INTRODUCTION

Globalization has come to be a principal characteristic feature of the new millennium and it
has become an inescapable reality in today's society. No community and society can remain
isolated from the forces of globalization. The cyber society has come with a bang. The
computer culture is spreading rapidly. Even in a poor country, coca-cola, cars, cosmetics and
clothes seen in the cities and towns hide the reality of poverty and suffering of the people. We
have almost reached a point to believe that "We cannot reverse the trend; we can only go
forward!" We need to ask: What is the role and priorities of theological education in this fast
changing situation.
Globalization is a new contemporary stage of development of capitalism over the world. It is
a process of social change in which geographical and cultural barriers are reduced. This break
down of barriers is the result of transportation, communication and electronic
communication. It also involves a process by which economies of different countries are
oriented to a global market and are controlled by multinational and global financial
institutions. It is not merely an economic process, it is also a cultural process. It creates, by
the help of media, a mono-culture - a culture of rich and powerful. It is no longer a theoretical
concept; it is a glaring reality, impinging upon almost every aspect of human existence economic, political, environmental, and cultural and the like.
Globalization can be described as
A widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects
of contemporary social life, from the cultural to the criminal, the financial to the
spiritual.
Globalization in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional things or
phenomena into global ones. It can also be used to describe a process by which the people of
the world are unified into a single society and function together. This process is a
combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural and political forces.
Globalization is often used to refer to economic globalization, that is, integration of national
economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital
flows, migration, and the spread of technology.
Tom G. Palmer of Cato Institute defines "globalization" as

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"the diminution or elimination of state-enforced restrictions on exchanges across

borders and the increasingly integrated and complex global system of production and
exchange that has emerged as a result."

Noam Chomsky argues that the word globalization is also used, in a doctrinal sense, to
describe the neoliberal form of economic globalization.
Herman E. Daly argues that sometimes the terms internationalization and globalization are
used interchangeably but there is a slight formal difference. The term "internationalization"
refers to the importance of international trade, relations, treaties etc. International means
between or among nations. "Globalization" means erasure of national boundaries for
economic purposes; international trade (governed by comparative advantage) becomes
inter-regional trade (governed by absolute advantage).

GLOBALISATION OF ECONOMY
Advances in communication and transportation technology, combined with free-market
ideology, have given goods, services, and capital unprecedented mobility. Rich countries
want to open world markets to their goods and take advantage of abundant, cheap labor in the
Poor countries, policies often supported by elites in Poor countries. They use international
financial institutions and regional trade agreements to compel poor countries to "integrate" by
reducing tariffs, privatizing state enterprises, and relaxing environmental and labor standards.
The results have enlarged profits for investors but offered pittances to laborers, provoking a
strong backlash from civil society.

International Trade and Development

Trade Agreements, such as the FTAA, NAFTA, and CAFTA facilitate international
trade, thereby strongly impacting people at all levels of the economy. They make trade
"free" for Northern exports, without prohibiting the rich countries' protectionist
measures that harm Southern competitors. Such agreements tend to slow development
in poor countries and pull them deeper into poverty.

Trade Agreements
Trade Agreements, such as the FTAA, NAFTA, and CAFTA facilitate international
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trade, thereby strongly impacting people at all levels of the economy. Rich countries
often manage to prioritize their own interests in such agreements, which tend to harm
development of poor countries.

Multilateral Agreement on Investment and Related Initiatives

In May 1995, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development
committed itself to the immediate start of negotiations aimed at reaching a
Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI).

Transnational Corporations
Transnational corporations have become some of the largest economic entities in the
world, surpassing many states. Their continuous push for liberalization has driven
globalization while challenging environmental, health, and labor standards in many
countries.

Foreign Direct Investment

Transnational corporations and private individuals invest more money abroad than
ever before; foreign direct investment has increased tenfold over the last 20 years.
While many poor countries see foreign capital as a tool for growth, it has often
increased instability and inequality as well.

World Trade Organization

This intergovernmental organization sets and enforces the rules of international trade.
It has become a target of civil society's criticism over its opaque, undemocratic
operating procedures and neo-liberal ideology.
World Bank
The World Bank's mission is to erradicate poverty by loaning poor countries money
for economic development, but these loans often come with demands of economic
liberalization.

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 International Monetary Fund

The IMF was orginally envisoned as a "lender of last resort" for countries
experiencing economic crises. Now, however, the IMF conditions assistance on neoliberal reforms that exacerbate poverty.

