Ch. 13, 14, 57

Chapter 13 raised some interesting points about the integration of McDonald's into Hong Kong. The first thing that stood out to me was the differences in attitudes toward and consumption of McDonald's between the older and younger generations. McDonald's seemed to represent the "new thing" that younger folks gravitated towards. When I think of things like that today, typically it is just younger people interacting with them, wheras in Hong Kong both subsets interacted with the brand, but they treated the food as different types of meals. Older generations see the food as a snack to eat before their normal meal. Younger generations see it a the meal itself, and it has been integrated into typically cuisine for lunch or dinner. The other thing that stood out to me was the differences in the convention of cleanliness when McDonald's was first introduced. The standards of cleanliness of the bathrooms was held much higher in America, so when the business went into Hong Kong there was a barrier with employees who thought the standards were impossibly high. This is a great example of a small cultural impact that is an externality of the larger impact of bringing new food and business to a foreign place.

Chapter 14 discussed the transnational village between Miraflores and Boston. One thing that stood out to me was the discussion about assimilation. Even though members fo the Dominican community moved to an entirely different part of the world, most of the culture was able to persist because they established a mirrored community to the one they had in Miraflores. I also like how the author defined the difference between a transnational community and village. The community would just be a group of people that relocated and started a similar community somewhere else, but they would not rely heavily on the old place to maintain their strength. It seems like the village aspect of having participants in both places makes the community as a whole stronger since they can share the resources of both places between them. I also find it interesting that the transnational village was able to reach amenties that the Dominican Republic as a whole did not have complete access to, and leverage the government to provide better access to it. The village had better healthcare access and was able to force the government's hand in creating clinics across the country so that others could have the same benefits they did.

Chapter 57 is intriguing because it touches on some concepts we've discussed before with a different context. In the past we've learned about borrowing aspects of others' culture through globalizaing constructs, but this has usually been done to create assimilation within places or to pay respect to another culture, such as with the music podcast from last week. In both of those cases the practice keeps in context, it just is applied to a different scenario. This chapter discusses how Asian religious practices like yoga and meditation are applied to other parts of the world in a different context. I think could be both good and bad. As far as negatives go, I think it harms the possible preservation of culture acorss time. It also could lead to cultures being treated with less respect because their original yoga, for example, does not match what yoga is in the United States. I do think this dissemination of religious aspects can be positve as well. Stripping the context of yoga away removes a barriers for other people who do not practice Hinduism, and can lead to a new context being formed to help others elsewhere. For example, yoga is held in high regard in the United States for its physical health benefits. I know lots of NFL players work yoga into their training regimens because increased flexibility can prevent injury. It can also help heal injuries faster.

Ch 13,14, and 57

 In Ch 13, the chapter talks about Mcdonald's presence in Hong Kong and how to changed culture around meals. Before McDonalds, fast food wasn't part of the culture in Hong Kong, and introduced a new way of having meals. Children who grew up with McDonald's became used to that style of resturants, and created a divide between older generations who were used to the old ways. While innovation and change is not a bad thing inheritantly, it's easy to isolate those who haven't been surrounded by these changes the majority of their life and causes conflict between the generations that can hurt their understanding of each other.

In Ch 14, it discusses the Miraflores of the Dominican Republic and their connection to Boston. Many members leave the Dominican Republic and move to Boston for better job oppurtunities and pay, then sending money back to those still in their home country. While away from home, they still keep in touch with their culture and practices, and stay connected to those back in the DR. Leaving home is always scary, and I am afraid of moving away from the place I've lived all my life and being surrounded by unfamiliar places and people. I would hate to not be able to go see my grandma whenever I needed or not be able to go into a market and grab a fresh woopie pie. I can still make woopie pies and shoefly pie wherever I am, and talk to my grandma over the phone, but it's not the same as being physically around those I care about and things I love.

In Ch 57, the chapter speaks about practices like yoga and mediation that have been recognized globally. These practices have been adopted all around the world, but their cultural roots have slowly been changed into health and wellness instead of religious practices. While I think practicing yoga or mediation is not a problem and can definitely help you with your wellbeing, I feel some people have kinda co-opted them and don't acknowledge their true meanings to make it more marketable to a western audience. We should treat cultural and religious practices with respect as long as it is not hurting anyone, even if they are not what we personally follow.

Chapters 13, 14, 57

While reading through Chapter 13, the author talks about how the eastern countries view western fast food. There are various perspectives on it, with the older individuals seeing it as "non-filling", and the younger people going there on their trips to and from school, businesses, etc. and view them as snacks. It's strange to see this because in media, I've constantly seen the notion that western food portions, even just as a single hamburger and fries, is way too much for just one person to eat normally. Seeing this different view on burgers being a "quintessential snack" is very interesting. I like the fact that the people use these fast foods as ways of hanging out with others, being the "cool spot to be."

The next chapter discusses "Mirafloreños," migrants from Miraflores, and how they've lived in the past, and how they live in their new areas, particularly the greater Boston metro area. During the 1970s, the "Miraflores Development Committee" began meeting. The later part of the chapter discusses the MDC more thoroughly, discussing its feats, one major one being the ability to demand healthcare when the government was unable to provide it. The MDC had also created several smaller branch committees, including sports, education and health. The fact that this group had done so much while being completely independent, not even as an NGO, is jarring.

Chapter 57 goes over 

Ch 13, 14, 57

    Chapter 13 discussed the idea that "transnational is local." The traditional culture in Hong Kong wasn't completely disappearing with the introduction of an American fast foods chain, it was just transforming. I was surprised to learn that cleanliness wasn't very popular in restaurants and homes until McDonald's became popular. I guess that the stereotype in my mind was that Asian cultures tended to hold cleanliness to a higher standard than white Americans. I did find it a little sad that kids would be embarrassed to eat with their parents and grandparents McDonald's because the older generations didn't know the etiquette. Children at that age are always embarrassed by their parents but I bet this was especially alienating for those who wanted to hold on to their traditions. 

    Chapter 14 was about the Miraflores community and their members in Boston. I think it's amazing they they can stay so connected in separate parts of the world. These migrants in Boston also had traditions that they brought with them that changed as they moved. They would keep their doors open in their apartment buildings and hung curtains in the doorway so they people could easily come and go. The extra airflow wasn't needed due to the colder climate in Boston, but the open door policy helped keep the idea of a tight-knit community alive. I find this somewhat similar to college dorm buildings where students will keep their door propped to show that they're not busy and willing to chat with anyone who passes by. As a transfer student myself, my old classmates will keep me updated on drama at my previous school much like the Miraflorenos will share gossip between cities. 

I found reading chapter 57 to be a little tedious because it felt like the same three sentences were being repeated just in different words for the entire chapter. I feel like it could've been shortened to just the last section. Anyway, it was about how the decontextualization of religious practices, like yoga, made them globally popular. I've done yoga and meditation myself and I do really like them as secular activities. Although, I think it's important to acknowledge that these practices come from religions, and to be respectful to that, even if you're not using them religiously yourself. 

