THE EARTH TIMES
FEBRUARY 28,1994
‘The Great Global Bazaar’
Preview of a public television documentary
The Film
As the 20th century draws to a close, capitalism is becoming more dominant than ever. And it is not just the venerable money centers –the Big Board of the New York Stock Exchange, the City of London, the Paris Bourse, Frankfurt and Tokyo–that are prospering. Stock markets are booming in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and India. In many countries of the developing world, private enterprises are rising from the remnants of state-controlled economies. They are being driven by entrepreneurs who increasingly participate in what is truly becoming a Great Global Bazaar.
“The Great Global Bazaar” — an hour-long documentary–is hosted by Allan Dodds Frank of ABC News. The documentary looks at enterprises in Brazil, Malaysia, Morocco and Singapore, from multinational behemoths to small mom-and-pop businesses. And “The Great Global Bazaar” follows entrepreneurs such as Morocco’s Fouad Filali of The ONA Group, and executives such as Citibank’s Rana Talwar in Singapore, and IBM representatives in Brazil. The Film raises many provocative questions:
How can established Western multinational corporations expand in developing countries without trampling over local cultural sensitivities? How can third world companies expand in the markets of rich countries and compete against corporations with more formidable resources? How can trade replace aid? How can national leaders and multinational corporations meet rising expectations in developing countries for better living standards? How can business and government collaborate on generating more jobs and eradicating poverty?
“The Great Global Bazaar” will be broadcast on public television through PBS’s ALSS network. Its executive producers are Jayanti Gupte and Ashali Varma. Mayuri Chawla is the producer.
The script was written by Frank and Chawla. Peter Brownscombe did the photography. Michael Garvey edited the film, and Mark Brownstone was the on-line editor. Original music was composed by Pete Levin.
The Screening
The preview was organized at the Nawab Restaurant in midtown Manhattan on Feb 17. Prior to the screening of the-minute documentary, a reception was held by ICS, a not-for-profit production company that made the film. Guests included A.M Rosenthal, columnist– and former executive editor–of The New York Times, and his wife, Shirley Lord of Vogue Magazine; Nafis Sadik, executive director of the UN Population Fund, UN Under Secretary General Nitin Desai and his wife, Aditi Desai; former Moroccan Finance Minister Mohammed Berrada; Fouad Filali, chairman of The ONA Group; IBM’s Peter T. Rowley; Arjun Mathrani of Chase Manhattan and his wife, Anjali; Aroon and Indur Shivdasani; Bryant and Nandita Mason; and Mathilde Camacho of Newsweek.