== Anti-Globalisation and the internet ==
The Anti-globalisation Movement is a movement that is difficult to define, loosely it made up of people world wide who oppose or resist the negative effects of market driven globalisation. It is sprawling, disparate and powerful. There are a number of differing opinions about when the Anti-globalisation movement was born, some believe it was the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas; the protests against the WTO in Seattle or that it has existed in many different forms in different countries since before either of these events. The Anti-globalisation movement encompasses a multitude of issues and opinions. Here in lies the power and the weakness of the movement. One of the major criticisms of the Anti-globalisatin movement is that everyone knows what they are opposed to but there is confusion over what they actually stand for. The movement is often defined by the images of black clad protestors in Seattle, Melbourne, Prague and Genoa. However the actions of the Anti-globalisatoin movement are much more than large scale protests against the WTO (the World Trade Organisation) or the IMF (International Monetary Fund), it is also responsible for promoting understanding and communication between local groups whose struggles are linked by inequality. A simplistic description of the Anti-globalisation and the forces of globalisation is that of a system that worships money versus a system that worships life.
=== The Role of the Internet ===
The internet is the major tool of communication for those involved in the Anti-globalisation movement, it has become an integral part of the activities attributed to the movement. The internet is obviously the basis of online activism, it acts as a way for groups and like-minded individuals to connect with one another, as well as being a way for organisations to be able to mobolise internationally for 'Global days of action'. More recently the internet has become a method for streaming live footage of protests around the world to foster a sense that activists - although physically distanced - are fighting for the same cause. There is an inherent contradiction in the use of the internet by those who oppose globalisation, a sense of trying to dismantle the masters house using the masters tools. The Anti-globalisation movement, like all social movements - faces many challenges and decisions to ensure it's future and relevence in the coming years.
=== Related Sites ===
Local concerns in a global context, Milkbar.com[1]
Peoples Global Action - [2]
World Social Forum - [3]
International Forum on Globalisation - [4]
=== Sources ===
Azambuja, Carlos (2004). 'The new face of the Anti-Globalisation Movement'. www.cubdest.org
Meikle, Graham (2002). 'Future Active'. Annandale:Pluto Press.
'Toronto Star on the new Anti-globalisation Movement'. www.organicconsumers.org
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Donna hancox 14:13, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