Chapters 13, 14, and 57

One thing that stood out to me in Chapter 13 about McDonald’s in Hong Kong is how globalization doesn’t just replace local culture, but actually blends with it. At first, McDonald’s food wasn’t even considered a real meal and was seen more as a snack, which shows how local culture shaped how people used something global. Over time, younger generations started to treat it more like a regular meal, but that didn’t mean traditional food disappeared. Instead, it became part of everyday life in a new way, where something global still fit into a local context . This made me realize that globalization isn’t just about everything becoming the same, but more about how things get adapted depending on where they are.

Chapter 14 builds on this idea, but focuses more on people instead of products. The example of the Dominican village connected to Boston really stood out to me, especially how people can stay connected to both places at the same time. The idea of “transnational villagers” shows that globalization isn’t just about moving somewhere new, but about maintaining relationships, culture, and communication across borders . What I found interesting is that even people who never leave their home country are still affected by globalization through things like money, ideas, and social connections. It shows that globalization is part of everyday life, even if you’re not directly traveling or working internationally.

Chapter 57 takes a different perspective by focusing on how culture, especially religion, changes as it spreads globally. The part about yoga and meditation being taken out of their original religious context stood out to me, because it shows how globalization can simplify and reshape something to fit different audiences. Instead of being part of a larger religious system, these practices are often turned into tools for health, self-improvement, or stress relief . This made me think about how globalization can make things more accessible, but at the same time take away some of their original meaning. When looking at all three chapters together, it feels like globalization is constantly reshaping things, whether it’s food, communities, or religion. It creates connections, but those connections don’t always stay true to where they originally came from.

Chapter 13, 14, and 57

 In chapter 13 the author talks about the culture surrounding McDonalds in Hong Kong. When the fast food chain first opened in Hong Kong the culture there wasn’t really understanding of the American ways of fast food that McDonalds embraced. It took awhile for the people to get used to this quick way of ordering and eating while changing their ideas around it. McDonalds also had to change the way they went about things a little bit by changing their breakfast options and getting rid of the big mac to more suit the culture in Hong Kong. Now we see McDonalds in Hong Kong as mostly a thing that children enjoy. I think globalization is best seen in the ways it affects the younger and newer generations. These people are the most open to change within culture and adapt to it the quickest. It is super interesting to read about the ways the younger generation in Hong Kong is learning more about the American way of eating and teaching it to their older family members, even if those family members aren't as willing as they are. 

Chapter 14 talks a lot about people who migrated from their homes to larger cities. They get jobs there and send money back to their families to improve their quality of life and give them things there was no way they would have before. This creates a changing culture surrounding both the village they come from and in the big city where they move to like Boston. While the villages are becoming increasingly more modern with their access to new technology, neighborhoods in Boston are taking a more traditional turn into becoming similar to what their village was like before they moved. In this way both those who migrated and those who stayed can feel a connection to each other and their culture. There are even groups and organizations like the MDC that keep the community connected across borders and help them.

I found chapter 57 very confusing and hard to understand. I believe it has to do with the modernization of Asian religions where people globally have taken up the practices of these religions without the actual worship part of them. Things like yoga and meditation originated from Asian religions but have become their own separate thing now across the world with new meanings although still following a similar purpose. This can be a good thing where people get to learn different cultures and practices that give them a full life but it can also lead to the appropriation and disrespect of culture.

Chapters 13, 14 and 57

I think McDonald’s in Hong Kong is a really interesting example of how globalisation actually works in real life because it shows that it is not just one culture taking over another. I found it surprising that people didn’t consider burgers and fries to be proper meals and that they were just snacks, which makes sense when you think about how different Cantonese food traditions are but it seems that over time, especially with younger people, that has clearly changed and now fast food became a normal part of everyday life. What stood out to me was that McDonald’s didn’t completely change itself to fit Hong Kong. In fact, people sort of adapted to it and made it their own. It ended up becoming more than just a place to eat but more like somewhere to hang out or even celebrate birthdays, which I didn’t expect. I also think it’s interesting how it influenced things like cleanliness and queuing, which actually changed public behaviour. The part that I found the most surprising was that in Hong Kong, smiling too much can actually seem suspicious, almost like you’re trying to trick someone, so people don’t really value that kind of friendliness in the same way.

I think this idea of “transnational villagers” is actually really interesting because it makes the way we actually think about migration interesting. You’d assume that when people move somewhere like Boston, they slowly leave their old life behind, but this shows that’s not really the case at all. Instead, people are basically living in two places at once, still heavily connected to their home village while building a life abroad. I found it quite surprising how strong those links are. Something that stood out to me the most was that it’s not just money being sent back, it’s ideas as well. Things like fashion, behaviour, and even ways of organising communities are constantly moving between places, which ends up changing life in the village. At the same time though it’s not all positive. There is a lot of mistrust and tension within the community, which makes it harder to work together.

The idea of decontextualisation is quite eye-opening to me because I think it makes you realise how much things like yoga and meditation have changed over time. Before reading this, I never really questioned where these practices came from. For example, I just saw them as normal parts of fitness or wellbeing. It was really interesting to discover that they’ve been completely taken out of their original religious and cultural contexts and turned into something much more individual and modern. It’s cool how people now sort of “pick and choose” parts of religion that suit them, rather than following a full belief system. It feels like religion has shifted from being something collective to something really personal, focused on self-improvement and mental health. At the same time, I do think it’s a bit strange that these practices lose a lot of their original meaning in the process. I think the whole connection to psychology and therapy is probably why meditation has become so popular. I’d say this shows that globalisation doesn’t just spread culture but in fact reshapes it completely into something new that fits today’s  modern life.

4/22/26

Chapter 13 talks about the globalization of McDonald’s specifically in Hong Kong, and the effects on their local culture within the business. When arriving in Hong Kong McDonald's was looked at as something that would fail because of the worries that it is a push to Americanize. It quickly became popular among younger people and students. It was originally viewed as somewhere to get a snack and not as much of a place to eat a meal. Deeply rooted cultural opinions on food is what made it to be viewed as a snack; it did not contain the proper contents to be viewed as a meal. Over time fast food became more accepted to be seen as more of a meal, and with that acceptance menu items were shifted to be more of a blended mix of local cultural food and the staple McDonalds menu items. I found it interesting that breakfast was a huge hit in Hong Kong, and that was because they had more traditional menu items local to the area. If they pushed American breakfast items right away I do wonder how that would've played out for their breakfast success, or would it have been viewed also as more of a snack than meal. I think this shows success in globalizing requires accepting and adapting to other cultures, which is something that is often not seen.

Chapter 14 is about the connections that migration can create across borders using the example of Miraflores in the Dominican Republic, and its ties to Boston. Many of the local villagers moved to the United States but they did not leave everything behind. They stay in contact through communication, tradition, and money. This is reflected back in Miraflores with the exchange of ideas and cultural practices being implemented in their tradition, and technology. I think this shows globalization at more of a personal level, and not just the effect that large companies or governments have when globalizing. I think it's interesting that they have chosen to not change to fit in with one culture, but mix with others and accept new ideas while continuing their own important personal traditions.

