1. Our Common Globe

Are the rapidly changing climate and an expected lack of resources the greatest challenges of our time? Is our way of evolution synonymous with pollution? What should be defined as pollution? Should developed countries share technology and offer assistance to the countries who are struggling to enter the industrialized world? How can we provide sufficient incentives to make all the countries contribute in reducing the level of pollution? Does anyone have the right to decide what is sustainable growth and make global rules? Should we have to pay for our environmental crimes?

 

2. Technology: Threat or Possibility?

Technology affects many aspects of social life: communication, transportation, agriculture and energy supply. Technology has made more knowledge accessible around the world and has eliminated previously accepted boundaries for what was humanly possible. Who are entitled to the knowledge of technology? The world is facing an energy crisis, and nuclear power may be a solution to many problems. But all the countries that enrich uranium will also bring the possibility of developing nuclear weapons. What precautions can be made and who has to follow them? How does technology affect the social aspects of society? How does this create another class distinction in the world?

 

3. The Ultimate Political System

Politics can be defined as the way to distribute goods and burdens. Is there a set answer about which political system does this the best way? What is the most efficient way of organizing a society? Can we accept dictatorship if this leads to an increased standard of living? Could anarchy strengthen local cooperation? Is democracy the ideal? What kind of political system will function best in a globalized context? How can we learn from each other as the world gets more interconnected? This workshop will debate problems and possibilities around different ways to govern. We will also try to test different solutions in practice.

 

4. Money Rules

In a globalized economy the various national economies are becoming more interconnected through trade agreements. Market economy, neo-liberalism and privatization can seem like a clear, single answer from institutions such as the World Bank, WTO and IMF. Will the prevailing free trade regime lead to growth and prosperity throughout the world, or is the ideology of the market economy based on the principle of The Survival of the Fittest? Is it really possible for one single economic system to function all over the world? What alternatives exist? What role can the new social movements and the multinational corporations play?

 

5. Global governance

Has the nation state outplayed its role? Has the time come for creating a new, global form of governance which incorporates all the people of the world? Physical distance is no longer an obstacle to communication, and transnational agreements are making people dependent on each other. Are the regional cooperation alliances we see today just the first step towards one single shared political system? Is it possible and desirable to create a global democracy? What consequences could this have for the average man or woman in the street?

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6. Ideals and Gender in a Global Perspective

The ideals of gender are changing. How are traditional standards and boundaries of gender challenged in a global perspective? To what extent does our biological sex define how we behave? Is gender only a product of culture and religion? Gender equality differs around the world, but who is actually oppressed: the woman covered up by her burka, or the cheer leader with a miniskirt?

 

7. Defining Culture = Defining Identity?

In a world where culture often is the thing that makes us different, how important is it to hold on to our roots? What boundaries define one’s identity: cultural, geographical, historical, linguistic or national? Minorities and native peoples are often excluded both politically and geographically. How does this affect cultural diversity? Should the international community interfere with cultural development?

 

8. Globalization of Ethics

People get more interconnected, and conflicts occur because of differences. Do we need common values? Is the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights a successful attempt at creating world ethics? Does everyone agree about these? How are our values constructed? Is it necessary, desirable, or even possible to make a foundation for global values – a common understanding of ethics? Will culture and religion change as a result? What is most important for creating and deciding ethics: religion, culture or basic human rights? How do globalization and technological change affect ethics?

 

9. Religion in a Changing World

Does globalization lead to secularized societies where scientific explanations leave no room for religion? Is religion becoming less or more important? Is it necessary to have something to hold on to in a changing world? Are the existing religions getting stronger or are we changing them and creating new ones? Is religion just a tool to mobilize or suppress people? What happens when a state makes a religious statement and formulates their laws according to holy scriptures? Is religion compatible with freedom of speech?

 

10. Cultural Crossroads

Increased interaction between countries and people leads to increased knowledge of different cultures. Are the world’s cultures turning into one, or does globalization enrich local cultures? Who is to decide which cultures to preserve? Who owns culture? What differentiates tradition from culture? Who has the right to define culture? Are cultures strengthened or destroyed by foreign cultural expressions? Would it be easier to have a common language, religion and traditions?

 

11. Is the Media Defining Truth?

In many ways the media - newspapers, television, the Internet - can be said to be the basis and driving force of globalization. The media are said to be our “eyes” on the world. We get more information than ever about the rest of the world, but on the other hand, the media have the power to set the agenda. Is the media really able to be objective, or is everything we see just the product of a journalist’s subjective point of view? What is the truth and what is propaganda? What incentives do the different media have? To what extent does ownership – private or public – affect the content of the news? How can media focus influence the economy, development and opinions?

 

12. Global Crime

How has globalization affected the scope of international crime? Police and governments are cooperating more across borders, but still the headlines frequently talk of corruption, drug trade and trafficking. Has globalization fostered new kinds of crime? How can we adapt the structures of society to combat global crime? Surveillance, DNA registers and Internet tracing are ways of controlling crime. At the same time this often reveals sensitive information that can be abused. How much of our freedom are we willing to sacrifice in order to make society safer?

 

13. Heal the World

In the age of globalization, epidemics are spread more easily and rapidly by people travelling worldwide, and through cross-border trading in food and other goods. In the same way, information is spread more easily, and governments can cooperate in fighting different types of diseases. What can be done to stop epidemics like HIV/AIDS, and whose responsibility is this? Who defines what diseases and epidemics are important to study and combat? Who decides the development of medicines and sales restrictions on medicines? Can life be patented?

 

14. Communication Barriers

Language is a tool for human interaction. By understanding other people we can cooperate and interact more efficiently. How important is communication for the globalization process? Misunderstandings can cause great harm in politics and business worldwide. How will the world change when people understand each other even better? A number of languages are lost every year. Are we willing to pay the price of losing language diversity in order to be more efficient? Are we heading for a future with one common world language?

 

15. Global Boundaries

The term boundaries can be interpreted in at least two different ways in a global perspective. Geographical borders are one way to view the changes in today’s society. At the same time, our personal and mental boundaries are also challenged through global interaction. We make important choices every day, but are we aware of the global impact they may have? How are we as individuals affected by globalization? Are there any boundaries at all between being an individual and being a world citizen?

 

16. Students in Struggle

Throughout history, students have been engaged in struggles for democracy and a just society. Different student organizations are making considerable efforts in many parts of the world and have shown that they can make a difference. However, an international cooperative network is needed to promote inspiration and exchange experience. This is a follow-up from the attempt made in ISFiT 2005 to create something permanent. This workshop is for students who are already organized in student organizations dedicated to promote democracy and human rights. The aim will be to create a network to exchange information and inspiration.