Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Forgivingness allows freedom to fully engage in life.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Some Global Distinctions

Global
Global perspective: Considering the world, including its human inhabitants, from OUTSIDE or BEYOND the limits defined by national borders, language constructs, cultural training or “realities”.
Global context: Accounts for and allows for all human perspectives, and relates to every human being from the same place. Relates to language, culture, politics, customs, (also age, gender, physicality, economic status, etc.). as circumstances, similar to clothing -- sometimes useful, sometimes limiting, and always changeable and ever expandable.
Experience of global context: “We’re all in this together,” with shifting, expanding, and transforming part of the natural flow of life. There is no “them”.

International

International perspective: Relating to the world as divided by national boundaries, interacting across defined national boundaries, holding a particular affiliation to one nation.
International context: Accounts for and allows for multiple nations, with my “reality” and “rightness” defined and limited by the cultural trainings and language constructs of my country/culture.
Experience of international context: “Us trying to interact with Them,” sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose.

National

National perspective: Relating to the world as defined by the people of one nation. Does not include or allow for anything else.
National context: All the world is ours (people of this nation) to use as we want.
Experience of national context: Us vs.Them, often collapsed to just Us.