Chapter 57 talks about practices like meditation and yoga have deep spiritual and cultural roots and have become globally recognized, but also separated from their spiritual context. They have been shaped to fit a modern global audience often connected to health and personal development rather than its religious roots. This is called decontextualization which makes tradition easily adopted by different backgrounds. These practices have been recontextualized making new forms blending spirituality and modern lifestyle. I think these three readings connect through the thought that globalization does not replace cultures, but they shape through the mixing of others, and interaction.

Chpt 13, 14, and 57

Chpt 13: In the McDonald's chapter, I learned that when businesses spread internationally, it's important for them to recognize and adapt to their local customs. The author explains how globalization is incorporated within large companies and food chains. It’s interesting seeing the differences in American culture versus Chinese culture. I noticed that citizens of Hong Kong primarily use McDonald's as a social space to sit and catch up, while here in the US, we use it as a fast food restaurant. This made me realize that it’s the local cultures that represent global influence in globalization. 

Chpt 14: Chapter 14 introduces readers to how globalization affects the everyday lives of immigrants. When immigrants leave their country, they still carry a piece of the culture with them through their language and traditions. This made me realize that someone can belong to multiple places at the same time, instead of having to choose one identity. Immigrants maintain different traditions, social interactions, food customs, and beliefs. As they travel, they must adapt to their new environments’ cultures to be welcomed in the community. In this chapter, I learned how identity is shaped through cultural exchange and the movement of people throughout the world. 

Chpt 57: The author in Chapter 57 explains that culture and religious practices are reshaped as they spread globally. Meditation was often removed from many original cultures to be reshaped for new audiences. In my opinion, I see both positives and negatives with this. This allows practices to become more accessible to people, so it’s easier to engage with. On the other hand, it has the potential to weaken deep cultural significances. The chapter has made me reflect on how globalization can make complex traditions simpler as they expand worldwide. 

Chapter 59, NPR podcast, WP article

 What I took away from chapter 59 the most was the concerns that the interview with Bharathi brought up about globalization in the work place. It is amazing that so many people can be interconnected around the world but when all those people who are connecting start to lose their individuality because of how much the shared work culture takes over that amazement loses its spark. The benefits of globalization are lost when we start to share one global culture too much, it is important to keep connection with your original roots too. Bharathi states how her work has become full of people who share one class, where she can guess all of their thoughts and opinions because it's the exact same for everyone. This is a fear a lot of people have with globalization, that everyone will become too similar and lose their individual cultures' unique traits. This is why I think it important to experience life both global and local when you can outside of things like your workplace where you have little choice in the matter. Keeping cultures alive is part of an individual's responsibility although not fully their own burden to bear. 

On the other hand the NPR podcast about the globalization of music takes about globalization in the opposite way. Music has always been a way to connect people and bring them together from all over, but with globalization we see this happening in music even more now. Artists are taking influence but different musical genres and styles from all over when creating new music. Not only are artists taking influence but artists from entirely different parts of the world are coming together to collaborate over music while staying so far apart. Globalization has also created the ability for smaller artists with more niche styles with no way to advertise their music in the same way that large artists can to become just as popular and well known globally because of our access to streaming platforms like bandcamp and spotify. Of course the podcast also makes sure to talk about the risks that come with the globalization of music like cultural appropriation and how easy it is for large audiences to spread hate when they don’t like how an artist did something wrong or not. It is always important to stay mindful of potential consequences when creating anything to post online. 

I would argue that the Washington Post article about the global culture war was wrong when they said that the world isn’t conforming to the idea people had right after the Cold War that cultures and countries could slowly become more like the US. As stated by the author the US focuses a lot on power over others and money in the global economy. Russia's war on Ukraine is a power play, they want to have control over Ukraine and other countries like they did when they were the USSR. What China is doing is similar too, the moves they are making within their country and with others seems to be mostly done in order to benefit their economy more. China wants to take over the global economy and be the hegemonic power in place of the US. I think these countries are conforming to our western culture exactly. We just don’t want to see it as that because it means we have competition on a global scale now. Even though they are using the exact same means to gain power that we did in the past we see it as terrible because we left those practices behind but are still reaping the benefits of it. 

Chapter 59,Globalization is Over, Globalization of Music

"The 2010s: The Globalization of Music" goes over a list of various artists and groups, along with their songs. For example, BTS and their album "Love Yourself", and the "girl group" Blackpink. The beginning of the podcast goes over the influence of language in their songs. Additionally, people in the United States requested that radio stations start playing some BTS songs, specifically people from a fan group called "BTS ARMY." The fan group is a global fandom, and they're a major factor of the extreme popularity of the boy band. The podcast then shifts from South Korean music to Latin American artists, like Rihanna and J Balvin. It goes over the contemporary "erasure of genre" of music, and the blending of various kinds of music in single songs, due to the different artists that collaborate. I think that the podcasters are sort of right, in the sense of the sort of fading away of "genres" of music. I don't think that the podcasters meant that the different kinds of music, like pop, hip-hop, and rock are fading. I think they meant more-so that the different cultures of music are blending together, while still being somewhat distinct in the variety. The song "Chicken Noodle Soup" immediately backs this, showing in the first 60 seconds of the song having a massive blend of the different styles of music creation. Further, the recent massive rise of social media, such as TikTok, amplifies the popularity of these different blends of music. Social media also created a gateway to access music, with Spotify and YouTube being highly popular. The easier access to music has greatly popularized all kinds of music, from every corner of the globe.

In my opinion, the points made by the NPR podcasters are correct, in regards to the way that previously "region-locked" music has been pretty much globalized. Anyone, anywhere can listen to any artist from any nation. From Korea, to Colombia, to Nigeria, music has become a massive part of the "global culture." Towards the end of the podcast, they start briefly discussing the topic of "appropriation vs appreciation" and how some artists perform certain actions that are generally seen as negative, as they hadn't collaborated with any of the artists of the culture that they were displaying in their music.

The article "Globalization is Over" discusses the ways in which the recent globalization of the world, whether positive or negative, has begun to die down, and a new "Global Culture War" has started. The author discusses the recent years of globalization and how it sort of brought the world closer together, with democracy becoming the most prominent of government. After the brief discussion on globalization, the article then shifts to a sort of oppositional topic; how nations are more devoted to their own cultural values and how they're striving to protect them from globalization. The differences of two separate regions, the west and the east, are disputing what way is "right." China, for example, believes that "westerners try to impose their values on everybody else." The article then discusses how these differences often lead to conflicts between the opposing sides, citing the Cold War as the most prominent example of such.

In all, it really is a mixed bag; both sides of the argument are technically right. Globalization is starting to die down and is sort of reverting to the ways of independent nations protecting their values. On the other side, though, globalization really is at an all-time high, I think. With the extremely connecting invention of the internet, the world has become closer than ever.

