People’s movement across borders and seas have resulted in great transnational networks. The communication possibilities are almost limitless and the power of technology and social media combined enables this. Globalization is indeed a “thing” today, although it is a process that has been going on for a very long time.
Globalization is the result of people’s movement, activities, and communication, through the time of our existence. Its factors have come to challenge the traditional nation-state which hasn’t changed as fast as its population has grown. It is high time they start running side-by-side.
People’s movements have always raised issues. Issues regarding reception, acceptation, and then integration, segregation, and contributing. All of these factors are important to discuss, but the latter is an issue even the most politically undecided could do well spending some time thinking about. Future social climate needs to recognize that people contribute in different ways. If we have any ambition to battle a shortsighted and poorly updated contemporary society where very few are welcome, we need to keep an open mind, and put knowledge to use. One way to do that is to raise questions. Politics today can seem hard to get into and the systems for who gets to decide what are not easy to understand, but when regular people think and talk, they can influence political discussion and, moreover, the outcome of politicians’ work.
What is your contemporary homeland like? How can you think about things and people that are foreign to you? To what extent is your idea of your country obsolete? What changes have you noticed and what changes would you like to contribute to?
Take the chance to use your voice as an instrument to fight the shortsighted and discriminating voices of society that favor disintegration and prejudice, just like the people behind Höj Rösten (Swedish for “Raise your voice”) are planning to do. Höj Rösten is an election promoting, on-going campaign in Sweden that gathers famous (and other) people’s voices and inspires to fight the current political forces of disrupting nationalism growing inside of EU member states, and that seeks to seep into EU.
So if you live in a country where you have the possibility to vote for the European Parliament – and if you need inspiration, or a kick in the butt, in order to get yourself to the voting booth on May 25th – this will be the place.
Höj Rösten!
FOLLOW HÖJ RÖSTEN ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER
Raise your voice for an open and equal society. Vote in the EU elections on the 25th of May 2014. Make a difference.
www.HöjRösten.se #HöjRösten
