has globalisation done more harm or good for the promotion of human rights?
That is a tough question to ask as well as a tough question to answer. There are many examples of global corporations paying their workers pittances for working long hours in horrendous conditions (Nike). There are also many times where Globalization has lead to cultures being more accepted throughout the world, leading to less war and conflict. Now I am sure you can find counter examples for both of these but here is my verdict. I believe that it is a very delicate scale at the moment.
On one hand, you have corporations like the infamous Nike and Walmart, that export all of their manufacturing sector to other countries because it is much cheaper. But the reason you can get such goods and remarkably cheap prices, is because someone has worked for 16 hours, making only about 1$ a hour, in conditions that many national health organizations would label as "Horrifying". This hand of globalization is bad part of it. This is the part where the rich just keep getting richer because of the poor becoming poorer. These corporations do not care about the people who work and die to make their products, they only care if the end result is them becoming more rich. You can also see that I said "dying". Studies show that some people die of exhaustion working in these sweatshops. The corporations don't have to pay the family, they don't have to pay anyone, they just have to deliver the body to the family house and hire a new person. This hand of globalization is not promoting human rights.
The other hand of Globalization is the internet. But more specifically, people spreading their cultures and Ideals to other nations. This is good for many reasons. The first reason this is promoting human rights, is because people of other nations gain acceptance of others cultures and ways of doing things. This benefits human rights because if people understand and accept a culture, they are less likely to go to war and fight with that culture. Another reason the internet benefits human rights is through education and exposure. What I mean by that is, if you are educated and exposed to another religion, culture, or people, you understand them much better. Most people say "The only way to stop war is through education" and the internet can and is being used for just that.
As you can see, there are two hands to globalization, one good, one bad. So what is my verdict? I think globalization thus far is not advancing or backtracking human rights, it has it at a stand still. The people trying to advance the spread of human rights and pushing against the corporations that are backtracking the spread. At this point I can't say, but I hope, eventually, globalization will be only used to benefit human rights. That would make a much safer and healthier world.
