PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — A new poll of 15,000 people in 15 countries reveals deep discontent with the current global economy.
The survey, an attempt to discover what “globalization” means to citizens around the world, was conducted by the Canadian firm Environics International between November and December 2002.
The results were announced at the annual World Social Forum, an international social-issues meeting staged as an alternative to the capital-focused World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Respondents in Canada, the United States, Qatar, Mexico, China, Nigeria, Netherlands, India, Great Britain, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Argentina, Germany and South Korea were asked how they perceive and evaluate the effects of globalization on their lives.
Most of people interviewed criticized “globalization,” and worried about the future of developing nations.
Seventy-five percent said that globalization is controlled by large corporations and is creating more social and economic inequalities; 65 percent believe that the priority of the global agenda should be social issues rather than economic growth.
Only respondents from the United States, Mexico and Qatar said that current economic methods provide opportunities for everyone.
Environics spokesman Robert Kerr said that the goals and strategies developed at the World Social Forum can address social inequities, and that informing people of the issues is a priority.
“Only with this awareness we can mobilize people for real change,” he said.