The Power of Social Media in a Globalised World

Much has been talked about globalisation, its pros andsomething a good government ought to provide, it is
cons, its promises and failures, and how it can ora right of the villagers who never see their health
cannot help developing countries follow theworkers visit the derelict primary healthcare centre
trajectories of development charted by those whoto demand it. Likewise, when the devastating
have already achieved the distinction of beingTsunami hit the Indian Ocean area, the affected
officially called the 'developed nations'. The debatesfamilies in the Tsunami-hit areas had a right to
have centred on pure economics of it: the merits orreceive assistance in the form of food, shelter and
otherwise of market economics based onlivelihoods from the national governments and from
international trade and investment, with resourcethe international humanitarian agencies like the UN,
allocation mediated by international free marketthe International and national non-government
forces. In more sense than one, globalisation is notorganisations. It is no longer the case of 'a good
new - even before the Europeans rode the high tidegovernment' doing a favour to its chosen subjects,
of globalisation, Chinese and Indian traders dominatednor a poor woman surviving on the generosity of a
the globalised market of pre-medieval world.large-hearted non-government organisations (NGO).
There are three important factors that areThere are rights, duties (duty of care) and obligations
overlooked in most discourses on the current roundthat come into the equation. Thanks to globalisation
of globalisation, although these have potential tothat triggered this global thinking.
make significant impact on the lives of billions ofThis has been the most significant achievement of
people in poor countries which globalisation has simplyglobalisation: the recognition of individuals as 'subjects'
passed by. First, when Britain and America led theirof international law, and so of international concern,
brand of globalisation in the eighteenth to theand bringing into the development equation the
twentieth century, they ensured that they wereeconomic, social and cultural rights which national and
themselves not 'globalised' - they developed theirinternational development processes ought to
domestic market and capacity of the masses to playstrengthen.
their role in the market. This helped in broadening andThanks to globalisation, global media and public
deepening the effects of globalisation by making sureopinion, the renewed commitment to providing basic
that the benefits were not confined to the rich andneeds of life and livelihoods as a matter of right has
the moneyed who went out to 'globalise'. Thatmeant that governments can no longer hide behind
unfortunately is not happening in many of the poorerthe curtain of sovereignty and still maintain a facade
countries now where millions of people remainof a nation which tramples upon the rights and
disenfranchised, and too incapacitated to play theirliberties of individuals. China could get away with
role in a global market.Tiananmen massacre in 1989, but Chinese businesses
The second most important departure from previousand government would shudder to think what would
globalisations, and perhaps the one that holds out thebecome of their global dreams if the same were to
most prospect for the poor and the powerless, hasoccur in the 21st century. It is globalisation again
been in the concept of global rights, especially in thewhich by leveraging public scrutiny of war crimes now
global policy regimes on rights to development andenables international governance to bring to book
application of humanitarian laws. Just as the currentperpetrators of crimes against humanity in the
chapter of globalisation drew the world closer inInternational War Crimes Tribunal.
terms of free market mechanism and unfetteredFinally, it is globalisation again which has made the
capital flows, it also brought about a realisation thatworld flatter by democratising technology. That you
basic rights to protection, assistance andand I, and billions others, can communicate in real
development as enshrined in different human rightstime, although separated by a distance of tens of
conventions and international humanitarian lawsthousands of miles, and that we ordinary folks can
needed global application. These are often referred tohave the same access to vital information which in
as second generation rights involving universalthe past would have been handed down to us from
minimum welfare entitlements, as opposed to thethose who rule and govern us, mean that each one
first generation rights which relate to individual libertyof us now have tremendous power to influence the
and freedom on which an universal consensusworld. After the Haiti earthquake, we saw social
ideology is yet to emerge. You could not havemedia, (the facebook, twitter, Digg, Myspace to
economic growth and prosperity for some, whilename a few) play a vital role in bringing out the
turning a blind eye to the denial of basic rights to lifereality and gravity of the situation through numerous
and protection for a large majority of the world. Thestories and eye-witness accounts as the situation
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and reshaping ofstarted unfolding from day one, including where aid
the international aid architecture following theagencies were failing in reaching out to the affected
Monterrey consensus are part of this global agenda.communities. Five years ago when the Tsunami
MDGs are not just wish lists for donor agencies orhappened in Asia, we were relying on the big
governments, but reflect commitments to ensurenewspapers and TV channels to bring us stories,
that various instruments under the internationalwhich sometimes were either late or only covered
humanitarian laws and International Covenant onareas the TV cameras could reach. After the Haiti
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) are metearthquake, through the millions of blogs and
by the governments in the first instance.micro-blogs, we saw millions of concerned citizens the
For the first time in the history of humanity, theworld over expressing their solidarity with the victims.
language of rights entered the frame of discussionsThrough these, we also saw a more extensive and
and policy making at national and international levels inmature portrayal of the crisis that was unfolding: the
the past decade. The economic, social and culturalcatastrophic destruction and damages aside, we also
rights include a number of claims, like claims to socialsaw the challenges in providing any rescue or relief
security and a certain standard of living, includingoperations, the lack of infrastructure for providing
claims to adequate food, clothing, housing, healthrelief and why aid was slow in reaching out to the
care, sanitation, education, etc. Prior to this, despiteaffected communities, real time stories of what the
having various conventions and protocols agreed andhumanitarian response was or wasn't doing. We were
ratified by governments, these hardly provided anyno longer relying solely on the news that the
strong reference point when it came togovernments, established media and aid agencies
implementation, especially in developing countries. Thewere dishing out to us. That was a remarkable
introduction of rights in development discoursetransformation in a short span of five years.
recognised that access to good healthcare is not just