IFWEA seminar on globalization held in South Asia
by Verna Dinah Viajar, Guest Editor

Sharing of knowledge and experiences across continents, regions and societies are the building blocks of workers’ education. Globalization speeds up images and information, interaction and experiences. Amidst images of poverty, inequity and social disparity at the period of increasing wealth and technology in the age of globalization, the need for strengthening workers’ solidarity and education was the consensus in the recent IFWEA seminar in South Asia.

In one of its major activities, the International Federation of Workers Education Association in South Asia gathered 50 members from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka for a seminar on globalization. The seminar entitled “South Asian Seminar on Globalization and Workers Education”, was jointly organized by IFWEA’s South Asian affiliates namely, the Education Foundation (Pakistan), Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Self-Employed Women’s Association (India), Indian Adult Education Association (IAEA), Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), and Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF).

Globalization for whom?

The speakers and delegates in the seminar discussed extensively the impact of globalization in South Asia and the developing
countries as a whole. International trade under the banner of globalization is purported to bring economic development even to
the farthest corner of the world by freeing the market of restrictions. Through the governance of global institutions like the World Trade Organization, the mobility of capital, services and labor should not be hampered. However, experience tells a different story in poor countries.

Trade between developed and developing countries has become increasingly unequal. While developed countries continue
to subsidize their agricultural products of up to 300 billion dollars a year, liberalization of agriculture has practically wiped out the agricultural base of poor countries in Asia. In Bangladesh alone, trade has shrunk to 0.4% share in the world trade. In India, thousands of workers were laid off due to factory closures when quantitative restrictions on imported products were lowered. In Pakistan, multinational corporations control the major industries in the country.

For countries in South Asia, globalization has meant unemployment, low wages and increasing poverty. While globalization meant unhampered mobility of labor, workers from third world countries are restricted to enter the labor market of advanced countries. For multinational corporations and technologically equipped countries, international trade provides the necessary market for their products. But for developing countries, international trade has killed vital sectors in their domestic economies.

The delegates positioned to question who benefits from international trade in the context of globalization. Trade and globalization should be viewed in relation to their impact on people — who benefits from them and whether workers’ empowerment and rights are taken into account. The implications of globalization and IFI policies on the working people were the points of discussion on the first day of the seminar.

Responses and Alternatives

The second day of the seminar was devoted to sharing initiatives and responses on global issues from countries in South
Asia. The task of strengthening trade unions has become harder in the context of difficult social and economic conditions. Addressing globalization in this context means greater solidarity at the regional and international level among trade unions and
NGOs.

At the national level, trade unions and civil society groups must be able to pressure their governments to take a pro-worker stance
during trade negotiations. A national development agenda for developing countries must also be forged to protect the marginalized sectors in poor societies.

The workshop that was conducted yielded fruitful action points on how to strengthen workers education in the region.
This involves documenting, developing and incorporating global issues in workers education programs. It was also agreed to forge greater unity and solidarity within each country and among countries within the region.

email to IFWEA Journal: Aslak.Leesland@aof.no