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5.3. Local responses to global interactions
The varying power of local places and actors to resist or accept change
Local and civil society resistance to global interactions:
rejection of globalized production, including campaigns against TNCs and in favour of local sourcing of food and goods by citizens
rise of anti-immigration movements
Geopolitical constraints on global interactions:
government and militia controls on personal freedoms to participate in global interactions
national trade restrictions, including protectionism and resource nationalism
The role of civil society in promoting international-mindedness and participating in global interactions, including social media use and campaigning for internet freedom
Two detailed examples of places where restricted freedoms have been challenged
Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities
How acceptance of, or resistance to, global interactions takes different forms and occurs at different scales
Starter Resources for This Section
Starter Resources for This Section
Background reading and note taking for the serious Geographer - you must read this section for homework and be able to discuss it in class.
Essential Document Reading - The Article on the right is from the IB Review magazine for Geography
The Guardian - The rise of an idea that swept the world
Who are the Chicago Boys and how are they to blame for rioting in Chile in 2019? What relevance does it have to this section of the syllabus?
Economist: Slowbilisation - fantastic update. Short but really good.
Economist: Globalisation has faltered
Economist - Flat white world - Even as traditional globalisation has slowed, a new kind has sped up - Hipster globalisation
Deglobalisation reading.pdfglob Int New Chapter 5.pdfGlob Int. Unit 5.pdfLocal and civil society resistance to global interactions:
Local and civil society resistance to global interactions:
- 5.3a Rejection of globalised production, including campaigns against TNCs and in favour of local sourcing of food and goods by citizens
Netflix must watch - Series called Rotten
Online book Resource - You could also just read this and make notes - excellent from InThinking.
Think Bidens win means the end of populism.. think again - The Guardian.
Plaid Avenger talks about Populism
Plaid Avenger talks about Populism
There is a lot of talk about populism at the moment - What is it and what relevance does it have.
Short bit - look about 27th minute
More fun - put this on as a podcast on the way home and have a listen - its fun and educational.
- 5.3 b Rise of anti-immigration movements
It’s patriotism when love of your own people comes first; it’s nationalism when hate for people other than your own comes first. (General De Gaulle)
Intro: Read first - How Europes far right are marching into the mainstream - June 23 Guardian
Europe may be headed for something unthinkable - NYT Dec 23
Intro: Read this DW article - short - Which are the most and which are least tolerant.
The European Union and Migration - Timeline 2021
Al JazeeraGoogle doc - fill in to provide outline for essay.
Rising Nationalism and Anti-Immigration in Europe
Evidence: Look at the map on the right and read this article from TIME magazine also back this up with information from the BBC - (Link to Core Section on Forced Migration and the European refugee crisis)
Economist - 2023 - Fresh wave of hard right populism hits Europe
Brexit and Anti-Immigration: In the U.K., 88% of people who said immigration was the Brexit referendum's most important issue voted to Leave, according to the British Election Study. "If economic arguments had determined the outcome of the Brexit vote, Britain would have remained in the EU," Galston writes.
Explaining the drivers of anti-immigration - great document looking at main points - try and just get the main titles and add one sentce for each.
TRUMP - YOUR JOB - Document the changes to US Immigration policies in the USA over the next few month.
Geopolitical constraints on global interactions:
Geopolitical constraints on global interactions:
- 5.3c government and militia controls on personal freedoms to participate in global interactions
- 5.3d National trade restrictions, including protectionism and resource nationalism
Question 1 - What does it mean by personal freedoms to participate in global interactions.
Come up with your own list of examples - specific from the news which shows governments that control this.
Question 2: What is a militia - what examples of militias are there in the world - how do they control peoples personal freedoms to participate in global interacions.
Tasks:
You will be using Geographyalltheway and pages 76-78 - 5.3 Simon Oakes book - it is really good. (on right)
Have a read of a hacker blog on the "Splinternet"
Use this Outline Google Document to help with note taking.
For a good case study on Resource Nationalism - See Bolivia at base of the page.
5.3 oakes.pdf5.3 d Resource Nationalisation - Bolivia Case Study
5.3 d Resource Nationalisation - Bolivia Case Study
Bolivia is Latin Americas 2nd Largest producer of Natural gas. As a result of IMF structural Adjustment programmes in the 1990s, many TNC's were invited to invest in the energy sector. In 2005 the previous President - Eva Morales came to power on a promise that Bolivia would have more control over its own resources. He set about a programme of resource nationalisation.
Create a case study using an inquiry approach to the question...
"Why has Bolivia followed a path of resource nationalisation and what has been the results of this?"
What does resource nationalisation mean?
What is the background to this in Bolivia
What is being nationalised?
What does the process involve in this country?
What is Bolivia hoping to get from it?
What are the positive and negative effects of it (using examples)
Evo Morales is an indiginous Aymara Indian.
Important Extra information to look at to show what has happened as a result of resource nationalisation - has rejecting the IMF and taking a socialist approach led to Bolivia losing its global interactions and descending economically??
Note Evo Morales lost power in 2019 but the policy of keeping as much of Bolivias natural resources in state hands continues. This is very interesting with the growing demand for Lithium for batteries... Bolivia has massive reserves.. See last two articles on the right.
A look at Bolivia under Morales in 10 graphs - some very good figures to quote.
Fantastic blog - this guy shows some good evaluation..
If you are going to read just one article -make it this one. Written while Evo Morales was in power.
Very interesting article about the effects of increasing global demand for Quinoa.
