Globalisation and Human Rights
The question put forth, concerning the impact of globalization on human rights is not one that can be answered, for the most part, and has two sides to it, as does every other topic. In many cases, globalization has rescued humanity from the downfalls it faces, but has also been the cause of many of those circumstances. As an example, Portugal’s slavery abolition act in 1542 proved the first of many for European for many years to come. That spread throughout Europe and the Americas, and in the long run, slavery was abolished. In such a case, globalization played a significant role in ensuring the end of slavery. However, we must also remember- globalization was the very cause of slavery, in the first place. Had various European powers refrained from indulging in their quest for world dominance, there would be no slavery.
Economically, it is fair to say that globalization is positively impactful for wealthy, developed nations, much more so than it is for those that are developing. Globalization is a system that keeps the poor poorer, and makes the rich richer. For example, because of the high demand for labour in third world countries, wealthier nations are able to exploit poorer nations, and find cheap labour within. For example, when looking at the United States of America, a nation that takes up 5% of the world’s population, yet uses up to 25% of the world’s resources is a clear indication of the division between the rich and poor. The rich will stay rich, and the poor will stay poor. With an organisation such as the IMF, a system initiated purely because of globalisation, we see the USA control 16% of it. The IMF was an organisation made to help nations develop, and simultaneously eradicate poverty globally. However, we see underdeveloped nations that are crippled and indebted to the IMF, simply because they attempted to rise from poverty. The United Nations, for example, was brought to maintain peace and harmony throughout the world, but is still essentially run by global powers. Such examples are clear indications of how “worldly” systems almost inevitably end up being run by global powers.
Equally, globalisation has brought about trade that has provided numerous jobs and has increased revenues for every nation globally. There is trade between many various nations worldwide, and it is fair to say that every nation needs other nations for stability, these days. Trade is one positive, but is also one negative. Trade created interdependency between many nations, and is responsible for the divide between the rich and poor- again. For example, it is much easier to exploit poorer nations through trade, by putting on the illusion of ‘helping.’ Ghana- a nation that only recently discovered oil makes less than 15% of revenue from oil drilling. Because of globalisation, the Ghanaian government imports chickens, chocolates and bananas. Because Ghana must rely on wealthier nations for some reason whatsoever, the country imports the very things that it produces. Why should a nation that was once the top cocoa producer globally be importing chocolate? Yet there is still a fair-trade symbol implanted on the packaging? If such things were in the world’s best interest, less developed countries such as Ghana would not be relying on other nations for the very things that are right under their noses.
Globalisation- as a whole cannot be put on a scale to determine its impact, but through a humanitarian perspective, it has failed for what it once promised. Globalisation should promote a system in which all the worlds economies flourish, but it will never be that simple. For the rich to be rich, there need to be poor people. There will be no rich if there is no poor. Simultaneously, if the poor become rich, the definition of rich must change. Everybody stays ‘normal,’ until somebody begins to manipulate others and build up riches on the foundation of exploitation. Globalisation has brought forth a lot of good in the world, and has brought up many nations, but it is not to forget that in many of those cases, it has initially brought up those circumstances. It is not fair to give a final answer on whether globalisation has had a positive or negative impact on the world. The answer to the question remains indefinite. However, because this is a question and it requires an answer, the most prominent choice in my