Finally, Chapter 59 of "The Globalization Reader." The beginning of the chapter follows Malini, an employee of "Bangalore." Malini's view on globalization may be quite confounding. Malini is a supporter of globalization, which is a regular thing to some. However, Malini emphasizes that she is content with the fading away or blending of her culture with others, along with the society connected. The later parts of the chapter follows more workers of IT in India, and how their work sort of shapes the way one thinks. Bharathi, a technical writer, explains that working in IT doesn't really give the same experience as a doctor, for example. By this, she means that IT workers don't really encounter and interact with many people from various backgrounds, quoting "...from an IT field, my interaction with people is very limited." Bharathi's ideas directly counteract the more popularized opinion that IT work makes people more open-minded, instead making views more narrowed. Later in the chapter, the author talks about Shubha, another software worker. Shubha thinks in the complete opposite way of Bharathi, believing that it indeed does open one's mind to more opportunities. Shubha temporarily moved to the United States, "assimilating the norms" to herself. The move to the U.S. would certainly have given her an interesting view of the "American" ways of life, opening her to those ideas.

With my very little knowledge about IT, paired with the information of this chapter, I think that working in software may bring one a more open view, rather than shaping to a more narrow one. I think that one would almost certainly encounter people from all kinds of backgrounds, contrasting what Bharathi had described.

Week 13

 

     In the readings for this week, we touch once again on the duality of globalization. Starting with the chapter about India and IT workforce, the author challenges the term global and the way globalization is transforming what this means. Many people think that globalization is just an economic process, but according to the author, it can also means changes, individually and in a whole community. If before a "global person" meant someone that could communicate and work with different nations, today this became a way of life, especially in the workforce. Companies in all the world are going for a "global" thinking, where its employees will be efficient and use their identity, but in a "global mode", adapting to the global world. Then, the NPR listening goes along with this idea, that globalization is a connection, that makes easier to collaborate within countries and find ideas. In a way I thought about good collaborations like APT from Bruno Mars and Rosé that blends American Pop with Korean Pop and became super famous, but it also opens the way for cultural appropriations like Ariana Grande in her "black" era, which the internet joke about her "Blackiana". In this listening we see an optimistic vision of globalization, a process that brings possibilities and jobs, but it makes the point that cultures have to adapt to this global business, just like the chapter 59. This can create more distance than connections, especially among different social levels. This connects back to the idea that people in India are looking more global, similar to the world, and different from people on their own country that are from different backgrounds. Then, the NYT closes the argument showing that although we urge for a global world with sharing and collaborating, globalization now is looking more like clash of cultures and division. Globalization does not benefit all, and it show the cleavage between classes even more. With more cultures we find more differences and we can embrace and accept or negate and distance from them. At the end, globalization can connect, but we have to think about who is connecting and if this connection is creating more of the same. 

4/15

 Chapter 59 has a focus on IT jobs in India, and kind of gives insight on globalized “corporate culture”. I don't think this chapter necessarily tries to show that globalization is a good or bad thing, but more of how people experience it differently. One thing that stood out to me is about how the workers are in a way shaped to talk, or act certain ways to fit into this idea of a global workplace. This in my opinion seems wrong that workers are forced to fit in more than just be themselves. It kind of takes away the culture aspect of globalizing, and strictly focuses on maximizing profit. Although different workers see it differently, like ones who think that the corporate world is a way to kind of get away and escape from some cultural things and make their own new experiences. On the other hand some workers think that this limits them with the plan to make everyone the same. This kind of shows how globalization can get carried away and when it does it destroys the core values of the exchange of culture and acceptance of others' differences. 

The article from the e-reserves talks about how globalization and the idea of it making people closer isn't really what we see happening now. With the influence of international tensions, and economic unfairness pushes countries to care more about themselves than work with others. It kind of shows globalization as more of a competition between countries in a race to be “the best”. Countries still have economic connections, but are moving apart because of political and cultural beliefs. 

The NPR podcast was about the globalization of music, and brought up a lot about how new technology has really changed the game for this. They gave examples like how in the past people used to go to record stores and would go to one section to look at the music they enjoy. With the rise of streaming services this opened the door to the exchange of global music culture. We see today that people can easily exchange this through platforms like Youtube or Spotify. This spread of culture has opened doors to collaborations of music and culture that was never able to be done before. It also was interesting hearing how BTS has fans that love them so much they are willing to translate their work for free so people can understand and enjoy it all over the world.

Ch. 59, Globalization is Over, NPR

The NPR podcast/article, The 2010s: The Globalization Of Music, focuses on how globalization has led to the fusion of music between cultures. Particularly in the 2010s, many pop songs came out blending musical styles from around the world, and the audio clip showed several examples, from the United States, to Korea, to Latin America. The hosts of the show talk about how much of a positive it has been to have artists from all these cultures collaborating. They also discuss the benefits of the development of auto translation technology, and how it allows international listeners to connect more deeply to the music they’re listening to. 

I agree that the creation of auto-translation technology is a good thing and I personally like learning the meaning of words in other languages. I do think however it is possible that the regional distinctions in art will become less and less noticeable as art is easily accessible to everyone everywhere, leading to a more homogenized global culture.

Globalization is Over argues that the age of Globalization as we know it is ending. I agree with the author’s central idea that more are more conflict is happening on the grounds of ideology than before, and I also agree that nationalism is on the rise globally and many people around the world are reverting back to traditions. 

I disagree however that these cultural clashes will overcome the economic interests of multinational corporations. I think money still is the primary driver in global politics and it will remain that way. The world will be globalized forever, now that that box has been opened.

Chapter 59 was mainly about India’s IT industry. It talks about how the workers in IT centers have to often work worse conditions, and learn English, to accommodate clients and other people from the West. I think personally they shouldn’t have to make these accommodations and one downside of globalization is people like those workers in India losing the ability to work for their own community, and instead are working to help people across the world.

Ch 59, Globalization Is Over + NPR

 In Ch 59, it talked about the massive IT Industry in India, and the conflict of living by the rules of one place while having to communicate by the rules of another. In the Indian IT Industry, to have success at the job, workers need to be proficent in western culture, like having English skills and knowning cultural norms. This constant adaptation to a different culture causes difficulties when existing in your own. Being encouraged to mask your identity for work hurts your connection to those around you.

In Globalization Is Over, the reading is about how the world has turned into a giant "culture war" where we are now being divided instead of being connected. We are constantly being told our culture and beliefs are better than others and others that believe in those different things are wrong. Globalization was to connect the world, but even though we have more access than ever before, we are being disconnected from each other. Nationalism is rampant everywhere, and the world is trying to revert everything we tried to accomplish.

In the NPR article, it discusses how music has its part in globalization and connecting to people all over the world. Starting around the 2010s, musicians from all around the globe are now doing world tours and reaching audiences everywhere. Fans that in the past would never get a chance to see artists are now able to listen to their music. As someone who listens to a lot of music in various languages, I've learned a lot about different countries and specifically traditional instruments or music styles. I've also been introduced to different languages first through music within my life that opened up a door to new experiences.

