http://www.theenvironmentsite.org/Fo...pic.php?t=4410
Quote:
Helsinki: October 2004: “Limits to Ignorance: The Challenge of Informed Humanity”
“The wealth, volume of information produced has grown enormously over the past few decades. Formerly isolated information today is ever more connected. This globally networked information is ever more easy accessible to a growing number of people world-wide. Standards of education, mobility and cosmopolitanism of the middle class in industrial societies, as well as emerging developing countries, have grown enormously in the past few decades. The volume of information and the range of media have also increased considerably, making information readily accessible to an increasing number of people. Yet in Yet and despite of higher standards of education and almost unlimited access to information, the world is still beset by the well known challenges, such as grave environmental risks, a growing gap between the rich and poor, and conflicts between different cultures. The course of humanity has not changed, even though an increasing number of people have all the informational resources needed for responding to the situation. The crucial question for the future of humanity is whether we learn to understand the challenge of sustainable development implicit in this issue in time. What are the thingsis (sic) needed for changing ignorance and the lack of vision into global responsibility and awareness? How can we motivate the middle-classes and other responsible actors to make the commitment to achieve global change?
So, in summarising, what we want to bring up into public discussion is The Annual Conference of The Club of Rome will focus on this the contradictory development (sic, sic): On the one hand we recognise an increasing flow of information that may potentially provide us with more knowledge about the world around us. On the other hand we also identify a growing information overload causing confusion and disorientation and an increasing tendency on misuse of information and information channels, obscuring the premises of the public and private decision-making and increasing to public ignorance.”
El Hassan Bin Talal (President of The Club of Rome)
Markku Wilenius (Chairman: Finnish Association for The Club of Rome)
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This brilliant (but highly disturbing) question, which was cast upon this world by The Club of Rome in 2004, remains unresolved. Today, it can seem to me like the most difficult part of the equation is the part which involves the mainstream media, which in part (let’s admit it) serves to protect the political / economic / social / cultural establishment of each and every sovereign state (country) in which it is at work. I mean: think about it: “the misuse of information and information channels.” Hah! To which purpose? Oh, that’s definitely hard to tell.
A disturbing fact is: this question raised by The Club of Rome has not, to my knowledge, been referred to openly by any media group in this world. Just you google it, and you’ll easily find that I’m probably right. The next question will be: “Why? How come?”
The “thingsis” this elitist group of scientists and heads of state were searching for, back in 2004, is, I believe, what we are about to find (or “found”) these days, here in cyberspace (”the internet” or “the blogosphere”). I can only hope that the freedom of opinion and expression that has evolved here, over the past few years, is one that can be protected for the future. I don’t know whether or not it will be wise of me to hope that the mainstream media will one-day follow suit, and allow concerned citizens to be concerned with topics that might offend the established political-economic elites of our societies, also in print.
Another challenge which remains, is this: for how long are the poor, underprivileged masses of the developing world going to have to wait before they get the opportunity to take an active part in the on-going communication revolution of our times?
It’s a necessity, I believe. We could discuss a topic like “the democratization of knowledge” perhaps? And call it a possible way out of the ignorance mess that we’re currently faced with?
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“I know what I want, but I just don’t know how I’m a-gonna get it.” ~ Jimi Hendrix