked to an increase in the capacity and will of people to take control over their own lives and improve them. When citizens from many countries work together, it is possible to build coalitions strong enough to persuade governments to take action. Here are a few examples of successful citizen action:
The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro saw 50,000 activists representing organisations from all over the world gather to show their support for new international environmental laws.
In 1994, after strategic lobbying by a small number of activists, a ban on landmines was achieved which came into force just 3 years later.
The 1999 'Anti-globalisation' protests at the WTO meeting in Seattle brought together diverse protestors such as trade unionists, enviromental and consumer advocates, indigenous peoples, farmers, antiwar advocates, and ordinary concerned citizens, including large numbers of young people. The protests brought the world's attention to the social injustices of decisions being made at the international level, in which people had no say.
The Jubilee 2000 network convinced the IMF, World Bank and a number of governments to cancel $100 billion of the debt owed by heavily indebted poor countries.
Farmers in India organised a nonviolent protest declaring their non-co-operation with proposed new patent laws covering seeds and other genetic resources.
Advocates for affordable AIDS drugs in South Africa defeated a patent-infringement lawsuit filed by 19 pharmaceutical companies.
It is clear that people do still have the power to change things, and to challenge the organisations and institutions that try to control our lives. The important message seems to be that people need to work together with other like-minded citizens if they want their voice to be heard.