Regionalism

Regionalism is defined as a political ideology that favors a specific region over a

greater area. It usually results due to political separations, religious geography,
cultural boundaries, linguistic regions, and managerial divisions. Regionalism
emphasizes on developing the administrative power and swaying the available or
some inhabitants of a region. Activists of regionalism claim that instituting the
governing bodies and civil authorities within an area, at the expense of a national
regime, will significantly increase local populations by improving the local
economies through the distribution of resources and execution of local policies
and strategies.

Since regionalism is a political ideology that only favors a specific region, its
impact may affect the entire society or just a segment of the community.
Regionalism can impact a region’s economy through various ways. A well-
formulated trade bloc can raise productivity and economic welfare in its
associate countries by enhancing consumer choice and growing the competition
that producers encounter. Dropping tariff barriers expands markets and gives
more efficient producers access into states where their prices had been
exaggerated by duties and other trade barriers.However, it is important to note
that trade blocs easily add up instead of removing distortions and trade
efficiency.

In regionalism, it is essential to note that economic profits do not only come from
trade as some benefits may also come as a result of cooperation in investment
and financial activities. Economic impacts of regionalism can be categorized into
different classes, those effects arising from trade, effects arising due to
investment and monetary cooperation. Trade-related consequences have its
positive impact in that regional integration entails the promotion of free trade
among the associate countries of a local organization. The main reason for the
benefits from trade is that the universal, unrestricted trade permits buyers and
organizations to buy from the cheapest source of supply; this ensures that
production is located according to comparative advantage.

GLOBAL DIVIDES
Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one
people to another. One of the difficulties in defining colonialism is that it is hard
to distinguish it from imperialism. Frequently the two concepts are treated as
synonyms. Like colonialism, imperialism also involves political and economic
control over a dependent territory. The etymology of the two terms, however,
provides some clues about how they differ. The term colony comes from the Latin
word colonus, meaning farmer. This root reminds us that the practice of
colonialism usually involved the transfer of population to a new territory, where
the arrivals lived as permanent settlers while maintaining political allegiance to
their country of origin.

Imperialism, on the other hand, comes from the Latin term imperium, meaning to
command. Thus, the term imperialism draws attention to the way that one country
exercises power over another, whether through settlement, sovereignty, or
indirect mechanisms of control.

Neocolonialism, the control of less-developed countries by developed countries

through indirect means. The term neocolonialism was first used after World War II
to refer to the continuing dependence of former colonies on foreign countries,
but its meaning soon broadened to apply, more generally, to places where the
power of developed countries was used to produce a colonial-like exploitation—
for instance, in Latin America, where direct foreign rule had ended in the early
19th century. The term is now an unambiguously negative one that is widely used
to refer to a form of global power in which transnational corporations and global
and multilateral institutions combine to perpetuate colonial forms of exploitation
of developing countries. Neocolonialism has been broadly theorized as a further
development of capitalism that enables capitalist powers (both nations and
corporations) to dominate subject nations through the operations of international
capitalism rather than by means of direct rule.

Marxism is a method of socioeconomic analysis that views class relations and

social conflict using a materialist interpretation of historical development and
takes a dialectical view of social transformation. It originates from the works of
19th-century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

Capitalism is an economic system in which private individuals or businesses own

capital goods. The production of goods and services is based on supply and
demand in the general market—known as a market economy—rather than
through central planning—known as a planned economy or command economy.

Postmodernism, also spelled post-modernism, in Western philosophy, a late

20th-century movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or
relativism; a general suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of
ideology in asserting and maintaining political and economic power.
Ideology, a form of social or political philosophy in which practical elements are
as prominent as theoretical ones. It is a system of ideas that aspires both to
explain the world and to change it

Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study

-- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding
and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those
experiences. When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our
previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe
discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators
of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess
what we know.

Realism, in the arts, the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or

of contemporary life. Realism rejects imaginative idealization in favour of a close
observation of outward appearances. As such, realism in its broad sense has
comprised many artistic currents in different civilizations. In the visual arts, for
example, realism can be found in ancient Hellenistic Greek sculptures accurately
portraying boxers and decrepit old women. The works of such 17th-century
painters as Caravaggio, the Dutch genre painters, the Spanish painters José de
Ribera, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Zurbarán, and the Le Nain brothers in
France are realist in approach. The works of the 18th-century English novelists
Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, and Tobias Smollett may also be called realistic.

