http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/site/index/ en dc@debatewise.com Copyright 2010 2010-05-18T09:52:44+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/would-you-like-to-be-a-world-champion/ We are proud to announce that the second World… We are proud to announce that the second World Online Debating Championships will place in August and September of this year. Thirty-two teams from thirty-two countries will battle it out to be crowned the best online debaters in the world and you are cordially invited to be one of them.

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]]> 2010-05-18T09:52:44+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/electoral-reform-do-we-need-it/ The second of our articles on issues affecting the election is on electoral reform by Carina Elizabeth Lewis. Electoral reform: do we need it? …
Electoral reform: do we need it?

We all know that the upcoming General Election has been the most hotly contested in years and the surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, as well as the idea that one party could win a majority of seats without securing the majority votes, have led the British electorate to consider the question of electoral reform more seriously. Would proportional representation lead to a fairer system of voting? Should powers be further devolved to the local parliaments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? And should the House of Lords remain unelected?

To answer these questions briefly, let me first make it clear that I do not believe our current electoral system to be perfect. If it is true that only those of us living in the one-fifth of constituencies described as “marginal” have the ability to influence the government, this is surely not an ideal situation. Nevertheless, I firmly believe the current system of voting to be superior to the alternatives espoused by parties such as the Liberal Democrats.

Firstly, on the topic of proportional representation. There is no doubt it has its advantages, but these are arguably outweighed by its drawbacks. We have all heard David Cameron recently warning about the dangers of weak governments, the kind of government which proportional representation all too often creates. Forcing parties into unnatural coalitions in order to hold some kind of majority does nothing but dilute policies and cause the kind of backroom dealings which we should be seeking to eradicate from politics.

This is not to mention the topic of extremism. It has been suggested that under a PR system, parties such as the BNP could gain up to 60 seats in the House of Commons . This is a startlingly high number, which would give the party the ability to influence legislation and even enter into coalitions. Yes, the BNP are a legal party and it is the democratic right of the population to vote for whomsoever they choose, but should the rights of minority groups be endangered because of this?

Next, let us take the issue of devolution. This is an issue about which I can speak with some authority, having spent my summer working for a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), and if it taught me anything, it is this: devolution does nothing to help the concerns of the average voter. To have to go to one’s MP for help on one issue, and to one’s MSP, who may belong to a different party or even to a differently named constituency, for another, is not helpful, but confusing, time-consuming and overly bureaucratic. As admirable as the aim of localising government may be, devolving further powers to the parliaments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would only serve to complicate matters. Let us take the example of the recent Calman Commission, which recommended the devolution of powers such as setting speeding and drink-driving limits to the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood. Measures like this are confusing and unnecessary to the general public: how can a person be considered to be driving safely on one side of a border, when several miles away the same person would be defined as speeding and drunk?

Finally, on the House of Lords. It has been suggested that the Lords in their current form are undemocratic and unaccountable, and that elections should be introduced to combat this. Ideas such as this, however, forget the purpose of the House of Lords: to scrutinise the legislation proposed by the House of Commons. The Lords include successful and intelligent people from all walks of life: industry, science etc. who are not necessarily drawn to a life in politics and would not be comfortable with standing for election. Yet it is exactly the specialist skills and knowledge of these people which we need, skills which our House of Commons can sometimes lack. Also, let us not forget the relative independence of the House of Lords: where party whips have less sway and elections are not a constant worry, one is free to fully consider the issue in hand rather than merely offering a party line. To fully elect the House of Lords would be to trade this specialist knowledge and ability to judge each issue on its relative merits for sheer populism and careerism.
To summarise, then, whilst the ideas for electoral reform proposed by parties such as the Liberal Democrats may sound attractive on paper, it is my belief that in practice they would have effects quite opposite to those intended. No, our electoral system is not perfect: but let us consider carefully the nature of the problems at hand before proposing sweeping, and frankly unnecessary, changes.

Carina Elizabeth Lewis
]]> 2010-05-04T09:20:12+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/change-we-cant-afford/ As part of our coverage of the election we have a group of volunteers writing debates on the issues coming up in the election, some of them are also writing…
The first is by Mohsin Zeb

Change we can’t afford?


The impressive display by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg during last Thursday’s Prime ministerial debate has thrown the upcoming election wide open. For the first time in a political era, an election is not a foregone conclusion. We may well end up with a near three way split, which would both signal the return of the Liberals as a major political force after nearly a century in the political wilderness, and concurrently signal the end of the existing dominance of the two major parties.

