The Globalization Desk uses radio to educate the public about the
impact of the ever-increasing integration of the world’s economies,
commonly referred to as globalization.

This desk focuses on the effects of macro-economic policies on the daily lives of people around the world. It analyzes current public policies and the institutions responsible for creating them, as well as the political and cultural ramifications of those policies. Other economic models are also explored. Our programs about Water Issues sit astride both this desk and the Environmental Desk.

The desk also provides training opportunities for independent journalists and individuals involved in community building activities.

Supported by independent funding sources, the Globalization Desk is free to explore and expose government and corporate roles in globalization. Please support the Globalization Desk.

>> Read more about how to get involved with this and other desks

Programs from this desk are listed below. Click through for audio, full description, and guest contact information.

Capitalism Makes us Crazy: Dr Gabor Maté on Illness & Addiction (February 21st, 2012) What’s the connection between the increase in chronic diseases, mental illness and drug addiction in our society today? On this edition, Dr. Gabor Mate talks about the relationship between mind and body health – and what the rise of capitalism has done to destroy both.

How to Occupy the Economy, According to Richard Wolff (February 7th, 2012) Occupy Wall Street has changed the conversation about the distribution of wealth. So what now? What policy changes and initiatives should the movement be pushing for? Economics Professor Richard Wolff has some answers.

Tariq Ali on the Rise of the 'Extreme Center' (January 24th, 2012) As the U.S. prepares for another presidential election, journalist Tariq Ali says the ‘choices’ don’t present much in the way of options. On this edition, Ali speaks about the growth of the ‘extreme center’ and how Occupy and other emerging social movements are challenging the status quo.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2011 Year in Review (December 27th, 2011) A look back at some of the most important issues of 2011: Attacks on organized labor, the Egyptian revolution, and the struggle to address climate change. We’ll hear highlights from some of our best programs of the year, and get updates on where those stories stand now.

Gang Injunctions: Problem or Solution? (December 13th, 2011) Gang injunctions are a controversial crime fighting tool that some people say should be illegal, and others say is a necessary last resort for communities plagued by violence. On this edition, we go from the birthplace of gang injunctions in L.A., to their newest use in London.

PART ONE: Voices from the occupy front (October 29th, 2011) The people of the U.S. have seemingly awakened, and are out in the streets, demanding changes to a system in which money controls politics. On this edition, corporations, elections and the 99%. In a post-Citizens United world, is it too late to reclaim our democracy?

Democratic Boundaries: Corporate Cash vs. the 99% (October 25th, 2011) The people of the U.S. have seemingly awakened, and are out in the streets, demanding changes to a system in which money controls politics. On this edition, corporations, elections and the 99%. In a post-Citizens United world, is it too late to reclaim our democracy?

Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security (September 20th, 2011) Honey bees help pollinate 1 in every 3 bites we eat. But they’re fighting to survive, in a world filled with pesticides and parasites. We’ll learn about colony collapse disorder and hear from beekeepers, researchers, and gardeners who are trying to protect the honey bee.

The Costs of War: A Reflection on Eight Years in Iraq (April 26th, 2011) Almost 4,500 American soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis have died since the start of the “Shock and Awe” campaign. Eight years later, we assess the consequences of the war in Iraq through an audio documentary, “The Cost of War: A Reflection on Eight Years in Iraq,” produced by KALW News.

WikiLeaks, Free Speech & the Future of the Internet (February 22nd, 2011) What are the consequences of WikiLeaks for free speech in the Internet era? A panel discussion looks beyond journalistic and national security issues of leaking online, and focuses on legal, technological and business implications for the future.

Standing Up to Big Oil (December 14th, 2010) From courtroom battles to government regulation, we take a look at how citizen groups around the world are holding oil companies accountable for environmental contamination and human rights abuses.

The Price of Nature: Buying Our Way Out of Climate Chaos? (November 9th, 2010) At the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, discussion centered on market-based solutions. On this edition, experts engage in a roundtable discussion about alternative ways to both understand and solve the climate crisis.

Robert Fisk: The Terror of Power and the Power of Terror (October 12th, 2010) Long time Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk speaks about the power of words in shaping public opinion and public policy, and the tragic consequences of a press corps that toes official line: in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.

Protagonists for Change: Women Against Violence in Latin America (October 5th, 2010) In Latin America, sexism and impunity contribute to violence against women. But the region is also home to powerful female voices, and effective movements for the advancement of women.

