November 4-9, 2009

Globalization: The Future of Asia
Young Liberals Debate Globalization amidst the Global Economic Crisis

The Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA) met for their annual conference in Kathmandu, Nepal from 4 – 9 November 2009. The global financial and economic crisis had produced a serious challenge to Liberals. Was this a crisis of capitalism and globalization, as the Left gleefully asserts, or rather a severe, but fundamentally normal, event in the unpredictable process of human economic interaction and development? Some 30 participants from 11 countries spent three days grappling with these issues.

To answer this, the conference looked at the historical evolution of globalization, assessing it as a process that is exceedingly complex. It is fundamentally driven by human ingenuity and inventiveness, but at the same time it is influenced and shaped by politics. It can also indeed be derailed by politics. Thus, the challenge is to give it a shape that will protect its open character and maximize its benefits.

The danger of growing protectionism in the wake of the global crisis should not be taken lightly. The role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was discussed at length; on the one hand, it offers small countries a better chance of protecting their interests than bilateral treaties that are again coming into vogue. On the other hand, the WTO negotiation process is viewed by many as vague and undemocratic.

Participants then discussed the pros and cons of globalization, looking at common criticisms and assessing their validity. One key insight was the increased uncertainty that technological and economic change have brought to the world. The sum total of human knowledge increases at such a rapid exponential rate that human lives have changed so much in the space of few generations. Many often become overwhelmed by this. This feeling of helplessness and the fear it induces is probably the deepest reason for globalization skepticism.

The conference also looked at the arguments that globalization could lead to increased conflicts — the famous clash of civilizations argument. The worries about undesirable cultural change were discussed as well. Cultures and civilizations have today much more contact with each other. While this might make the world look like a global village sometimes, it also produces more opportunities for cultures to annoy each other. Most cultures are also similarly prone to violence. But the danger of it erupting seems especially acute if there is a large amount of frustration and discontent brewing within a culture. However, democratization and globalization do offer hope as well. Full-fledged democracies have rarely, if ever, fought each other. Economic benefits of cooperation also certainly seem to have a positive influence on the China-US relationship.

The conference concluded with the drafting of a joint declaration that emphasized the overall positive contribution of globalization and the commitment of the participants to work for a more open and cooperative world as the best chance to realize the core liberal value of freedom in human dignity.