Tuesday, May 15, 2007

With reference to here (:

This article states that Bird flu may only be a small thing part of something much more massive than the already dangerous H5N1 virus. Experts in Mali cited global warming and increased travel and trade as factors improving the dangerous microbes' breeding and spreading.

Francois Le Gall, the World Bank's leading livestock specialist for Africa, mentioned that there was a new disease appearing almost every year, 75 percent of these from animals, and 80 percent with zoonotic potential. Diseases the are zoonotic are animal diseases that humans also can catch. Microbes now are also able to cross the world in a few hours, spreading their germs everywhere. This, I believe could have stemmed from the world being 'hooked on speed'.

The article also mentions that 'globalisation...it's a good thing, but it brings with it new risks. We have to be prepared.'
But how do we be prepared?
Do we just simply wash our hands with Dettol before and after every meal? Do we spray insecticide everytime we go out? Do we stuff a fly swatter down the back pocket of our jeans? Do we stay away from bird meat?

I suggest we don't just do anything we can to keep only ourselves safe. The 10-minute mozzie wipeout may only be known to people in Singapore; are others worldwide doing the same to help prevent dengue? If not, how can we help it when dengue spreads to our own country?
As for bird flu, the countries where the Avian influenza first begins should already be on their guard, watching pigs, chickens, animals overall for any sign of the flu.
As such, when symptoms are spotted, neigbouring countries can be informed and warned, and the number of casualties from this flu will decrease.

Labels: Eadelin Chantelle Y Dizon

Siddy goes global
@ 11:17 PM

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With references to here (:

The Medical Journal of Australia states that Globalisation is most accurately defined in terms of 3 changes: spatial, temporal and cognitive changes.

According to the MJA, spatial change affects how we view and experience physical or territorial space. Over time, national borders have come to be rendered irrelevant, as drug-trafficking, cigarette smuggling and global climate change begin to challenge the capacity of governments to effectively regulate them. In terms of health, spatial change leads to a rise in the number of migrants throughout the world. It would be overly simplistic and inaccurate to describe globalisation as either “good” or “bad” for health. In nations with high income, the debate surrounding globalisation and health tends to focus on the perceived threat, from low- and middle-income countries, of acquiring certain acute and epidemic infections, such as AIDS and SARS. They also fear the potential financial burden of unhealthy populations migrating from the developing world. High-income countries may also export to other parts of the world products like tobacco and fast food, indirectly affecting foreign direct investment and debt burdens.

Temporal change affects how we perceive and experience time. Social interaction is speeding up through modern communication and transportation technologies. We are hooked on speed, wanting to do everything quickly. However, our lives are slowed down by modern complexities. It affects the spread of disease. The speed of modern transportation systems means that infections can potentially move around the world within a few hours (take the SARS outbreak in 2002–03 for example). However, also due to the increase in speed, modern technology potentially enables us to respond more quickly to such emergencies. Some leaders of the global healthy community are the World Health Organization (WHO) who, according the website, is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Cognitive change is influencing how we see ourselves and the world around us. The main changes here occur in the mass media, the advertising industry, consultancy firms, research institutions, political parties, religious groups and other institutions seeking to win people's “hearts and minds”. In the process, our cultures, wants and needs, and other aspirations are being changed. The MJA states that cognitive changes have facilitated the global spread of “lifestyle” diseases (for example, obesity) in certain populations within low- and middle-income countries. The spread of health sector reform can also be seen as a form of cognitive globalisation in terms of transferring policies about health service provision and financing across the world.

One has to understand that the impacts of Globalisation on health can be both positive and negative, depending on the factors, some of which are geographical location, sex, age, ethnic origin, education and consequently socioeconomic status.
I propose that in order to maximize Globalisation and put it to use in the best way possible, scientists and researches keep up the good work with the research on vaccines and possible cures for diseases which can spread worldwide, so as to avoid further catastrophe, like the SARS outbreak 4-5 years ago.

