I believe that the communications technology now being implemented and under continuing rapid development may create a society in a global sense, but one structured around individuals and smaller communities participating in a world-society through technology. Such a scenario may result in a global two-class system: information-rich and information-poor, which could obliterate national boundaries, perhaps wiping out the viability of the concept of the modern nation-state. If this is the case, I wonder how nationalism and religion will be affected? How would war be waged in such a world, and on what grounds would differences be resolved? This leads to discussion on technology-based and influenced ethics, and the process of conflict resolution across many boundaries. In that ever-shrinking world–where people are brought into conflict across cultural, ethnic, religious and national boundaries–emerging technology could serve as a medium for conflict resolution.

It is difficult to predict how religions will respond to these worldwide changes, but it seems that there is an argument to be made that there will be a recreation of local communities in a global society–’Gemeinschaft’ and ‘Gesellschaft’. Religion needs to and will do more than simply respond to these changes; in fact, an inherently peaceful global society cannot become a reality unless disparate religious belief systems are accounted for–thus The Pacem Foundation seeks to understand the dynamics of the interplay between religion, technology and politics/international relations.

I make a basic assumption that “knowledge = improved relations”, i.e., the more conflicting parties know about one another’s underlying precepts, the better the chance for resolution, and the creation of a just, peaceful and sustainable global society which maintains cultural uniqueness.