Seeds of Peace Vol.16 No.2 May.-Aug. (2000)

March-April-May: The summer heat is at its best-a boon to those working on their tan, a particular nuisance to the rest. The month of April is also when the Thai New Year begins—the water festival, the festivities, etc., rendering the fiery heat wave more tolerable.

As in previous issues, the dual themes of atrocious heat and soothing optimism pervade this summer issue of Seeds of Peace. Let us turn on the heat first. The UNCTAD X meeting in Bangkok was an abject failure from the viewpoint of people’s and grassroots movements—of democracy, human rights, and environmental sustainability. It merely eloquently restated the orthodox theme: economic globalization is in the best interest of humanity. The only benefit to come out of this meeting is that it enabled the ‘losers’ of the global economy to (yet again) witness the mentality and values of the world’s ‘enlightened ruling class.’ The view and demands of the Other on globalization is presented in the People’s Declaration, issued at the end of the UNCTAD X conference.