Advocacy and Activism in Global Governance: What Lessons?

Grassroots activism targeting global governance institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and World Trade Organization (WTO) gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s, driven by concerns over debt crises, structural adjustment programs, and their social and environmental consequences. Movements such as the Jubilee 2000 campaign and the global justice protests at events like the 1999 WTO conference in Seattle brought widespread attention to the democratic deficits and neoliberal agendas of these institutions. These activist networks fostered transnational solidarity, challenging the legitimacy of elite decision-making and advocating for alternative models of development rooted in social justice and sustainability.

How can the strategies and coalition-building tactics of past grassroots movements be adapted to effectively confront today’s global economic and ecological crises? What can the successes and limitations of activism against institutions like the IMF, World Bank and WTO teach about engaging with or resisting contemporary forms of global governance? In what ways can historical critiques of neoliberalism help shape more democratic, inclusive and sustainable approaches to international policymaking today?

On Friday, May 30 from 12:30-2:00PM, join us and the History and Political Economy (HPE) Project for an expert discussion on lessons learned from activism and advocacy.

This webinar is the third installment in a series hosted by the HPE Project, which brings together policymakers, reform advocates and academics to discuss the history of global governance reform efforts and how that history relates to ongoing efforts to reform international financial and development institutions.

Speakers:

- Paul Adlerstein, Associate Professor, History, Colorado College

- Walden Bello, Co-Chair, Focus on the Global South

- Bhumika Muchhala, Senior Advisor, Third World Network

- Christy Thornton (moderator), Associate Professor, History, New York University