Do you think that foreign nations should participate in the election of American presidents?
Writer David Usborne writes Outside Influence – USA in the February 2008 issue of Monocle:
Look beyond the cliché of hidebound insularism and you quickly see that just as the rest of the world is not immune to American influences, America is not immune to the rest of the world, even in its domestic affairs.
I had already explored the cultural influence that the world exercises on the United States, but given the political strength of the super power, it would seem absurd to expect that the United States would open up to the point of allowing foreigners to exercise any kind of influence on the outcome of their elections. Nevertheless the fact is that such influence is not gained in the form of votes (at least not of the popular kind), but through lobbyists that represent the most diverse interests, from foreign countries to global corporations trying to advocate their private causes. Somehow the idea of a few global corporations paying the salaries of lobbyist that work side by side with the most influential politicians of the United States doesn’t seem as crazy as gathering a open forum of global citizens speaking their mind about who should be the leader of the United States.
However, since money is the one language that the American system understands well, let’s hope that a growing number of concerned global citizens will be able to influence their business peers in the United States and eventually state the higher goals that may lead to benefits abroad. The following table shows some of the countries already making an impact on specific regions of the United States through business deals in most cases:
Source: Monocle, Issue 10, Pg 24-25
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to be invited to one of those social clubs for executives that were so popular a few decades ago. No the health club type, but the lounge with really expensive furniture where gentlemen of the highest social spheres get together to read the newspaper and change the world. When I read Martin Varsavsky effort to once create a site for the smartest people in the world, I couldn’t help but chuckle and imagine them all sitting in such a lounge, smoking their cigars, drinking coffees made of exotic beans and entertaining the notion of maybe one day putting their brilliant ideas to work. Sorry, I shouldn’t dismiss the effort as I know Mr. Varsavsky is a first class entrepreneur and would’ve accomplished many things.
The idea I’m challenging is the fact that you need to get many people together in order to accomplish something meaningful. Even in this blog I have used the notion that a community of Global Citizens would create tremendous value, but now realize that such an organization doesn’t need to have a certain size before it is effective. In fact, large communities tend to be refuges for passive members that enjoy the benefits of the community but create little value, a well known effect of today’s popular social networks.
While not everyone has access to an expensive lounge to enjoy their exotic beans, it is becoming more and more popular to put some effort into finding good fair trade coffee. Increased access to information about the repercussions of big coffee producers on local communities has awaken a certain level of social responsibility. Unfortunately, with the number of people subscribing to this idea, companies have taken note and have developed entire marketing campaigns trying to exploit this trend.
Take for example Cocoacamino, a chocolate label that claims to follow Fair Trade practices and even provides extensive information about La Siembra, a co-op of farmers which even though it has a spanish name, is located in Ottawa, Canada. Fair Trade is all about the trade, so you have to be suspicious when a Canadian label claiming to adhere to this principle is buying the product from a local producer. Furthermore, I happen to know a thing or two about how farmers in Canada accomplish their quotas and in many cases (although I can’t speak for this particular one) it is by exploiting migrant workers living under very controlled conditions.
Enough of criticism. What can be done about this? It takes global citizens with knowledge of the world around them. For example, I happen to know a few farmers in poor regions of Mexico. They do have a real co-op and would be thrilled to be able to sell their product to a brand looking to adhere to real Fair Trade principles. Do you know anyone with the skill and access to a market to make a successful product? That is all we need. Little connections like this one.
I would pay premium for coffee or chocolate like this.
Update: On April 2008, La Siembra was listed in the WorldBlu Most Democratic Places. I guess I should’ve researched their organization a bit more before using them as example in this post. I’ve been in direct contact with farmers in the South of Ontario and their lives are thorn apart by a system that tries hard to make them invisible. Any transparency efforts in this industry should be praised.
A few days ago I had a very stimulating conversation with a group of friends, each one sharing their account of recent travel abroad. While talking about Prague and Budapest evoked great memories, it was the story about cultural shock on a trip to India that had me fascinated. Was it not for the fact that I know the couple that had this experience very well, I could’ve dismissed their approach to Indian culture as narrow-minded. But they were very articulate to explain how even with the best of attitudes participating in a foreign culture successfully can be a though challenge.
