All Globalization is Local Globalization, we are told, is pervasive. Perhaps. Television broadcasts images from around the world and some travel to these places, but only a coterie live in a manner that engages beyond a very local sphere. Officers of far-flung multinationals, it is true, have their hands upon world events, but most people in the U.S. are not a part of this group. Times are changing . . . R. and D. are two all-American boys. R. is a tennis whiz. D. certainly looks fit. They grew up in ordinary American households. Both are very bright and accomplished for their young years. R. and D. met at Princeton. Both excelled academically and were friends. They could have had their pick of law schools, or pursued medicine, or investment banking. R. was told that he was wasting his life failing to follow one of these lucrative careers. Both married intelligent women, who also could have been lawyers, no doubt. R. and D. left college and parted ways and got jobs. R. ended up near New York City as the senior minister of a small, affluent church. D. went to Cairo to teach at a seminary. Then September11 came. R. lost one of his leading elders in the World Trade Center attacks. His church and little community were crushed. Presiding at the funeral, comforting the widow and the survivors, R. grew in respect as senior pastor. He is barely 29. In Egypt D. was shocked. He viewed the hijackers' photos. Many looked similar to his students. None were. They could have been any of thousands of young men in Egypt. The pilot of one of those planes grew up and lived a few blocks from D.’s house in a good neighborhood in Cairo. D. is trying to fix some of the problems gestated in the Islamic world and visited on Manhattan. He is an increasingly respected member of his community. D., like R. is not yet 30. Globalization wraps around us and involves us in far-flung conflicts. R. and D. are not at the center of the world stage, but they are engaged in the movements of history in ways neither could ever have dreamed. Then again . . . they both could have become lawyers. James Clark ============================================================== (c) 2002 Millennium Relief & Development Services, vol. 2 no. 3 'Insight' is a publication of MRDS to interpret current events in light of the experience of members of our international network. 'Insight' archives and other information can be found on our website. 'Insight' may be freely copied with this citation. If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, simply reply and request to be removed. Millennium RDS, 5116 Bissonnet #358, Bellaire, TX 77401-4007 Tel: (713)961-5645 Fax: (713)961-5735 www.mrds.org insight@mrds.org. ==============================================================