Monday, September 10, 2007

1. Globalisation and Culture

Globalisation refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres.

Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief.



PRO-GLOBALISATION

The pro-globalisation arguments are based on the statement that (cultural) change is an essential part of life and not neccessarily means the loss of traditional values. Proponents also state that the export of American products all over the world is only a sign of economic success, not of monocultural dominance. Indeed, new global media, such as the internet, have proven a powerful means of projecting traditional culture (and the culture of radical opponents of globalisation). In addtion the integration of culture coming along with globalisation is seen as a positive movement against fundamentalistic violent ways of thinking.



ANTI-GLOBALISATION

It is argued that one of the consequences of globalisation will be the end of cultural diversity, and the triumph of a uni-polar culture serving the needs of transnational corporations.



An example of cultural clash in the name of globalisation was the destruction of a McDonalds outlet in southern France by a farmer, Jose Bove, who supplies milk for French Roquefort cheese. http://www.gascd.com/josebove.php



2. Environment & Biodiversity, Sustainable Development

Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.

Sustainable development is defined as balancing the fulfilment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future.



Energy and environment are essential for sustainable development. The poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable energy services. These issues are also global as climate change, loss of biodiversity and ozone layer depletion cannot be addressed by countries acting alone.



There is growing recognition that we have to look beyond economic progress to achieve sustainable societies. Sustainable Development must be ecologically sustainable. Economic and social progress depends on base ecosystem services (for example oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption by plants) and a healthy environment. Development also implies an improvement in the quality of life through education, justice, community participation, and recreation.



3. Terrorism and War

Terrorism in the modern sense is violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or "terror", are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or utterly disregard the safety of non-combatants.
War is a prolonged state of violent, large-scale conflict involving two or more groups of people.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/WarOnTerror.asp

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

same-sex marriage

Is same-sex marriage a practical consideration in this age of globalisation?

Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. Although same-sex unions around the world have existed since ancient times, recognized same-sex marriage is a relatively new phenomenon.The Netherlands was the first country to allow same-sex marriage in 2001. Since then, only a few other countries and states have recognized same-sex marriages as there has been much controversy over same-sex marriages, especially in many conservative Asian societies.

Some religions such as Christianity and Islam object to same-sex marriages as it goes against their teachings. For example, the Bible says that homosexuality is unnatural and sinful. If same-sex marriage is allowed, especially in countries that are deep into religions that are against homosexuality, it may lead to social chaos and impede the country's progress. One example from the bible is as shown:

Genesis 19:4-5: This is the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Religious conservatives generally interpret this chapter as referring to homosexual desires of the entire male population of the two cities. Religious liberals and secularists generally interpret the citizen of Sodom's crime as attempted homosexual rape and lack of caring for orphans, widows, strangers, and others. Rape is not common in either same-sex marriage or opposite-sex marriage.

The purpose of marriage is for procreation and to ensure the continuation of the species, and since same-sex couples can't procreate, they shouldn't be allowed to marry. The family unit that is the chief social building block of civilization, and there are economic benefits related to it. Children brought up by gays may be confused with their sexual identity, and they do not experience both paternal and maternal love. Many of the values mothers and fathers bring to their children is due to the fact that mothers and fathers are different. And by cooperating together and complementing each other in their differences, they provide these good things that same-sex caregivers cannot. Fathers have a distinct style of communication and interaction with children, while mothers are more likely to provide warm, nurturing care; Fathers tend to play with, while mothers tend to care for, their children and; Fathers stress justice and fairness, while mothers stress sympathy and care.

Some people may argue that homosexuals should be given their own rights just like how other minorities, such as the disabled, should be given their own rights. In addition, many professional organisations(eg. American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, etc) agree that sexual orientation is not a choice, but one that we are born with. Same-sex marriage is not a problem if the couple involve does not affect others negatively. On the other hand, by disallowing same-sex marriage, homosexuals may not be given the same rights(eg. tax benefits, inheritance rights, etc) as others, and this may affect the country negatively. These people may go to other countries to legalise their marriage, resulting in a lost of human talents and bringing economic losses to the country

Furthermore, research has shone that gays tend to be more creative which will bring economic benefits to the country. A law criminalising homosexuality and same-sex marriage can only work against the Republic's push to lure foreign talent here and to grow into a creative economy. Some businesses are also targeting the "pink dollar" homosexuals bring in as they have more disposable income. One example is four-year-old fashion chain NewUrbanMale, which recorded $6 million in revenue last year. It is known as a gay brand even though their target group is much wider and includes straight men and women. Also, half of the design team is gay.

There are many underprivileged and abandoned children today even in this age of globalisation. Therefore same-sex marriage is a practical consideration in this case. In same-sex marriage, a couple cannot have a child naturally. However, they can adopt these underprivileged and abandoned children and take care of them.

The issue of same-sex marriages has to be dealt with separately in different countries. Some countries use their religious teachings as their basis for control and may be very anti-gay, while some countries practise neutrality and equality. Hence, decisions made should take into consideration what is best for the country's economic and social growth.