3. Regional integration

Asia -90-s Asia-Pacific Economic Council ( countries of ASEAN, China, Canada, Australia, USA, Japan, South Korea, Russia)

Africa- regional cooperation : East - African 1993, West- Africanf 1995), East and South Africa (1997)

Latin America 1) South- American Common Market

2) NAFTA- integration with the USA, Canada

4. Globalization as a process

*Globalization

Main directions of globalization.

*Globalization of economy-

Transnational companies possess 30% of the world productive funds, control 90% of export capital.

** Globalization in political systems

***Integration of cultures

5. Impact and consequences of globalization

1) World economy becomes more dynamic: finance, goods, technologies, investments move free;

capital transfers to the leading countries and branches of economy: to places of production and markets, to new deposits of minerals and cheap labor force( Example: Asian tigers). Trade in service becomes more important (Nokia's capitalization is more than Finland GDP).

2) Uneven economic development: international business is now concentrated in USA, EC, Japan( 73% of foreign investments, 76% of world trade,88% of patents, 90% of Internet users). Difference in income of leading countries and developing is 60-72 times.

3) Growth of global economic instability : crisis or economic fallings easily spread to other countries

4) Intensification of regional integration

5) Growth of global rivalry- redivision of spheres of influence between countries and TNC.

6) Expansion of western values, culture, way of life.

In 2000 188 countries at UN General Assembly Session officially called globalization as new world ideology with priority of these values: freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, nature respect and mutual responsibility of states.

Davos and other meetings of World Economic Forum try to discuss problems of globalization challenge. " The Big 8" in 2001 decided to refuse from underdeveloped countries' debts (54 billion dollars). Opposition and antiglobalists accuse the participants of the World Economic Forum in total Western leadership: its population (Golden Billion) absorb more than 80% of the world income.

Antiglobalism

The beginning of antiglobalists’ movement was in he 70-s when " Green Peace" movement involved 2 mln people from 15 countries. In 1984 they formed " Rainbow fraction " in Europarliament. Anarchists, neomarxists, trotskists, maoists joined the movement. In 2000 at

" Forum of Millennium" in New York representatives of more than 100 countries adopted he antiglobalists' program. Goals and aims of this movement are traditional: justice, solidarity, democracy, civil rights, healthy environment, cultural diversity, globalization in the interests of people.

Questions for test

a. Stages of European integration

b. Consequences of integration

c. Examples of regional integration

d. Directions of globalization

One of the value of the era of globalization is tolerance. Tolerance is:

A) type of a political regime

B) totalitarian regime

C) trade unionism

D) respect of other cultures and traditions

Contemporary “ Big Eight” countries are:

A) the most economically developed countries

B) countries that possess atomic weapon

C) European Union

One of the value of the new era of globalization is:

A) democracy

B) opposition

C) confrontation

D) conservatism

Directions of globalization:

A) only economy

B) only culture

C) economy and politics

D) all spheres of life

The Rome treaty ( Common Market) was signed in:

A) 1957

B) 1967

C) 1947

D) 1989

Plan of Shuman had the idea of

A) European union of coal and steel

B) military bloc

C) occupation of Germany

D) world integration

Reference

Новая и новейшая история стран Европы и Америки, т 3

Postsocialism, p.311-315

- 1 -