When I explained how the imaginary global citizen Phileas Fogg“feels just as comfortable drinking his morning coffee at a Paris bistro as bargaining for the best fruit in a street market in Oaxaca. A true global citizen with knowledge of world affairs”, I was well aware that these activities require certain amount of cultural knowledge and the occasional tourist will always fall into the usual traps. The etiquette for coffee in Paris, according to Phyllis Flick
Know that having an espresso while standing at the bar will cost you considerably less than having it at a table. Sitting on the terrace will cost you the most; think of it as renting a piece of prime real estate for an hour or so. If the table has a placemat and silverware it is designated only for those customers who are eating; if the table is bare you are welcome to sit and have only a drink.
While I’m no expert on bargaining for the best fruit, I remember vividly the experience of walking into the food aisle of Benito Juárez Market in Oaxaca only to be overwhelmed by the loud invitations of every merchant in the area to join their already crowded space for lunch. It took me a while to figure out that the correct protocol was to buy something from each merchant: the tortillas from one, the meat from another, the drinks and the seat at a table from the last one in the aisle. The unbelievable amount of noise soon turned into a purposeful serenade of commands that you had to be attentive to in order to accomplish the simple task of having lunch there. I can see how a tourist, not familiar with the culture or not versed in the language would feel completely abused and manipulated. Walking into that space without warning may shock visitors as it seems to overflow with unnecessary chatter.
A few days ago I had a déjà vu while riding the subway to work. A group of teenagers, likely on a school trip, hopped in and as soon as they did the level of noise quickly raised to a point where most people already there seemed noticeably uncomfortable. Unlike conversations among other groups, theirs tend to happen in many simultaneous threads and their volume raises to compete for the attention of their distracted buddies. There was no structure, but after listening to them I was certain that all individuals within the group had accomplished their communication goal. To the unfortunate man that happened to be standing in the middle of the group during the ride I’m sure the experience was as close to a cultural shock as walking into Oaxaca’s market with no knowledge of Spanish.
At this point I’m reminded of my post a billion spaces in which I link to sources that suggest that teenagers are the most frequent users of such sites as MySpace that have become famous for the incredibly unproductive conversation that takes place within. I can’t help but realize that the noisy conversation taking place within the virtual realm only mimics the seemingly chaotic approach they use in real life when in large groups. And then I wonder if this may be some sort of axiom: any group of people that uses such intense methods of verbal communication will excel at methods put in place by modern tools such as blogs, chat groups and instant messaging. Furthermore, in my role as a global citizen I feel compelled to transfer one cultural mechanism into another context where it may flourish.
This kind of cultural transfer is exactly what Rising Voices attempts to do, as explained by the post Blessed unrest and Rising Voices by my now friend and utmost global citizen David Sasaki. Daring to find ways to transfer the tools of one culture into another. If as William Gibson says “the future is here, is just unevenly distributed”, the Rising Voices team is perhaps one of the very few organizations doing something about this gap.
A few months ago I echoed the notion that “nationalism is a disease”, and while out of context it may come across as a strong position, with this post I document some of the arguments that support it and perhaps soften the tone and conclude that more than a disease, nationalism is a doctrine that is fading and giving way to an updated notion of cosmopolitanism that is more compatible with our times and the beliefs of modern and progressive societies.
I’m also using this post to reorient the ongoing discussion hosted in this blog to assume the more optimist view provided by cosmopolitanism: migration and globalization have acquired negative properties and convey images of abusive corporations, defenseless people crossing borders illegally or having a very hard time to survive in their host countries. I’ve explored these issues and produced very few suggestions on how to fix them.
On the other hand, I’m finding the conversation around global citizens (not migrants) more productive, as they invest heavily in both their hometown and their destination. Global Culture becomes the backbone that allows people to find common ground when establishing relationships with people abroad and eases the way to better understanding among cultures, blurring the boundaries between them. Cosmopolitanism becomes a clear objective that is attainable given the current social, economic, political and cultural trends. I think it communicates a positive message even though it may be based on many of the same principles as globalization. It feels like a more deserving journey.
