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Professor Joseph Stiglitz is a Nobel Prize winning economist, who was advisor to Bill Clinton, and Chief economist at the World Bank until January 2000.  He voices his concerns about on- going proposals to create some of the largest free trade areas in the world – along the Pacific Rim, and also between Europe and the US. He argues that trade agreements are often a way for very wealthy interests to assert themselves rather than serving the majority. Joseph Stiglitz is also a best- selling author, The Price of Inequality and The Great Divide are among his latest books.

Arancha Gonzalez is the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, a body funded by the UN and the World Trade Organisation to help developing countries improve their competitiveness in the global market. She believes trade agreements are vital in helping eliminate red tape, but a lot depends on how they are translated into reality. She says trade is a tool not an end in itself, and if a developing country doesn’t also improve its infrastructure, high export figures are meaningless in themselves.

Dr Oscar Guardiola-Rivera is a Colombian political scientist and Senior lecturer in Law at Birkbeck, University of London.  He says that in the 19th century, Latin America became the first laboratory for free trade agreements when commerce began with Europe, culminating with NAFTA in 1994. Oscar argues that this historical experience has led many Latin American countries to turn their back on trade agreements, and create their own much more successful economic agenda. Oscar is also the author of the award-winning What if Latin America ruled the world? , and Story of a Death Foretold. The Coup Against Allende, 9/11/1973.

In our Sixty Second Idea to improve the world, Colombian political scientist Dr Oscar Guardiola-Rivera suggests trading between nations would be fairer if we learnt from ancient history when commercial activities first started. He refers to the example of early Amerindian tribes where the rule was you always traded your best assets in order to create a more balanced and equal society. So exchange the best you have without accumulating wealth.