Great changes have taken place on Earth. Digital platforms around the world have created information bubbles. The pandemic and war have limited the movement of people and goods. The world now become more insular.
By
SUTTA DHARMASAPUTRA
·4 minutes read
AXEL HEIMKEN / AFP
Container ships are discharged at the terminals of HHLA (Hamburg Port Logistics Inc) in Hamburg on June 22, 2022. World trade is affected by the phenomenon of deglobalization.
Many experts predict this situation is an early sign of deglobalization that will reverse the direction of globalization. The cover of The Economist also bears the title, "Reinventing Globalization".
This major change will have a broad and deep impact on human life, not only at the macro level, such as the global, regional, and national levels, but also at the micro level, like the local and even personal levels.
It is the negative impacts of the information technology revolution that are greatly thickening barriers for Earth’s inhabitants. Instead of uniting the citizens of Earth, digital algorithms are trapping the lives of people on Earth in information bubbles to blindly worship people with similar views while hating those with opposite views.
The division of society in the United States after an election is one example. Indonesia has also experienced this. Chronic residue, even a stain, is left behind.
SARS-CoV-2 and its many variants are increasingly cutting off interactions among Earth’s inhabitants. Large-scale social restrictions have even reduced physical interactions. Social interaction has become limited and distant. Face-to-face meetings have been replaced by virtual meetings.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which was followed by the imposition of economic sanctions by the US and its allies, further severed ties between Earth’s people. Not only has this limited the mobility of people, but also goods and even the circulation of money.
In fact, saving planet Earth requires even greater cooperation between all human inhabitants. Efforts to reduce the Earth's temperature to prevent global warming cannot be done alone or by part.
This also goes for handling the Covid-19 pandemic, the biggest pandemic this century, as well as the resulting economic crisis that has increased inequality and poverty. Not to mention the impacts of the Ukraine-Russia war, which has cut off the world's energy and food supplies to cause stagflation, which could trigger social conflicts, even other wars.
YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
Elephants drink water at a water point in Selenkay Conservancy, a community-owned conservation area running by a private company, in Amboseli, Kenya, on June 21, 2022. Climate change due to an increase in Earth's temperature has an impact on the lives of wildlife and humans.
Building contacts
Reconnecting ties between humans on Earth is the main task going forward. No one is safe until everyone is. All human beings on Earth should reconnect and synergize. Harmony needs to be established not only among human beings, but also between humans and nature, including the animals that also live on Earth.
American psychologist Gordon Allport explains the importance of human contact in building civilizations. According to Allport, prejudice, hate and racism also stem from a lack of contact. Thomas Pettigrew, who analyzed 515 studies from 38 countries, concluded that human contact engendered mutual trust, solidarity and reciprocal kindness.
The story of the meeting between two identical twins, Constand and Abraham Viljoen, and Nelson Mandela, who prevented civil war ahead of the multiracial elections in South Africa, is a testament to the importance of human contact.
Reconnecting ties between humans on Earth is the main task going forward. No one is safe until everyone is.
At first, the twins, because of the racist doctrine they had been taught since childhood, held the same view. Later, however, Abraham's view changed. While studying in the Netherlands and the US, he was exposed to the importance of justice and equality.
Meanwhile, Constand, who became a soldier with the South African military, became increasingly militant. He changed only after Abraham took him to meet Mandela. It was the two brothers’ meeting with Mandela in at villa in Johannesburg on 12 Aug. 1993 that led to the cancellation of the plans for a civil war. They realized that “there will be no victors if we go to war”.
Indonesia's Role
The Indonesian nation needs to participate actively in realizing world peace, as mandated by the founding fathers. As the holder of the G20 presidency, Indonesia also has an important role in bringing together the citizens of the world.
The country’s deeply rooted traditions of greeting each other, tolerance and gotong royong (mutual help) can be an inspiration to the world. During the pandemic, these social ties were not weakened, but strengthened. With this social capital, Indonesia needs to participate in rebuilding the world order as mandated by its founding fathers.
As the holder of the G20 presidency, Indonesia plays an important role in uniting the world's citizens so they can better deal with the pandemic. On the other hand, the barriers of ethnicity, religion, race and social class in this country that have recently hardened need to be of concern to all. On this basis, Kompas' special 57th Anniversary edition is themed “reconnecting”. In being connected, we, the nation, and the world will be better off.