4/15 readings

In Chapter 59, what stood out to me was how globalization affects people on a personal level, especially in the workplace. The example of Indian IT workers showed that being skilled at your job is not always enough to succeed in a global environment. Workers are expected to adapt to Western norms, like speaking English fluently and changing how they communicate and present themselves. Because of that, many of them end up balancing two identities—one connected to their own culture and another that fits the global workplace. In a way, this creates pressure to change parts of who they are just to succeed, which I never really thought about before. It also shows that while companies say they value diversity, they may still expect employees to fit a certain global standard.

The article “Globalization is Over” by David Brooks presents a different perspective by arguing that globalization is starting to fall apart. Instead of bringing countries together, it seems like there is more conflict and division now, especially with the rise of nationalism. A clear example of this is global conflicts like the war between Russia and Ukraine, which shows how countries are focusing more on their own interests rather than cooperation. Because of that, globalization doesn’t look as strong or unified as it once did. At the same time, I agree with the idea that globalization was never going to fully succeed in making the world follow one set of values, especially Western ones. Every country has its own culture and traditions, and people are not going to give those up easily just because another system is seen as “better.”

The NPR article about music shows a more positive side of globalization. It explains how, especially in the 2010s, artists began reaching global audiences through world tours, social media, and streaming platforms. Because of that, people are now exposed to music from different cultures more than ever before. Artists like BTS and Bad Bunny are good examples of how music can cross cultural boundaries and gain popularity worldwide. In a way, music brings people together even when there are political or cultural differences. This shows that globalization can still create connections, even if it is not working as well in other areas like politics or economics.

Another important idea comes from Chapter 56 and the E-reserve reading, which focus on how globalization is viewed by different groups, especially religious organizations. These groups are often critical of globalization because they believe it is too focused on money and ignores issues like inequality and human dignity. For example, Pope John Paul II argued that globalization can harm poorer countries by increasing inequality and concentrating power. At the same time, the E-reserve reading suggests that globalization has turned into more of a “culture war,” where countries are competing based on their values, beliefs, and identities rather than working together. Because of that, it seems like understanding different cultures is more important now than just focusing on economic connections. Overall, these readings show that globalization is complicated, and while it can connect people, it can also create division depending on how it is experienced.

Ch. 59, Globalization is Over, NPR

Chapter 59 discusses the work culture in the Indian IT space and its relationship with global forces. Some people think that the more global sense of the industry is destroying their Indian culture. They find it easier to communicate with other IT professionals around the world than with their own people in India. The working hours that the IT field demands are also very different from Indian cultural standards. Since IT demands simultaneous cooperation around the globe, workers must work during the operating hours of whatever company they work for or who outsources their labor. In contrast, some Indian workers feel that the global aspects of their job provides them the freedom they need to get away from cultural and social pressures. I think the important thing to note with this chapter is that there are at least two sides to every situation. It is difficult to determine if impacts are "good" or "bad", because everyone feels them in different ways. It's a theme that we can see in a lot of the situations we've read about this year. It's difficult to determine how to proceed in scenarios where there are so many different outcomes.

The article that proclaims globalization to be over was an interesting read because it posits the fall of the concept as more of a cultural shift than an economic one. It discusses the human motivations for investing in and divesting from other nations of the world. The invasion of Ukraine was the modern-day tipping point for the shift the author describes. Nations are separating from China and Russia and other nations that are trying to impose a more regionally based system of economic and global dominance. At the same time, the Western culture that stemmed from America has grown problematic in its own regards. I think this separation is especially important to highlight when thinking about deglobalization because all of these nations have built up ties over so many years. China and the USA especially have built relationships with each other economically, and its diffciult to just cut that off. It goes back to what we read in travel of a t-shirt. Industries that have primary beginnings and ends in the two nations cannot simply relocate because they've relied on each other for so long. We've tied the knot so tightly to ensure economic success, and now we cannot get it untied when we want to rely on ourselves.

Something I found interesting about the NPR podcast was how it described music fans as creating grassroots movements to spread music from around the world. They talk about BTS's fan group army mass-calling radio stations with scripts to try to get their Korean songs on American radio. This reminds me of so many NGO movemenst we've discussed, using the mobilization of people who are devoted to a cause to spread a message to others around the world. Another interetsing thing is that many different regions with specific types of music are very open to sharing their music with the rest of the world, and also cosuming music from other parts of the world. At the same time, when artists adopt cultures that aren't their own, it can bring backlash and accusations of appropriation. I like that the hosts emphasize the idea of collaboration between cultures, as it is extremely important to the spread of music and also the creation of new genres.

4/15 Readings

 Chapter 59 focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of places like an Indian IT workplace.  The global nature of these offices is especially important.  It provides a strong example of "global work culture", aka employees being able to interact with different demographics and absorb other cultures.  The common view is that the globalized structure of these IT departments creates a more open-minded workplace.  Reading this chapter, I can definitely see why this is true, as establishing a diverse and unique workplace culture in any setting is one of the keys to creating a good environment.  However, what I also agree with in the chapter is that sometimes this view isn't looked at too closely.  What I especially agree with is that being surrounded too much with vastly different cultures can distance you from your own.  In this way, I feel as though these IT jobs do a good job at establishing work culture, but hinder a worker's outside-of-work social abilities.

    What I took from the e-reserve is that people are losing more and more national pride due to corporations and globalization, and they're starting to fight back on it.  I especially agree with the point that people agree that their national honor is being threatened.  Forgetting one's own national identity can be detrimental for a country, as governments putting outside factors first can potentially harm the livelihoods of their own people.  It's undoubtedly the biggest resurgence of nationalism since the early-mid 20th century.  People don't want a government that doesn't put its own people first.

        The NPR music article displays a more positive view towards globalization.  Music is definitely one of the most globalized industries, as being able to collaborate with artists between countries can be beneficial for international connections and morale in general.  It's one of the rare examples of globalization working both in theory and in practice.  It's not only the sharing of music between countries, but in a way, it's the sharing of culture as well.

4/15 readings

 Working in IT in India seems to have its ups and downs, like any job. I found it interesting there were two wildly opposing views on it --globally influential vs. narrow minded— but it makes sense considering the two women talking had different backgrounds. Collaborating with other countries is definitely important in the tech world, but the fact that the people in Indian IT will work all night so that American IT can work normal hours during the day sounds unfair. Although as a woman, I am happy to hear that the Indian women in IT feel like the work is liberating and focuses on personal development and individualism. I value my individuality a lot, so I’m glad that these women have a space to find that.

I enjoyed reading the e-res article. The content was mostly things I have thought about before but haven’t been able to put into words. Americans definitely value personal dignity more than communal cohesion. The thought of not being my true self in order to make someone else comfortable is completely foreign to me. This explains why there’s so much conflict in this country, and our leaders are absolutely capitalizing on that. 

The NPR article was a fun listen, even though I didn’t like most of the music they used as examples. I love that music is becoming more global. Music is a great way to bring people together, so using aspects of different cultures in songs can foster positive relationships between different kinds of people. I know a few people who have learned Korean because they love k-pop and other various forms of Asian media. Getting people to communicate about shared interests is a must in making friendships in a world so polarized by politics and values.