Liberalism, political doctrine that takes protecting and enhancing the freedom of
the individual to be the central problem of politics. Liberals typically believe that
government is necessary to protect individuals from being harmed by others, but
they also recognize that government itself can pose a threat to liberty. As the
revolutionary American pamphleteer Thomas Paine expressed it in Common
Sense (1776), government is at best “a necessary evil.” Laws, judges, and police
are needed to secure the individual’s life and liberty, but their coercive power
may also be turned against him. The problem, then, is to devise a system that
gives government the power necessary to protect individual liberty but also
prevents those who govern from abusing that power.

MODULE ON MEDIA
The twenty-first century is evolving into a time of technological advancements.
There is constant edit and addition to the available technological resources. As it
advances, it also spreads worldwide. The worldwide spread of technology creates
vast connections that create new opportunities on a larger scale. The current
focus of the globalization of technology is the connections created by networks
of social media. Social media is a brilliant tool that can be easily used by those
who have access to it. As access is gained globally, it creates opportunities to
those who are first experiencing the use to outsource ideas. Currently, the use of
social media is being used to implement change.

Present and future revolutions are and will be actively using social media as a
tool for protest. Social media is very effective at spreading information rapidly to
a broad audience. With the spread of technology becoming available worldwide
social media is becoming more abundant. The availability to use social media
creates global connections. These global connections make it possible for
countries to express new and old concerns to all. Modern advancements in some
countries are the source of disturbance due to newfound accessibility to
information. This exposure to new sources of information provides reason for
many countries to protest.

Today, social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, have become
primary sources of information. They are also vehicles for fake news and
disinformation. During a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media is one
of the best ways to share news nowadays (it may be the only way for some
people), especially if you are trying to alert people of something serious in a very,
very quick manner. Whether it be COVID-19 news from individual states or news
on a national scope, social media gets the message where it needs to go.

You’ve seen pretty much everything in terms of the coronavirus over the last few
days to weeks. The number of people being affected by the illness in states,
counties, and specific cities and towns come to mind. This news has made
people aware of how the situation has been constantly deteriorating the sense of
normalcy across the nation. Social media has also educated us about the
symptoms of COVID-19–in turn, perhaps saving lives!

Safety tips are another ENORMOUS thing spreading through social media. One,
in particular, is the term “social distancing.” According to John Hopkins
Medicine, the act of social distancing involves “deliberately increasing the
physical space between people to avoid spreading illness.” It is also suggested
to stay at least six feet away from other people to lessen your chances of
catching COVID-19.

Maybe the best thing that has happened across a variety of social media
platforms is the number of professional athletes, celebrities, and influencers that
have spoken up urging people to take everything they see about COVID-19
seriously and follow suit. Whether it’s Tom Hanks who suffered from the illness
himself or other high-profile figures quarantining themselves, people are more
inclined to listen when one of these figures speaks out or shares a message
through social media.

MODULE ON RELIGION
1. Doctrine is something that is taught; a principle or creed of principles
presented for acceptance or belief; a system of beliefs. In Scripture,
doctrine takes on a broader meaning. In the Evangelical Dictionary of
Biblical Theology this explanation of doctrine is given:

"Christianity is a religion founded on a message of good news rooted in the

significance of the life of Jesus Christ. In Scripture, then, doctrine refers to
the entire body of essential theological truths that define and describe that
message ... The message includes historical facts, such as those regarding
the events of the life of Jesus Christ ... But it is deeper than biographical
facts alone... Doctrine, then, is scriptural teaching on theological truths."

Christian Creeds

The three major Christian creeds, the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed,
and the Athanasian Creed, together constitute a fairly comprehensive
summary of traditional Christian doctrine, expressing the fundamental
beliefs of a wide range of Christian churches. However, many churches
reject the practice of professing a creed, even though they may agree with
the contents of the creed.

