"It is people who are the objects of globalization and at the same time its subjects. What also follows logically from this is that globalization is not a law of nature, but rather a process set in train by people"

Globalization is often discussed as an inevitable, almost unstoppable force, driven by abstract economic or technological trends. However, the perspective highlighted by Tarja Halonen underscores that people are at the very heart of globalization, as both its objects and its subjects. People are the ones who experience the effects of increased global interconnectedness, whether through changes in labor markets, culture, information flows, or political dynamics. These changes influence daily lives, identities, workplaces, and communities, shaping everything from the food we eat to the jobs we hold and the ideas we exchange.

At the same time, people are not merely passive recipients of globalization's impacts. They actively participate in creating, sustaining, challenging, and directing the process. Entrepreneurs develop international supply chains, workers migrate in search of opportunity, activists network across borders to advance social causes, and consumers make choices that drive or resist global brands. This dual position, as both objects affected by and subjects shaping globalization, suggests a dynamic interplay between grassroots agency and broader structural shifts.

Recognizing that globalization is not a “law of nature” but rather a process driven by human decisions carries important implications. Globalization, in this sense, is not an inevitable destiny dictated by impersonal forces; it is open to influence, negotiation, and alternation. The policies governments adopt, the priorities businesses set, and the collective actions of civil society all weigh in on how globalization unfolds. By remembering the human origins and agency within globalization, societies can question whose interests are being served, create more equitable frameworks for participation, and even redirect globalization in ways that prioritize justice, sustainability, and well-being.

This understanding invites a deeper sense of responsibility. If people are both the architects and beneficiaries, or victims, of globalization, then it becomes possible, and indeed necessary, to imagine and work toward alternative models where the benefits of interconnectedness are more widely and fairly shared.