Labels: Eadelin Chantelle Y Dizon

Siddy goes global
@ 10:48 PM

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Now I am going to talk about something related to my previous post, the globalizing standard of beauty. Vogue, the fashion equivalent to the holy bible is an example which shows the globalizing standard of beauty. Vogue began as an American magazine, but now, there are different editions of Vogue published around the world including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Vogue is featured in many countries but the models do not appear only in their country’s edition of Vogue but also the other international versions! Vogue not only brings fashion together but also the many different standards of beauty together.


The covers of some international editions of Vogue



Modeling itself has also become increasingly globalize. In the past the industry will only have a single token colored model in runway shows, editorials or its advertising campaigns but now it is breaking away from tokenism and more and more ethnic models are making it big! Out of the current group of ‘IT’ girls, a hand few of them are Asian, like Chinese Du Juan and Pei Bei; Koreans Hye Park, Han Hye Jin and Daul Kim; Japanese, An Watanabe; and Russian Eugena Manchieva. There has also been an increasing group of ethnically diverse models like Korean/African-American teen queen, Chanel Iman who was featured in the US Vogue May 2007 cover, The World’s Next Top Model which also featured clothes from Gap’s Designs Edition (as mentioned above) and the racially ambiguous Bruna Tenorio. Modeling allows one to see not only the beauty of one’s on culture but also introduces one to another standard of beauty.



Hye Park, Hye Jin and Du Juan at the SS07 Dolce and Gabbana fashion show.

Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas!

Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert

Siddy goes global
@ 8:49 PM

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Today I am going to talk about the globalization of Fashion. Fashion is universal and transcends not only the different regions but also the different eras. Fashion which was once predominantly French and European has now globalized into an international affair. One example to illustrate my point would be how there are fashion weeks not only in European countries any more. Right now, there are fashion weeks in South Africa, Brazil, China, India and also our very own Singapore! By having more fashion weeks around, it is not only encouraging more emerging designers from their respective countries to step out and show their collection but also bringing the collections from the more prestigious fashion capitals to the locals!

Gap, an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California and founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris Fisher, is also putting in its best effort to globalize fashion. Gap has recently came to Singapore with stores in Vivo City and Wisma Atrium. As of October 2006, Gap Inc. had approximately 150,000 employees and operated 3,139 stores worldwide not only in the United States, but also Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and United Kingdom. Gap has also recently enlisted 2006 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners Doo-Ri Chung of Doo.Ri, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Thakoon’s Thakoon Panichgul to design a limited-edition collection of specially designed pieces that will be sold at Gap stores. Out of the 4 designers, 2 of them are Asian and this proves my point on how fashion is globalizing and giving more people from different cultures equal opportunities to experiment.

http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/Scene/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=420461&itype=8488



The designers in the ad campaign with their models, Doo-Ri Chung of Doo.Ri, Thakoon’s Thakoon Panichgul, and Rodarte sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy.

Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas!

Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert

Siddy goes global
@ 8:27 PM

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The poor as sacrifices for globalization?
Vivian Choy, Economic Expert


Cartoon from Cartoonstock

This cartoon very accurately depicts the exploitation of the poor, who have to make way for globalization. In this case I will use agribusiness and subsistence farming as an example of this. Firstly, we need to know that because of neo-liberalism, major trans-national businesses can move their businesses around the world to anywhere that they want to go. For example, if they are producing goods, they can move their production to countries with low labour costs, and the workers that are retrenched in the process are disregarded, neglected and sacrificed for economic benefit. As it is written in this article, this has enhanced the interests of shareholders [those who benefit from profits] and reduced the significance of stakeholders [other people who are affected by the activities of the companies, such as workers and local communities].

While agribusiness is more beneficial and effective to the country and it is more profitable as compared to subsistence farming, many a times people forget about the farmers that are chased out and simply remember only the boosting of the country’s economy. Poverty in poor areas, for example in Philippines, is made worse when agribusiness corporations exploit the poor by dominating markets, buying up seed firms, controlling the costs of farmers’ inputs and outputs, and forcing down the prices of food, causing farmers to either only be able to buy less seeds or paying more for them. The poor farmers’ low profits are not enough to support their families, and because of the high loan interest, they are unable to pay off their debts, leading to consequences such as loss of livelihood and unemployment.

