thepostnational

[thepostnational]

Did you click above and watched the video?

Introspect:

Do central or federal governments be allowed to block the choice of self-determination for the states, provinces, autonomous communities or ethnicities that form them? What is the right process for independence?

Does ethnicity matter in regards to independence and self-determination? Should  it? If so, in which context?

How is national identity formed or reaffirmed in relation to newly independent entities?

How can multicultural cities or territorial entities earn their autonomy or independence? How can they sustain it?

[thepostnational]

Difference between #Nationality and #Citizenship :

Introspect:

How much do any of these define you?

Does that % define your humanity? Keywords: universally, across time and space.

Which rights and obligations do those intersections grant you?

Are these a lifetime benefit or otherwise? Do they grant additional life value to those who have them? Is that value over others who lack of them? Do these make us any exceptional? Do they supercede our actions?

You are in a desert island with a small group of strangers of different cultures than yours, how much will your nationality and citizenship help you or the group?

Source:

https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/07/economist-explains-4

[thepostnational]

Geology trumps nationality.

This blog entry from The Washington Post explains how continental integration does more for North and South than the immigration scapegoat that only divides North America in an extremely competitive global/interdependent economy. 

Read source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/29/six-maps-that-will-make-you-rethink-the-world/?utm_term=.4d53d777a6ec

Introspect:

What ultimately makes a society better? Economic growth under the umbrella of social justice, education, innovation, and sustainable use of resources affecting populations on both sides of the border? or the illusion of restoring the greatness of the past in a world that has and will continue changing? 

And then again, how do you visualize the map of the world or the continent where you live in the future 100 to 200 years? 

[thepostnational]

America

Things that even progressives do, say or imply:

First look at the photo, then, join the linear train of thought.

Oh, the on-going internal-monolog in the mind of every person born in continental #AMERICA and outside the US: "be patient", "cope with it", "they're so wrong". In the case of immigrants, half a life later, as a "foreign"-born United Stater one catches oneself using the word in the same context as one's fellow "Americans" (!!!) and then the inner monolog switches to: "be patient with yourself", "your friends back in ______ will hate you for this", "oh, they'll have to understand", "you're adjusting, after all, you're an Am..." In other words: #IdentityNegotiation is a funny b_tch.

The same annoyance and inaccuracy take place with the term "South American"** when wrongly applied equally to Latin Americans from North, Central and actual South America alike. Geography lessons in basic school < imperialism < ignorance is bliss.

** One wouldn't mind it one bit if one was just not born in South America, as much as one wishes to travel throughout and maybe live in parts of it. Just to be clear, while it is obvious that in this blog we are enormously aware that social constructs can be confining, our editor is happy being Latino and American, Latin American, Latino-American, North American and United Stater, not to mention the multiple sources of his DNA ...in fact, 25% First Nations, in other words, “1/4 Mr. Original American,” for whatever it's worth in this our hyper-diverse CONTINENT. 

Oh the identity constraints in the #HumansOfGaia

Introspect: 

What do you mean by American, African, European, Asian?

Do you have the right to use that self definition more than other people in your native continent? Why? Really?

Why do people differentiate between Europeans and Eastern Europeans? 

Are you South African? Which one do you use more in conversation South African or African? 

Are you a native of the Caribbean? Do you see yourself as American? 

How about Greenlander? Oh  don’t tell me about your colonial ties, every country in the Americas has those.

Parlez-nous, hablemos, chit-chat and FOLLOW US, last time I checked, we are from the same planet.

[thepostnational]

Londependence: 50,000 signatures so far.

After the UK’s Brexit referendum was technically won by voters who want to leave the EU: What does the collective fantasy about “Londoners’ desire to have an independent relationship with EU” say about PostNational identities? In particular in a multicultural urban setting.

