What is glocalism?

New mobilities, new languages and new ways of aggregation: this is the result of a dramatic change provoked by technological innovation.

Throughout the decade-long history of the “Globus et Locus” Association, the leitmotiv of all the association’s experiences, reflections and projects has been glocalism, as can be inferred by its very name. The term “glocalism” identifies the momentous changes generated by globalization, changes which have resulted in a permanent intertwining of the global and the local dimensions. In fact, there is no longer any place on the planet which has not been touched to a growing degree by various types of global flows and, at the same time, there are no global flows which are not increasingly parsed according to the many different characteristics of the places. To use the term “place” in a metaphorical sense, even our identity is, to a certain extent, a place.

This double process of localization of the flows and globalization of the places is multidimensional. It concerns not just the economy but information, culture, the institutions, etc., and it is also omnipresent. It reaches into every corner of the planet, and to an increasing degree it involves human existence in its entirety. Therefore, we are truly faced with a new phenomenology and a new cosmology which must be elaborated in a new and appropriate way.

This phenomenon perforce creates new problems in the way identity is defined and perceived; no longer is it a factor which is defined, guaranteed by the existence of borders, unique (due to multiple loyalties) and protected (by citizenship). Rather, it has become a process, a complex process made of many relationships, with new issues, and thus new contexts and new communicational languages.

Throughout these years Globus et Locus has developed a deep reflection about this phenomenon.
 

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