New! An interactive version of our printed LIFE brochures, featuring a detailed global map and clickable hyperlinks that will take you to the catalog page for each program. View or download the map here.

The Life series of thirty 24-minute programs tackles the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people in countries throughout the world. In 1995, there was a meeting of the world's leaders in Copenhagen called the Social Summit. The group promised action on poverty, employment and social integration -- pledging governments to deliver greater social justice to the world's six billion inhabitants.

But in the five years since Copenhagen, the gap between the rich and the poor actually widened, while development assistance from the industrialized donor countries went into sharp decline. The global economy and technological advancement are progressing hand in hand, but a mere few are monopolizing its rewards.

The Life series takes us to India, Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and the United States to examine the problems that the global economy is continuing, if not propagating for billions of people. The films suggest that everyone on this planet has a social responsibility to everyone else, and that all should be afforded the same human rights and a share in the fruits of the new world economy.

NOTE: Six more series of LIFE programs are now available.

The titles in the original series are:

1. Life: The Story So Far - How the globalized world economy affects ordinary people.

2. Geraldo Off-Line - Globalized economy affects Brazilian factory worker.

3. From Docklands to Dhaka - English MD travels to Bangladesh to improve community health.

4. An Act of Faith: The Phelophepa Health Train - A group of health professionals tours the most deprived regions of South Africa providing care.

5. The Philadelphia Story - Globalized economy affects American jobs.

6. The Boxer - Young male looks to escape Mexican poverty by becoming a boxer in the United States.

7. The Seattle Syndrome - Were the WTO protesters right in their effort to protect workers and the environment from exploitation?

8. The Right to Choose - Women are denied human rights in Ethiopia and northern Nigeria.

9. At the End of a Gun: Women and War - The devastating effect that the civil war in Sri Lanka is having on women.

10. The Summit - The UN General Assembly meets to review progress on social justice worldwide.

11. All Different, All Equal - Examines progress in women's rights globally.

12. India Inhales - Activists combat tobacco companies that target India.

13. The Silver Age - Growing population of elderly worldwide seeks purpose and care.

14. The Cost of Living - AIDS drugs unaffordable in developing countries.

15. The Posse - Rap group in Sao Paulo, Brazil, expresses social problems.

16. Credit Where Credit is Due - Micro-credit organization in Bangladesh provides loans to village poor.

17. Regopstaan's Dream - Bushmen fight to live on ancestral land in South Africa.

18. Untouchable? - The caste system and bonded labor are still alive and well in India.

19. Because They're Worth It - Micro-credit, education, health information, and hope provided to impoverished Chinese.

20. For a Few Pennies More - Iodine deficiency causes health problems in Indonesia.

21. In the Name of Honour - Kurdish women fight for their rights in Northern Iraq.

22. God Among the Children - Community organization works with at-risk youth in Boston.

23. Without Rights - Palestinians are denied human rights.

24. Lost Generations - Poor health and poverty condemn people in India to sub-standard lives.

25. Educating Lucia - The odds are against girls getting an education in Zimbabwe and throughout much of Africa.

26. A-OK? - Examines prospects for Vitamin A distribution programs in Guatemala and Ghana necessary for children's health.

27. Bolivian Blues - Explores the success of new initiative to reduce widespread poverty.

28. The Outsiders - Explores the moral and economic dilemmas that adolescents face in the Ukraine today.

29. The Debt Police - Uganda seeks external debt relief and fights internal corruption.

30. The On-going Story - Final episode examines the international community's commitment to linking social and economic development with human rights.



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2000     Copyright Date: 2000
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-633-0     VHS ISBN: 1-56029-847-2

Reviews "An insightful tour of the social, political, and economic dimensions of globalization." Timothy McGettigan, Professor of Sociology, University of Southern Colorado "An ambitious 30-part series that takes an intimate look at the effects of a newly global economy on an international cross-section of regular people...Life's profiles combine broadcast quality footage with commentary from international cultural commentators such as Robert Reich, Noam Chomsky, and Francis Fukuyama...Offer(s) a...comprehensive snapshot of the present world picture. Recommended." Video Librarian "Dynamic and balanced...as a whole the three Life series are a significant contribution to the library and educational video marketplace...Life and City Life may just be the best video investigations of globalization with emphasis on the personal experiences of those most affected: the ordinary people in countries throughout the world. For conscientious viewers, the films will challenge their views on human rights and social responsibilities... Life does not feel like an 'American' or even 'western' series of programs, but a truly international television series. For those libraries willing to acquire this series, they will provide a challenging collection of documentaries to users willing to expand their own perspectives. As an educational text for high school, college and professional audiences, Life and its sequel City Life continue to clarify and explain a difficult topic, making the multiple international factors of globalization more understandable to a these audiences. For those willing to be active in the politics of their communities, an ambitious yet intimate series such as this helps to create and maintain an informed society..." Carleton Jackson, University of Maryland, Hornbake Libraries "Seeing is Believing: Documentary films put human faces on the Millennium Development Goals...Offer intriguing snapshots of the problems that inspired the goals and compelling solutions that could help