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Empowered Communities?

Role of the Internet and the New Media

People’s People’s Strategic New MediaStrategic New Media EngagementsEngagements forfor

SSocial Developmentocial Development in ain a Glocalizing WorldGlocalizing World

On-Kwok Lai

Professor, Graduate School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University, JapanProfessor, Graduate School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

Honorary Professorship (Social Administration), The University of Hong KongHonorary Professorship (Social Administration), The University of Hong Kong

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21st Century: Civilized Globalization?Emerging New CommunitiesEmerging New Communities

Employ–Exploitability – Migrant Workers? Employment Security Nomadic Production Winners and Losers in Globalization? Promoting (Anti-) Which Version of Globalization? Global Ageing with Hyper-Modernization Globalization with Benevolence-Decent Work? What Left for the Least Advantaged Groups? Managing (Promoting Good) Work–Family Life

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Asian Societies Globalization? Globalization Welfare State Restructuring: Fine-

Tuning, Nominal Downsizing, Liberalization of Welfare Market, Selective Targeting – Mean Test

Differential Exposure to Globalization: Compresses Modernization minus Welfare = Asian Miracle?

Competitive Capital / Commodity / Labor Global Market in Post 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

Reducing the State’s Role in the Social (e.g., Education is considered as ‘Investment’

Dilemma: Economic Competitiveness (Selective Targeting vs. Universal Social Protection

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New CommunitiesNew Communities Social CitizenshipSocial Citizenship vs. Labor Labor MobilityMobility

Territorial Bound Social Citizenship NOT Compatible with High Mobility of Labor

Migrants/Migrant Workers – functional necessity for Globalization Versus Social Costing (Welfare?) for Mobility

Heterogeneity – Mixed Migrants Problematic for Differentiated Social Welfare

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Foreign Home/Domestic Helper : 21st Century Care by Migrant Workers?Foreign Home/Domestic Helper : 21st Century Care by Migrant Workers?

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Asian (Migrant) Societies Globalization & Diversity?

Differential Migration Regimes & Labor Market: Exceptionalism: Japan & S.Korea

China: >30%Rural Urban Migration: Social Citizenship for Migrant-Workers?

Hong Kong: >250K Migrant Workers Taiwan: >110K Migrant Nursing Workers Labor Mobilities in SE Asia (Exporting / Host

Localities) & Labor-Skills Matching

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Global Ageing (=>65, mid-2008)

Japan 　　 22%

Hong Kong 12%

Taiwan 11%

South Korea 10%

Singapore 9%

China 8%

Italy 20%Sweden 19%Germany 18%Norway 17%Spain 17%Austria 16%France 16%Swiss 16%U.K. 15%Netherlands 14%USA 13%Australia 13%Canada 13%

　　

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Hyper-Modernization driven Ageing

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TWO VIEWS ON GLOBALIZATION

• Globalization: problematic & contradictory life chance of people?

• Globalization: a benign and automatic force better economic benefits for everyone, even the poorest group can be better off.

Political Extreme Left: unbridled capitalism does produce effects of exploitation of the weak and socio-ecological degradation

Political Extreme Right: the malignant forces of globalization engender xenophobia, the demising local people’s jobs, culture, language and hence identity

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Global or Local – Others’ or Self?Global or Local – Others’ or Self?

Globalization Globalization reinforces reinforces Polarization? Polarization? Productivity Increase-Job Mobility Social

Insecurity? Winners and Losers in Globalization? Promoting (Anti-)Globalization? Which Versions of (Benevolent) Globalization? What Left for the Least Advantaged Groups? Advocacies for/with/by Disadvantaged Groups Proxy Advocacies = Self-Control / Self-Determination?

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Global-Flexibility Driven

Crises Lost of Social Contract?

Demising Occupational-Welfare Model?

ALMP Fail to meet moving Targets

Knowledge (Class)?

Emergence of ‘In-exploitable Class’?

Crises of Asian Firms-Families (the State)?

Myths of Asian Economic Miracle?

High-Cost f. ‘Equitable’ Life Chance (Who Pay for it)?

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(De-)Coupling the Globalization?