Lithium production in Bolivia - the good and the bad
Last good item on Lithium - from 2023 - insistance on Goverment control has led to limited success... call in the Chinese.
PBS - Video that crosses many areas of the syllabus
Watch all to get a good idea on energy securiity... for Unit 2
For just Bolivia - 17 mins to 18 mins
Recommended: - For Bolivia and Deep Sea mining - 17 mins to 26 mins.
- 5.3 e - The role of civil society in promoting international-mindedness and participating in global interactions, including social media use and campaigning for internet freedom
- Two detailed examples of places where restricted freedoms have been challenged
How does China restrict internet freedom
What has been the role of Civil society in trying to challenge these freedoms
What successes have there been in challenging these freedoms.
What does the future look like for internet freedom in China?
The book uses China as an example - but has it really been challenged?
Find out about https://en.greatfire.org/ - what do they do, where are they located. Successes?
This free service - GF Web is provided by a Non Profit Civil Society orgnisation.. what is it and what does the tool do?
China Country Report: -https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-net/2024
My favourite cat meme - don't censor
Civil Society and SDGs- #GreatSocialmediacampaigns - Be able to refer to some.
The other example in the book is Iran
However you could refer to a range including Turkey or Venezuela
E.g https://www.accessnow.org/civil-society-letter-agains-internet-censorship-in-venezuela/
It is interesting perhaps to look at the role of international Civil society who monitors freedom on the internet
See Freedom house on the left
Russia
Russia in 2022/3 - What about an analysis of how internet freedoms have changed in the last year - what is civil society doing about it?
Wired article: Russia is ramping up internet control - focus also on the idea of the "splinternet" what is this and how might this affect personal freedoms to access global interactions
How Tor is fighting and Beating Russian censorship - Note Tor is a Non-profit NGO - note however it does get a lot of funding from US gov.
Russias Internet users are learning to beat Putins Internet crackdown..
Turkey
Simple Intro - internet freedoms in Turkey - get the basic outline
More detail - Good look at latest laws regarding internet 2022
https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2024 (This is the big one- use sparingly but get good info)
Civil Society and other attempts to promote international mindedness.
The Alternative Informatics Association - Who are they and what do they do to challenge restrictions to freedoms.
Follow links on this declaration about internet rights by civil society groups in Turkey
Chat GPT prompt: Using examples from China, russia and Turkey, can you say what is the role of civil society in promoting international-mindedness and participating in global interactions, including social media use and campaigning for internet freedom.
use some of the Response below, the Oakes book and research from the sties above to create a poster on Civil society and the promotion of international mindedness.
Response:
Civil society plays a significant role in promoting international-mindedness and facilitating global interactions, often through grassroots initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and the use of social media to bridge cultural divides and promote common values. Here’s how this is exemplified in China, Russia, and Turkey:
China
China
Restricted but Active Civil Society
Civil society in China operates within strict state controls, yet organizations like environmental NGOs (e.g., Friends of Nature) collaborate internationally to address global issues such as climate change.
These NGOs encourage international partnerships and awareness by participating in global summits and sharing best practices.
Role of Social Media
Despite the "Great Firewall," social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo are used for campaigns related to environmental protection, gender equality, and disaster relief.
Chinese influencers, particularly in urban areas, promote cross-cultural exchanges by showcasing international lifestyles, food, and education trends.
Campaigning for Internet Freedom
Activists like Ai Weiwei have used international platforms (e.g., Twitter and Instagram) to highlight censorship issues, garnering global support for internet freedom in China.
Russia
Russia
Civil Society's Struggle for Expression
Russian civil society faces challenges under restrictive laws. However, organizations like Memorial (before its disbandment in 2021) worked on human rights and historical reconciliation, fostering global understanding of Russia's past.
Social Media Advocacy
Platforms such as Telegram and YouTube are pivotal in organizing protests and sharing news censored by state-controlled media. For example, Alexei Navalny’s team used these platforms to highlight corruption, drawing international attention.
Promoting International-Mindedness
Some Russian NGOs focus on cultural diplomacy, such as cross-border cultural exchange programs in art and literature, fostering mutual understanding between Russia and the West.
Civil society plays a significant role in promoting international-mindedness and facilitating global interactions, often through grassroots initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and the use of social media to bridge cultural divides and promote common values. Here’s how this is exemplified in China, Russia, and Turkey:
Turkey
Turkey
Dynamic Civil Society
Turkey’s civil society is highly active despite government crackdowns, with organizations like the Human Rights Association advocating for freedom and international cooperation on refugee rights.
Social Media as a Tool for Activism
Platforms like Twitter have been instrumental during events like the Gezi Park protests, where activists connected with global audiences to share real-time updates and amplify their cause.
Internet Freedom Campaigns
Turkish NGOs and individuals, such as Access Now and grassroots coalitions, campaign against censorship and advocate for net neutrality, contributing to the global discourse on digital rights.
Comparative Themes
Comparative Themes
Global Awareness Through Campaigns
Civil society in all three countries brings attention to universal issues such as climate change, human rights, and freedom of expression.
Challenges of Authoritarian Controls
While social media enables global interaction, heavy restrictions in all three countries limit its potential, making civil society's work more critical in creating alternate pathways for international engagement.
Youth-Led Initiatives
Young activists often take the lead, especially through digital platforms, in promoting international-mindedness, from environmental campaigns in China to anti-corruption drives in Russia and freedom movements in Turkey.
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