In this context, it is apt to say that global free trade arrangements have failed to lead to uniform development. While there are obvious success stories like India, China and South East Asian bloc, much of the rest of the world has not benefitted. It is in response to these failures that the global solidarity movement has arisen. Centered on universal human challenges like poverty-reduction, access to basic healthcare, free education for all children, social welfare for the disadvantaged, etc, the global solidarity movement presents an alternative operative framework to the United States led global capitalist project. In a few decades time, it is plausible that this more pragmatic form of social organization might have quelled American hegemony in economic, cultural and political domains and might have eliminated the need for economic globalization. (Zakaria, 1999, p.9) The brewing discontent with the excesses of capitalism has spawned a new ideological alternative – consistent with the Hegelian notion of the dialectic. This promising counter-current has Marxist underpinnings to it, but it would be simplistic to term it as a throwback to the failed experiment with communism or socialism. While retaining the essence of socialism, Third-World solidarity movement attempts to cater to humankind’s basic necessities in an atmosphere of co-operation and collaboration as opposed to exploitation. (Zakaria, 1999, p.9)
The leaders of this movement (many of whom are from Latin America) argue that it is not necessary to just have an alternative ideology to eradicate current injustices. Instead, people across the world need to show great resolution to challenge capitalist power structures and concomitant ideologies. What is also needed is a community of like-minded people who are willing to work conscientiously and in the spirit of social solidarity to usher in the changes. The keywords in this project are organization, mobilization, compassion and solidarity – concepts that are antagonistic to the notion of hegemony (American or otherwise). (Tyvela, 2004, p.156) It is encouraging to see that parallel grassroots movements are arising in different countries simultaneously. For example, we are witnessing grassroots organizations in India, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, South East Asia, Bangladesh, etc. The recent uprisings in the Arab world, where autocratic regimes that supported and promoted American hegemony were shaken (and in the case of Egypt, overthrown from power), is very encouraging. It is also hearty to see that anti-American sentiment is being constructively channeled in these countries.
References:
Buchanan, Paul G. “That the Lumpen Should Rule: Vulgar Capitalism in the Post-industrial Age.” Journal of American and Comparative Cultures 23.4 (2000): 1+.
Ciccantell, Paul. “NAFTA and the Reconstruction of U.S. Hegemony: The Raw Materials Foundations of Economic Competitiveness.” Canadian Journal of Sociology 26.1 (2001): 57.
Herd, R., & Dougherty, S. (2007). Growth Prospects in China and India Compared. The European Journal of Comparative Economics, 4(1), 65+.