• Regional/Global Divisions of Labors –cum- Competitiveness & New Policy Discourse

• Informational Society Time+Space Compression

• Hyper-Flexible Production Regime: Borrowed Time+Space Compression –/ Job–Life Course?

• De-Skilling Derived Job / Life-Chance: Redundancy, Early Retirement, Downsizing

• Anti-Globalization Protests & Processes?

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Globalization – Driven Social Dualism

• widespread poverty in affluent societies / localities,

rural-urban divided

• deregulatory policy initiatives favour commodification /

privatization of social services social dualism

China: Economic Miracle: >7% GDP Growth since 1978

per capita income of city dwellers in China increased by 8%, compared to rural residents of 2% (2000-08)

Working in cities accounted 70% of the total annual increase

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Modernization-driven Divides

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G22 & BRICs Agenda (2003) for Fair Globalization?

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Venezuela + BRICs

Ethical, Fair & Equitable Trading Regime?

“Rich Countries Should Make Bigger Efforts to Enable (bio-eco-human) Ethical Trade”

Anti- GM Regime of Food Production?

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NGOs Questing for Alternative Development!

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NGOs’ Anti-Globalization Communicative Actions & Process

Politics for the Under-Dog? Fair Trade for All? (G22 Agenda) 1st May, ‘1999 Battle-in-Seattle’, other Protests Global Peace Movement (15. Feb. 2003)

‘Anti-G‘ information and ideas in/beyond cyberspace, bypassing the mass media, turn into global real time social actions

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Differential LOGICS of Globalization• Global Civil Society: Mobile Communicative Actions by NGOs –

articulating their human, bio-eco ethical demands through non-institutional politics of protest movements

• WTO though sticks to its multi-lateral summit (protected by strong police force), yet it has to deal with human (eco-cultural) rights & animal rights!

• Socio-Cultural Diversity: Ethics of Development

• Extent / Mode of Self-Control – Self Determination?

• ICT: a crucial factor to empower the (presumably) powerless NGOs; global civil society has learned quick, adopting wire and wireless communication set up to champion their project, in cyber and mass media

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Digital-Ubiquitous Capitalism ‘e’-Strategy – Embryo for Anti-Pro-Growth

• Post-financial crisis: pro-growth development model for e-

commerce, e-government, e-technopolis, cyber-corridor…

• E-Singapore

• ‘e-‘ project: Ubiquitous-Japan

• South Korea tops cable connection

• China is catching up its mobile communications networking,

• Taiwan is becoming a silicon island

• Malaysia’s (e-)Vision 2020: Multi-Media Super Corridor per se?

Embryo for e-mobilization / Anti-Pro-Growth Development Movements?

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Status of Diffusion of Mobile Phones - Japan

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Total Internet User Population &Internet Diffusion Rate

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Current Status of Household Ownership of ICT Devices

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TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVISMGlobal Local

ICT’s shaping of individual’s identity & actions that transcend territorial borders & socio-ecological issues (Katz, Ed. 2008; Woolgar, Ed., 2002, Lai 20041/b,2008)

Transnational Advocacy Networks Margarett E. Keck & Kathryn Sikkink (1998, 1999), Lai (2004)

‘Globalized Space’ thesis James N. Rosenau (1997, 1998)

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CYBER-ACTIVISM & EMPOWERMENT

• Participatory politics at global/local scale is possible with all forms of communications: one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many.

• Internet (cable, wireless and satellite) multi-modal of communications, representing both micro as well as mass media functioning.

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Dynamics of CyberspaceDynamics of Cyberspace Multiple Differentiated EngagementsMultiple Differentiated Engagements

IndividualisticIndividualistic,, Profit-Seeking Profit-Seeking,, Self-Promotion Self-Promotion andand Greedy EncountersGreedy Encounters

Enlightened Individual driven e-Mobilization for Enlightened Individual driven e-Mobilization for ESC Rights to Glocal SustainabilityESC Rights to Glocal Sustainability

Wired and Wireless CommunicationWired and Wireless Communication to to develop develop SizeSize, , Power Base Power Base andand Influence Influence ofof Critical Mass Critical Mass forfor Alternative Politicking, Empowerment! Alternative Politicking, Empowerment!