In this context it may be a little bit ironic that Monocle’s latest edition set to deliver a guide on “Making a modern state…” yet every page is a sophisticated ad to the various cultures showcased. It seems as if trying to create a nation these days had to be accomplished by selling the benefits of culture, life style, resources to global citizens that may be interested in establishing lasting relationships. That proposition dilutes the idea of “nation” as it implies that over time the survival of a region depends on how well it can incorporate other cultures and a diverse population. But this is not criticism, it’s a sign that even when we are trying to defend the notion of nations, our common sense will do nothing but weaken the concept. Us humans will always want to visit other places and expand our horizons. Just reading through the magazine I find myself wanting to move to South Tyrol and visit √Öland on my next vacation.
If you read this blog you’re likely fascinated by travel. If on top of that you are an avid photographer (the kind that has an amazing collection of travel photos) and would like to try a new kind of online travel guide, post a comment to be invited to an exclusive preview of a new website starting in October.
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One of my first posts in this blog described a simple method to exchange valuable information among global citizens. The method suggested in global citizen was never adopted by anyone but the idea didn’t die. This past week our team released a Facebook application called My City, which has the potential to accomplish the same goal.
Since I have a global audience it is important to mention that Facebook was the platform of choice for its widespread adoption and ability to accept applications from others. If you haven’t heard about it in your region, chances are that other social networks dominate the market. Still, you should be able to join.
The application itself works on a very simple premise: rather than trusting city guides that tell you the best places to conduct your day to day activities, we allow you to see what your friends recommend. Exploring all facets of city life from the perspective of those you already trust can be entertaining at first, but we believe it can be taken even further. Consider the following two scenarios:
- You have visitors from abroad and want to take them to a hip place, maybe a patio for drinks, but you’re not the type to frequent those places, therefore you have no clue where to go. Check the application for what your friends (and you know which ones are really hip) recommend. Impress your guests
- You have a business trip to the West Coast and it will be your first time there. You have an evening to spare and would like to make the most out of it. Knowing where the hot spots are may make the difference between having dinner at the bar of the hotel or having a memorable evening among locals. Check the application for what locals in such city suggest.
As I mentioned, the premise is quite simple. We plan to keep adding themes or questions and all we ask is that every user answers them in the best possible way for the city they know and love. It is Saturday night and you may be reading this because you have no idea of where to go. Install the application and see what your friends recommend.
I’m sure is not because Monocle released their most liveable cities report just a month ago, but now is The Economist releasing their Liveability rankings with the article Where the grass is greener. While Monocle’s report came in the form of a wonderful edition, perfectly written and documented, the Economist Intelligence Unit barely delivers a table with the rankings without much analysis behind. True, Monocle used criteria such “fair balance of sunny and warm days” and “availability of drinks after hours”, but the overall delivery convinced. According to The Economist
The survey takes over 40 factors into consideration which are weighted across five different categories: Stability; Healthcare; Culture & Environment; Education; and Infrastructure. Across the survey a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data are used, which are combined to give an overall Quality of Life Index rating.
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However I wasn’t able to find such factors anywhere, not even after paying for the full report. Anyway, this are the top 10 according to them, nothing that we haven’t seen before:
- Vancouver, Canada
- Melbourne, Australia
- Vienna, Austria
- Perth, Australia
- Toronto, Canada
- Adelaide, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Zurich, Switzerland
Still, I never get tired of ranking cities and feeling a bit proud on behalf of those cities that I’ve come to know one way or another.
Update: after corresponding with the Editor of the report at the Economist Intelligence Unit I was given access to the full report which documents their methodology. The ranking is based on 5 categories:
- Stability (25%): crime, conflict
- Healthcare (20%): private & public healthcare
- Culture & Environment (25%): weather, freedoms, culture, food, goods
- Education (10%): private & public education
- Infrastructure (20%): public transportation, international connections, housing, services, telecomminications
As suspected, their analysis is far more methodic but is intended to help companies planning to expand make decisions about how to compensate workers being transferred.
The survey was conducted in June 2007 so if you’re curious about the ranking of your city, send me a note and I’ll share the data.
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