ERIC MACFARLANE
Opinions Writer
 
It erodes borders. It transcends nationality and religion. It is on the other side of the world and flashing on your laptop screen all at the same time.

  Globalization has become the buzzword of our generation. According to Wikipedia (yes, we all use Wikipedia, some of us are just more honest about it), globalization “describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of communication, transportation and trade.”

Although the Bush administration and some hard-line economists have tried to label it a mere economic phenomenon, globalization clearly has deep cultural and societal dimensions. I would like to explore these latter two dimensions — specifically, the challenges this sweeping phenomenon holds for the creation of “community” in the future.

In centuries past, humans chiefly defined their sense of place — or community — among tribal, ethnic, religious and national lines. The nation seems to have been among the most prevalent identity sources for Western society in the wake of the French Revolution and arguably prevails today. In a country like Canada — which must balance its history of two founding languages, three founding nations and now multiple cultures — the formation of a universal nationhood has been an elusive goal.

Globalization has only served to pile on the obstacles. Although Canadians may never achieve an agreed upon and secure nation, especially in the face of an increasingly integrated world, we at least have an obligation to press ahead and try to create a just and cohesive community.

There are concerns that immigrant communities will import their baggage and animosities, or maintain questionable relations with their kin abroad. Provinces continue to conduct their own foreign policies and this trend will only deepen. Most corporations are now multinational entities with little concern for the cultures where they operate.

Even for individuals, globalization seems to have lessened the connection with one’s geographic neighbours through the media, online communities and migratory patterns.

So how should we approach the issue of community in a country of multiple ethnicities, cultures and religions, not to mention a nauseating affinity for individualism?

If we are to continue to strive for the formation of a successful community, it must be inclusive. We need to take unrelenting stands on democracy and the rule of law, but we must also be accepting of differences in opinion within an integrated world. This means more than just token commitments and lip-service to multiculturalism. This means accepting differences in enterprise, at the societal and government level, while embracing pursuits which bring us together.

As one of Canada’s pre-eminent philosophers, Charles Taylor, pointed out in the Globe and Mail recently, disparate ethnicities and religions must see Canada as a supporter and vanguard of their communities. How else would they have a stake in — and desire to advance — the national community? 

With the exception of First Nations peoples (whose own communities and cultures have not been properly protected by successive government policies), all Canadians were once immigrants and most now comfortably call it home. A long-term analysis of Canada’s economic and demographic requirements indicates there is a dire need to attract and embrace new communities to maintain our enviable prosperity and quality of life. If not for the numbers, inclusion in the broader nation should be demanded as a simple matter of justice and respect.

I hope community building in Canada follows this line. Alternative dialogues in the U.S. and Europe — which often enter into blatantly xenophobic territory — are highly disconcerting. What real, unifying progress is achieved by barring Latino citizenship rights in the U.S. or expelling Roma in France? These are no longer efficient or fair approaches to protecting jobs in a global marketplace. Such segregationist “protection” measures only lead to strife and animosity between communities.

Staring at globalization is not going to stop it. The choices we make now, however, will determine how it effects our own sense of community and identity, and is a seminal test for our generation. Let us make sure to engage in thoughtful dialogue and commit to policy which reflects the realities of globalization and strengthens our communities and broader nation.

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image: Flickr