The Dark Side of Globalization

Seen by some as a desirable and irreversible engine of prosperity and progress, globalization is resisted by others as the soft underbelly of a corporate imperialism that plunders and profiteers in the global marketplace. Globalisation has brought many benefits, including the reduction of poverty in several countries. But it also has a dark side: the unleashing of negative forces as a result of the compression of time and space made possible by modern technology. Examples include the transnational flows of terrorism, drug and human trafficking, organised crime, money laundering, and global pandemics. How do these various expressions of "uncivil society" manifest themselves? How do they exploit the opportunities offered by globalisation? How can governments, international organisations and civil society deal with the problem? From arms trafficking in West Africa through armed insurgencies in South Asia and the upsurge of jihad in the age of globalization, this book examines the challenges that the dark forces of globalisation pose to the international system and the responses they have triggered. Written largely by authors from developing countries, the book's goal is to help maximise the beneficial consequences of globalisation while muting its baleful effects.