Message-ID: <199701110842.CAA12450@audumla.students.wisc.edu> Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 02:42:49 -0600 From: Adam J Behrendt <mailto:ajbehren@STUDENTS.WISC.EDU> Subject: Global Citizenship and a Multi-cultural approach to human rights To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Thanks to Kerry and Ken for your responses, especially to the paragraph abpout building Unity in Diversity, along with concepts of justice, and I apologize to the international members for the length of that message! The paragraph was:>> The concept of global citizenship is a good place to start, but
>> one which insists on unity in diversity, where sets of common beliefs and
>> the acceptance of our essential interconnectedness does not preclude
>> individual and collective diversity. Where there can be no separation of
>> social and collective transformation and the transformation of the
>> individual. And where the guiding principles must be justice, which means
>> equality of rights...
and Ken's and yours:
>> since we all see the world from different vantage points, and
>> one from another culture may envision a solution of which I am
>> incapable of conceiving from the blinkers my culture built into me.
>
> In short, 'diversity' does not reduce to simply a random pile of
>opinions, perspectives, or 'approaches,' and the challenge for
>'cross-cultural' communcation is to demonstrate (or at least point at)
>what's left out by such reduction. And isn't the place to begin the very
>fact that _every_ communication is in this sense crossing from _your_
>culture/ perspective to _mine_? Isn't building such a bridge the best way in
>the world to keep from getting stuck in the mud?
Boaventura de Sousa Santos brings up some excellent points (Towards a New Common Sense: Law Science and Politics in the Paradigmatic Transition) which we might find useful:
1) that we are in a "paradigmatic transition", a point in history distinct from others, and therefore systems such as capitalism, socialism, etc (and the concepts behind such systems) are no longer appropriate. Answers lie within human and cultural creativity. . .
2) Culture is of paramount importance--and should not be seen as the quaint practices and ways of dress etc but deep and profound alternative ways of seeing the universe--and procedd needs to start with the recognition that each culture is in itself incomplete-- therfore the need for cross-cultural dialouge--and the ability to recognize and acknowledge both personal and cultural incompleteness--having the strength and humility to see the good with bad--
3) He believes that we need to do this with "one foot in one culture and one in another" as much as is possible to assist with the process of cultural interpretation and exhange. (so that these things that one sees and the other does not can become transparent) Developers might see themselves more or as much in the role of cultural/meaning negotiators, mediators, faciltators as they do technology transferers. . .
4)And that a pressing issue is defining a working and acceptable--multi-cultural-- concept of human rights and human dignity (human nature), as the starting point for all human systems and models that might be developed--and that developers could get around to developing. We need to define, together, with many voices, what visions of ourselves and our future will be. But this can and will be as much a practical, step by step process of learning and trial and error as a new agricultural practice.
Any thoughts? Adam J. Behrendt--Candidate-- Ph.D. in Development Program /Land Tenure Center University of Wisconsin-Madison 203 Eagle Heights Apt. E, Madison, WI, 53705. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Program Representative Universidad Nur Department of Environment and Development Casilla 3273, Santa Cruz, Bolivia mailto:Email-DPID@nur.bo ----------------------------------------------------------------------