Globalisation is already the world's living reality. There are millions, perhaps tens of millions, of people who are so wealthy and well regarded that they may choose to live in any country in the world. There are very few places left on earth where people do not have access to the latest world news by phone or TV. In the most modest of retail establishments in your neighbourhood you will find products from around the world. Modern manufactured products from cars to computers are made up of parts sourced in many different countries. In all middle and upper income countries, unskilled work is largely performed by immigrants, tourism is a major global industry, and people are on the move everywhere on earth.
Globalisation is already omnipresent, and it is our world's inevitable future. Wise leadership understands this and positions countries to facilitate global commerce and finance; it fortifies and develops institutions that underpin the orderly conduct of international transactions, and the international rule of law.
Although globalisation is now a fact of life, its future paths of development are uncertain. They will depend on the choices made by the leaders of the world's most influential countries. If these leaders proceed on the basis of co-operation, collaboration, mutual respect and the rule of law, we can expect a peaceful evolution which accelerates the benefits of globalisation that we have already begun to enjoy. If, on the other hand, our leaders proceed on the basis of fear, suspicion, misguided nationalism and other "lies that bind" (see the enlightening book of this title by Kwame Anthony Appiah), then the road ahead will be rocky, contentious and less beneficial to all.
Barbadians have little voice in the conversations that inform the policy choices of the world's most influential nations. However, as citizens of the global community we have a responsibility to support the proponents of co-operation, collaboration, mutual respect and the rule of law, wherever in the world they may be found.
In a White Paper issued recently, the Chinese State Council Information Office states that "China will continue to deepen reform and opening up", out of a conviction that "a more open China will have more positive interactions with the world, which in turn will advance development and prosperity of both China and the world". That is a position that responsible citizens of the global community ought to support.
DeLisle Worrell
President, Association for Barbados-China Friendship
June 11, 2019
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