Chapter 59, e-reserve & NPR

Globalisation in the Indian IT workplace, as talked about in Chapter 59, sounds like a really good thing at first. Being “global” basically means you can work with people from anywhere and have skills that transfer across countries, which in this case seems like a big opportunity and it is in some cases. Fro example many women like Shubha and Rani are able to gain more independence and have chance to build their own life instead of just following what their family expects. However, on the other side of things, it really is far from perfect. For example, Bharathi points out that everyone can end up thinking and acting quite similarly. I find this interesting as it is meant to open people up but can in fact actually make things feel repetitive and limit individuality.

The NPR music article shows a completely different side of globalisation and I would say it feels a lot more positive. Music nowadays is so global with artists from different countries being able to collaborate and mix genres together all the time. I would say that songs don’t even have to be in English to become popular anymore, which shows how much things have changed. I think this is one of the best examples of globalisation actually working because it makes music more interesting and diverse and people seem a lot more open to different cultures through it. 

Finally, I would say that the last reading makes globalisation seem less positive overall. I think instead of the world becoming more connected and similar like it should be, it feels like countries are actually becoming more divided. It seems to me that there is more nationalism, more competition and a lot less cooperation. This kind of goes against what globalisation is supposed to do. It made me realise that globalisation isn’t just about bringing people together but it can also create tension and separation. Overall, it’s a lot more complicated than it first seems and I feel that this always seems to be the general idea from across everything we have read. 

Chapter 56, E-Reserves, NPR

 Chapter 56 introduces us to how religions see globalization. They don't necessarily see it as a horrible thing, but they also aren't the biggest fans of globalization. Religious groups tend to compare the economic side of globalization to the effects it's having on people where globalization is taking place. To be specific, Pope John Paul the second believes that globalization is so focused on making money, but is doing it at the cost of those people in globalized countries with increased inequality, and weakened central government. This chapter also argues that globalization is having these problems because globalization is too market driven, it harms poor countries, and ignores human dignity. organization like the World Council of Churches (WCC) see globalization as harmful because it concentrates wealth and power to the company that is globalizing that new country, and boosting poverty. Although religious groups are not a fan of the way globalization is being ran now, they think globalization should be focused on values that connect people together like justice, and compassion. 

The E-reserves reading shared the idea that globalization isn't a thing anymore, but instead is turning into a "culture war" where every countries values, political beliefs, and identity, are being pitted against each other to see which is better. This article explains that the main idea of globalization when it started was to share and expand cultural norms like, free markets, democracy, and free markets. Now globalization has turned into something that divided countries more than uniting them together because of how different each countries values and views are to each other. Global conflicts are more about each countries religion, government systems , culture, and ideas rather than being about the global economy. The author basically says that to understand globalization you have to know about the economy, but that is second to understanding other countries cultures, and ideological views. If the people participating in globalization understand each countries  values,  views, ideas, and culture, that would put a stop to majority of the global conflicts around the world right now. 

The NPR music article focused on explaining how music helped spread culture around the world and how it is a part of globalization. Around the 2010's this is when artist started doing world tours and spread their music through the world and started attracting fans from all over the world. Also with the addition of social media and streaming platforms it became easier to find artist and music from other parts of the world, thus, encouraging more movement around the world. Musicians like BTS and Bad bunny have gained fans worldwide, connecting all of the different cultures and people through their love for music. 

4/15 readings

     After reading all these, I think the thing that really stood out to me was the David Brooks article about the "death" of the optimistic era of globalization. I think the reason for this was that he stated the world was diverging towards a western set of values. While maybe true at the time, I think it is obvious that even while it was happening it was never going to last, mainly because the west isn't the world. While I do believe these western ideas are much better than a lot of others in the world, it doesn't mean that everyone is just going to accept them. The world is made up of very complex and different cultures, and they aren't going to just give those up. I want to tie this into the pages 458-460, specifically about the idea that globalization "threatens" traditional ways of  life. Hearing this, it makes me think about how people don't want to move away from traditions, especially if is something that'll benefit them. Even here in America, where people tend to be more open minded about changes and progression, there are a ton of people who'd rather keep the traditional ways, even if those ways hurt or keep others down. I also believe it is influenced by the fact that people want their cultures and traditions to be respected, and even if they would be willing to change, they may think twice about it if they feel as if the people suggesting the change are telling them that their culture is "wrong" and they need to change because of that. All of this are things that maybe should have been considered before thinking that the whole world is just going to fall at their knees and change to western ways just because they are "better" and to be clear, I do believe there a ton of things that the western values do that help and better people, but there are things about them that aren't always better, and it isn't as simple as western ways are better and everyone else's ways are worse in every way.

    The main thing I took away from the other reading that came out of the book is how everyone experiences globalization a little differently. We each take bits and pieces of the global cultures and insert them into our own lives. To me, this shows that we can control how globalization effects us and even how globalized we are.

    As for the NPR article, I think it shows one the great things about globalization, as people who may not have been able to share their culture with the world are now able to and we can see this with the spread of music throughout the world. 

Chpt 59, Globalization is Over, & NPR article

Chapter 59:

    In Chapter 59 of The Globalization Reader, I learned how globalization has shaped many cultures and lifestyles in India's IT manufacturing. The author argues that expertise in the technology field doesn't guarantee success. Employees in the company need to create an international professional identity to thrive in their future careers. Radhakrishnan suggests absorbing Western cultural norms to better understand the global corporate world. A few examples of this are learning to speak fluent English, adapting to the culture's dress code, and demonstrating the communication styles. 

    I realized that those employees have had to constantly balance maintaining their Indian identification and learning and recognizing the global identity. This almost creates a 'dual identity' that I never realized could exist. I also learned that companies tend to encourage diversity amongst employees from other cultural backgrounds. This might put employees under a lot of pressure to change their identity and how they present themselves to succeed within the company. 

Globalization is Over:

    Globalization is Over, written by David Brooks, discusses how global peace and alliances are beginning to disappear due to the rise in conflicts between countries and cultures. Globalization, in my eyes, should be bringing citizens together through economics and technology, not creating conflict with one another. I learned that the rise of nationalism and tensions in politics have created big tension between countries. A great example of this is the current war of Russia invading Ukraine, as it shows how globalization has come to a near halt. I've definitely increased my understanding of how globalization works in the present day, and how countries' priorities and their own interests have changed over time with global connections. 

NPR Article: 

    This article talks about how music reaching global audiences became a huge deal in the 2010s. Artists from different countries began going on world tours instead of just national ones. This allows artists to bring their musical genres to regions that might not know much about the style around the world. While reading, I also noticed that social media and online streaming platforms made it easier for people to discover different types of music. Certain artists, such as BTS and Bad Bunny, have become very popular around the world, not just within their country's culture. I've learned that globalization has heavily impacted the music industry and has allowed more people to connect through different artists and genres. 

NGO International Rescue Committee

 1) Briefly, what is the history of your NGO? 

