An in-depth look at two decades of a movement that aims to challenge the ethical foundations of the global market. Transnational corporations look for the cheapest suppliers, while the fair trade movement insists on a premium for the producers at the start of the chain. Sally Blundell uncovers the origins of fair trade and what it is likely to become.
From coffee farms in Peru and cocoa production in Ghana to jeans manufacture in China and the Banana War of Guatemala and the Caribbean, this fully revised No-Nonsense Guide tells the human story behind the products we consume. Examining the contest between 'free' and 'fair' trade around the world, David Ransom argues that the key question is not whether trade should be regulated or deregulated, but whether it is to be the master or servant of the people.
Meeting the people who grow our bananas and cocoa and make our clothes, this No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade tells the human story behind what we consume. Examin-ing the global contest between “free” and “fair” trade, David Ransom argues that the key question is not whether trade should be regulated or deregulated, but whether it is to be the master or servant of the people. And as fair trade products are being turned into brands by large corporations, a new contest opens—it is no longer just a question of fair versus free, but what kind of fair trade.
The ending of the Cold War was supposed to increase global security and divert expenditure previously earmarked for arms purchases to more constructive ends. Instead, the arms trade has flourished. Not only conventional arms, but also police and surveillance equipment, have been provided by Western countries seeking to make a profit from conflict in unstable parts of the world. Foreign debt has remained high, development has been held back, and human rights have been systematically abused, all with the connivance of an arms trade prepared to turn a blind eye to the uses to which increasingly sophisticated weaponry is put, so long as hefty profits can be reaped. This disturbing book names the players in the arms trade and charts the impact that it has had on war, human rights, and development. The financial and trade mechanisms that permit the arms trade to continue are revealed, amid sordid tales of bribery and corruption. Gideon Burrows concludes his examination by reviewing the ways in which this trade can be controlled or even abolished.
A look behind the catch-all term world music' aiming to explore the reasons for the contemporary interest in world music, who its audience is and why it has become such a popular genre. Through chapters on the many different genres that make up this multi-faceted area, the case for music as a powerful harmonising tool is aptly put forward.'
A highly accessible history of terrorism looking at core examples from the Middle East, instances of state terrorism and terrorist fringes of political movements. Covers the theories justifying and guiding terrorist acts and the battle of images that accompanies them, including: the proliferation of terrorist activities over recent years and international hotspots, the war on terror', terrorist acts carried out by states and the constraints on democracy and political and civil liberties that so often characterise the response to terrorism.'
Building dams in India, planting trees in Burkina Faso, rescuing street children in Brazil - these are images of aid and international development with which we can all identify. However, what passes for development all too often improves life for the better off while actively hurting the very people the venture was meant to support. Maggie Black exposes the hypocrisy and reveals a more accurate picture of what is happening in development's name, arguing for a process to be put inplace that trule defends the interests of poor people.
Water sustains life: without it, humans cannot survive for more than a few days. And yet this precious fluid is becoming increasingly politicized as the debates about control and ownership of water itself, and of the many organizations which govern its use, gain force. Maggie Black explores the many roles water plays in human life and, as the defense of water rights looks set to become an explosive issue, provides a clear overview on the vital issues of distribution, technology, irrigation, land use and commodification.
The power and influence of the mass media grows daily, crucially affecting the way all of us see and understand each other. The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media introduces readers to the political economy of the major mediafilm, television, radio, recording, publishing and the Internet. Peter Steven looks at the ever greater concentration of ownership and at the convergence of technologies and media functions. At the same time, he emphasizes the diversity of local media production and media around the world. The media is more than the economics of ownership and the technology of production, he stresses; it is also audiences, in all their annoying and wonderful diversity.
