Commercio equo, strumento per uno sviluppo umano, partecipato e sostenibile

The object of my dissertation is to show how fair trade, which has already proved to be an effective model, could get into the new multilateral cooperation in the next future.
In the first chapter I will analyze the basic mechanisms that have led to the divergence and the hierarchization of the countries in the world.
The heart of this mechanism is the concept of progress, which has born during the Renaissance but explodes with all of his power only in the 18th century. From this time forward, European society starts an economic, social and cultural metamorphosis. The world become polarized: on one side we have globalized rich people, who live in the web hyperspace and have no free time, on the other side there are poor people, chained to their spaces and to their slow times (Baumann).
In the second chapter, I will go over the development cooperation route until nowadays. I will explain its lacks, the proposals and the necessary corrections. Then I repurpose Carrino’s idea of cooperation: the new multilateralism. This is an inclusive development model, that should be able to gather international organizations, government and local communities of the beneficiary countries, and donor governments together. New multilateralism means inter-work among agencies, co-development both in poor and rich countries, and real participation.
In this proposal, a key role could be played by the fair trade, as an organized movement able to mobilize people, and give answers to the most urgent request and to the basic needs of the poor people.
Fair trade could have a very important role in the new multilateralism.
The fair trade, the focus of the third chapter, is a different approach of the consumption. It becomes instrument to promote social and economic equity, sustainable development, and respect of the people and the nature. On the other hand, as trade, it can make consumers more conscious, informed and politically involved.