The Sound of Change: Hip Hop in Cuba (September 28th, 2010) We hear about hip-hop and change in Cuban society, and what people on the ground are saying about new phases in the Cuban revolution.

Immigrant Families Behind Bars (encore) (June 22nd, 2010) In a special collaboration with Feet in Two Worlds, we hear about an immigrant family torn apart after an immigration raid in Arizona. Also, grassroots efforts help change policies at a detention center in Texas.

Immigration Reforms: How a Broken System Breaks Communities (January 26th, 2010) We go to two communities sorting through the aftermath of Bush-era federal immigration raids, and to Los Angeles, where American Apparel became the first test case of the Obama administration’s new approach to workplace hiring violations.

Trade Shifts: Reflections on the Seattle WTO Protests (December 2nd, 2009) Ten years ago this week, thousands of people shook the streets of Seattle in protest of the World Trade Organization. On this edition, we revisit the voices from that week and find out how global economic forces have shifted in the past decade.

Immigrant Families Behind Bars (October 21st, 2009) In a special collaboration with Feet in Two Worlds, we hear about an immigrant family torn apart after an immigration raid in Arizona. Also, grassroots efforts help change policies at a detention center in Texas.

American Peace Activists on the Streets of Kabul (October 14th, 2009) Almost everyone in the U.S., in one way or another, does business with the banks. But the business of borrowing isn't always fair. We talk to lenders who do things differently and those who stave off financial scams.

How We Survive: Predatory 'Mending' (October 7th, 2009) Activists have been setting up community-run check-cashing and community loan funds as an alternative to predatory lending practices which led to our current foreclosure crisis.l

Looking Back, Moving Forward 2007 (December 26th, 2007) As the year 2007 ends, we reflect on three key issues we covered this past year and hear the voices of: the immigrant labor force in post-hurricane New Orleans, domestic workers in the United States, and Iraqi refugees on the streets of Damascus.

Investing in Insecurity Along U.S. Borders (December 19th, 2007) Independent producer Joseph Richey visits Project 28 - Boeing's security site, a 28-mile strip along the U.S.-Mexico border. Then we talk to "No One is Illegal" organizer, Harjap Grewal, about migration and international trade.

Looking Back, Moving Forward (December 27th, 2006) As the year 2006 comes to an end, we take a look back at three hot button issues that we covered over the past year: the Iraq War, U.S. immigration, and the ongoing efforts to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

David Korten and the Great Turning (October 18th, 2006) David Korten new book, "The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community" examines how current economic models are producing devastating consequences for people and planet. In this edition, Korten speaks about being on the cusp of a major shift from a world dominated by economic values to one that embraces human values.

Big Box Nation (June 15th, 2005) On this edition, we take you inside the walls of the infamous big box retailer to hear how the company is responding to withering criticism from activists, what Wal-Mart's financial success means for workers and small business owners, and a flap over a pro-Wal-Mart advertisement that compared a city zoning ordinance to book burning in Nazi Germany.

Blocking the Highways of Globalization: Tales from Bolivia and Peru (May 18th, 2005) Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Latin America implemented the globalization policies demanded by the US. But now those policies are coming under fire.

Global Trade: Neither Free Nor Fair (February 16th, 2005) On this edition we'll hear how workers in Ghana are struggling to cope with the pressures of globalization. We'll also take a look at the ballooning United States trade deficit, and examine the fair trade label.

Who Owns Our Water? Profits vs. Public Interest (January 5th, 2005) On this edition, we'll take a look at water as a basic human right. We'll hear about a plan to privatize water services in Lagos, Nigeria, and we'll hear about how activists in Maui, Hawaii are working to recover the island's water sources for public use.

Patagonian Winds of Resistance (encore edition) (August 18th, 2004) On this edition of Making Contact Pauline Bartolone traveled to the small town of Esquel in Southern Argentina, where the residents successfully halted the gold mining venture as part of a larger movement of social transformation in Argentina.

CAFTA: The Cost of Free Trade (June 9th, 2004) On this edition, we'll take a look at the potential impacts of the new Central American Free Trade Agreement, also known as CAFTA.

Refugees of Development: India and Multinationals (April 28th, 2004) On this edition, we take a close-up look at a small town in Southern India and their struggle against Coca Cola, as well as hear from an Indian journalist and activist Nityanand Jayaraman, who has been following the impact of multi-national corporations in India.