That the first debate has had such an impact makes the upcoming debate that much more important. The issues it will address, namely Britain’s foreign relations, are unmatched in their importance. Our engagement in controversial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has defined the political landscape for the past decade and issues related to our foreign engagements and related defence issues are set to dominate the upcoming parliament alongside the ongoing economic crisis. For that reason, I feel it pertinent to give my thoughts on the issues of our involvement in conflicts and on our nuclear deterrent, hours before the ‘three wise men’ say what they think we want to hear.

Let me set my stall out immediately so that my position is clear. I am not a Hawk, a neo-Imperialist or a cold-blooded Realist. I have a firm believe in cooperative politics and the value of institutions as sustainers of peace, but whilst I reject the rabid militarism so fondly held to by the likes of Douglas Murray, I am by no means a peacenik. There is a time and a place for war. From my perspective, neither Iraq nor Afghanistan are necessary conflicts for Britain. Our young men and women need not lose life and limb in the dusty streets of Iraq or the rugged hills of Afghanistan; neither conflict is being fought to sustain British interests. Our involvement occurred to sustain our place as the most allied of allies to Washington. On this point, I welcome the Liberal agenda. To the credit of the Liberal Democrats, they have opposed the wars long before it became socially or politically fashionable to do so, and continuing to define British interests in narrow terms can only work in their favour.

However, those of who listened attentively last week, assuming for a moment the listener wasn’t on the lunatic fringe of the political left in the UK, would have been taken aback by the lack of commitment from Clegg and his party to the nuclear deterrence of the UK. I understand fully the arguments espoused by the party, nuclear weapons are expensive, both to build and to maintain and their functionality in this day and age may not be immediately apparent. It is true that security threats have shifted from state centric as they were during the Cold War, to today being largely manifest in the form of Non-State Actors. This lack of obvious target raises the question of where exactly, or against whom one would use the ultimate weapon. You can’t nuke the Taliban or Al Qaeda, and a shift to a more flexible deterrent may be appealing today. However, the Liberal policy has two massive flaws.

Firstly, it is incredibly myopic strategically. Yes today we face threats from non-traditional sources, but who can predict the events in 10 or 20 years, at the time our present system would be reaching the end of its shelf life? Surely, it is responsible to have the platform, in our case a successor to the Trident nuclear attack submarines, and never have to use it, then to scrap it and one day find you wish you had it in place. The primary responsibility for any government is to ensure the safety of the state and sustain its ability to defend itself. Stripping our nuclear deterrent would leave us potentially at the mercy of numerous powers.

Secondly, the Liberal policy goes against a clear trend of proliferation globally. When many of the world’s most unpredictable regimes are going nuclear, how irrational is it to forsake your own equalizer? Without our deterrent, there is nothing from stopping an aggressor from choosing total war, save perhaps the protective arm of Washington which may act as a deterrent for its time tested ally. Such reliance on another power leaves one at its mercy.

With North Korea going nuclear and Iran possibly going nuclear, plus the risk of other states opting to ensure their existence by acquiring weapons of mass destruction, entertaining the thought of abandoning our own nuclear deterrent is frankly objectionable and irresponsible. Whatever the cost, the defence of the realm is an obligation, and one the Liberal Democrats seem too willing to ignore.

For all his style, and the moral mileage in opposing the wars in the greater Middle East, the lack of commitment to our primary means of national security makes the Liberal Democrats change we simply may not be able to risk.
]]> 2010-04-22T08:51:55+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/yu-austin-lius-view-of-globalisation/ In a sense, I am already a product of globalization and its effects. Although I was born in Singapore, my father was from China and my mother from Singapore. That…
Globalisation is the increasing economic, social, cultural and political integration in the world today, made possible by technological advances which have effectively reduced distances between various parts of the world. Globalization can be considered to have begun since the middle to late 19th century due to colonialism and the accelerated economic integration that followed. The influx of migrants into Singapore was spurred by the ease of transportation and the attraction of better wages and hence the foundation of Singapore was built by globalization.

More recently, Singapore has been affected by globalization in various other ways. The comparatively high standard of living here is due to global trade. Singapore is lucky to be in such a strategic geographical location, allowing it to become an important port, benefiting from trade and related activities, such as importing raw goods and exporting refined products. The economy of Singapore also benefits from the increased tourism brought about by globalization, which has made travel easier and more attractive.

