By Alasdair Charnock

The Occupy London Stock Exchange has been grabbing the headlines for the last few weeks now; especially since the campers/occupiers/protesters (it’s hard to know what to call them) moved to St. Pauls Cathedral and two senior clerics resigned over the handling of the situation.

One of the largest protests seen in the West in recent times was in Seattle in 1999 during the WTO Ministerial Conference. With over 40,000 people taking to the streets, the eyes of the world were drawn to the ‘Emerald’ City but not for the reasons world leaders had intended. People from all walks of life and with different agendas came together to create a dramatic scene.

But what was achieved? If the protests had accomplished what they set out to in 1999 would we be having Occupy Wall Street and the London Stock Exchange in 2011? “Divide and rule” is a tactic used by people in power wanting to maintain their position. If an opposition comes already divided then it is difficult to see how they will achieve what they want to.
 
Indeed this is the main criticism of the current protests, and certainly something that stands out when you visit St. Pauls. There are signs championing communism, socialism, anarchism and inevitably the ‘travellers’ who were moved from Dale Farm. There is no clear, coherent message. Speak to the ‘residents’ and the message becomes more muddled.

The point should be about generating meaningful change. In Seattle, some of the protests were against free trade agreements that had done more to harm developing countries than aid their advancement. But what one must realise is that international organisations such as the WTO can bring about real, long-lasting and sustainable change.

As the economist Joe Stiglitz recently remarked: “The WTO plays a very important role.” For example “it prevented countries from taking protectionist action during the crisis.” The WTO will continue to play a crucial role in the development of poor countries by encouraging developed nations to agree to open up their markets to these countries. As Mr. Stiglitz points out, as long as there is no multilateral agreement, then more damaging bilateral agreements will be negotiated.

So, as the current generation of protesters sit in the nearby Starbucks (from Seattle) cafe sipping coffee and using the free Wi-Fi connection and accepting food donations without looking at where they have come from, they may appreciate how globalisation and capitalism have benefitted them, and that real change is necessary for the people in this world who cannot say the same for themselves.