The International Rescue Committee found their beginning in 1933, when Albert Einstein and a small group of humanitarians formed a group that would eventually evolve into the IRC that operates today. 

2) What are its primary aims? 

The IRC’s main goals are to reach out and assist underprivileged people who are in situations where they require assistance not being provided by the system around them. According to their website, they have a focus on economic wellbeing, education, and health. 

3) How does it attempt to carry out those aims? 

The IRC helps people worldwide with their economic wellbeing by ensuring that people in crisis areas have what they need to survive without needing to fall into debt or resort to desperate measures. They do this through various methods, such as providing cash assistance to specific people, if that's an appropriate solution. They also support local markets to ensure that basic necessities are available at affordable prices. In the United States, they assist immigrants during their first few years by helping them identify career paths and understand financial management. The IRC assists with education by ensuring that all people have regular access to safe and functional learning centers. They do this by creating learning spaces and formal schools and training teachers to establish safe environments. They also work to remove barriers that prevent girls from attending school. The IRC helps with people's health by ensuring that children are treated for and protected from the leading causes of death, such as malaria and malnutrition. 

4) How have they established their international presence? How do they coordinate activity across international boundaries? 

The IRC began as an extension of the international relief association, with a goal of assisting Germans who were suffering under Hitler’s oppression during WWII, and later merging with the emergency rescue committee, who had been supporting European refugees, in 1940. The newly formed IRC would then spread across Europe, supporting those being oppressed by the Soviet Union. They would then spread beyond Europe in 1954, heading to South Vietnam to aid refugees from the North. Then, they began assisting those at basically any major refugee situation possible. In 1960, they began a resettlement program for people fleeing the Castro dictatorship. In 1979, they helped thousands escape the Soviet Union and resettle. In 1988, they helped assist thousands of Afghanistan refugees returning home from Pakistan. The list goes on and on.

5) Who is their membership? Where is it located? 

The IRC has many ways to support, stretching from donations, to volunteer work, to sponsoring refugees. They have bases of operation in 40+ countries.

6) How effective have they been in meeting their aims? (you may need to search around beyond the NGO’s website for this, since they’re all going to say that they’ve been very successful). 

They seem to be very successful, being highly regarded by websites such as charity navigator. They have hit legitimate goals and shown the positive effects caused by their actions.

7) What are their sources of funding?

They get a majority of their funding through donations, ranging from small donations by individuals to major donations by organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. They also receive funding from governmental grants.

NGO - Girl Up

    Girl Up is a branch of the United Nations Foundation, founded in 2010 and aiming to create programs and support to girls with the UN all over the world. When it started, it was only a fundraiser for campaigns, but the movement grew and became global. In 2025 Girl Up became part of the Global Fund for Children. 

    The goal of Girl Up is to bring equality for women and empower their existence. They act especially in providing Education, Health and also creating Leadership, Knowledge against violence and sharing opportunities in areas that women are a minority, like STEM. The way Girl Up carries its aims is through developing leaders in many parts of the world, normally girls at a young age. This girls reunite in clubs, sharing information, training other girls to advocate for the causes, organizing campaigns and events and even influencing political choices. 

    The Girl Up initiative is present in more than 150 countries, coordinating globally but acting locally. The local groups often get together with each other to pursue national change. Just like a Girl Up in Rio de Janeiro (Girl Up Elza Soares, which I was part of) creating a law to provide free feminine products in public schools in the state, and after that, joining Girl Ups in other Brazilian States, conquering the approval of this law to the whole country, even the most distant areas. 

    To become a member of a Girl Up you will normally be a young person that wants to fight for the women rights, and mostly of them are girls, but boys are welcome to help with the struggle. They organize in clubs, formed in schools or local communities. Their members are from all continents in the world. 

    To funding their clubs, Girl Up works through donations, partnerships like Disney and malls, foundations and largely by fundraising campaigns. They also received some investment from the Global Fund for Children. However, when talking about real action, Girl Up receives some criticism for not having much impact in some areas, just fundraising, and because of that its work is uneven. Even so, some clubs can be very impactful and change reality of many girls all over the world. 

 

Look at me as a baby (16 years old), and the girls in our Girl Up, raising 

feminine products on the mall that were distributed to a Indigenous Village! 

 

NGO Post - Peace Boat

    Peace Boat is a Japan-based organization established in 1983 that promotes "peace, human rights, and sustainability." They were created by a group of university students whose goal was to learn first-hand about the effects of Japan's military aggressions which the government had censored. They did this by chartering a ship to visit neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific and initiate a people-to-people exchange with those experiencing the war.   

    The primary aims of Peace Boat's programs are to create a positive impact on socio-political, economic and environmental issues via their ship, international conferences, global networking and media, and local grassroots actions. More specifically, they concentrate their efforts across different global issues such as environmental sustainability, disarmament, peacebuilding, humanitarian support, and education. They've taken on several environmental projects such as the "Galapagos Forest Revitalization Project," an effort in partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation to save the native plant life on the Galapagos Islands, and the "Support for Fukushima" project: a program supporting affected communities of the nuclear disaster at the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and advocating for a nuclear phaseout in Japan's energy policy. Additionally, Peace Boat is one of the international steering groups in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and has funded the removal of landmines from 1.7 million square meters of land through their Peace Boat Landmine Abolition Campaign (P-MAC), a campaign to remove the vast numbers of landmines left behind from the Cambodia and Afghanistan civil wars.    

    A central part of Peace Boat's success lies in their international presence. In addition to ICAN and P-MAC, Peace Boat has launched multiple international campaigns, some in partnership with other NGOs including the Global Article 9 campaign, and they are the northeast Asia regional secretariat for the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), an international network of NGOs focused on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.   

    Peace Boat is funded on a social business model through their voyages. They are located in Tokyo, Japan and has over 100 staff members, most of whom joined the organization after participating in a voyage as a volunteer, participant, or guest educator. Their passengers are called "participants" because everyone who joins a voyage contributes to Peace Boat's activities and therefore becomes an active "participant." About 1,800 participants take part in their Global Voyages, and since its creation in 1983, Peace Boat has traveled to more than 270 ports with over 70,000 participants. 

    In terms of effectiveness, Peace Boat has had a rather broad reach with its programs. Along with the success of P-MAC, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) continues to carry out emergency relief operations, raising funds for victims of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and implementing humanitarian support for those affected in the 2024 Hualien City earthquake in Taiwan. The organization is currently in the midst of its 122nd global voyage and is chartering two more this year in August and December.  

NGO Post -- World Vision -- Wyatt Rambo

 World Vision is an NGO that is primarily focused in assisting those who are in need, with a particular emphasis on "sponsoring" children, and providing clean water. So far, as of data from 2024, WV has provided over 3 million people with clean drinking water, and helped more than 35 million people wit/h crises and emergencies. WV provides a multitude of charitable services, such as household sanitation, and handwashing services. The organization gives children and their families better living conditions.

