RESISTING GLOBALIZATION? : SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN SRI LANKA

This article explores the phenomenon of resistance to globalization in Sri Lanka, focusing on the role of social movements and civil society organizations. It challenges the notion of globalization as an unstoppable and monolithic force, highlighting the ways in which local actors contest and reshape its impacts. The study examines various forms of resistance, from nationalist movements opposing foreign investment and cultural influence to labor unions protesting the impacts of structural adjustment and environmental groups campaigning against the negative ecological consequences of globalized development models. The research analyzes the strategies, ideologies, and effectiveness of these diverse social movements. The paper argues that civil society in Sri Lanka has been a key arena for articulating a critical perspective on globalization and for defending local interests and values. The analysis concludes that these movements, while not always successful in stopping global forces, play a crucial role in shaping the terms of their country's engagement with the global economy.

While many studies of globalization focus on its top-down economic and political impacts, this paper provides a bottom-up perspective by examining the various forms of resistance it has generated in Sri Lanka. The study begins by mapping the diverse array of social movements and civil society actors that have articulated a critique of globalization. This includes a detailed analysis of the trade union movement and its opposition to the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the erosion of labor rights under neo-liberal reforms. The paper also explores the role of environmental movements in resisting large-scale, foreign-funded development projects that threaten local ecosystems and livelihoods. A key part of the study is an examination of the nationalist and cultural movements that have resisted what they perceive as the threat of "cultural imperialism" and the erosion of national sovereignty. The core argument of the paper is that "resistance to globalization" is not a single, unified phenomenon but a complex and often-contradictory set of responses from different segments of society. The findings reveal a vibrant and contested political space where the global and the local interact in complex ways. The paper concludes that these social movements, while often labeled as "anti-globalization," are more accurately understood as actors in a struggle to define a more just, equitable, and culturally sensitive form of globalization for their country.