As a result of this, my friends and I enjoy a reasonably high standard of living and much of the country has access to information around the world through various media such as television and the Internet. As a consequence, Singaporeans are exposed to many new ideas in their daily life. An effect of this is the general embracing of Western ideals and values, especially among the youth. This includes the rise of individualism and in some cases a desire for greater freedom of speech and press. A natural consequence of this is the decreasing interest in traditional language and culture and a decreased sense of cultural awareness among Singaporeans, who are largely ethnic Chinese, Malays and Indians. The desire for greater freedom to grow and develop has also led to some amount of “brain drain”, although the inflow of talent into Singapore is also quite sizeable.

The future of Singapore will also be intimately associated with globalization and its effects. Whether this is for the better or worse, however, will to a large extent depend on how our citizens and the government make the best out of the situation.

Yu Austin Liu, Singapore]]> 2010-04-12T16:43:34+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/tet-with-a-non-vietnamese/ I was scurrying in front of the arrival gate at Tan Son Nhat airport. My friend ought to have checked out already because it was displayed that her flight had…
It was only two days before Tet. Wanting to show her as much as possible the biggest holiday in Vietnam, I took her around, trying to be at my best informative. “Fake clothes, house and vehicles are burnt so that our loved ones in the other world could receive them. See this dollar bill! The yellow paper symbols gold, and the white one, silver.” Alice stared at me in amusement. She later confessed that the first time she saw those things burnt was in her neighborhood in Hanoi a few months ago. “I thought it was such an insane thing to burn clothes, but then I realized they were not real ones,” she confessed. Although she did not look quite convinced, or rather did not quite believe, in the practicability of the practice, she joined me in burning those fake items.

“Okay, now both of you can get in!” Alice and my younger sister, born in the year of the dog and the year of the horse, were the first visitors to my house this year. This practice is meant to bring prosperity and good luck to the family throughout the whole year. Alice seemed quite happy that she had brought prosperity and good luck to my family this year. She beamed at me and said, “Now you’re all lucky.”

The first day of Tet was spent at my paternal grandparents’ house. The house was noisy with my little cousins playing around rambunctiously. “I’ve never seen such a huge family!” exclaimed Alice as soon as she realized almost thirty people were there. “So this’s what I mean by “huge”.” I turned to Alice, continued, “Tet’s also the biggest family gathering. It’s like Christmas in Europe and America, I guess.” Then came the food! Alice is quite an easy eater and loved almost everything. She tried all that she did not know, and her favorite is pickle, the one eaten with “banh chung” (rice stuffed cake). She did not quite like baloney but never said no to mango. “There’re many kinds of fruit I never saw before I came to Vietnam,” she told me when I gave her a star-fruit. “Like rambutan fruit, dragon fruit and logan.” Plus, contrary to my initial thought, Alice loved white milk sold along the streets and acclaimed that it was the best white milk. It relieved me to see her enjoy almost everything because I was worried that she might be picky about food.

We went to the flower fair at night. Alice heard about it from one of my great aunt and insisted that we would go there. The cab left us at the rear of the fair, and we walked inside. It was after a day of good food, so we were both happy to have a walk. Alice loves taking photos as long as she is not in those. Knowing that, I kept teasing her by asking, “Do you want a photo?” before moving to the second part,” I mean without you in it.” She would give me a look meaning “You know what I mean, don’t you?” Then both of us would laugh. Her favorite part in the fair was the lanterns. “You love lanterns that much?” “Yes, very much. I’ll have some in my own house,” she smiled a big smile while enthusiastically expressing her affection for the hand-made lanterns.

It took us about one and a half hour to get home from the flower fair. Of course, we walked. On the way home, I let her try other kinds of sweet like “com dep”, “banh nuong” and “bo bia ngot”. Alice did not have much appetite for the first, liked the second and was in love with the third. “Bo bia ngot” is the name for a kind of sweet rolls. The wrapper is opaque white, unlike the translucent rice paper used for spring rolls and egg rolls; and the stuffing includes dried coconut (Jeez, Alice loves coconut and anything that has coconut in its name!), sesame and thin sugar bar (Despite the name, the sugar bar is crispy and does not hurt the teeth! :D). After the first roll, Alice decided that she would have another one immediately.

