As the world’s billionaire class reaps record profits and global inequalities further divide nations and communities, this anthology compiled by renowned activist Dr. Vandana Shiva pulls back the curtain on how ruthless capitalistic exploitation branded as philanthropic altruism forges a direct path to global destruction.
Philanthrocapitalism and the Erosion of Democracy: A Global Citizens’ Report on the Corporate Control of Technology, Health, and Agriculture details how global philanthrocapitalist organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and affiliated entities effectively monopolize and privatize common land for food production in a manner that jeopardizes public health around the globe.
Through various initiatives, sub-organizations, development schemes, and funding mechanisms, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s empire in particular, weaves an intricate network of power and influence designed to ensnare local communities and traditions in an unwavering pursuit of profit and market expansion.
Philanthrocapitalism and the Erosion of Democracy calls to account problematic initiatives that serve to corrode the integrity of democratic institutions, often under a banner of future-oriented innovation. This book lays bare the destructive power of overly capitalistic systems that enable mass human suffering and environmental catastrophe via the entanglement of private investment and public policy.
This democratic emergency is analyzed in detail by leading experts and civil society movements’ leaders, such as: Dr. Vandana Shiva, Farida Akhter, José Esquinas Alcàzar, Nicoletta Dentico, Fernando Cabaleiro, Seth Itzkan, Dru Jay, Satish Kumar, Jonathan Latham, Aidé Jiménez-Martínez, Chito Medina, Zahra Moloo, Silvia Ribeiro, Adelita San Vicente, Ali Tapsoba, Jim Thomas, Timothy A. Wise.
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Why this book matters
- Exposes how philanthrocapitalism — charity branded as altruism — is used to monopolize food systems, technology, and public health policy
- Reveals the entanglement of private investment and democratic institutions, and the corrosive effect on communities worldwide
- Compiled by Dr. Vandana Shiva with contributions from leading global experts, civil society leaders, and international organizations
- Provides a rigorous, evidence-based critique of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s influence on agriculture, health, and land rights
- A vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the political economy of global inequality and the fight for Earth Democracy
