| Ours is a world in which no individual,
and no country, exits in isolation. All of us live simultaneously in our own
communities and in the world at large. The same icons, whether on a movie screen
or computer screen, are recognizable from Berlin to Bangalore. We are all
influenced by the same tides of political, social and technological change.
Pollution, organized crime and tile proliferation of deadly weapons likewise
show little regard for the niceties of borders; they are "problems without
passports". We are connected, wired, interdependent. Much of this is nothing new — human beings have interacted across the planet for centuries. But today's "globalization" is different. It is happening more rapidly. And it is governed by different rules or, in some cases, by no rules at all. Globalization is bringing us new choices and opportunities. It is making us more familiar with global diversity. Yet, millions of people experience it not as an agent of progress, but as a disruptive force that can destroy lives, jobs and traditions. Faced with the potential good of globalization as well as its risks, faced with the persistence of deadly conflicts in which civilians are the primary targets, faced with the pervasiveness of poverty and injustice, we must be able to identify the areas where collective action is needed to safeguard global interests. Local communities have their fire departments and town councils. Nations have their courts and legislatures. But in today's globalized world, the mechanisms available for global action are hardly more than {{U}}embryonic{{/U}}. It is high time we gave more concrete meaning to the idea of the "international community". What makes a community? What binds it together? For some it is faith. For others it is the defense of an idea, such as democracy. Some communities are homogeneous, others multicultural. Some are as small as schools and villages; others as large as continents. Specifically, what binds us into an international community? In the broadest sense there is a shared vision of a better world for all people, as set out, for example, in the founding Charter of the United Nations. There is our sense of common vulnerability in the face of global warming and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. There is the framework of international law, treaties and human-rights conventions. There is equally our sense of shared opportunity, which is why we build common markets and joint institutions such as the United Nations. Together, we are stronger. |