Our Common Humanity in the Information Age. Principles and Values for Development

SOLIDARITY IN THE 21
ST
 CENTURY
Joseph Salim, President, Virtue Foundation
In today’s rapidly growing world, as technology continues to progress and traditional 
barriers such as time and distance are overcome by the interaction and exchange of 
diverse civilizations and cultures, the confluence of access and information has led to the 
emergence of an interconnected global village, in which events in one corner of the world 
can bear important and sometimes devastating consequences in the other, as witnessed by 
the tragic events of September 11
th
and the SARS epidemic. While universal access to the 
vast network of information has clearly enhanced our overall knowledge, it has also 
exacerbated complex ideological, political and social disparities among various 
communities in the underprivileged fringes of our global village. In such a global setting, 
there is greater need and urgency for solidarity than ever before in history, which raises 
the essential question: how can we engage each other in a productive dialogue and 
collaboration that will enable us to build a common ground upon which we can better 
understand and appreciate the other?
With the advent of information technology, modern class systems are no longer 
determined by birth but increasingly by access to opportunity. One of the neglected 

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Chapter VI – Solidarity and Equity | 111 
corollaries of technological advancement is the creation of envy and animosity among 
those who have suddenly become aware of what the world has to offer, only to be 
frustrated by the inability to access such opportunities. Previously concealed by 
geographical constraints, the ubiquitous impression that others are living a more 
prosperous life merely by being born in a country that offers seemingly unlimited 
opportunities for advancement has thus created a mixture of resentment, expectation, and 
hope among those struggling in poverty-stricken and oppressed conditions. Individuals 
attempting to maintain their cultural identity while pursuing their aspirations face 
difficult choices that transcend simple economics. Such tensions can result in cultural 
clashes between civilizations, and those who are unable to reconcile cultural differences 
or forgo their cultural identity find themselves grappling with an ever-changing dynamic 
that eludes comprehension.
Unless basic ideological needs of human beings are reassessed, it is doubtful that 
economic aid and technical expertise alone can bridge the increasing rift between 
cultures. From unconscionable acts of persecution to the horrors of war, it is often the 
difference in the belief of what is right and wrong that has motivated and served to justify 
the greatest atrocities. The more engrained and inflexible an ideology, the harder it 
becomes to accommodate and tolerate difference. From friendships, family relationships, 
and even self-perception, individual ideology is the very thread by which our lives are 
tied within the fabric of society.
The reality of globalization, however, requires that we learn to embrace our diversity and 
plurality while fostering an innate sense of unity and harmony. We must seek to equip 
ourselves with the tools that will enable us to comprehend our fellow human beings more 
profoundly and to conduct ourselves in an appropriate and universally acceptable manner, 
regardless of our particular ideology, race or religion.
All of us share a direct responsibility for improving the state of the world; however, 
notwithstanding popular perception, the process of initiating true global change must 
begin from within, for ultimately any society is only as benevolent and tolerant as the 
individuals who comprise it. By seeking to first educate and improve ourselves, we can 
set in motion the mechanism to effect substantive change on a universal scale. 
One key to pursuing such an internal transformation as we work towards achieving 
greater solidarity is the acquisition of an enhanced awareness and understanding of the 
prevalent social, cultural, and ethical issues that impact our daily lives. The more 
informed, involved, and concerned we become as citizens of the world, the more 

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112 | Our Common Humanity in the Information Age 
effectively each of us can contribute towards building a more peaceful, just, and secure 
society. 
From Southeast Asia to Central Africa, and even here in the United States of America, 
Virtue Foundation in collaboration with other NGOs, corporate partners, and local 
institutions, has implemented several key initiatives focused on impoverished children 
and women, by providing them with better education, adequate healthcare, and more 
opportunities to prosper. 
Considering that the equalization of opportunities may not be reasonably foreseeable in 
the near future, what is needed are new tools that will enable us to cope with the 
ideological and social disparities brought to light by technological advancements of a 
rapidly changing world. While it is perhaps human nature to consider our plight as being 
unique to our time, such a myopic view of history puts us at danger of repeating the 
errors of the past. Indeed, the clash between civilizations and cultures is in no way a 
phenomenon that is uniq ue to our time; the only difference is the scale with which such 
clashes occur.
The world population is exponentially expanding. We have access to more information 
than ever before and can communicate it faster and more effectively across the globe. 
Universal access to this global web of information has leveled the playing field, and the 
world has shrunk into a global village. 
In today's multilateral world, prosperity and hope live alongside doom and despair. In a 
world marked by diminishing borders and clashing ideologies, the necessity of 
collectively developing and formulating universal standards of ethical behavior has 
become an urgent priority that can no longer be ignored. The United Nations represents 
the microcosm of our world today and provides our best opportunity and hope for 
developing a shared sense of global ethic to guide human action, which in turn requires 
an in-depth study of our duties and obligations alongside our inalienable rights and 
liberties.
If mankind is to live in peace and solidarity in the 21
st
century, we must acknowledge that 
each of us has an obligation both to educate and inform ourselves of the richness and 
diversity of the global community in which we live, and to give back and support our 
local communities and those who are less fortunate, for we can no longer afford to ignore 
the problems that plague our fellow beings, no matter how far or remote from us they 
may seem. 

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Chapter VI – Solidarity and Equity | 113 
The tragic events of 9/11 and the ongoing scourge of terrorism and ideological hatred are 
too high a price to pay to realize that we can no longer immunize ourselves to the 
challenges facing our global community, and that mere distance and geography can no 
longer protect us. Rather than adopting a reactive approach, waiting for the next tragedy 
to serve as the impetus for action, each of us must assume a proactive role and confront 
the reality that the fate of our global community is indeed at risk. The need to actively 
and collectively help bridge the ever-growing gap between the haves and have-nots of the 
world today must become an urgent priority if we are to establish the unity and solidarity 
that will ensure the prosperity of our own and future generations. As Winston Churchill 
aptly put it: “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”