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Walden BelloFilipino scholar, sociologist and political scientist
Date of Birth: 11.11.1945
Country:  Philippines |
Content:
- Walden Bello: A Filipino Scholar and Activist
- Return to the Philippines and Activism
- Exposing World Bank Involvement
- Post-Marcos Era and Political Engagement
- Anti-Globalization Advocacy
- Recognition and Affiliations
Walden Bello: A Filipino Scholar and Activist
Early Life and EducationWalden Bello, a renowned Filipino scholar, sociologist, and political scientist, was born in Manila. His education began at the Jesuit Ateneo de Manila University, where his parents supported his academic pursuits. Later, he pursued sociology at Princeton University, where he became politically active, participating in the anti-war movement and the occupation of the Woodrow Wilson Center. These confrontations with American police radicalized his political views. For his graduate research, he traveled to Chile to witness Salvador Allende's socialist experiment.
Return to the Philippines and Activism
Upon his return to the United States to defend his dissertation, Ferdinand Marcos had taken power in the Philippines in 1972 and established an authoritarian regime. Banned from his homeland, Bello became a central figure in the fight for democracy in the Philippines. He joined the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines. After earning his PhD in sociology from Princeton (1975), he taught at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1978, he was arrested for organizing a nonviolent takeover of the Philippine consulate in San Francisco to draw international attention to the situation in the Philippines. He endured a month in custody, ultimately being released after significant public pressure.
Exposing World Bank Involvement
In the early 1980s, Bello infiltrated the World Bank's headquarters and obtained 3,000 pages of confidential documents detailing the Marcos regime's ties to global financial institutions. His subsequent publication, "Development Debacle: The World Bank in the Philippines," fueled a movement that eventually toppled Marcos in the People Power Revolution of 1986.
Post-Marcos Era and Political Engagement
After the regime's fall, Bello returned to the Philippines two years later. He distanced himself from the Maoists due to their alleged involvement in civilian killings and joined the socialist-democratic Akbayan Citizens' Action Party. Elected to the Philippine parliament in 2010, he resigned in 2015 due to conflicts with President Benigno Aquino III and disagreement with his policies.
Anti-Globalization Advocacy
Bello's work has centered on analyzing and criticizing globalization's impact. He has participated in counter-summits, discussions, and protests, including those against the G8 summit in 2001 and WTO conferences in 1999, 2003, and 2005. He is a prolific author and lecturer, co-founding the Focus on the Global South research institute in Bangkok in 1995.
Recognition and Affiliations
Bello has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Right Livelihood Award in 2003. Socialist Worker magazine has hailed him as "one of the most articulate and prolific voices on the international left," dedicated to "fighting imperialism and corporate globalization." He serves on the boards of the International Forum on Globalization, the Center for Economic and Policy Research, and the local Greenpeace chapter.
