Globalance - christian perspectives on globalisation with a human face

Abstract

Sending short text messages from cellphones in Europe to the Philippines and receiving replies immediately, enjoying eating mangos from Cameroon, outsourcing the textile production to Asia, collecting billions of dollars for tsunami aid in a few days only, watching Hollywood movies in the slums of São Paulo, taking note of a merger between two multinational companies – these are only some examples for how globalisation impacts our daily lives. The debate on globalisation raises emotions and divides opinions. Some people hold that globalisation processes lead to economic, political and cultural openness, to economic growth and to more freedom, peace and international cooperation. Others argue that globalisation widens the gap between poor and rich, deepens injustice and promotes exploitation of people and the environment. It is argued that globalisation leads in many countries to higher unemployment and a weakening of the welfare state