Alice looked quite tired. “OMG, it was so noisy I couldn’t help,” she confessed after we got home. “It’s really different in my hometown in Germany.” I listened tentatively as she went on,” I don’t understand why people were so noisy.” “Ah, come on, we were playing cards. And that wasn’t noisy, mind you! It’s a whole lot noisier at other houses.” She rolled her eyes to high heaven as though I was giving her the most glory details from an imaginary place. “Ha, not everything is perfect.” I tried to enlighten the conversation, “At least, you liked being given lucky money, don’t you?” I grinned. “Hum, you know how to get me, don’t you?!?” I still remember Alice almost cried when she got her first lucky money from my mom. “It’s just nominal, but it’s to bring you good luck,” said my mom before she reached the greeting part and handling the little red envelop to Alice.

“Let me know when you come,” we hugged each other good-bye before she checked in. I know Alice is easily moved at the air-port (actually, she told me that she can’t stop tears from rolling down on her cheeks to see people at the air-port), so we both made the “painful” part as quick as possible. “Okay, I will. Take care!” Then she lifted her back-pack up and got in. She did not look back, yet she must have been smiling. Or perhaps tears were full in her eyes…

Quynh Van Duong, Vietnam]]> 2010-04-09T16:42:11+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/globalisation-as-seen-from-nepal/ “Nepal” a country in the southern lap of the Himalayas has always been a mesmerizing tourist destination because of its Himalayas, landscapes, temples ,and many to other places people long…
The richness of culture, various ethnic groups celebrating different festivals, the chiming bells, delicious Nepali cuisine dal,bhat, tarkari , the beautiful costumes and ancient sculptures have touched the hearts of millions of people from all around the world.

Earlier here in Nepal, there were only a few schools that too which was controlled by the government and only a certain group of people like the royal family and sophisticated people went to school. There were very less hospitals. Communication was very poor people had to write down letters to hear from their loved ones which took months and months to reach.

However, with globalization ,we got an access to better opportunities ,education having an involvement of various private sectors .We have private clinics in almost all the parts . Technologies have developed to such and extent that we can connect the world In seconds . The use of computers, mobile phones , iPods have become really common these days . Various cars and other means of transport has made the life’s of the people easy.

Moreover, we have foreign multinationals and franchises opening branches in our country, so we have an opportunity to wear foreign brands and go to renowned restaurants staying in the home country .Like Pizza Hut s, KFCs ,Baskin Robins which has become very popular among the teenagers .

With the advancement in technology and choices, globalization has also brought changes in people’s perspectives, lifestyle which is a key factor for development .

Its good to modernize with time and learn different different culture , try different food but we shouldn’t forget what we actually are . What I have seen in most of the teenagers is , in the name of modernization,they are westernising .They criticize the Nepalese culture and change their religion , celebrate some other festivals to be accepted amongst their groups or to show off that they are advanced .This is a wrong concept though .

I was surprised when I interviewed the person working on a Nike store when he said that he only wears branded clothes and also some girls on the Shopping malls saying that wearing guniyo cholo and dhotis ( their traditional clothes) is being a way to laugh amongst colleagues .

Another surprising thing is Nepalese people prefer advertising for foreign brands rather than promoting their own brands .

We are not against them trying new things , being modern but forgetting one’s norms and values is destroying our images .The future is in our hands .If we start behaving like foreigners and adopt their culture then what will the foreigners come to Nepal for? Its because of our beauty , culture , hospitality that these people travel here .If we destroy that, then there is no use of them coming here ..

So the message here is yes Nepal has developed because of Globalisation but if the Nepalese try to modernize in the name of globalization, then it will dent its image

Snigdha Baral, Nepal


]]> 2010-04-08T16:38:05+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/roxy-james-globalisation-blog1/ Looking at a map, there are definite boundaries that separate the various countries and cities of the world which serve to reinforce a sense of territoriality, nationality and indemnity. However,…
Globalization can be defined as the integration of economic, political and social cultures, and is encompassed in the modernization theory, where there is an almost uncharacteristic and startling diffusion of cultural mores and ideas throughout the globe.

Countries in the Caribbean region-particularly Jamaica and Barbados- have been actively pursuing policies to aid in the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) which are driving the globalization process to create a knowledge-based society that would contribute positively to the economic growth and development of the region.

The advantages of MNCs in the Caribbean are undeniable-employment and the multiplier effect on the local economy that facilitates and promotes the growth of support services. Many countries have profited from the increased foreign exchange flows from multinational investments- Barbados and the Bahamas have benefited from tourism, Jamaica through bauxite and alumina and Trinidad through petroleum. According to Lent, “The strong presence of TNCs in the Caribbean has tied the economy and politics of each country to those of the large industrial nations, particularly the United States” (Lent 1991, 74).

