Globalisation, Values and Human Rights for Cultural Diversity

Abstract

Under the impact of economic, political and cultural globalisation, one could expect that the whole world would tend to become more and more culturally homogeneous until a convergence of cultures eventuated. Such homogenising forces have impinged upon nation-states causing them to lose some of their traditional omnipotence and charisma. The rising significance of international organisations has eroded some of the states’ powers, as has the increasing acceptance of dual citizenship and the virtually uncontrollable migratory flows across the globe. An example taken from Australia illustrates the dimensions of the latter problem facing many states, even one such as Australia that was formerly proud of its ability to control immigration inflow, with immigrants carefully classified as ‘skilled’, ‘family reunion’, ‘refugees’ and ‘humanitarian need’ cases. Australia has no official category for asylum seekers who arrive without official papers by boat, by air or inside cargo containers. This ‘illegal’ migration flow was no longer a minor problem. In 2000, 4,174 asylum seekers were washed up on Australian shores, arriving in 75 boats (a substantial increase from the 157 people who came in 1997–1998) (Hugo, 2001, p. 188). The weakening authority of the nation-state in the face of such crises has paradoxically generated forces that counteract the homogenising effects of globalisation. As control slips out of its grasp, the state faces the rising demands of its local, regional and various other minority groups, which are gaining confidence and demanding their ‘place in the sun’. We are witnessing round the world a renaissance, a resurgence of ethnicity (Huntington, 1996). While political boundaries are tending to become more permeable, especially in places like Western Europe, cultural boundaries are becoming accentuated within countries. In this context, it is important to realise that the cultural and political boundaries between states do not