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Challenging the Hegemony of Flexibility & Efficiency

New Political / Policy / Social Discourse on the Market – Pricing be challenged

Ethno-Cultural Specificity of Life Chance at Locality Level be Emphasized

Making Meaningful Engagements for the Emerging ‘Non state’ Agencies

Empower Local/Global Communities - Networks

Re-regulated the Market: Profits vs. Social Benefits

Global Citizenship, Corporate Citizenship – Socio-Eco Responsibility

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Cyber-Advocacy (for ESC) Rights

Amnesty International Human Rights Watch Association of Progressive Communications Opendemocracy.net South Korean Jinbo.net Greenpeace International Local Groups, Communities & Networks…

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iNGOs Growth

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NGOs’ Advocacies: Voices of Empowered Voices of Empowered CommunitiesCommunities

e-Focal point, platform and network for information gathering and research required to challenge, as well as creating new policy debate.

Foundation for articulating particular local/community issue Mobilizing agencies for articulating various forms and modes of

confrontational protests and demonstrations, targeting to IGOs and against their allies of Transnational Corporations (TNCs).

Facilitating agency for transnational advocacies and communication networks in pushing local, regional and international government bodies to react critical development issues.

With good local supports, iNGO activities can reshape the contours (for the benefits of local development) for national policy or constitutional domain, which are more likely to promote a shift in the worldview towards global society.

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New Social e-Movement forGlobal Norms & Local Rights

Questioning Socio-Cultural Rights Advocating Human Rights for All! Against TNCs’ Labor Standards? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of TNCs? Against Un-Ethical Trade! ESC Rights – Biodiversity? Profits vs. Ethics – Human Rights: CSR? Local Community & Ecology vs. Global TNCs

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Advocacies & Appeals New Ethics-Norms for ESC Rights

Choreographed - Visualized Reality Sensational Advocacies & Appeals Dramatized Clear Role for Victims - Predators Binary Code for Winner / Loser Ethical & Moral Appeal – Support for Victims Back to Humanity (Fundamentalist) Appeals Appeal for Personal / Individual Actions

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Globalized SpaceGlobalized Space

Internet, the World Wide Web and the other electronic technologies that Internet, the World Wide Web and the other electronic technologies that

are shrinking the world offers considerable potential as a source of are shrinking the world offers considerable potential as a source of

democracy... by facilitating the continued proliferation of networks that democracy... by facilitating the continued proliferation of networks that

know no boundaries, these technologies have introduced a horizontal know no boundaries, these technologies have introduced a horizontal

dimension to the politics of dimension to the politics of Globalized SpaceGlobalized Space. They enable like-minded . They enable like-minded

people in distant places to converge, share perspectives, protest abuses, people in distant places to converge, share perspectives, protest abuses,

provide information and mobilize resources – dynamics that seem bound provide information and mobilize resources – dynamics that seem bound

to constrain vertical structures that sustain governments, corporation and to constrain vertical structures that sustain governments, corporation and

any other hierarchical organizations (Rosenau 1998: 46).any other hierarchical organizations (Rosenau 1998: 46).

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Communicative Praxis Action + Identity @ Time+Space

• cyberspace (for novices as well as veteran activists) is a learning-by-doing, action-oriented media at both individual and collective levels

• Communicative Praxis: Creation of new political activism of NGOs in

global civil society, with the praxis of broad access avenues of civic

participation at national, regional, international levels.

• e-platforms for exchanges of information, in-house action-strategies, and

recruitment of volunteers for e-mobilization

just a few clicks, sending support and appeal letters or animated e-cards to the targets

Global Citizen (Guardian for Humanity?)

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Glocal Communicative ActivismBoomeranging with ESC Rights!

Transnational Advocacies Networks (TAN) for people empowerment - the global civil society: Boomerang Strategies: Local Global Local

ICT (mobile communicative actions in a progressive mode) in enabling Global Communicative Activism

ICT - the leverage for the resource-poor and/or under-privileged groups in articulating their justifiable demand for a fair / equitable life chance.

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Outsiders -as- Insiders Others’ ESC Rights versus Self- Determination?

