Reference no: EM133219801

Question: Read the following and answer the questions below.

Twelve adults and 23 children from Liberia sued the Firestone tire company in 2005, claiming that Firestone was forcing them to work in a "gulag of misery." The plaintiffs, who work on Firestone's rubber plantations, said the company was using child labor, depriving workers of sanitary living conditions, and dumping toxic chemicals into a river used by locals to drink, bathe, and fish. Firestone officials said the lawsuit was unfounded and that their corporation has been extremely generous. They said the company operates health clinics for its workers and runs schools for workers' children. Furthermore, during Liberia's bloody civil war, Firestone offered safe haven to 50,000 people. The accusations of exploitation were false, Firestone officials complained. But workers responded that only lucky children attended school. Workers' daily quotas-the number of trees that must be tapped for rubber every day-were impossible to reach without the help of children in the fields. In a country with an 85 percent unemployment rate, Firestone offers one of the few opportunities for citizens to earn a decent living, company officials said. But workers argued that it was precisely this lack of alternatives that was enabling Firestone to exploit its employees. "Workers cannot freely oppose the company and must continue to work without appealing anything," the lawsuit said.

How did globalization change some people's lives? How did the changes lead to a conflict?

What was the proposed solution(s) to the conflict? How satisfactory was the solution to each party?

Can you imagine a way to avoid or resolve similar conflicts in the future, even if rapid globalization continues?

Over the years, in what ways has your region become more globalized?

How can you see the results of this today? If you cannot see the results of this today, why?