Some Emerging Challenges on the Social Consequences and Policy Implications
of Knowledge Advances for Global Civilization in the 21st Century
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Objectives |
Potential Challenges & Actions |
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1. Human Dignity & Actualization |
· Knowledge & Skills: Encouraging individuals to acquire, use & generate knowledge & skills for meeting their needs, enterprise & employment flexibility · 'Environment': Nurture an enabling ‘environment’ for individual & group enterprise, competition, innovation & risk-taking · Styles & Approaches: Harness the rich & diverse talents of global multi-cultural societies to search for styles & approaches (a) to solve problems, & (b) to exploit & manage opportunities · Recognition: Recognize ‘heroes’ who have generated wealth through enterprise in various forms (e.g. arts, science, commerce, engineering) · Social & Cultural Capital: Encourage individuals to learn knowledge & skills from others, to be aware & motivated, to create social, cultural & economic capital, to gain personal satisfaction & contentment (i.e. the feeling of ‘making a difference’), & to gain meaning & enlightenment when linked with, responding to, having a vested interest in & committing to their ‘neighbours’ or associates in a place, local organization or social business
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2. Enterprise & Organization (Diverse Capabilities) |
· Creative Leadership: Encourage the emergence of leaders in enterprises who constantly challenge the status quo & display creative dissatisfaction for better political effectiveness & social & ‘environmental’ sustainability · Emergency Preparedness: Prepare citizens for abrupt & irreversible environmental changes & extremes (e.g. climate change impacts) that threaten livelihoods, food security & health · ‘Community’ Organization: Encourage ‘local’ communities & neighbourhoods to organize themselves in terms of a stable composition, cohesiveness, mutual support, transformation & change, harnessing energy & creativity, outward-looking, being engaged, ensuring safety & security, communication, & responding to threats & adversity · ‘Neighbourhood Trusts’: Encourage formation of neighbourhood ‘trusts’ at different levels with a clear focus, cause, purpose, beliefs; & with an ability to form alliances & partnerships to communicate, care for the group, access resources, realize freedoms, & to promote security similar in function to site-bound parishes & communities · Capacity Development: Enable individuals to acquire basic knowledge, concepts, understanding & skills (‘soft’ skills) with technical support tailored to their needs & aptitudes so that they may be able to choose & develop their potential, talents & career at a time of rapidly changing technology & knowledge redundancy · Creative Livelihoods: Promote an understanding of converging skills & capabilities needed for work & life (i.e. life-long learning & coherence), autonomous livelihoods & self-actualization, individual creativity & initiatives, wealth creation in various forms, & for leadership in a world influenced by consumerism, sophisticated technology, IT & global labour markets |
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3. Global Governance & Resilience |
· Economic stability: Promote economic stability through various measures such as low inflation & interest rates, low bureaucracy & regulation, tax incentives & regimes, good infrastructure, balancing equity with efficiency, increasing employment opportunities, enhancing individual & corporate reputations in international ‘markets’ · Security Potential & Limits: Encourage knowledge & understanding about the potentials & limits of internal & external security (e.g. environmental, nuclear, technological, social) · Public Information: Provide robust public information to enlighten individuals on alternative consumption lifestyles, food & water security, healthy & creative livelihoods, & pathways to reprocessing & recycling of domestic & industrial wastes · Consumption Patterns: Promote reduced energy & materials use & wastage to redress the impact of individual 'footprints' on nature’s absorption capacity (‘metabolism’) through ‘green’ policies, a variety of reprocessing practices & opportunities that create ‘resource loops’, & through corporate / social reporting on environmental impacts & waste generation · Ethical Values: Encourage all individuals to understand & share the five (5) ethical values for responsible citizenship important in every culture: Honesty, Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, & Compassion, so that they may invest in the formation of human, intellectual, social, cultural, ethical & financial capital · Democracy & Accountability: Promote democracy, universal suffrage, equal voting, public accountability of all associations, partnership arrangements, strong leadership (within & outside organizations), internal visionaries, external pressures, & citizens’ rights · Investments: Ensure the rights & responsibilities of 'investors' to promote efficient enterprises, secure a local 'market' or competitive advantage over the medium term in return for their social investments, ensure a decent wage, & to pay reasonable & democratically-agreed taxes · Popular power: Harness the creativity, innovation & cultural power of people to promote social & economic transactions & changes, & to exploit & manage social & economic opportunities |
Historical revolutions that have enhanced Knowledge & challenged human creativity in risk assessment & exploration of opportunistic enterprises:
l From small family / extended family bands to large clans based on kinship
l From primitive stone-age to advanced iron-age hunter-gatherers based on tools
l From hunter-gatherers to settled farmers & pastoralists based on water management
l From simple social organization to complex societies with division of labour, hierarchy & trade based on surplus production
l From feudal societies to nation states, and now to a world / global order based on the recognition of human rights & responsibilities, and universal suffrage
l From a culture of patronage & serfdom to universal suffrage & democratic participation in nation state (social emancipation)
l From metropolitan / imperial nations dependent on colonies & ‘slavery’ to independent nations with some historical & trade linkages but with partnerships in development based on realization of the limits to isolationism
l From independent nation states to regional federation of states based on sharing investments, benefits & risks
l From labour-intensive to mechanical, electrical, nuclear & electronic technologies based on the fundamental building blocks of the universe
l From organic to genetic technologies based on the building blocks of life
l From composite to nano-technologies based on outer space experiences & demands
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Jose I dos R Furtado
18th June 2009