World Vision was started in the mid-late 1940s, by Bob Pierce. Pierce found an abandoned Chinese girl, and he gave his last 5 dollars to her, to help. World Vision was then formed, based in Oregon, and assisting those in East and Southeast Asia, particularly providing emergency services. Today, they work in nearly one hundred nations worldwide, becoming a truly global organization.
In the 1970s, when the countries surrounding Vietnam, World Vision helped 93 refugees, calling it "Operation Seasweep."
When Ethiopia was hit with a famine in the 1980s, WV provided the crucial services needed for the starving children and their families during the crisis.

In addition to World Vision's goals of providing adequate child protection and clean food and water, WV also specializes in providing equal education to all children.
"We believe in every child’s right to a quality, safe, inclusive and transformational education that empower children for life." -World Vision Education Page, https://www.wvi.org/our-work/education
So far, WV has provided nearly 5 million children with proper education through programs, as well as almost 45,000 children with disabilities, also through World Vision's programs. Additionally, WV has trained almost 19,000 teachers.

As a sub-category of WV's goal of child protection, they "envision a world where all children are healthy and well-nourished."  -World Vision Health Page, https://www.wvi.org/our-work/health
World Vision has reached 24 million people who're suffering from TB, Malaria, and HIV, with over 90% treatment success for tuberculosis. Further, WV has screened nearly 6 million children for malnutrition, according to 2025 data.

In all, World Vision is an NGO that has a focus on maintaining the well being of those who are in need of emergency services that cannot get it under normal circumstances, with a primary focus on aiding the families of children in over half of the countries of the world.

NGO- Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy began in 1972 as The Delta Organization. They went through many name changes over the years. As listed on their website, their primary goals are, “protecting biodiversity, advancing climate solutions and preventing ocean plastics.” It seems that their main way of carrying out these goals is by being advocates for changes in law and policy to protect the ocean, but they also conduct scientific research and engage local communities. They are most known for their International Coastal Cleanup program, which is a volunteer event that has taken place across a purported 150 countries. I couldn’t find many specifics about how they actually coordinate international activity, but they do work with NOAA and have participated in international climate conferences. Ocean Conservancy is USA based with their headquarters located in Washington, DC. Membership can be quite literally anyone, but they employ “scientists, policy analysts, attorneys and communicators as part of a diverse staff.” They have had several initiatives, but I’d say their most successful was getting a congressional rewrite of the US’s sustainable fisheries act in 1996 after advocating for four years to initiate change. Getting a country to change its laws seems like a pretty big deal to me. All of their funding comes from individual donations as well as corporate donations and government grants.

NGO - 350.org

 350.org was founded in 2008 by an environmentalist named Bill McKibben. The 350 in its name is a refernce to 350 ppm (parts per million) of carbon dioxide, which is the upper threshold for our atmoshpere to limit a climate catastrophe. The primary goal of the organization is to end the use of fossil fuels and switch to using more renewable methods of sourcing our energy.

They use multiple strategies to reach that goal. The first is mobilizing the masses. The more people that back a cause, the more likely it is that their voices will be heard. 350.org has organized hundreds of thousands of people to stand up and push back against organizations and policies that harm the environment and atmosphere. They also run campaigns that target specific policies, which can be incredibly effective when you are able to move so many people against a very specific thing. A third method they utilize is pushing for fossil fuel divestment. Divestment is the opposite of investment, so essentially they are convincing people or organizations that have invested in fossil fuels to pull out of those deals. This can help speed up the transition to renewables because there is less money flowing into the fossil fuels industry.

The organization has had a history of leading successful campaigns and demonstrations. For example, in 2014 they led the largets climate march in history, with 400,000 people marching in New York alone, as well as 2,000 other demonstrations in 162 other countries. They've also been a crucial voice in the fight against multiple pipeline projects across the world. The most famous of these was the Keystone XL pipeline which was proposed to stretch from Canada to Nebraska. Their efforts helped lead to President Obama rejecting the plan. Among their actions to help fight the pipeline was an effort to construct solar arrays directly in the path of proposed construction for the piepline, which would force the project to cause even more harm to people if it went through.

350.org has employees operating in 32 different countries, and it is currently headquartered in New York. Their leaderships system includes the board of directors, which operates across 4 continents. They have volunteer partners in 188 different countries. Most of these volunteers were brought in through grassroots organizing, which is a common method used by NGOs because groups of people usually already have shared experiences that drive them to fight alongside each other. They also have a strong online presence which had helped spread their messages and add people to their growing list of supporters and volunteers. They receive their funding through private investments and donations from institutions and individual activists. There are no membership fees, but rather a large groups of people and organziations who are willing to help fund climate action. Their donors are not usually made public, however it has been made public that they receive some funding from a donor-advised fund called the Tides Foundation, which focuses on social justice.

As far as the success of 350.org, they have historically been a potent force in helping push back against fossil fuel projects. They have run into a bit of trouble recently in the United States though. In 2025 they announced that they would have to temporarily suspend their programs in the US, which caused them to drop some of their staff, leaving just 3 in the country. Between 2025 and 2026 they saw a 25% drop in income, which is almost guaranteed to be a result of the changing political climate in the US surrounding the validity of climate change and environmental issues. This has led to questions surrounding the future of the organization. While events in the US may not directly hinder their progress in other places around the world, they are based there and receive a significant portion of their funding from US-based organizations and individuals. 

NGO Post - ANERA

  American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) was founded in 1968 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. Founded by Americans, it sought to provide emergency relief (food, medicine, etc.) to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon. Over the years, the focus of the organization became less on immediate aid and more on long term development.

The primary aim of ANERA is to reduce poverty and improve the overall standards of living in underserved communities in the Middle East. While it continues to provide emergency aid during times of heightened conflict, the organization mainly works to improve access to healthcare, education, clean drinking water, as well as economic opportunity. The overarching goal is to promote self reliance amongst the communities the organization works with.

ANERA carries out its aims through several different relief and community development programs. These include donating medical supplies, construction, rehabilitating schools, improving water and sanitation systems, and also providing job training. ANERA also works with other local NGOs and community organizations to maximize productivity.

ANERA is international in that it is headquartered in Washington D.C.. It also of course has several regional offices in the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. This allows the organization to operate on a local level, directly with the people it’s serving, while also maintaining administrative and fundraising operations in the U.S..

While the entire entity is able to operate internationally, the organization is very much decentralized, and each field office works semi-independently and locally in order to suit the needs of the people it works with. Although of course there is communication between the different field offices and the U.S. headquarters.

Unlike many other NGOs, ANERA does not have a formal membership base. The organization is instead composed of local partners, volunteers, and an expansive network of donors. Most of ANERA’s workforce is hired locally where it operates, which also strengthens its ties to the community it serves.

ANERA is seen as effective and it has been operating in the region for decades. It has a long track record of delivering crucial humanitarian aid, and it maintains connections with many other NGOs and humanitarian groups.

ANERA receives funding from several sources, including individual donors, private foundations, corporations, as well as government grants. A significant portion of its funding comes from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as other international institutions. This wide reach of funding sources has allowed ANERA to operate for as long as it has been.