6:00pm
Jib Jab
6:40pm
Announcements & Time to work in debate groups
7:15pm
Intergovernmental Relations
8:15pm
BREAK
8:30pm
International Relations
Our goal tonight is to keep an open mind. What if we adopted the premise of quantumphysics that the cells in our body are constantly rejuvinating, therefore, if our body is constantly changing, so can our mind. We have control over our perceptions of the world, the words we use, the social constructions we buy in to. What if we used this power to question and re-formulte how we think about "otherness?"
Arguably, the field of International Relations is greatly informed by the Enlightenment which evoked the concept of "modern man" (rational, scientific, capitalist mode of production, universal application of discoverable truths) vs. "traditional man" (irrational, healing arts, family/contact mode of production, local/personal truths). This led to the creation of norms and others on a global scale. Some of the theories that challenge these premises are postmodernism and postcolonialism.
Arguably, today the imperialist ethic and its vehicle for conquest, colonialism, are alive and well today. In fact, we tend to see it at a more aggressive rate (ex. biopiracy- today we have patents on nature and knowledge).
What does this mean for international policies and programs? It has been a Western/North/overdeveloped country led process. The stages of international relations have been: the welfare approach (pacify the underdeveloped world to open it up for trade), add the 3rd world in and stir, empowerment approach (IR must be understood within the context of colonial history and the world economy), emancipation approach (beyond participatory planning- 3rd world led policies and programs- challenge the hegemonic structures).
So how do we get rid of the perpetuation of "other" in international public administration? Recognize that we did not start from a communitarian or cosmopolitan approach to international relations. We did not create a world system as citizens of the world, we did it as citizens of our respective nations. Perhaps we should recognize that we all have needs. Te question becomes which needs do we, as public administrators, address first in the world? Practical needs (food, shelter) or Strategic needs (human rights)? Maybe this is how we shift our thinking.
9:05pm
Seminar