Grades 7-12, College, Adult
Directed by Steve Bradshaw
Produced by Television Trust for the Environment
DVD Purchase $79, Rent $45
US Release Date: 2000
Copyright Date: 2000
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-471-0
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-868-5
Subjects
Agriculture
Anthropology
Developing World
Economics
Geography
Global Issues
Globalization
History
Human Rights
Humanities
International Studies
International Trade
Social Justice
Sociology
United Nations
The Seattle Syndrome
Were the WTO protesters right in their effort to protect workers and the environment from exploitation?
 |
"Protest is not enough. In the global village, the fight for human rights has become increasingly complex and, as this film proposes, can sometimes do more harm than good." Timothy McGettigan, Professor of Sociology, University of Southern Colorado |
How would you react if you could make money out of growing cocoa beans, but were punished for turning it into chocolate? That's how many people in the Third World feel when they face drastic import controls for turning their raw materials into manufactured goods.
Now they're also running up against the Seattle Syndrome -- an alliance of liberals and protectionists who want yet more restrictions on trade to fight poor wages, exploitative working conditions, and environmental degradation.
But is the Seattle Syndrome a justifiable way of fighting globalization -- or could it be a kind of colonialism in disguise?
With reports from across the globe and contributions from Naomi Klein, Francis Fukuyama, James Wolfensohn and Robert Reich.
The producer of this program has collected extensive resources at www.tve.org/life/archive/life7main.html
The other titles in the 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.
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.
NOTE: A second series called City Life is now available.
Reviews
"Protest is not enough. In the global village, the fight for human rights has become increasingly complex and, as this film proposes, can sometimes do more harm than good."