However, agribusiness, being a large-scale capital-intensive farming, improves the country’s economy. With farms run by commercial farmers as business, revenue is increased through the sale of outputs. Food is produced by advanced technological means for sale in the market. Farmers make use of technological advances, such as the tractor, to help them in farming, allowing them to work less but still produce more food as compared to subsistence farming, thus improving their working conditions and health in general.

In conclusion, while there are disadvantages of agribusiness, it is a better choice as compared to subsistence farming. Similarly, globalization does have its cons, but it is almost inevitable because it is not easy to live without globalization. Besides North Korea, the only country in such extreme isolation, globalization has reached most parts of the world and globalization would eventually spread to all nations in one way or another, because it is unavoidable if a country wants to progress and grow not just economically but also as a whole.

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea

Siddy goes global
@ 8:29 AM

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Include everyone in globalization!
Vivian Choy, Economic Expert


Cartoon from Cartoonstock

This cartoon shows a man of just skin and bones being chained to the globe and he looks like he is being stretched. This is the cartoonist’s portrayal of globalization, whereby he represents the poor that is being exploited and bound to globalization, and it is not of his own free will but rather he is forced to be part of the globalization process. Globalization has led to the people living in poverty being even more marginalized from the rest of the world instead of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor. Not only has the poverty rate been increased, globalization has also resulted in a reduction of wages in some cases, access to health and education is reduced as well, and while you will expect this to be happening in poor countries like Africa, this has surfaced in Western Europe and North America. Globalization has benefited the world in general, but the problem is that not everyone is actually taken care of in this aspect and the people who are neglected simply do not have a say in anything that goes on. As the world continues to globalize, the situation of the poor deteriorates just like how the skinny man in the cartoon is continually stretched, and there is nothing much that they can do other than wait for help from organizations such as World Bank. The people living in poverty are overlooked and ignored while the quest for globalization continues. I feel that more has to be done to help the poor keep up with the rapidly-globalizing world and they need to be included in the globalization of the world so that there will not be such a distinct line between the rich and the poor and that it will really benefit every person, and not just a part of the population.

Siddy goes global
@ 7:58 AM

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Globalization: Good or bad?
Vivian Choy, Economic Expert

Article: http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/FreeTrade/Criticisms.asp


A closed market system, also known as command or planned economy, is a government-controlled economy. The government decides the prices and allocates the resources, and this is done all in the name of social and economic equality in society and is based on the belief of creating an equal and just society. As I have mentioned in my previous post - Neo-liberalism rejects any concept of social responsibility and any restraint on the global forces is regarded as a restriction of human rights, and this means that there is free movement of finance and capital - thus a free market system is employed in globalization. With the transition from closed market systems to free market systems, the costs of goods are raised and this is where people who simply cannot afford them fall behind and get left behind. A free market system may result in an unequal distribution of wealth, and it would mean that the economy would be dominated by large films that drive the smaller ones out, leading to an increase in the unemployment rate.

On the other hand, because there is no government involvement or state control on taxes, subsidies and regulations, and the prices depend solely on the demand and supply of the goods, a free market system can be beneficial as well. In a free-market system, businesses are privately owned and there is little or no government interference on supply and demand, and all economic decisions are made by individuals. Demand and supply determines the prices of goods. People are given the freedom of choice and they are given the chance to pursue their own dreams and interests, and in the process improve society. Free market systems have been successfully implemented in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, which are among the countries with the highest per capita gross domestic products. The success of the free market system in Singapore can be seen through the 7.7% economic growth for 2006.

From this, we can conclude that while there is a downside to the free market system, the pros outweigh the cons of it. While some people refuse to admit that globalization has played a major role in the world’s progress and are against it, truth is that globalization definitely has improved the world’s economy, and it is globalization that has made it so competitive.

Siddy goes global
@ 6:56 AM

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Globalization and Neo-liberalism
Vivian Choy, Economic Expert

The globalization of trade, which is the rapid expansion of world trade, has been vital in building a nation’s stability as a society and in the world. Neo-liberalism rejects any concept of social responsibility and any restraint on the global forces is regarded as a restriction of human rights, and this means that there is free movement of finance and capital. Trans-national companies are free to move their businesses around the world to wherever they want to such that they can benefit best. Neo-liberalism has been a major part of the international economic policy and it has made an impact on millions of people in the world, but even so, it has also affected the lives of the less fortunate in an adverse way, notably the people living in poverty.

