authors > Transnational Institute (TNI)
Transnational Institute (TNI)
The Transnational Institute was founded in 1974 as a worldwide non-partisan fellowship of committed scholar-activists. TNI seeks to create and promote international co-operation in analysing and finding possible solutions to such global problems as militarism and conflict, poverty and marginalisation, social injustice and environmental degradation.
Address : Transnational Institute
PO Box 14656
1001 LD Amsterdam - The Netherlands
Phone : 31 20 662 66 08
Fax : + 31 20 675 71 76
Email : tni@tni.org
Website : http://www.tni.org
Financialisation and Financial Actors in Agriculture Commodity Markets
Financing Food focuses on how derivative markets work and on speculation in food and agricultural products. This study demonstrates how the futures market for agricultural products, in particular, has changed and is being disrupted by new speculators, growing index funds and commodities funds. Read more read
date of on-line publication : 17 June 2010
Is Corruption the Cause? The Poverty Trap
The “corruption-causes-poverty” narrative has become a standard tool in the hegemonic discourse kit for leaders in some developing countries - where in fact, Waldon Bello argues, it is neoliberal economic policies that are really to blame for poverty. Thailand’s “Red Shirts” are not, however, being distracted by the “corruption” line the World Bank and IMF are pushing, choosing instead to keep their eyes on the prize - the real answer to poverty - replacing neoliberalism with pro-people economic (...) read
date of on-line publication : 31 May 2010
Venezuela’s CANTV: What should a 21st century "socialist” telecommunications company look like?
Venezuela’s revolution has often been tied to the slogan “Socialism in the 21st Century.” What might that might mean concretely in changes under way in the renationalised state telecommunications company, CANTV?
TNI fellow, Daniel Chavez has been part of a team of international advisers working with Venezuelan researchers and CANTV to review the the state telecommunications company’s history and put forward proposals for converting it into an effective socialist public company. Read (...) read
date of on-line publication : 12 March 2010
Contours of Climate Justice
> Edgardo Lander, Walden Bello
This publication aims to contribute to a more sophisticated understanding of the emerging climate justice movement and to create resonances between different perspectives and spheres of engagement. The activities around the COP 15 in Copenhagen are a starting point in the creation of such a broad movement. Read more read
date of on-line publication : 17 December 2009
Direct Action against Climate Change
As politicians meet for more climate talks in Barcelona, they continue to be fixated on measures like carbon trading that will only exacerbate the climate crisis. Fortunately the last year in the UK and worldwide has shown that direct action against carbon-intensive projects can deliver results. Read more read
date of on-line publication : 26 November 2009
The Migrant Condition
Migrants’ rights have to be addressed on two fronts: end the neoliberal policies that are responsible for creating poverty in their home countries, thus forcing them to emigrate, and demand that they are given full rights in their host countries. Read more read
date of on-line publication : 23 November 2009
A real green deal
35 years ago, workers at the Lucas Aerospace company formulated an ‘alternative corporate plan’ to convert military production to socially useful and environmentally desirable purposes. What are the lessons for greening the world economy today? Read more read
date of on-line publication : 5 November 2009
NeoConOpticon. The EU Security-Industrial Complex
Despite the often benign intent behind collaborative European ‘research’ into integrated land, air, maritime, space and cyber-surveillance systems, the EU’s security and R&D policy is coalescing around a high-tech blueprint for a new kind of security. It envisages a future world of red zones and green zones; external borders controlled by military force and internally by a sprawling network of physical and virtual security checkpoints; public spaces, micro-states and ‘mega events’ policed (...) read
date of on-line publication : 19 October 2009
Por una Honduras democrática y soberana
Los movimientos sociales y el pueblo de Honduras han respondido con la protesta y la resistencia al violento golpe de estado que el pasado 28 de junio depuso a Manuel Zelaya Rosales, el presidente hondureño elegido democráticamente. Esta protesta ha suscitado importantes movilizaciones y acciones de solidaridad en todo el mundo, mientras se espera a que llegue el próximo sábado 4 de julio, día en que Zelaya intentará volver a su país acompañado por los presidentes de Argentina y Ecuador.
Leer: Por (...) leer
Fecha de publicación : 16 de julio de 2009
Neither War Nor Peace
> The Future Of The Cease-Fire Agreements In Burma
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the first cease-fire agreements in Burma, which put a stop to decades of fighting between the military government and a wide range of ethnic armed opposition groups.
