I have been asked to speak on the theme of the conference and would like to pose two corollary questions. The first question is, “What is our alternative vision to globalisation?” And the second is, “what are the proper means to achieve this vision as well as the ends?”

The amorphous nature of globalisation often prevents us from clearly identifying what aspects of globalisation are most in need of our attention and resistance. Globalisation is a system of production that is driven by greed and perpetuated by the desire to consume above all other concerns.

We must challenge the displacement of traditional communities and the replacement of identities previously tied to place with identities solely tied to money and acquisition. Material attachments and acquisitiveness are heralded as the harbingers of happiness, self-realisation and prosperity. No other form of happiness is possible. This message is bombarded at us daily through mainstream mass media, the staunch advocates of the global market economy. They are constantly dumbing us down. Brutally, we are been transformed into slaves devoted to our chains of bondage. We must challenge the unaccountability of a system which allegedly helps all people achieve a higher standard of living but which has institutionalised violence through the exploitation of the environment and the marginalisation of people. We are calling for the elevation of values of the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of others above so-called material development.

I hope that in our working groups, particularly those that focus on labour, women, the environment, human rights, and the media, we will uncover alternatives. These alternatives must include the spiritual dimension - insuring that improvements in living conditions and health is only the minimum of what we are trying to achieve. We must always have in mind the higher goals of social freedom - the freedom to live in communities which allow us to achieve our fullest potential and the freedom to receive a comprehensive education that focuses on heart, mind and will and nurtures compassionate members of society. The greatest freedom is the freedom of the inner life. In Buddhism, we focus on the calming of the insatiable desires of the senses. Part of the path towards achieving an end to constant acquisition is through adopting, voluntarily, simpler lifestyles. I hope that the working groups on culture, citizenship, and youth will particularly emphasise a new culture of ’more being’ rather than ’more having’.

In resisting the forces that seek to turn us into homogenised consumers subscribing to the religion of materialism, we must develop and restore indigenous traditions, arts, sustainable ecology and popular participation.

In Siam, the Assembly of the Poor, a network made up predominantly of labourers, has been crucial to creating a self-reliant community for people displaced by the Pak Moon Dam. For example the following initiatives have been implemented at the protest settlement:

– A group was formed to open a traditional healthcare centre that offers herbal sauna, traditional massage and medicinal herbs to the members of the settlement;
– Several community businesses emerged. Producing primarily for their own consumption, only the surplus is sold. The community businesses meet the needs of the members and reduce the amount of money flowing out from the community. Income generating enterprises include the production of natural shampoos and dishwashing liquids, herbal teas and medicines, natural vegetables, microbe fertilizers, soy milk and vegetarian food;
– A youth environmental group was established;
– A preschool facility run by volunteer teachers was built.

The establishment of these programmes at the Pak Moon Dam settlement demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of resource based community development and the translation of the values of cooperation and participation into practical action.

One of the unintended consequences of globalisation is the expansion in networks of information gathering and sharing, engendered by technology. The protests in Seattle, Melbourne, or Prague could not have been coordinated without the exchange of information made possible through telecommunications. However, the time has come for us to move from exchanging information to implementing alternatives. We have challenged the legitimacy of the current system and forced the media to notice our presence but we cannot expect entrenched institutions to initiate radical transformation. We must forge ahead with counter-measures that serve as concrete alternatives. For example, I feel that addressing labour issues and organisation within the informal work sector can be a concrete step towards integrating a community often ignored.

In our collective and individual efforts to transform the structure of society w must not overlook the transformation that must occur within.

When I was at the UN Millennium Summit last August I said that human beings, especially religious leaders, have the tendency to become arrogant and hubristic. Even the most well-intentioned projects can turn into a quest for status, wealth, and power. Contemplation and meditation are Buddhist teaching meant to nurture the seeds of peace within in order to develop selflessness and see more clearly the task of peace-building externally.

Lastly I would like to leave you with the blessing of kalyanamittata: translated literally as ’association with the virtuous’. In practice, it means the virtue and unequalled value of good friendship. Friendships are a testament to the ultimately personal nature of the work for social change. Friends have the unique ability to both support and criticize and remind us about the importance of practicing selflessness and generosity in our daily existence.

I hope that this conference can be a critical juncture in the coordination of people’s movements challenging globalisation and that it not only a tool for achieving action but also an end in itself, a coming together of hearts and minds to promote the values of cooperation, participation, and friendship.