Major Beliefs of Christianity

The following beliefs are central to almost all Christian faith groups. They
are presented here as the core beliefs of Christianity. A small number of
faith groups who consider themselves to be within the framework of
Christianity do not accept some of these beliefs. It should also be
understood that slight variances, exceptions, and additions to these
doctrines exist within certain faith groups that fall under the broad
umbrella of Christianity.
 God the Father
 There is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6;
Galatians 4:8-9).
 God is omniscient or "knows all things" (Acts 15:18; 1 John 3:20).
 God is omnipotent or "all powerful" (Psalm 115:3; Revelation 19:6).
 God is omnipresent or "present everywhere" (Jeremiah 23:23, 24; Psalm
139).
 God is sovereign (Zechariah 9:14; 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
 God is holy (1 Peter 1:15).
 God is just or "righteous" (Psalm 19:9, 116:5, 145:17; Jeremiah 12:1).
 God is love (1 John 4:8).
 God is true (Romans 3:4; John 14:6).
 God is the creator of everything that exists (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 44:24).
 God is infinite and eternal. He has always been and will ever be God (Psalm
90:2; Genesis 21:33; Acts 17:24).
 God is immutable. He does not change (James 1:17; Malachi 3:6; Isaiah
46:9-10).
 The Trinity
 God is three in one or a Trinity; God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and
the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 14:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14;
Acts 2:32-33, John 10:30,17:11, 21; 1 Peter 1:2).
 Jesus Christ the Son
 Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1, 14, 10:30-33, 20:28; Colossians 2:9;
Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:8).
 Jesus was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26–35).
 Jesus became a man (Philippians 2:1-11).
 Jesus is fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews
4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
 Jesus is perfect and sinless (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).
 Jesus is the only way to God the Father (John 14:6; Matthew 11:27; Luke
10:22).
 The Holy Spirit
 God is Spirit (John 4:24).
 The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:11-12; 2 Corinthians
13:14).
 The Bible: Word of God
 The Bible is the "inspired" or "God-breathed," Word of God (2 Timothy
3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
 The Bible in its original manuscripts is without error (John 10:35; John
17:17; Hebrews 4:12).
 God's Plan of Salvation
 Humans were created by God in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
 All people have sinned (Romans 3:23, 5:12).
 Death came into the world through Adam's sin (Romans 5:12-15).
 Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).
 Jesus died for the sins of each and every person in the world (1 John 2:2; 2
Corinthians 5:14; 1 Peter 2:24).
 Jesus' death was a substitutionary sacrifice. He died and paid the price for
our sins so that we might live forever with him. (1 Peter 2:24; Matthew
20:28; Mark 10:45).
 Jesus resurrected from the dead in physical form (John 2:19-21).
 Salvation is a free gift of God (Romans 4:5, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John
1:8-10).
 Believers are saved by grace; Salvation cannot be earned by human efforts
or good works (Ephesians 2:8–9).
 Those who reject Jesus Christ will go to hell forever after they die
(Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8).
 Those who accept Jesus Christ will live for eternity with him after they die
(John 11:25, 26; 2 Corinthians 5:6).
 Hell Is Real
 Hell is a place of punishment (Matthew 25:41, 46; Revelation 19:20).
 Hell is eternal (Matthew 25:46).
 End Times
 There will be a rapture of the church (Matthew 24:30-36, 40-41; John 14:1-3;
1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).
 Jesus will return to the earth (Acts 1:11).
 Christians will be raised from the dead when Jesus returns (1
Thessalonians 4:14-17).
 There will be a final judgment (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 3:7).
 Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
 God will create a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation
21:1).

2. Religion and globalisation have always shared a relation of struggle and

conflict. Globalisation has generally been linked with economic and
 political interdependence which ultimately has brought people closer and
effect of no event is isolated but is felt in far-off places too. It has shifted
the cultural build up of the world and led to formation of a ‘global culture’-
a common minimum which is accepted by all.

Globalisation stands for increased and daily contact while religions are
becoming more self-conscious for themselves as being the world religions.
The basic tenets of globalisation stand against religious parochialism. By
diminishing the barriers between different cultures, globalisation lands
religion in a quagmire of conflicts which reinforce social identities as some
do not accept the new realities and turn to religion to rediscover their own
identity. Religion provides a sense of belongingness to a group in the
world. Religion has stood the complexities and onslaught of the modern
world and is seen to be further intensified under the conditions of
contemporary development.

Although some groups have made religion as a weapon to both integrate

and terrorise masses, generally people have become more tolerant of other
religious beliefs and practices and have come to associate all acts of terror
as anti-religious.

In third world nations, where the vulnerable sections find themselves more
marginalised by the forces of globalisation, religion takes a prime welfare role
and acts as a cultural protector for these sections. Religion thus plays a social
role by helping in social causes and successfully gets greater recognition. Here it
presents a direct challenge to globalisation.

India is home to a massive rural population to whom the benefits of globalisation

will take time to reach. In this fast pace life, religion acts as ‘home’ for personal
peace and gives a message of peace in times of crisis. Urbanisation has attracted
many rural youth and continues to bring them to cities for better life. Religion can
use the new possibilities presented by the global forces to reach to more people
and also rediscover the essence of other religions. All religions have fixed texts
but none has fixed beliefs. Religions can come together and stand for increased
peace in the world with mutual tolerance and respect.

lobalisation isn’t a new phenomenon and since the ancient period this process
has been going on in different scales. But globalisation became a buzzword in the
1990s because of political and economic dimension of the international system.
From the 1970s onwards, various anthropologist, economist etc began to
research and realised that globalisation is the only process that can be fitted to
any discipline. There is not a single definition of globalisation. We can explain
this from various theories and perspectives.

