Department of Journalism and Communication Sociology and Media Sociology Seminar Series
Greenpeace campaigner, Mr. Fung Ka-keung, speaks on "Socialisation of Green Concepts in the Context of Globalisation : Strategy and Perspective"

Department of Journalism and Communication

Sociology and Media Sociology Seminar Series

1 December 2005

Greenpeace campaigner, Mr. Fung Ka-keung, speaks on "Socialisation of Green Concepts in the Context of Globalisation : Strategy and Perspective"

It has long been one-world climate, one-world environment, and one-world change in the natural world. The one-world concept or global concept, if not existence, has come out much earlier than Marshall McLuhan's vision of global village or the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The globalness of the Greenpeace heralds the world across borders also much earlier than what we now call globalisation. It is in this sociological perspective that this seminar gets its meaning to assess how the WTO brings about prospects for or dilemmas to the socialisation of green concepts.

Mr. Fung contends that with a globalisation process heightened by the WTO, the econ-politico power of transnational corporations (TNCs) is getting stronger and stronger, and this poses a greater difficulty for the environmental NGOs to combat green issues with TNCs, because TNCs can consolidate their bargaining power via a WTO's infrastructure and network. "Even worse, there is a growing perception that environmental policies are regarded as barriers to free trade," he said.

Whilst acknowledging that the economic power of TNCs is gigantic than any small countries on earth, Mr. Fung, however, is optimistic that with a closer linkage between countries facilitated by globalisation, environmental campaigners all over the world are now better informed with one another to launch concerted actions in a way making green issues, if not environmental problems a globalised concern.

For the sociology students, this seminar is to assess how green movements are now in a new context struggling with issues arising from globalisation. For the media sociology students, the seminar is to deepen the understanding on how environmental NGOs utilise media as a means to the socialisation of green concepts, and why the Greenpeace in Hong Kong inclines to pursue a "creative confrontation approach" instead of a grass-root strategy to enlighten people on the awareness of green issues.

		Mr. Fung explains the implication of "creative confrontation"
Lecturer Chan honours Mr. Fung with a commemorative plate
		The seminar is well received by a passionate response from participants
Students are busy to take photos