ABSTRACT
On a cold, gray morning in Seattle, just one month before the close of the twentieth century, delegates from 135 countries gathered to discuss cooperative trade strategies and rules meant to enhance the wealth of their nations. Among the delegates of the World Trade Organization's Third Ministerial Conference, there was virtual unanimity behind the idea that free trade guaranteed economic prosperity. Their mission was to negotiate the specific rules guiding the World Trade Organization (WTO), a global political institution established to arbitrate trade disputes among nations. Much to these delegates' surprise, not everyone shared their views. Protesters from around the world clogged city streets and prevented WTO representatives from attending the opening meetings. The concerns of the protesters were varied, ranging from the protection of jobs in industrialized nations to working conditions and "just" wages in Third World countries. There were even cries to save the habitat of Pacific sea turtles.