GLOBALISATION AND DEMOCRACY

Many people now believe that the advance of globalization is inevitable. Arthur Schlesinger,
Jr. has gone so far as to exclaim,
"Globalization is in the saddle and rides mankind."
Those who view globalization negatively argue that it has political and economic
ramifications which will prove detrimental to democracy. Whereas the Industrial Revolution
created more jobs than it destroyed, the Technological Revolution threatens to destroy more
jobs than it creates. Further, it will erect new and rigid class barriers between the welleducated and the ill-educated.
Those who take a pessimistic view of globalization also argue that it is responsible for a
withdrawal from modernity, the resurgence of identity politics and a retreat from democracy.
They allege that when people believe that powerful forces, such as globalization, are beyond
their comprehension and/or control, they retreat into familiar, comprehensible, and protective
units.
Globalism does have its defenders and they tend to see its potential for strengthening and
extending democracy. Walter Wriston, former Chief Executive Officer of Citicorp and
Chairman of the Economic Policy Advisory Board in the Reagan administration, is among
them. He believes that we are living in the midst of the third great revolution in human
history, the Information Revolution. Like the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions which
preceded it, this revolution was sparked by changes in technology. With the invention of
computers and advances in telecommunications, time and distance have been obliterated.
However, "instead of validating Orwell's vision of Big Brother watching the citizen, the third
revolution enables the citizen to watch Big Brother. And so the virus of freedom, for which
there is no antidote, is spread by electronic networks to the four corners of the Earth."
William Meyer of the University of Delaware HAS concluded that
The technologies of communication and transportation that have made economic
globalization possible also make it possible for the human rights ethos to spread and
take root in all sectors of global civil society. Universal human rights represent nothing
less than the ethical dimension of the emerging global culture."
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ADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION
Globalization is the process by which different societies, cultures, and regional
economies integrate through a worldwide network of political ideas through transportation,
communication, and trade. Generally, globalization has affected many nations in various
ways; economically, politically, and socially. It is a term that refers to the fast integration and
interdependence of various nations, which shapes the world affairs on a global level. The
positive impacts are the multinational companies' research into technology that is ecofriendly and an increase in environmental awareness.

A major impact of globalization on the environment is that, there is an improvement on the

use of resources and the awareness of environment degradation. Due to issues dealing with
globalization, a lot of research is being carried out on progressing greener technology, which
will replace current ones that harm the environment. Globalization has also helped in the
improvement of resources to save the environment by the promotion of growth through
improvement of incomes and education. For example, the World Bank aided Mexico in
reducing unhealthy ozone days during the 1990s. Moreover, multinational companies are on
the forefront creating technologies that will reduce their adverse effects on the environment.
For example, hybrid cars are being developed that will economize fuel, as well as, lower
gaseous emissions to the environment. Apple is also aim at manufacturing products that are
eco-friendly.
The idea that education is a public service has to be abandoned. It has been replaced with the
idea that education is at the service of economies; that is as a personal investment.
International organizations have increasingly become involved with the educational sector.
Recently, the World Trade Organizations and the World Bank have proposed the privatization
of this sector. These policies aim at adapting the contents of education globally to the needs
of employment.
Other advantages of globalisation can be summarized as
1. Increased free trade between the nations.
2. Global mass media ties the world together.
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3. Reduction of cultural barriers increases the global village effect.

4. Greater interdependence of nation-states.
5. Spread of democratic ideals to developed nations.
6. Increase in environment protection in developed nations.

DISADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION
Globalization has had diverse implications for environmental issues such as, pollution,
deforestation, water resources climate change, and biodiversity loss. The rampant
environmental problems have become the subject of international efforts because the effects
are felt globally. The negative impacts of globalization focus on the destruction on the
environment that is export-oriented.

Unfortunately, the negative impacts of globalization have outweighed the positive

effects. On a global level, natural resources are being overused. This is because there has
been a rise in demand and ecosystem removal, as a result of population growth. The need for
disposable products has caused logging to be on the increase, which result into extensive
deforestation. About half of the indigenous forests that covered the earth in the past have been
depleted. Deforestation is on the increase year by year. Moreover, over-fishing is also
becoming a global problem. A study by the United Nations reveals that commercial species of
fish have been over-exploited.
Globalization has also affected negatively the environment through global warming.
This is as a result of greenhouse gas emissions caused by rapid industrialization in the
developing world, and a heavy dependence on fossil fuels. The average global temperatures
have increased tremendously over the past years. In addition, the transport sector and gases
from factories have immensely contributed to global warming.
There has been linkage between environmental decay, trade and support, government, and
globalization. Activities that are required for industry and trade use a lot of energy resources.
The misuse of these resources causes air pollution, acid rain or global warming.
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Other disadvantages of globalisation may be summarised as :

1. Threat that control of world media by a handful of corporations will limit cultural
expression.
2. Spread of a materialistic lifestyle and attitude that sees consumption as the path to
prosperity.
3. International bodies like World Trade Organization infringe on national and
individual sovereignty.
4. Increase in chances of civil war within developing countries and open war between
developing countries as they fight for resources.
5. Decrease in environmental integrity as polluting corporations take advantage of weak
regulatory rules in developing countries.

CAN GLOBALISATION BE CONTROLLED ?

The issue of controlling or regulating globalization concerns elite officials of states and
intergovernmental organizations as well as opponents of neo-liberalism in pursuit of global
justice. They often share a sense that the current thrust of globalization may be irreversible
and out of anyone's control. They have several good reasons to think so:

one of globalization's driving forces, technological innovation, is inherently

unpredictable

globalization results from the interplay of many parties (economic and political), none
of which exerts dominant influence

old regulatory agencies devised by states cannot control processes that exceed their
territorial authority

apart from minimal rules of competition itself, the world lacks a single set of rules
that serves to regulate transnational behavior

This concern has given rise to a now-fashionable interest in "global governance," or the
design of institutions that authoritatively manage and regulate actions, processes, and
problems of global scope or effect. While some believe such governance is desirable but
lacking, others think it is in fact emerging in the work of various international organizations
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and groups active in civil society. Though advocates of global governance portray it as
enhancing democracy, defenders of traditional democratic values and state interests have
questioned such claims.

EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION
Globalization has various aspects which affect the world in several different ways such as:
Industrial (alias trans nationalization) - emergence of worldwide production
markets and broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and
companies.

Financial - emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external

financing for corporate, national and sub-national borrowers.
Economic - realization of a global common market, based on the freedom of
exchange of goods and capital.
Political - political globalization is the creation of a world government which
regulates the relationships among nations and guarantees the rights arising from social
and economic globalization.
Informational - increase in information flows between geographically remote
locations. Arguably this is a technological change with the advent of fibre optic
communications, satellites, and increased availability of telephony and Internet.
Cultural - growth of cross-cultural contacts; advent of new categories of
consciousness and identities such as Globalism - which embodies cultural diffusion,
the desire to consume and enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology
and practices, and participate in a "world culture"; and also Transformation of
culture

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 Ecological- the advent of global environmental challenges that can not be solved
without international cooperation, such as climate change, cross-boundary water and
air pollution, over-fishing of the ocean, and the spread of invasive species. Many
factories are built in developing countries where they can pollute freely. Globalism
and free trade interplay to increase pollution and accelerate it in the name of an ever
expanding capitalist growth economy in a non-expanding world. The detriment is
again to the poorer nations while the benefit is allocated to the wealthier nations.
Social - increased circulation by people of all nations with fewer restrictions.
Provided that the people of those nations are wealthy enough to afford international
travel, which the majority of the world's population is not. An illusory 'benefit'
recognized by the elite and wealthy, and increasingly so as fuel and transport costs
rise.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON INDIA

India opened up the economy in the early nineties following a major crisis that led by a
foreign exchange crunch that dragged the economy close to defaulting on loans. The response
was a slew of Domestic and external sector policy measures partly prompted by the
immediate needs and partly by the demand of the multilateral organisations. The new policy
regime radically pushed forward in favour of a more open and market oriented economy.
Major measures initiated as a part of the liberalisation and globalisation strategy in the early
nineties included scrapping of the industrial licensing regime, reduction in the number of
areas reserved for the public sector, amendment of the monopolies and the restrictive trade
practices act, start of the privatisation programme, reduction in tariff rates and change over to
market determined exchange rates.
Over the years there has been a steady liberalisation of the current account transactions, more
and more sectors opened up for foreign direct investments and portfolio investments
facilitating entry of foreign investors in telecom, roads, ports, airports, insurance and other
major sectors.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON INDIAN

WOMEN

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Globalization has had negative implications for Indian women. Their plights are similar to
those of women in other developing regions such as Africa and Asia. Globalization has made
many international corporations richer by the billions. However, what most people are not
aware of is that women in these developing countries are suffering enormously due to this
expansion of corporate empires.
According to estimates from World Development Indicators,
Women work two-thirds of the worlds working hours, produce half of the worlds
food, but earn only ten percent of the worlds income, and own less than one percent of
the worlds property.
According to Merlin A. Taber and Sushma Batra, editors of the book Social Strains of
Globalization in India, development for poor women has meant the migration of men to
cities, higher prices for commodities, poorer job opportunities.
The mixture of corporate capitalism and Western culture models is dissolving family
and community social controls as witnessed by higher rates of family violence, rape,
divorce, and family breakdown.

CONCLUSION
Developments are made for the people and it should be change to meet the aims and
aspiration of the changing society. Ultimately, the aim should be to evolve a consensual and
conceptual model effectively handling the evils without sacrificing human rights. Rightly
said,
Globalisation is nothing more than the product of the multinational corporations
search for profit.
Globalization is a serious issue that affects many nations. Researchers should analyze these
impacts carefully so as to prevent the negative impacts. It is essential to note that the force
behind globalization cannot be stopped. It is therefore essential that all nations create forms
of globalization that are environmentally and socially sustainable. These forms should be
more beneficial to all humanity and reduce costs. Indirect impacts of globalization on health
operate through the national economy, for example, effects of trade liberalization, and the
financial flows on resources for health expenditures. Direct affecting of globalization on
health is on health systems, as well as, policies of multilateral trade signings and agreements.
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Globalisation has lead to reduced patriotism and nationalism in our country. People dont feel
patriotic anymore and they dont feel that they owe anything to their nation. As we can see,
globalisation has had bad impacts more than good. We cannot deny the fact that globalisation
is unevitable and therefore, the time has come that we accept it and try to cope with it.

Globalisation has had its own impacts and as it is rightly said that each and everything has its
pros and cons, and so is the case with globalisation. For some, it has proved to be a boon and
for many it had served as a bane. Globalisation has had different effects on people of different
kinds, living in different situations. Thus, it is for us to decide whether we want to curse the
globalisation and lament for the loss that it has caused or accept it happily and strive towards
a better future.

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