The Paula Gordon Show |
Transparency | |||
Globalization is not optional, but the future that globalization
shapes is, declares Ann Florini. Neither a hopeful nor a miserable future
is inevitable, she says, opting for hope that drives actions with tools
she says are already available. Put together three themes -- the growing
norm of “transparency,” the rise of NGOs and civil society,
and the dramatic change in information technology -- and we already have
new ways to solve global problems. She shows how in The Coming
Democracy: New Rules for Running a New World. Whether
it’s the rich and famous or the humble and unknown, people are putting
the three themes Dr. Florini identifies to work. |
Conversation 1 Ann Florini tells Paula Gordon and Bill Russell how the demonstrable inability of national governments to solve a range of global problems led her to look for new solutions which build on international momentum toward democracy. She describes the origin of her work in studying “security” and how that idea changed as she studied it. |
Conversation 2 Rich countries, especially America, are downright stingy in helping poor countries, Dr. Florini says. She uses the example of the unnecessary deaths of a mother a minute, around the world. It could be different, she says, putting great hope in rich countries’ citizens. She adds further examples. Intent on showing both that there are terrible problems and that they are completely solvable, Dr. Florini details how. “Transparency” -- in governments and NGOs as well as corporations -- is key, she says, and elaborates. |
Conversation 3 Who watches the watchdog? is considered, with examples. Financial, social and environmental accountability are explored. Dr. Florini sees great hope for the potential of the idea of transparency plus the actions of concerned advocacy groups and private citizens directly addressing a range of global problems. She explains. Economic fairness is key, Dr. Florini says, detailing some of the threats of gross discrepancies, then shows how economic issues affect a variety of issues that governments are not addressing. |
Conversation 4 Noise, not information, currently inundates us, Dr. Florini points out. That’s particularly a problem when public discussion is increasingly coarse as is currently the case in the United States, she says. The solution, she believes, rests within civil society -- any group of people who get together because they care about something, from churches to advocacy groups. She elaborates in the context of globalization, where the global is local. She gives a series of examples, then describes the vital role of information technology. “Experts” have had too free a hand, she insists, and proposes alternative models. |
Conversation 5 Democracy is a crucial element in getting to the world Dr. Florini envisions. She describes the particular kind of democracy it will take -- messy and full of new kinds of accountability, which, she says, separates democracies from dictatorships. People must have channels for “voice,” she says and explains. She offers Cancun as the encapsulation of many of her ideas. The kind of future that awaits us -- whether gloomy or rosy -- all depends on the kinds of choices we make now, she says, with examples. |
Conversation 6 Look for successful stories, learn from them and then get busy on whatever you feel passionately about, Dr. Florini’s prescribes, as she outlines how to get to the hopeful future she envisions. She offers a series of such stories, noting the joy that can accompany the work. |
Acknowledgements Bill Bolling alerted us to Ann Florini and to her excellent
book. We appreciate his keen understanding of what we are about and
his eagerness to work collaboratively both with us and in his own community
building work with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Second Harvest. |
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