incommunicado

EN-GB'>The Transnational Making of Ideas of “Civil Society” in the Age of Globalization [1] by Daniel Mato <http://www.globalcult.org.ve/> EN-GB'>[Notes for my lecture to be offered on November 19, 2002, at the King Juan Carlos Center, NYU - To begin: I will project some 6 transparencies of news from Venezuelan newspapers, which illustrate the centrality that the expression “civil society” has acquired in this country, where it was not used –practically—at all 10 years, ago. This talk is not about Venezuela, but these news are just hints of the worldwide process to be discussed in this lecture at a Latin American scale.]

EN-GB'>The use and abuse of 'Civil Society' in Development by Marcus H. Lenzen. Transnational Associations 54.3 (2002). 170-87. EN-GB'>Introduction EN-GB'>"A new ideal was born, or reborn, in recent decades: Civil Society. Previously, a person interested in the notion of Civil Society could be assumed to be a historian of ideas, concerned perhaps with Locke or Hegel. But the phrase itself had no living resonance or evocativeness. Rather, it seemed distinctively covered with dust. And now, all of a sudden, it has been taken out and thoroughly dusted, and has become a shining emblem." (Ernest Gellner)

Bangalore set to be a cyber wasteland? [newindpress.com June 26 2004] BANGALORE: Indian cities may still be yelling out against the harmful effects of tons of plastic waste being generated daily. But what could be in the offing is much worse which these city administrators or the general public are least aware of. E-waste, which comprises all type of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), has started its ruinous journey to engulf them all, causing serious health hazards. And it will not take too many years to turn the silicon city of Bangalore into a cyber wasteland, fear environmental experts.

Toxic Legacy:Improper disposal of obsolete IT equipment is fast becoming a major liability for corporations. Robert L. Mitchell [Computerworld 02 Feb 2004] When Kaiser Permanente began a program to dispose of its obsolete computer equipment two and a half years ago, it was motivated more by cost concerns than by the desire to properly dispose of products with potentially toxic content. "My boss was concerned with more space being taken up by excess and used equipment," says Jim Regan, manager of IT facilities at the Oakland, Calif.-based health care management company, noting that the idle assets accrued storage and property tax charges. But he quickly realized that the disposal of IT waste, which contains many toxic substances, presented a potentially large and growing liability risk to Kaiser.

Remarks by Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator United States Agency for International Development Foreign Assistance in the Age of Terror [USAID] U.S. Institute for Peace Washington, D.C. Department of State Press Briefing Room April 21, 2004 (As Prepared) September 11 and the war on terrorism have brought the most fundamental changes to this country's security strategy since the beginning of the Cold War. This was the theme that Secretary of State Colin Powell brought to Congress in multiple testimonies this month and last. Recent events in Madrid - as in Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, among other places - underscore the urgency of his remarks and the global nature of this challenge. As President Bush said: "Defeating terrorism is our nation's primary and immediate priority." In a word, it is this generation's "calling."

Think Again: Civil Society By Thomas Carothers [Foreign Policy Magazine Winter 1999-2000] Civil society has become one of the favorite buzzwords among the global chattering classes, touted by presidents and political scientists as the key to political, economic, and societal success. As with Internet stocks, however, civil society's worth as a concept has soared far beyond its demonstrated returns. To avoid a major disappointment in the future, would-be buyers should start by taking a closer look at the prospectus. The Concept of Civil Society Is a Recent Invention Enlightenment needed. The term "civil society" can be traced through the works of Cicero and other Romans to the ancient Greek philosophers, although in classical usage civil society was equated with the state. The modern idea of civil society emerged in the Scottish and Continental Enlightenment of the late 18th century. A host of political theorists, from Thomas Paine to Georg Hegel, developed the notion of civil society as a domain parallel to but separate from the state-a realm where citizens associate according to their own interests and wishes. This new thinking reflected changing economic realities: the rise of private property, market competition, and the bourgeoisie. It also grew out of the mounting popular demand for liberty, as manifested in the American and French revolutions.

Un futur qui est déjà là Une conversation en 1982 par Félix Guattari, Lula (Luis Ignacio da Silva) Ce dialogue s'est tenu il y a vingt ans, au début du processus qui a amené Lula à la présidence de la république brésilienne. Il analyse à quoi tient la force du parti des travailleurs : le langage libéré par la discussion, l'enracinement dans la classe ouvrière, l'élargissement à toute la société, l'accueil des minorités, le respect des autres partis, la singularité de l'expérience. Ces qualités, qui ont marqué aussi le mouvement Solidarnosc, manquent au parti socialiste français.

The Many Faces of Cosmopolis: Border Thinking and Critical Cosmopolitanism Walter D. Mignolo How shall cosmopolitanism be conceived in relation to globalization, capitalism, and modernity? The geopolitical imaginary nourished by the term and processes of globalization lays claim to the homogeneity of the planet from above, economically, politically, and culturally. The term cosmopolitanism is, instead, used as a counter to globalization, although not necessarily in the sense of globalization from below. Globalization from below invokes, rather, the reactions to globalization from those populations and geohistorical areas of the planet that suffer the consequences of the global economy. There are, then, local histories that plan and project global designs and others that have to live with them. Cosmopolitanism is not easily aligned to either side of globalization, although the term implies a global project. How shall we understand cosmopolitanism in relation to these alternatives?