Globalization on the people of Belize. Essay

Local and regional tensions have increased while the prospects of conflict with regional states have increased. In certain cases globalization has become a disruptive force by fragmenting the state of Belize. Some groups inside Belize have opposed globalization because of their strong nationalism and sense of identity (Barnett 69, 2000). Trade agreements with larger countries has allowed for the removal of all obstacles to corporate infiltration of Belize. Companies extend their businesses to Belize where labor force allows them to accumulate high profits at the expense of local workers and government. They also exploit Belize as they employ person outside the country work in the higher paying jobs. Most of the profits made by these corporations is sent outside the region and not spent inside Belize. The trade of Belize has also been affected because corporations have the technology and financial resources to produce goods and services at cheaper prices and bulk quantities as compared with the domestic market. Some local business organizations in Belize have lost their identities in the global trade (Barnett 68, 2000). Globalization also creates a strong sense of nationalism because it restricts the ability of Belizean government to control its policies. It has allowed free access to markets which were once protected. The country has found itself open to unfair competition with vastly larger neighboring countries. The economy has been vulnerable to the world price of commodities like sugar cane, bananas and other agricultural products. Globalization has a negative impact on the culture of Belize. The people of Belize are exposed to the music, news, sporting events, television shows, and movies which come out of the United States of America. The younger citizens of Belize are attracted to the culture of the US. They have marginalized the traditional music and arts of their country. Cultural events of the country have been ignored by the youth of Belize. Since American media has a culture of violence, these negative aspects have been transferred to the youth of Belize. There have been rise in crime and violence in the country. Health and environment also have negative repercussions from the advent of globalization. Transportation technology has made communications more efficient and less time consuming but it has also contributed to the spread of deadly and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS (Neuman 30, 2003). The country is also at risk of global warming which is a negative byproduct of globalization. Global warming has occurred because of the burning of fossil fuels and creation of nuclear waste. Industrialized countries produce and exchange goods rapidly which forces the environment to become more lethal and toxic. Small countries like Belize have been affected by the rise of global warming. They are at threat because of the changes in weather patterns, increased costs in fuels, inflation, and potential environmental disasters (Neuman 30, 2003). The environmental degradation of Belize has been one of the negative aspects of globalization. Many animal species are at threat because of environmental pollution in Belize. Recommendations Belize has witnessed the positive and negative impact of globalization. The opening of its economy and markets has helped to increase the level of social spending in the country. The health and education indicators have also improved. The economy has also registered moderate economic growth. Globalization has helped the country to increase the standard of living. Belize has a robust economy which is dependant on financial services, sugar cane, shrimp, tourism, and oil reserves. The economy however faces challenges because of the substantial foreign debt. The political system is open and tolerant as compared with regional states. But it is recommended that Belize continue to focus on political transparency and accountability. The political system must be enhanced by ensuring that policy making is strong. The institutions of the country must also be strengthened which would assist the country in making better policy decisions. The Belizean government must strive to limit the negative affects of globalization. The culture of violence, crime, disease, environmental pollution is severe threats to the country. Belize Telemedia must continue to expand its network and deploy technologies in the rural areas. It must decrease its reliance on fixed telephone services which have witnessed declining revenues. It must improve the coverage and range of cellular services which is the fastest growing sector in the country. It is also recommended that BTL continue to enhance its services by promoting efficiency and reliability. BTL should increase its fixed line, cellular, and internet services to the rural areas which would benefit the local economy. Conclusion Globalization is a controversial topic which has sparked fierce debates in the world. Belize is a small country located in Central America. It has been the recipient of the positive and negative aspects of globalization. On the positive side, the economy is liberal, open, and private. It has reduced its tariffs and duties on several goods. Globalization has helped the country to link with international markets. International corporations have invested in the country which has led to the development of infrastructure and business. The country also has a robust domestic private sector which has advertised the services and goods of Belize. Tourism has substantially increased with the advent of globalization. It is a major source of revenue in the country. Tourists can now use cheap and less time consuming modes of transportation to travel to the country. The economy of Belize is still vulnerable to the external shocks of commodity prices in the world. The increased role of multinational corporations has also reduced the ability of the government to control its policies. The youth of Belize have been influenced by the culture of the US. There has been an increase in crime and spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS. Belize Telemedia has also been successful because of globalization and trade liberalization. It has increased its network coverage and provision of various services. The company now provides cellular, fixed line, internet, and data communication services to urban and rural areas. It has also deployed wireless networks for rural residents and business organizations. References: Kalinina, Olga. (2008). Belize. Standard Poors. 1 (2), 1-24. Neuman, Stephanie G. (ed. ). Small States and Segmented Societies. 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