Interview : Itinerary of a Globalized Australian

The life of James Arkavanitakis took a radical turn a few years ago. This Australian banker was a rich man. He was a trader, with a highly coveted job in the finance sector. He drove a Mercedes and on the other side of the world, the brand with the star is even more expensive than in Europe. One day, James decided to go on a holiday. He went to Bolivia. "There I found out that ten- or twelve-year-old kids went down into the iron and aluminum mines to work. Their life expectancy was twenty-five years or even less: their lungs could not cope. What's more, James learned that Bolivian aluminum was exported to Germany to make cars. The Australian trader was no longer able to use his Mercedes.
"My whims were making kids die in Bolivia. We can no longer ignore these things, we cannot keep on leading an easy life of comfort and close our eyes." As a result, he decided to quit his job. "Today, I am a full-time activist at the Australian association Aid Watch," he explained. His income took an 80% fall. But James is without any doubt happier today than he was a few years ago …He is a doctor of philosophy and economics and has written two books, one on the antiglobalization movement and the other on his views on alternative economic models.
James has come to Lille to meet other activists, to "make contacts and build a network." On Monday, he is taking a plane for Sidney. He will continue his action there.