Despite this, developing countries, such as those in the Caribbean, often feel a threat to their independence in having to deal with large corporations possibly because of the delicate reminder of the past as a colonized region and the submission to the more powerful, imperial nations. MNCs are also accused of merely investing in countries like Jamaica and Guyana without a single care for the environment. They are solely concerned with economic growth as opposed to sustainable development and thus, they neglect aspects such as pollution control and safety for workers.

Globalization, is accused of widening the gap between the rich and the poor, something completely contradictory to what it was originally intended to do (erode distinctions and level the playing field). This rapid growth in the disparity between the information-rich and in the information-poor is becoming increasingly noticeable especially since the process is occurring between the largely underdeveloped (the majority of the world’s population) and the industrialised countries, which form a small elite.

An aspect of globalization is therefore the introduction of crime into the Caribbean region, as the people who are the lower end of the poverty line are exposed to various types of criminal activities ranging from drugs, prostitution, trafficking, child labour-just a few forms of corruption that has been enhanced by globalization.

Globalisation is related to what I’d call the invasion of foreign media, often in an uncontrolled way. This flow of images from foreign countries has many negative aspects such as cultural erasure where our local Caribbean culture is disappearing in favour for the glitz and glam of North America.

Despite these negativities, I credit globalization since it provides the necessary forums needed to place the Caribbean on the international stage. For instance, the international diffusion of Jamaican popular culture throughout the globe, and Trinidad’s Carnival and its followers that are “a popular globalised celebration of hybridity and cultural identity...which facilitates the centring of the periphery” (Nurse, 200,109).

The dawn of globalization has produced its fair share of advantages as well as issues, ranging from critical issues from the economic, social and political spheres-communications, ecology, biotechnology and genetic engineering, health and education (provision of distance and interactive self-teaching facilities), food, employment and quality of life. It has promoted a degree of interconnectedness between states and people.

Although globalization has certainly done its share in terms of demolishing previous physical boundaries, it has simultaneously created a subtle divide, creating more pronounced distinctions between developed and developing countries.

Additionally, despite the fact that globalization may have resulted in the deliberate and unintentional hegemony of foreign giants as well as subjected the region to US and European sovereignty, it’s good to know that the Caribbean has not been just standing by sponging in foreign culture, but rather, a vibrant producer and exporter of popular culture.

Roxy James, Trinidad]]> 2010-04-07T16:37:51+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/nadia-siddiqis-view-of-globalisation/ I’m from Karachi Pakistan; the Karachi Stock exchange was declared the ‘Best Performing Stock Market of the World for the year 2002’ when Pervez Musharraf our most recent resident dictator…
Karachi fashion week (like Pakistan fashion week) recently only featured western clothes to be worn by Pakistanis. When Benazir Bhutto (who went to school in Karachi; before Harvard, then Oxford; becoming a notoriously corrupt self-exiled politician and then getting killed in Rawalpindi) called Asia the continent of the 21st century; the influence of the west on everything from what we eat, wear and bathe with was not as evident as it is now. From the bath&body works right across the street, the airport McDonald's, Benneton, Levi Strauss, Gucci, Chanel, Armani (Shaukat Aziz wore Armani suits) and then the infusion of the west into the clothes Pakistani designers make: gowns by Freiha Altaf; there is not a single clothing item made by our top designers (HSY,Maria B,Nadia Mistry,Deepak Perwani &Ammar Belal) that does not reveal legs/cleavage: Strange when you look back a decade.

Why has this happened? because we have significantly more designer imports (clothes and accessories) than exports. People buy foreign designer wear. Women in Burqahs ubiquitously carry big fat GUCCI bags. Burqahs themselves are imported from other countries. Muslim Scarves are almost always Italian.

We’re also influenced by Arabs; Jamiat-islamia; an organization responsible for a lot of violence funded mainly if not entirely by Saudi Sheikhs. There are high-walled Sheikh palaces all over the city of Karachi. Arab terrorists have allegedly settled in Northern Pakistan.

Oriental-staffed Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants invaded this city long before McDonald's did. There is the French Cafe Flo and Italian pizzerias. Karachi-ites from even the most rundown localities predominantly watch Bollywood and Hollywood films. Lolly-wood alienated itself from the city as the province of Punjab did. Other than that there is the Goethe institute for German and Alliance Française de Karachi for French aficionados. Embassies house people from everywhere in the world and many families are racially/ethnically-mixed.