These groups had taken up arms against the government in search of more autonomy and ethnic rights. The military government has so far failed to address the main grievances and aspirations of the cease-fire groups. The regime now wants them to disarm or become Border Guard Forces. (...) read
date of on-line publication : 16 July 2009
Changing the flow Water movements in Latin America
> Beverly Bell, Jeff Conant, Marcela Olivera, Crossley Pinkstaff, Philipp Terhorst. March 2009
In case after case around the world, water has been turned into a profit-making commodity – preventing people access to the most essential element on Earth. Private ownership of water and water delivery systems has severely compounded the abuse, neglect, mismanagement and exploitation of water as a resource essential to life.
But, as Mark Twain said, “Whiskey’s for drinkin’ and water’s for fightin’ over”: a global uprising is underway to ensure that water is respected as a human right, a public (...) read
date of on-line publication : 23 April 2009
WSF had a prophetic voice
> Walden Bello interviewed by Gabriel Elizondo
As the WSF was winding down in Belem in Brazil, Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo spoke with Walden Bello about his thoughts on this year’s meeting.
Al Jazeera: How has the 2009 World Social Forum different from the past years’?
Bello: This represents the triumph of the World Social Forum over the World Economic Forum.
Basically I think that what the forum has been standing for is the strong critique of neo-liberalism and warning the world of the kinds of difficulties neo-liberalism was (...) read
date of on-line publication : 25 February 2009
Is the CIA trying to undermine the White House?
The US intelligence report saying that Iran had halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003 is an important document. It does not prohibit the US military attack on Iran, but it may serve to deny the Bush administration enough public support in the US, or the diplomatic support from any other country, to go ahead with it, argues Phyllis Bennis in this video interview. View read
date of on-line publication : 25 January 2008
Selling US Wars
> Edited by Achin Vanaik, march 2007, 370 pages, 15€
The real reasons for the war in Iraq-control of oil pricing and policies, expansion of US power, strategic establishment of US bases in the Middle East, defense of Israel-were kept hidden from the American people. Instead, justifications for the illegal war were cloaked in the high-sounding slogans of "fighting the war on terrorism," "keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of rogue states," and finally, "bringing democracy to the Middle East."
Selling US Wars is a valuable, (...) read
date of on-line publication : 30 July 2007
Public Services in Europe from privatisation to participation
Across Europe a major conflict is raging over the future of public services. On the one hand are those who believe that privatisation and liberalization is the only way to meet the needs of consumers, improve the efficiency of public finances and create a common European market allowing enterprises, professionals and workers to move freely. On the other hand are those who highlight the risks of privatising services that have been historically guaranteed and protected by the state, thereby (...) read
date of on-line publication : 26 July 2007
United Nations and Transnational Corporations: a deadly association
The United Nations is failing in its duty to control the abuses of transnational economic power, argues Alejandro Teitelbaum. The recent report by John Ruggie, special representative of the UN Secretary-General on business and human rights, represents a setback in attempts to establish international control over the activities of transnational corporations.
I. The United Nations Organisation (UN) was created in order to keep the peace and defend human rights and dignity. Some important (...) read
date of on-line publication : 23 April 2007
Losing ground : drug control and war in Afghanistan
> « Drugs & Conflict », Debate Papers n°15, December 2006, 36 p. (pdf)
The worsening armed conflict and the all-time record opium production in Afghanistan have caused a wave of panic. Calls are being made for robust military action by NATO forces to destroy the opium industry in southern Afghanistan. But intensifying a war on drugs in Afghanistan now would further fuel the conflict, which is the last thing that the country needs. This « Drugs & Conflict » briefing focuses on opium elimination efforts and the controversy about involving military forces in (...) read
date of on-line publication : 21 March 2007
Morocco : between economic liberalisation and political stagnation
> In "Beyond the Market : The Future of Public Services", Elâabadila Chbihna Maaelaynine and Massimiliano Di Tota, April 2006, 7 p. (pdf)
Given the lack of a project for the democratic modernisation of the state and the construction of citizenship, Morocco is caught between economic liberalism and political stagnation. The public services on offer do not satisfy the basic needs of the population. Recent market-oriented reforms have aggravated the social and political crisis, as shown by the increase in corruption, clientelism, foreign debt, impunity and religious fundamentalism.