Globalization has led to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor, making the rich very rich but the poor very poor, thus there is an increase in the number of people in poverty. This is where the World Bank steps in to ensure that there are social welfare programmes in these less economically developed countries such that through economic assistance, poorer countries in economic crisis will still be able to stay afloat. However, this may not eradicate the problem entirely, and people may be forced to migrate in search of a better life.

Structural adjustment programmes are recommended by international economic organizations seeking to promote economic development and to support nations in economic crisis. There has been varying results. In countries Chile and Mozambique, for example, the gap between the rich and the poor has increased even though the economy has been growing, and so the situation has not improved much. In Zimbabwe and Kenya, the poor has only been made even poorer due to the countries’ economic structures.

So has globalization improved our lives? For most of us, the answer is yes. We live in a world that is so globalized that practically everything around us is a result of globalization. However, for the people who have been left out while the rest of the world is advancing so rapidly, globalization has, in actual fact, ruined their lives, because they have become even poorer than they were, and have been used as “sacrifices” for the progress of the more economically developed countries.

Resource: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38000222.html

Siddy goes global
@ 3:25 AM

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Monday, May 14, 2007

What is globalisation ?
(Vivian Choy, Economic Expert)

In the economical aspect, globalisation is the process whereby the world community integrates as a common economic system. First and foremost, the economy makes up the most part of globalisation, and as mentioned in the article, ‘the first phase of globalisation is to integrate economically most of the populations of the world’. World trade is a means of globalisation and through globalisation, jobs and business opportunities are spread all over the world, increasing the level of competition and so people who want to remain competitive in their respective sectors will have to go for courses to continually improve themselves, thus upping the standards of the working people, who will produce better work and this is beneficial to the world in not just the economic aspect.

In the first phase of globalisation, a global market is created and a market equilibrium is obtained. While countries with weak currencies make imported goods unaffordable, foreign investments and the setting up of businesses will make these less economically developed countries more competitive. Globalisation can increase the level of exportation and with this imports can also be increased, thus the economy will also be boosted. However, one drawback of this is that if the bath follows up the movement of stronger currencies, it will become less competitive against the other currencies and this will reduce foreign investment but increase imports, and during a crisis when the bath moves down, imports are increased with higher prices, thus the demand is reduced because people cannot afford them, and this will lead to the closing down of more local businesses.

One way in which currency volatility can be prevented is through the possibility of multi non convertible currency for less economically developed countries, because multi currency economy will isolate the non-competitive part of the economy, and the country will not be able to progress as a whole nation. Multi currency would be a rational protection against the crisis of economical globalisation.

Siddy goes global
@ 2:33 PM

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Now I am going to talk about globalization and something so irresistible to everyone, Fast Food. Fast food culture is seen as a unique product of American Culture. The fast food industry is one which wields great economic and political power, changing not only the American Diet but also their landscape, economy, work force and even pop culture.

Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert

Siddy goes global
@ 6:24 AM

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The next thing I am going to talk about is Disney. The Walt Disney Company is a growing phenomenon, ever popular with children and adults alike, it is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. Founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as a small animation studio, it became one of the largest Hollywood studios and owner of eleven theme parks and several television networks.

Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert

Siddy goes global
@ 6:07 AM

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Okay so my very first post for my SS blog came weeks late due to my many commitments to my PDP (SYF and Concert) and also SNYTO (concert) but oh wells! I’m going to do it all today. The first thing I’m going to talk about is Music and it’s relationship with Globalization. Why music you may ask? I am a great music enthusiast, listening to music of all genres (I dig Bhangrah pop, Hip Hop, Classical, Pop among other things), I play music (my bad singing is not contained to the bathroom only and I also play the Trombone in the college’s Symphonic Band which very recently clinched a Gold in the biennial Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging!) and most importantly, the annual Eurovision Song Contest has just concluded with Serbian singer, Marija Serifovic victorious!


Serifovic, 23, singing her heart out

Read More Here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6650599.stm


The official Logo introduced in 2004 for a consistent visual identity. The host country's flag appears in the heart.