Deadly Extractions: Oil and Mining Interests in Africa (encore edition) (April 21st, 2004) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at some examples of multinational corporate interests and their effects on people in African nations: In Tanzania a Canadian-based corporation is accused of burying alive artisan miners in order to acquire control of a gold mine; and, the drive for oil has sparked political and social upheavals in Sudan and Angola.

Patagonian Winds of Resistance (March 17th, 2004) On this edition of Making Contact Pauline Bartolone traveled to the small town of Esquel in Southern Argentina, where the residents successfully halted the gold mining venture as part of a larger movement of social transformation in Argentina.

Empty Promises? NAFTA at 10 (January 28th, 2004) On this edition of Making Contact, we hear from people who are working on the front lines of so-called free trade-farmers and a fisherman-and get their perspectives on corporate-led economic globalization.

Spill-Over: Plan Colombia and U.S. Interests in the Andean Region (December 17th, 2003) On this edition, we hear from leaders in Colombian civil society about what they view as Plan Colombia's broader strategy: regional dominance by U.S. military and economic interests.

El Processo: Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's Emerging Democracy, and the Bolivarian Revolution (October 29th, 2003) Making Contact's Rosalyn Fay was in Caracas, Venezuela in summer 2003. There she met with community groups, government officials and those most affected by Chavez' leadership- the poor- who tell a decidedly different story about their "Bolivarian Revolution."

Before the Rains: The Struggle for Montes Azules (encore edition) (September 24th, 2003) On this edition of Making Contact, we go to Montes Azules and hear about threats by the Mexican government to forcibly remove dozens of communities from land that indigenous people and campesinos claim is rightly theirs.

Trading Democracy: The WTO and Public Interests (September 3rd, 2003) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the WTO, public interests, and civil society opposition to an international trade regime.

Shifting the Debate: Alternatives to Corporate Globalization (April 30th, 2003) On this edition, we'll hear from two key advocates of alternatives to economic globalization: physicist Vandana Shiva and economist John Cavanagh.

Bottled Rights: Coca-Cola Workers (February 19th, 2003) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at Coca-Cola and a couple examples of the corporation's foreign operations.

The Spoils of War: Economic Interests of War in Iraq (January 29th, 2003) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the economic interests behind the war against Iraq.

Oil and Outrage Flare: An Audio Journey Through the Niger Delta (encore edition) (November 27th, 2002) On this program, we hear from people who are taking risks, and demanding control over resources in their communities.

Growing Doubts: Corporate Control of Agriculture (September 25th, 2002) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at the plight of family farmers.

Tapping the Market: Privatizing the World's Water Supply (August 28th, 2002) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at water privatization in South Africa, Ghana, Bolivia, and the United States.

Fuel to the Fire: Oil and Indigenous People in Colombia (July 17th, 2002) On this program we look at connections between oil corporations, indigenous peoples and the civil war in Colombia.

The Debt Treadmill: Cyclical Poverty in the Third World (encore edition) (July 10th, 2002) On this edition of Making Contact, we take a look at international debt, its causes, and why some are calling for the debts to be cancelled.

In Whose Service? GATS and the WTO (June 26th, 2002) Through discussion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, we'll take a look at the World Trade Organization's momentum toward privatization of all service sectors, from accounting to electricity.

Where the Buck Stops: Alternative Economics (June 5th, 2002) On this program, we take a look at alternative economics and how new ideas about markets, currency, and resource allocation are fairing in a world dominated by capitalism.

Going Hungry in a World of Plenty (April 24th, 2002) On this program, we take a look at the role multinational corporations play in perpetuating the cycle of hunger. We also hear how so-called free trade and food aid contributes to starvation.

Alternative Visions: The World Social Forum 2002 (March 13th, 2002) On this program, we hear from farmers, organizers, union members and others about their work in a growing movement to establish alternatives to corporate-led globalization.

Viva Las Mujeres: Women Challenge Globalization (March 6th, 2002) On this program from the Women's Desk of the National Radio Project, indigenous women from Mexico and Honduras discuss their work.

Oil and Outrage Flare: An Audio Journey Through the Niger Delta (January 30th, 2002) On this program, we hear from people who are taking risks, and demanding control over resources in their communities.

Inside Capital (April 10th, 2000)

World Trade Watch Radio (December 3rd, 1999) During the World Trade Organization's five day summit in Seattle, Washington, the National Radio Project collaborated with the Institute for Public Accuracy and Corporate Watch to broadcast live, one-hour daily programs.