Focus on the Global South is an international, non-governmental organisation, based in Bangkok, Thailand since its creation in 1995.
Its founding director is sociologist Walden Bello, and it is affiliated with the Social Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University. Focus on the Global South combines policy research, advocacy, activism and grassroots capacity building in order to generate critical analysis and encourage debates on national and international policies. Its work is aimed to counteract corporate-led globalisation, neo-liberalism and militarisation. It works mainly in Thailand, the Philippines and India.
Recently Focus has worked on the issue of climate justice as part of Climate Justice Now!
Focus’s overall goals are to: dismantle oppressive economic and political structures and institutions; to create liberating structures and institutions; to promote demilitarisation and peace-building, instead of conflict. These three goals are brought together in the paradigm of deglobalisation. This term describes the transformation of the global economy from one centred around the needs of transnational corporations to one that focuses on the needs of people, communities and nations and in which the capacities of local and national economies are strengthened.
The deglobalisation paradigm forms the basis of Focus’s work which spans five thematic areas:Defending and Reclaiming the Commons; Trade; Peace and Peoples Security; Alternatives and China .
These thematic areas are complemented by country based programmes in India, the Philippines and Thailand. Teams made up of staff from each of the country offices are responsible for taking forward work on each thematic area.
Famous quotes containing the words focus, global and/or south:
“While the focus in the landscape of Old World cities was commonly government structures, churches, or the residences of rulers, the landscape and the skyline of American cities have boasted their hotels, department stores, office buildings, apartments, and skyscrapers. In this grandeur, Americans have expressed their Booster Pride, their hopes for visitors and new settlers, and customers, for thriving commerce and industry.”
—Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914)
“Ours is a brand—new world of allatonceness. “Time” has ceased, “space” has vanished. We now live in a global village ... a simultaneous happening.”
—Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980)
“Mormon colonization south of this point in early times was characterized as “going over the Rim,” and in colloquial usage the same phrase came to connote violent death.”
—State of Utah, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)