Read Morocco : between economic liberalisation (...) read
date of on-line publication : 21 March 2007
Public services in South Africa : transformation or stasis
> In "Beyond the Market : The Future of Public Services", Greg Ruiters, April 2006, 9 p. (pdf)
Although the South African state has shifted away from uncritical promotion of neo-liberal public management, the government continues to mesh limited welfarism with market-driven reforms. It has tried to use service delivery to win political loyalty, but this strategy has largely backfired. There is growing public awareness that the current failures and inequities in access to public services can no longer be blamed on the legacy of apartheid.
Read Public services in South Africa : (...) read
date of on-line publication : 21 March 2007
Networked politics : rethinking political organisation in an age of movements and networks work in progress
> Amsterdam, January 2007, 72 p. (pdf)
Networked Politics is the product of a collaborative research process for rethinking political organisation in an age of movements and networks. In a world where the traditional institutions of democratic control have been weakened by an unconstrained global market and superpower military ambitions, it uncovers diverse forms of resistance with the potential to create new institutions for social change. The authors set out the principles upon which such transformations should be based, and (...) read
date of on-line publication : 21 March 2007
Lebanon and Syria : blackouts as a way of life
> In "Beyond the Market: The Future of Public Services", chapter written by Alessandra Galié and Bernhard Hack, april 2006, 11 p. (pdf)
The politics, economics and societies of Syria and Lebanon have been closely intertwined for many years. This chapter discusses the countries’ different approaches to the concept of ‘public’ and ‘private’ services. Focusing on the water and electricity sectors, it highlights how international bodies and regional agreements are influencing domestic policies towards the dominant model of market-oriented reforms.
Read Lebanon and Syria : blackouts as a way of (...) read
date of on-line publication : 21 March 2007
Hungary : water privatisation in the context of transition
> In "Beyond the Market: The Future of Public Services", Zsolt Boda and Gábor Scheiring, April 2006, 7 p. (pdf)
Privatisation was to be the key to creating a healthy economy with competent companies that provide jobs for people and pay taxes, rather than being dependent upon state policies and subsidies. Just a few years into the transition to a marketeconomy, however, Hungarians have discovered that private ownership does not necessarily mean efficiency, and that the argument of additional investment is also questionable. The process of water privatisation well illustrates the pitfalls of (...) read
date of on-line publication : 13 March 2007
South-South strategic alternatives to the global economic system and power regime
In recent years, the governments of many Southern countries have come to realise that the international trade and investment regime is thoroughly biased in favour of the interests of the richest and most powerful countries. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is at an impasse and neo-liberalism in general is in crisis. The appetite for alternatives is growing. This extends to the global power regime. While few would hanker for the old bi-polar Cold War world, even fewer find the current (...) read
date of on-line publication : 20 December 2006
Beyond the market : the future of public services
> Public Services Yearbook, edited by Daniel Chavez, TNI / Public Services Internatinal Research Unit (PSIRU), april 2006 (pdf)
This yearbook is not just a compilation of articles - however important and excellent they may be. It is also a call to arms. Many of its chapters prove that privatisation is not inevitable, that we can and must react to protect, preserve and reclaim our public service inheritance. It is clear that without extensive, universally distributed public services, there is no way the world can realise the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.
View the chapters and read online the Public (...) read
date of on-line publication : 12 November 2006
Trouble in the Air: Global Warming and the Privatised Atmosphere
> TNI/Centre for Civil Society (Durban), November 2005
http://www.carbontradewatch.org/pubs (...)
A critical analysis of carbon trading, this publication explores the impacts of the carbon market in South Africa. By connecting energy privatisation with issues around the enclosure of the atmosphere, this collection of essays hopes to give a good grounding in the justice implications of the new carbon market. Authors range from activists to journalists to researchers.
read
date of on-line publication : 1 December 2005
Hoodwinked in the Hothouse
The g8, climate change and free-market environmentalism
> Transnational Institute/Carbon Trade Watch, June 2005, 64pp., PDF, 600Ko
http://www.carbontradewatch.org/pubs (...)
This briefing examines the relationship between free-market economic forces and climate change policy while scrutinising the rhetoric and reality behind promises on climate made by the most powerful politicians in the world - the G8. It also explores the origins of free-market environmentalism and analyses the conflicts and synergies that arise when the worlds of trade and environment collide.
read
date of on-line publication : 1 December 2005
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