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Terms: Global Majority, Greenwashing
Global Majority
Phonetic Pronunciation: GLOH-buhl muh-JOR-uh-tee
Definition:
"Global Majority" is an inclusive term for the 80 percent of humanity racialized as non-white, replacing outdated “minority” labels with a strengths‑based, evidence‑led framework.
History:
The term "Global Majority" arose in London between 2003 and 2011 when Rosemary Campbell-Stephens introduced it as a powerful alternative to "ethnic minorities," aiming to center the roughly 80 percent of the world's population who exist outside whiteness. It evolved from academic and activist critiques of outdated and often homogenizing labels that, as Campbell-Stephens puts it, are "clumsy" and "blunt"—terms like BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) or "People of Color". By reframing identity through the lens of global demographics rather than minority status in Western contexts, the term shifts narratives of marginality toward ones of global belonging, strength, and leadership (Campbell-Stephens, 2020).
Current Usage:
Universities, NGOs, and schools use "Global Majority" to replace less formal terms to emphasize shared experience rather than geographic binaries. It appears in dictionaries (Cambridge Dictionary, 2023) and policy reports (NCVO, 2023) to foster inclusive, evidence‑based dialogue.
Examples:
A situational example: A city council report highlights the importance of inclusive policies by stating, "Our city's diversity is evident, with half of our residents coming from Global Majority backgrounds."
A sentence example: The university launched a compelling scholarship program specifically designed to support students from Global Majority communities.
Perspectives:
Mainstream educators and NGOs, like Internet legal and social tech activist Nighat Dad, champion “Global Majority” for its positive, unifying framing, shifting from deficit‑based “minority” language to strength‑based representation (Dachwitz, 2025).
Some critics argue it grossly oversimplifies and meshes together distinct phenotypes implies false "cohesion" amongst distinct cultures (e.g., Hindu cultures are assumed to be united with people from El Salvador) and may obscure inter‑group inequalities, urging more in-depth terminology (Sixsmith, 2023)
Did You Know?
Despite its success, the London Challenge education initiative - globally regarded as one of the UK’s greatest secondary school reforms (Tomlinson, 2013) - erased the overwhelming contribution of Black educators (Campbell-Stephens, 2020). The Global Majority concept was partially coined to ensure such silence doesn't happen again.
Sources:
Cambridge Dictionary. “Global Majority.” @CambridgeWords, 8 Mar. 2023, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/global-majority/. Accessed 13 May 2025.
Dachwitz, Ingo. "Global Majority House: How Activists Want to Bring Global Majority Perspectives into EU Tech Policy." Netzpolitik, 21 Apr. 2025, https://netzpolitik.org/2025/global-majority-house-how-activists-want-to-bring-global-majority-perspectives-into-eu-tech-policy/.
Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. “People of the Global Majority.” ILPA, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, n.d., https://www.ilpa.org.uk/people-of-the-global-majority/. Accessed 13 May 2025.
Kanemura, Rei. “Time Well Spent 2023: Volunteering among the Global Majority.” NCVO, 28 Nov. 2023, https://www.ncvo.org.uk/news-and-insights/news-index/time-well-spent-2023-volunteering-among-the-global-majority/. Accessed 13 May 2025.
Sixsmith, Ben. "Marginalising the Majority: Progressive Rhetoric Has a Projection Problem." The Critic, 1 May 2023, https://thecritic.co.uk/marginalising-the-majority/.
Tomlinson, Mike. "How London Challenge Turned Capital's Schools Around." The Guardian, 11 Dec. 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/11/london-challenge-turned-poor-schools-around.
Resources:
Horn, Kaniehti:io, host. Telling Our Twisted Histories. CBC Podcasts, 2021–ongoing
Canada Confesses – Black Community Resources
Canada Confesses – BIPOC Communities Resources
Greenwashing
Definition:
“Greenwashing involves making an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company's products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than is true.” What Is Greenwashing? How It Works, Examples, and Statistics , Adam Hayes
Examples:
“A plastic package containing a new shower curtain is labeled “recyclable.” It is not clear whether the package or the shower curtain is recyclable. In either case, the label is deceptive if any part of the package or its contents, other than minor components, cannot be recycled.
An area rug is labeled “50% more recycled content than before.” The manufacturer in fact increased the recycled content to 3% from 2%. Although technically true, the message conveys the false impression that the rug contains a significant amount of recycled fiber.
A trash bag is labeled “recyclable.” Trash bags are not ordinarily separated from other trash at the landfill or incinerator, so they are highly unlikely to be used again for any purpose. The claim is deceptive because it asserts an environmental benefit where no meaningful benefit exists..” What Is Greenwashing? How It Works, Examples, and Statistics , Adam Hayes
Sources:
What Is Greenwashing? How It Works, Examples, and Statistics 2022
Resources:
What Is Greenwashing? How It Works, Examples, and Statistics 2022
What is Greenwashing? (Article)