*The Debatewise Blog
So how does globalization affect me?
Deigo Ventura from Uruguay and his blog on Globalisation - all part of our link with Future StoriesIt all begins with me reading the “The world is flat” by Thomas L. Friedman, and the chapter “The ten forces that flattened the world”.
Flattener # 5 : Outsourcing
In 1951 Jawaharlal Nehru, India´s first primer minister set up the first Indian Institutes of Technology, now known all around the world as IIT’s, and famous for producing the most gifted engineers and computer scientists from all over the globe.
So far India had the brain power but not the economic situation nor the infrastructure to make use of it. It wasn't until mid-1990’s that the educated Indians were able to stay in their country without worrying about not getting a job. Thats when fiber optics , Netscape, and telecom deregulation came into play, now all the raw talent that India had didn't have to emigrate to America to work there, now they just needed an internet connection.
One of the first Companys who promoted this was HealthScribe India, which enable Doctors from USA to dictate notes that later were transcribed by a student in Bangalore, a process that it only take a couple of hours (something it used to take days, even weeks).
Because of the 12 hour difference, this allowed Indians to do the job, while american doctors where sleeping.
I'm gonna talk about another company who did the same, Tata Consulting services (TCS).
Why?
Because I’m from Uruguay, and lately we have become what India was for USA in the 1990’s, we are the one doing the outsourcing for them, Spain, and even USA.
Since TCS arrived to my country in 2002 it has hired more than 800 people and it continues to grow. The imports from India to Uruguay have gone from barely 7 million dollars in 2003 to more than 75 millions in 2008. The value of exports have remain the same around 10 million dollars, but thats because service exchange value isn't taken into account.
So, how does globalization affect me?
For starters its improving the economy of my country, generating jobs, importing technology, and improving the value of the Uruguay brand.
But its also having an effect that not many people suspected.
Since the 2000’s Latin america has seen a shift towards leftist governments, so the international community began to worry about how protectionist and closed this countries could become. Because these left wing parties had pushed an anti-globalization agenda so far.
What not many foresee was that leftist parties were changing too. Because the improving states of the economy due to the deregulation carried by the previous administrations was proving to be worthwhile.
So the “Frente Amplio” (the left wing coalition) has started to shift towards more centered policies. Even the former guerrilla fighter Jose Mujica who is now our president has acknowledge this in his inaugural speech last Monday.
So, again, how it affect me?
Its improving my economy, its changing my everyday life with new technology, its changing policies and ideas of the people who run my country, and last but not least, its changing the perception we have as a human species, we are starting to believe we are all one and that we are more united by our similarities than pulled apart by our differences.