Roland Robertson defines globalisation as “the understanding of the world and

the increased perception of the world as a whole”.

Martin Albrow and Elizabeth King, sociologists, define globalisation as “all those
processes by which the peoples of the world are incorporated into a single world
society”.

Anthony Giddens uses the following definition: “the globalisation can be defined
as the intensification of social relations throughout the world, linking distant
localities in such a way that local happenings are formed as a result of events
that occur many miles away and vice versa”.

So, we can see that globalisation is a process of interconnectedness,

interdependence and integration of economics and societies. It is also a process
of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of
different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and
enhanced by information technology. This process has effects on the
environment, on culture, on religion, on political systems, on economic
development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies
around the world.

Globalisation is one of the strongest forces that have profound and wide effect
around the world. It does not only have deep impact on economy, but also on
various aspects of life and society, including religion.

In fact, Reza Aslan argues that “no single force can be said to have had a greater
impact on propelling globalisation forward than religion, which has always
sought to spread its message beyond the ethnic and territorial frontiers of its
origin”. Religion means a system of beliefs and practices that creates both
cultural and religious differences and gives the strength to respect and tolerate
other religions in the age of globalisation. One the one hand, globalisation
creates new door to strength religion such as enhancing beliefs and values,
teaching equality for everyone, showing kindness etc. On the other hand, it
creates obstacles and challenges as it breaks traditional values while weakening
their own religious values, reinforces specific identities, creates a circle of
conflict and competition among various religion etc. So, we can see that,
relationship between globalisation and religion is a complex issue, one with new
possibilities and furthering challenges.

Relationship between globalisation and religion

Everything has positive and negative impacts. Relationship between globalisation

and religion is one of them. It includes both possibilities and challenges. In the
followings, I will first discuss about possibilities and then challenges.

Globalisation and religion one with possibilities:

Globalisation helps to increase greater religious tolerance and acceptance of

other culture and religion that enhances our mind, knowledge etc.

With globalisation religion becomes a culture of pluralism that teach us to

respect of other religions. In one country, people from different religions live in
harmony and peace and also respect one another. Media and technology play an
important role to spread the ideas of every religion so that people can know
about every religion and can choose the right path of their life. For example-
websites provides opportunities to contact with others worldwide and gives
information and explanations about different religions regardless of his or her
geographical location so that religious ideas can be spread everywhere. Through
various TV channels, radio, internet etc, religious ideas are disseminated. Such
as, we find various TV channels as Iqrae, Ennass, Majd, El Houda, Erahma, peace
TV etc. as purely religious channels created for the strengthening and the
fortification of Islam. Through media, we can learn about every religion that
enhances and broadens our mind and knowledge. We can say that globalisation
increases the capacity to strength, tolerate and respect for every religion.
As globalisation brings economic marginalisation, many various religious
organisations play an important social role such as- Catholic Relief Services,
World Vision International, and Islamic Relief Worldwide etc serve many
disadvantage areas such as- poverty relief, health care, the HIV/AIDs crisis, and
environment problems etc that draws massive followers while strengthening
religious values and ideas. For example- In face of political chaos, and crushing
poverty, the Africans find the church is the place they can go for assistance and
relief. The Winner’s Church in Nigeria is one of Africa’s fastest growing churches
that help the members who come for salvation from economic hardship. In this
way, many religious organisations are working in favour of the poor and needy
people.

Globalizations also brings global political forums that try to diminish cultural,
ethnic, ideological and religious differences such as- while discussing issues
such as international peace and security, health, poverty, environment etc., the
UN, WHO, EU, AU, OIC etc organisation also shares basic commitments of
religious tradition such as peace, human dignity and equality, religious freedom,
conflict resolution etc.

With these political organisations various religious communities such as the

world council of churches, the Jewish Diaspora, Roman Catholic Church also
take part in international affairs. For example, they have participated in Jubilee
2000 that was an international effort advocating for cancelling third world debt by
the year 2000. They also participated in world faiths development dialogue that
was an effort of international faith leaders along with the World Bank to support
development agendas corresponding to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
Besides this, various religious organisations were involved in interfaith dialogues
such as the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions that provide an opportunity
for assembly members to come to know other spiritual and religious leaders in
ways which could support future collaboration and action together for peace, the
relief of suffering, and the preservation of the planet.

In this way, globalisation opens a new door for religion that enhances
cooperation, tolerance and brings new opportunities and possibilities.