So what exactly is the Eurovision Song Contest and how does it affect the world and globalization? The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition which started in 1956, held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Participating countries each submit a song to be performed on live television; then cast votes for the other countries' songs, to find the most popular song in the competition.

It is one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world, with drawing huge audience figures of 100 million and 600 million internationally over the past few years. It has been broadcasted not just in Europe but to non participating countries such as Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States! It is so popular that it has also been broadcasted online since 2000! The Contest is historically known for being mainly a bastion of formulaic, orchestrated pop music. However it has featured a vast, diverse array of songs, including such musical genres as Arab, Balkan, Celtic music, Dance, Folk, Israeli, Greek, Latin, Nordic, Pop-rap, Rock, and Turkish.

Some of the prominent winners from the show are legendary Swedish band from the Seventies, ABBA who won in 1972 with the song Waterloo, singing sensation and musical diva, Céline Dion, who won for Switzerland in 1988 with the song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

Two of the competition's greatest Alumnis, Celine Dion and ABBA

So how does this contest affect globalisation? This contest reaches out to a huge audience and also helps to bring the people from the European, who were shaken after the two world wars, together and celebrate in one festive occation! By having to vote for other countries it also allows the european nations to take greater note of their neighbouring countries and also encourage foreign talent! Music unifies the heart and soul and the Eurovision Song Contest is a great medium to get introduced to different artistes from different regions with different genres. Music also allows one to get a glimpse of an understand the lives of people from a different country, this will help the members of Europe to understand each better and also compete in friendly competition as compared to one of ammunation and weaponry. So long live music and the wonders it does for us and the world!

Your Cultural Expert, Nicholas Chua!

Labels: Nicholas Chua - Culture Expert

Siddy goes global
@ 1:49 AM

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Sunday, May 6, 2007

In the US there is a huge debate over access to abortion. Through years of dedicated struggle the left won the legal right to abortion. The simple existence of the RU-486 abortion pill is shifting the terrain of the conflict. Australia's Senate has voted to take control of the controversial abortion pill. The current system bans the RU486 pill in Australia. In Europe, despite pressure from the church, the manufacturer of the abortion pill says he will not be deterred.

This shows that even without the abortion pill being legal or being heavily criticized, the drug war makes it clear that if there is a demand, the legal system is unable to stop its wide spread use of any drug. The combination of technological feasibility and sufficient social demand can clearly trump traditional legal and judicial systems. With the rate of technological change growing faster we will increasingly see this dynamic play out.

With globalization we are facing a partial shift of sovereignty from the political system to sovereignty of the technological system. Technology has become so powerful today and is constantly adapting and improving. We need to harness technology and not let it overcome us. Man created Machine, we must always remember that.

Done by: zuo qi (technology expert)

http://anarchogeek.com/archives/000001.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1132127.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4696374.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/239874.stm

Siddy goes global
@ 7:00 AM

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Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people, or oneself. In the author’s opinion, globalization is the process by which the fundamental basis of society has shifted from that of industrial production to that informational production. I agree with him. Technology has grown to hold huge power over the functioning of society. It has even come to take on a quality of a legal and judicial system.

A well-known example of this is the conflict between the legal conception of copyright and property and file sharing systems. The UK music industry has punished 23 people for using the internet to share music, fining them a total of £50,000. They were fined for putting up to 9,000 tracks on their computers and then letting other people download them. However, there are still millions who will never be punished for illegal file sharing.

In the past the struggle for liberation was over who controls the legal system, which was often determined by who had the potential to exert actual force. Today, technology often render the legal system obsolete.

Done by: zuo qi (technology expert)

http://anarchogeek.com/archives/000001.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4320000/newsid_4321500/4321511.stm

Siddy goes global
@ 6:57 AM

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About Us

Siddy Goes Global!

Welcome to our blog :)

We are a group of students from Temasek Academy, 2E/06, and as experts of the various aspects of globalization, we hope you will learn more about globalization through our posts.

Zuoqi - Technological Expert

Vivian - Economic Expert

Eadelin - Environmental and Health Expert

Nicholas - Cultural Expert

Siddharth - Political Expert

Feel free to look around!

Constructive comments are appreciated (:


Links
A Global Affair