ABSTRACT
A radical reappraisal of globalisation, and in particular of the role of the US and the corporate community, may be one potential silver lining to the otherwise dark events of last autumn. The refreshingly frank debate raised real concerns as to the future course of corporate responsibility as a means of addressing major social and environmental challenges. The corporate community has been almost entirely absent from serious public debate about what the events of September 11th mean for the future. Public opinion surveys, for example in Brazil and South Africa, revealed support for the view that the US and the global business community need to understand the implications of the despair that communities feel in the face of globalisation. Such views are indicative that for many this is not a 'Muslim issue', but one that reflects the facts of how globalising business and US foreign policy are undermining and disempowering people and communities.