Globalisation and religion with furthering challenges:

Globalisation also brings negative impacts on religion by breaking traditional

beliefs as people are more connected with the world that sometimes weakens
their own religious belief. A survey shows that British people’s religious beliefs
are changing. For example, when they are asked if they believe in God, in
response 77% people answered ‘yes’ in 1968 and 44% said ‘yes’ in 2004. This
evidences shows that religious beliefs are becoming less in Britain.

As religious and traditional beliefs are decreasing, the explosion of new religions
is another prominent religious phenomenon in this globalised world. New
religions separate themselves from the conventional ones and develop their own
identities. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there are 9,900 distinct
religions and 2 or 3 new religions created every day. Some study estimated that
there are more than 10,000 new religions. In Japan, estimated number of new
religions varies from 800 to a few thousands. Rapid changes of society escalated
by globalization, paves the way for weakening conventional religion that gave
birth of new religion and makes it difficult for establishing institutes to adjust
themselves.

Globalization with its consumerism culture brings changes on women’s dress

that sometimes impact negatively. For example, veil is now becoming popular
and is even sought by highly educated women and those in hi-society circle. In
Indonesia, expensive veils designed by prominent artists, which is influenced by
fashion designers in New York or Paris, can be found in luxurious department
stores and has become the symbol of high social status. In other word, expensive
veils and Islamic dress have been transformed into commodities for consumption
by middle class, in similar fashion as branded names. This is undoubtedly the
effect of consumerism which is conveyed through globalization. Here, we can see
that veil is used for fashion that weakens its religious beliefs. Because religion is
regarded as a spiritual matter while consumerism is about materialism.

In this globalized world, under the influence of consumer culture, achievement

and material prosperity has become the aim of life while inner peace is ignored.
Here, globalization causes mental stress because as it favours material
prosperity, sometimes individuals focus on attaining some material possession
such as a house, car, wealth, or simply any object that hamper their inner peace
by undermining religious ideas and perspectives.

Religious terrorism is terrorism that is carried out based on motivations and

goals that have a predominantly religious character or influence. As world is
connected because of globalization, people can spread their ideas and beliefs on
everywhere and often by inspiring those ideas, people come up together in order
to fulfil their purpose in the name of religion that often causes terrorist activities.
Terrorism activities worldwide are supported through not only the organised
systems that teach holy war as the highest calling, but also through the legal,
illegal, and often indirect methods financing these systems. These sometimes
use organizations, including charities in order to mobilize or channel sources of
funds.

Charities can involve the provision of aid to those in needs and charitable
offerings are fundamental to nearly all religious systems, with sacrifice as a
furtherance of the custom. After the 9/ 11 attacks, terrorism becomes one of the
major challenges in this globalized world. As a result, U.S. President George W.
Bush first used the term “War on Terror” on 20 September 2001 in order to
counter the terrorism. In recent time, we see emergence of ISIS, whose aim is to
protect Islam. This group continues killing on purely religious grounds but Islam
or other religion not permit anyone for such types of killing and terrorist attack.
Here, religion is used negatively.

We can also link the idea of religious identity in this era of globalization that may
hold in-line with Huntington’s “clash of civilization” thesis. He argued that the
primary sources of conflict in the future will be along cultural and religious lines.
He also argued that future conflicts are most likely to occur between “Muslims
and non-Muslims”, identifying the “bloody borders” between Islamic and non-
Islamic civilizations.

In this way, globalization brings challenges and negative impacts on religion.

With the advancement of technology, media and the free flow of information,
people are losing their own religious values and terror groups have used their
political agendas by using religion as a tool to fulfil their political gains.

Finally, we can see that the relationship between globalization and religion is a
complex issue as it has brought both new possibilities and furthering challenges.
So, from the above analysis we can see that globalization enhances both positive
and negative aspects of religion. As media and technology in one hand spread
religious ideas and teach to respect other religions, they also cause breaking
religious ties that give birth to new religions or sometimes makes people ‘infidel’
or ‘irreligious’ and also causes terrorist activities in the name of protecting their
own religion, values and beliefs. Every religion has its own beliefs, values,
perspectives and ideas in order to make human life better, to choose the right
path, to enrich our knowledge, to give courage, to avoid wrong activities etc.
Though the differences among various religion, we should remember that every
religions teaches the common thing that non-violence, harmony and peace
among every people, no discrimination with each other, to respect every religion,
behave cordially, to help not fight, to bring unity and justice, to bring equality and
freedom, human dignity etc. We should take good always and avoid bad. In this
way, we can minimize the challenges of religion and globalization and can bring
the culture of peace and harmony.