Other Effects: There’s exposure and tolerance of cosmopolitan diversity in this metropolis but on the other hand there is tension/conflict. Smuggled foreign-designer-wear is sold in flea-markets sprawled all over the city; expensive cell/mobile phones are robbed at gunpoint in every public arena. These cell-phones are then sold cheap and people buy them because we don’t want to be robbed of an expensive investment. Economic decline results from not cutting Imports.

Nadia Siddiqi, Pakistan]]> 2010-04-06T16:34:49+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/me-my-country-and-globalisation/ Name for the process of increasing the connectivity and interdependence of the world's markets and businesses I used to see globalization like a kind of panacea for all economies, cultures…
The way globalization affects me
● The more obvious effects are positive ones like access to information, knowledges, “cultures” from other countries. Thanks to Internet and other Medias I learn many things from around the world everyday. Today, I use Facebook, Myspace…, I do exchange and I’m connected with other persons from everywhere. I do consume products from many countries. In a nutshell, I can say that I’m a “globalized man”. But the other side of the medal is not so glittering.

● “Afro-pessimistic” people always say that globalization is a threat to south countries economies and cultures. In some way, it’s true. It’s clear that cultures are to change in times, but globalization also trend to lead to some bad changes.
For example, as I am opened to other cultures, some people in my country see me as an “uprooted man”. According to them, being so opened to stranger cultures makes me loose my own one. I sometimes feel like I’m not enough “Cameroonian”, neither European, nor American, Asian…in my habits. It’s like I’m from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Concerning economy, globalisation is more a threat to my country ones. national enterprises are not strong enough to face globalisation effects. We are literally “invaded” by products from coming from outside, particularly from developed countries like USA, France, and especially nowadays from China! Because some of those products (Chinese ones) have low cost, we buy them more than local ones, and this contribute to kill our national economy.

Some options for the future
With the increasing polarisation of world’s economic activities in developed countries ( USA, England, Japan…), I think in countries like mine, as we don’t possess enough means to face the growing influence of globalization, we have to elaborate real strong and sustainable development plans for the future. Otherwise, we’ll always leeway to make up compared with developed ones, while trying to benefit from globalization too. We have to purpose our knowledge; promote our local know-how, to benefit from it, like countries like China, India, Vietnam…did. But sadly, with our social realities (particularly our bad mentalities) i think globalization will continue to affect me and all my society, more in bad manner.

Philippe, Cameroon]]> 2010-04-01T16:33:46+00:00 http://www.debatewise.info/index.php/blog/debatable/lim-kks-view-of-globalisation/ Thanks to the advent of technology, human manages to extend their arms further to another end of the globe than ever before. By reaching out, we automatically expose ourselves to…
From an Asian’s perspective, erosion of our strong traditional and cultural values is often highlighted as a direct result of such integration. Nevertheless at a personal level, globalisation has affected me in a more positive way than the other.

My experience with globalisation began when I flew over to Glasgow, Scotland to complete my Bachelor’s degree. The most memorable one of course, was with my fellow classmates. We worked together on several projects, including one which aimed to bridge the gaps between the Malaysian students and the Scottish students, named the Buddy System. Through interaction with my Scottish friends, I improved on my communication skills. From them, I learnt to be honest with my feelings. From them, I discovered that Asian culture was not the only one that was unique. From them, I found values that I could adapt to make myself a better person.

On the other hand, living in a foreign country was completely eye-opening. Coming from another constitutional monarchy myself, I saw how such a country could be managed differently than the one I had been living in for the past 20 years. I saw a society that handles gender equality and racism issues better than my own. I saw the importance of having a responsible government. I saw how normal layman like you and me could play a part in a country’s progress and have a say in the government’s policy. I saw the path that my country could follow to become a developed nation!

It would not be exaggerating for me to say that my Glasgow experience was both inspiring and enlightening. I returned to Malaysia as a new person, a better person. With me I brought back additional qualities I picked up from my Scottish buddies, and a brainload of ideas which I am ready to contribute actively to my people and my country.

Globalisation brought me to a foreign land, given me exposure and allowed me to learn from a new culture.

It has not let me to forget my root and my cultural heritage.

In fact, I spread and shared them with everyone in the UK, as a part of me.

Lim KK, Malaysia
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