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Protest and globalisation |
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TKI
Hot Topic for 15 August 2001
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People come into conflict with authority in many countries
for many different reasons. This hot topic highlights two events in the
history of protest which have hit the headlines in recent weeks, one historical,
and one current.
In 1981 the Springbok rugby team toured New Zealand, prompting the first
riots seen in New Zealand since the waterfront lock-out in July 1951,
New Zealand's most bitter industrial dispute.
Protest surrounding the tour saw otherwise ordinary people pitted in
violent clashes against the police, and against each other.
On the twentieth anniversary of the Springbok tour, violence between
protest groups and police once again hit the headlines when the protest
against the Group of Eight meeting in Genoa in July 2001 disintegrated
into violence.
Since 1975, the heads of the major industrial democracies have been meeting
annually to discuss major economic and political issues. The original
group of six – France, the US, Britain, Germany, Japan, and Italy
– has since grown to eight with the addition of Canada, then Russia.
Why protest against a meeting of leaders who are trying to discuss and
address issues which supposedly concern society in general?
Many different kinds of protestors went to Genoa. Those agitating for
Western countries to forgive Third World debt were among the 700 or so
groups who had a point of view to air. Other protestors were trade unionists.
Kyoto Protocol supporters went to attract the attention of George Bush,
others were there to voice their objection to globalisation.
Resources on TKI
The following resources, found on TKI, can support teachers introducing
topics related to protest and globalisation.
We
Shall Overcome
We Shall Overcome is part of the US National Register of Historic
Places website, http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights.
It was reviewed on TKI for its relevance and usefulness for the New Zealand
curriculum, particularly for a year 11 social studies class comparing
South Africa under apartheid and the southern United States under Jim
Crow laws (www.tki.org.nz/r/review/nps_e.php).
Timeframes
The Timeframes website provides online access to a database of heritage
images from the National Library of New Zealand's Alexander Turnbull Library,
http://timeframes1.natlib.govt.nz.
It was reviewed on TKI for its relevance to social studies and technology
in early New Zealand (www.tki.org.nz/r/review/time_e.php).
Amnesty International
The New Zealand section of the Amnesty International website has information
about its campaigns and links to related sites. Amnesty International
campaign internationally to prevent human rights violations by governments
and other political groups. Its website contains information and updated
news about campaigns as well as links to related sites (www.amnesty.org.nz/).
On the wider web
Enzed, Ancient and Modern
History
The website of Enzed, Ancient and Modern History has links to New Zealand
history from the arrival of the Maori, Captain Cook, the Treaty of Waitangi,
Gallipoli, the Rainbow Warrior, through to recent economic reforms (www.enzed.com/hist.html).
Tour cartoon exercise
New Zealand History Teachers Association (http://www.nzhta.org.nz)
has developed exercises based on political cartoons published at the time
of the Springbok tour.
Globalisation
Put together by APEC Australia, www.globalisationguide.org/
explores the issue of globalisation, and answers some key questions. It
is designed as a resource for students, and presents the arguments of
both those who believe globalisation is a force for good and those who
believe it is a force for evil.
The UK government has published a website with papers on international
development and globalisation (www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/)
with links to development agencies, international organisations, treaties,
and reports.
Economics
The Center for Economic and Policy Research was established to promote
democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that
affect people's lives. Their website publishes discussion on globalisation,
the IMF, World Bank and WTO (www.cepr.net).
G8 group of nations
The University of Toronto has created a website on the G8 group of nations
(www.g7.utoronto.ca/), which
includes a list of other international organisations.
Genoa
The Genoa meeting site outlines what was discussed, and what outcomes
were achieved (www.genoa-g8.it/eng/index.html).
Who protested at Genoa?
Note: some of these websites represent groups of individuals
with extreme points of view on various issues. Any material published
on these sites should be read with this in mind, and teachers should preview
them thoroughly before using them with students.
Some groups which went to Genoa to protest included:
Curriculum links on TKI
Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum is available on
TKI (www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/index_e.php).
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