As the Asia-Europe Summit gets ready to meet in early October, what are the implications of the rising power of Asia for progress on tackling poverty, inequality and climate change?

Global finance is only one facet of multiple crises facing human civilization - crises over food, water, climate, energy as well as the global economy urgently need to be addressed. So far, neoliberal responses of governments have been to tackle finance alone - by replacing a banker or by pumping money into the system. But it is the system itself - that is in crisis.

In this special edition of Globalizations, François Houtart outlines the interlinked but different elements of the multiple crises we face, and makes radical suggestions for moving beyond the current state of affairs - through addressing all together.

Globalizations, 7:1, 9 - 15.
Number of pages: 8

Global trade rules are stacked in favour of a poor deal for the climate, argues Ronnie Hall.

Sixty activists from the global South and Europe are currently touring Europe on their way to Copenhagen. Starting out at Seventh Sessions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Geneva from 30 November to 2 December, the tour passes through Italy, Germany, France and Belgium before arriving in Copenhagen on 9 December.

De eerste uitvoerige toespraak komt van Susan George. Zij is vooral bekend geworden als medeoprichtster van Attac, de beweging voor eerlijker globalisering. Ook is zij fellow van het Amsterdamse Trans National Institute (TNI). Van oorsprong Amerikaanse is ze in Frankrijk al jaren bezig met het formuleren van economische kritiek en alternatieven. In haar Engelstalige toespraak van drie kwartier roert ze een aantal belangrijke thema's aan.