Globalization And Social Protection In Sri Lanka: Diverging Views Between Centre And Periphery

Following the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 the literature of the major international development agencies (centre), began to assert that the globalization process requires nations to build and sustain sophisticated social safety nets that can insure their populations against the volatility that characterises open economies. In this paper we utilize the experience of Sri Lanka as a test case to determine whether the new appreciation of the link between globalization and social protection is influencing the perspective and practices of agents within recipient countries (periphery). We conclude there is a lack of awareness of the globalization-safety net link amongst domestic stakeholders and a clear difference of views between the central offices and the local representatives of the IDAs. We suggest this is a cause of great concern not least because there exists a domestic constituency within Sri Lanka that would be receptive to proposals designed to strengthen social safety nets should the global agencies make a sustained effort to promote the message present in the rhetoric emanating from Washington and Manila.