The Philosopher’s Approach to Globalism

Written by: Garrison Cox

Program Intern, World Affairs Council of Atlanta
Recent Graduate, Georgia State University
Published: 10/30/2018

The Philosopher’s Approach to Globalism

Today, the world thrives and prospers, and civilizations enjoy unprecedented peace and opportunities for success. Of course, the world is far from a utopia by any definition, but compared to the rest of humanities’ brief history our era of the 21^st century is thought of as the culmination of all our efforts for the betterment and progression of our species. So, is the uninterrupted flow of time responsible for our progress? Are we naturally predisposed to will ourselves onward and upwards regardless of the major setbacks on our timeline? Perhaps.

Maybe time is rather the stage on which the forces of our universe act, and the laws of science that dictate the order and results of those forces interacting are the lines that they present for us, the observant audience. We would quickly notice that a character like Puck, the mischievous fairy from a Midsummer Night’s Dream, is performed by the meddlesome force of gravity. Just like Puck moves in a confusing manner to grab seemingly distant and detached characters and mix them all together, so too does gravity act on foreign peoples and eventually draw them close. In the 21^st century there is immense gravity linked with the internet, and before the internet radio, and previously telegraphs, and continually international trade. Clearly, the world has historically become closer and increasingly connected due to the gravitational effects of our technology. Each advancement we call progress, and each major improvement, a technological wonder. So why do some people so vehemently oppose the connection and understanding between different peoples when those are the byproducts and results of our shared progress?

The devil is in the details, a phrase normally meant as a caution to avoid failure due to the specifics of a project, but what if the details are the devil. What if focusing on the minute differences are what keep us from seeing the bigger picture, and realizing that there’s not that much that separates us after all. Consider the children’s puzzles that ask you to spot the differences between two pictures, do you ever notice that the differences are always inconsequential, like the skin color of a person, the language they speak, or the invisible borders that separate them. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a puzzle if it asked to find the commonalities, but what would the world look like if we focused on our similarities instead of our differences?

 What if we thought about what unites us rather than what divides us? Maybe we would approach problems differently, and try to find solutions based on what we both would like as an alternative to pursuing whichever scenario makes the other person most upset. A world that brought empathy to the fore front of interactions and relationships with the people in our lives would be drastically different. In many ways, most likely for the best. If everyone considered other people’s perspectives as important as their own, then grace and understanding would be far more prevalent. We all enjoy forgiveness when we mess up, so surely a society which accepts failure with an optimistic mindset would advance at a dramatic pace. Without the pressure of failure being permanent people would be willing to work worry free, or without any pressure would there even be any meaningful work at all.

The universe has never been fair, and the world has never been a collection of fairly operated societies that wanted the best for each other as much as for themselves.  In this world, life repeats conflicts so that progress may be made through the work dedicated to solving those problems. A relationship with very little effort given from either or both sides will not be a strong relationship. Working to master a skill that took years to perfect, compared to something which is easily done, will provide varying levels of satisfaction for their completion. A cycle of conflict, resolution, and progression requires conflict, and based on the effort put into solving the conflict the greater the reward of alleviating the situation. Conflict is rewarding when we learn from it and it is essential for us to learn from our conflicts, otherwise we are only destined to repeat them.

To refrain from the vicious cycle of repeated conflicts between peoples it is important to learn from those conflicts by having a more open perspective about why other people believe what they believe. But without that conflict it is unlikely for people to properly learn about each other. Difference of opinion is not a bad thing, our varied perspectives are what make us so wonderful, but difference of respect for those who disagree with you will lead nowhere and without resolution there can be no learning from the conflict, only anger and repeated conflicts. Humans are attracted to each other by forces of social gravity, and there is no way to avoid the tension created from some of our social interactions. This is why it is so important to remember that at the end of the day the majority of all people have way more in common than the differences between themselves, and mutual respect about those differences is more likely to ensure resolution and progress through conflict than preconceived biases about our differences.

The More You Know

 Written by: Jazzmen Fobbs

Program Intern, World Affairs Council of Atlanta
Student, Georgia State University
Published: 10/30/2018

The More You Know

When I began taking classes at Georgia State University, meeting new people and getting involved in my chapter, I couldn’t help but feel like the odd one out. Nearly every person I met had at least one story to tell about a country or countries they’d traveled to; it was unbelievable. Everyone had so much experience, and it felt like there was so much that I didn’t know about the world. I grew up in one of the smallest towns in Southern Georgia, and no one casually left the country unless it were for military reasons. The diversity of the campus became one of my favorite things about GSU.

           

Towards the end of first semester, junior year, I moved in with my three roommates, one of whom I’ve grown extremely close to. She’s been to over 7 countries and visits Japan once a year. Fortunately, we share the same major and we’re always up talking about our future plans and the places we want to travel. She is the first person who pushed me to leave the US, and I am so grateful that she did. One day she came home with brochures from a class presentation, saying “let’s go to Argentina.” Although I was reluctant at first, she convinced me to apply regardless of my fear of the unknown. Everyone who’s traveled abroad always emphasizes the importance of going abroad before graduating college and how life changing these experiences can be. But although I began to entertain the idea of taking such a leap, I had no idea how I would possibly afford such a trip. Initially, I thought there was no way everything would fall into place. We wouldn’t get in the program on time, the flights would be too expensive or there’d only be room for one of us. All of these excuses to the reality that I was fearful of leaving my comfort zone. Luckily, we were both accepted and awarded scholarships to go towards the cost of the trip and stay. I worked endless hours to save up to pay any other expenses but never would I have ever imagined that all this work was going to pay off in the way it did.

            

After boarding in Atlanta we had a layover in Peru, took a boat to Uruguay, and finally arrived in Argentina. Everything was an entirely different experience. We hadn’t been in Córdoba for more than five days when our professor suggested that we join a march in the city during our free time. Stores and schools were closing early and everyone was meeting near Patio Olmos to begin protesting the 2 for 1 law. This ruling was being considered to reduce the sentences for those convicted of human rights violations that took place under the military dictatorship from 1976-1983. The turnout at the protest was incredible, it seemed as if most of the city was out marching with us. The most admirable thing about that night was that despite the size and relevance of the march, it was the most high-spirited protest I’d ever seen. I could easily compare it to something more upbeat like a parade, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. We even made the front page of their local newspaper.

            

Though the reason I was able to study abroad was to take a psychology course, this journey has an unexpected impact in my life and made me reevaluate my career path. Back in Georgia State, I had recently picked up Political Science as my second major, and I started to feel more intrigued by the field than I did by psychology. This curiosity was exalted by everything in Argentina but particularly the old detention centers such as “La Perla.” To hear the stories of the missing people and stand in the same place where they had once been was heartbreaking. Almost 30,000 people had disappeared or been killed and I learned way much more then I would have known if it weren’t for my time abroad. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know and tell others. I couldn’t believe that an entire genocide took place only 40 years ago and it wasn’t common knowledge to us in the United States.

            

Finally, this the trip culminated with the unforgettable experience of walking with the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. These mothers have been marching weekly for four decades. They have consistently been coming together with pictures of their missing loved ones protesting the government’s efforts to “forget” about the Dirty War and stop the trials of those convicted. Overall, it was such an eye opening experience to be around such amazing people who continue to fight endlessly for justice and to see pictures of everyone throughout the cities who would never be forgotten by their families. I have never seen such adamant people; the entire trip was inspiring.

“When people are determined they can overcome anything” –Nelson Mandela