ICT enhanced social mobilization extends the territorial (ir)relevance of ESC Rights

Individual makes a Difference! Co-Determination as Self-Determination? enables “outsiders”, non-reference-persons, to have

influence in and beyond the locally and regionally specific, territorially defined, ESC struggles

extending to numerous individuals who used to be passive observers (of the mass media) and call upon their participation in a less militant, yet supportive, role for the protest movements.

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BARRIERS AGAINST GLOBAL ECO-(CYBER-)ACTIVISM

Digital Divides & Regional/Local Differences

Censorship + Control the Internet

Cyber-Imperialism & Ideologies

Geo-Comparative (Dis-)Advantage of (i)NGOs

Differential State-Society Conflicts

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Age-Specific Digital Divide:

Mobile Phone Users by Age (Japan, 2007)

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WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS

World Regions

Population ( 2008 Est.)

Population

% of World

Internet Usage,

Latest Data

% Populati

on( Penetration )

Usage% of

World

Usage Growth

2000-2008

Africa 955,206,348 14.3 % 51,022,400 5.3 % 3.6 % 1030.2 %

Asia 3,776,181,949 56.6 % 529,701,704 14.0 % 37.6 % 363.4 %

Europe 800,401,065 12.0 % 382,005,271 47.7 % 27.1 % 263.5 %

Middle East 197,090,443 3.0 % 41,939,200 21.3 % 3.0 % 1176.8 %

North America 337,167,248 5.1 % 246,402,574 73.1 % 17.5 % 127.9 %

Latin & Central America

576,091,673 8.6 % 137,300,309 23.8 % 9.8 % 659.9 %

Oceania / Australia

33,981,562 0.5 % 19,353,462 57.0 % 1.4 % 154.0 %

WORLD TOTAL

6,676,120,288 100.0 % 1,407,724,920 21.1 % 100.0 % 290.0 %

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Norms & Values-embeddedNorms & Values-embeddedOnline News Consumption (US)

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Cosmopolitan Participatory Cosmopolitan Participatory Democracy versus / for Individual Democracy versus / for Individual Existence?Existence?• Creation of new socio-political network: Creation of new socio-political network:

a diversity of NGOs in global civil society a diversity of NGOs in global civil society Global Governance for one’s Survival? Global Governance for one’s Survival? OTHERS’ over Individuals?OTHERS’ over Individuals?

• New open–participatory (critical New open–participatory (critical engaging) principle and praxis of broad engaging) principle and praxis of broad access to civic participation at local, access to civic participation at local, national, regional and international levels national, regional and international levels

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e-MOBILIZATION Global/Local Sustainability

Transnational Advocacy Networks & Activism –powerful challenge / reminder for supra-national bodies to abide the basic condition / morality for development

Information-Knowledge-Know-How as Conditions for Self-Determination - Survival?

Failures of market force and the supra-national state – the Challenge for Civic Forces!

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Empowered Empowered CommunitiesCommunities inin Hyper-ModernizationHyper-Modernization

•High Economic Growth – Social Change High Economic Growth – Social Change •$$$ Liberalization $$$ Liberalization Globalization Globalization Crises 2008 Crises 2008

• ICT Sophistication – Mobile CommunicationICT Sophistication – Mobile Communication

Communicative Actions in Mobile ICT RegimeCommunicative Actions in Mobile ICT RegimeCyberspace – e-MobilizationCyberspace – e-Mobilization Articulating ESC, Human Rights for All in Articulating ESC, Human Rights for All in

Blogs, SMS, MMS, SNS onto e-platform of Blogs, SMS, MMS, SNS onto e-platform of YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, MSNYouTube, MySpace, Facebook, MSN

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New Ethical-Communicative Praxis @ New Modernity?

Enlightenment of/for Eco-Risk Modernity

Self-Determination or Proxy-Determination after 2008?

New Communicative Praxis: Promotion of Communicative Independence (Self-Determination?) - guard against the expert- imperialist controls.

Cyber-Activism towards Socio-Eco E-quity & Justice: call for normative development agenda for the humanization of the informational society and global sustainability: equity, participation and social justice in the system of global/local governance