Ref. https://goo.gl/rSAH54

[thepostnational]

YOU = US

Inspired by New York Times article: The Myth of a White Minority  http://buff.ly/1XY8FD9

In this, my American life, I've been called a coconut one or a dozen times. I was first clueless what coconut meant in an American cultural context, I thought I was being flattered by my random sweetness, producing positive brain functions in my interlocutors. Little that I knew of how much "race" and "preconceived notions" weight in this society. In my case, the label normally has come from folks who don't know me well enough or haven't had (nor created) an opportunity to travel and culturally-immerse themselves overseas and witnessed other social systems. They cope with others by labeling and limiting them to convenient behavioral boxes. "Sociologically White" is a silly and very ambiguous concept that takes different meanings in time and space. "Thinks white", "talks white", "acts white", "dresses white" (or any other color) WHO CARES! The more people harp on it, the more they show the limitations of their cultural scope. MENTAL CLEANSE: We're all more ancestrally mixed than we think we are; ancestral regions (e.g. NW Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Far East Asia and for sure Latin America) are also way more diverse than we credit them. You should see my DNA test, as a matter of fact, you should see your own! No matter how regionally imbalanced your genome may be, your culture is the product of millenary historic fusion, in fact, it is obvious that in the big picture of our species (and its evolution) we're all cultural hybrids. Our values come from the sum of our social constructs which ironically are extremely RELATIVE! FEAR OF "MINORITIES"? Learn from people's differences, as a way to connect with your own humanity. The need to protect yourself from other individuals is linked to your own prejudice and has nothing to do with their actual phenotype. White? Black? Brown? All social constructs! Perception > DNA, Myth > Truth, Multicultural Openness  > Color Blindness, and of course #LoveTrumpsHate. RACE? Having attended a "white" majority university, reminded me that there is unnecessary paranoia over the 'outdated post-colonial' value scale that may not matter nearly as much in half a century. We gotta switch the code on "minority" and "majority". There's not one single "currently perceived minority" that those who claim "whiteness" will be outnumbered by, because "mixed race" (if we even call it that) will become the group that will outnumber every group; it will be the largest of all "minorities," it will be the actual population, which every group will have contributed to. Seeing color is human but auto-matching perceptual behavior does not make us better than other earthlings. Most importantly allowing our "color" to fully define us is a self-punishing LIMITATION in our thought pattern, in our choices, in our lives, in the system itself. IN OTHER WORDS: Stop getting your white panties in a wad, there's a strong reason for the wording #TheHumanRace! We've been heading there for 200,000 years. You (we all) involuntarily joined the movement the second you (we) were conceived. That rainbow coalition flag you see "out there," it not really outside, but in you, because you = us. @TechGuerrero = @ThePostNational

[thepostnational]

Multicultural, pluricultural, cross-cultural, intercultural, etc.

Between "It's a Small World", "Star Trek" and beyond, there are various social models and paradigms, understanding seems increasingly important every day regardless of where one lives. What difference does it make in practice?

Source: http://tedcantle.co.uk/publications/about-interculturalism/

[thepostnational]

Podcast audio: http://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=42929491

The St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship sale experiment set a model for other countries like Malta. This episode of Planet Money illustrates the scenario.

Introspect:

How much would you pay for a passport? Where legal, do you see the pragmatism in this financial transaction or are you attached to traditional values? Besides rights and obligations, what intangible goods does citizenship hold for you?

First Worlders: Do you have any feelings behind someone giving up their _____citizenship? What are those feelings? Are these feelings in realm with a multicultural society or do you feel your country of citizenship should only include one culture?

Emerging World and other: What are some of the practical benefits of having a citizenship other than yours? What happens to individuals stuck in situations without citizenship? What are your views on multiple or dual citizenships?

What lies behind those governments that do not allow for a second or third citizenship without making the person renounce their initial one?

What would be the practical point of renouncing a citizenship? e.g. millionaires have done so-popular citizenships-in recent times.

Trivia: What is the price of a Maltese passport which gives you access the holder access to the European Union? Listen to the podcast.

[thepostnational]

Carrying Several Passports? It’s Not Just for Spies

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/business/20dual.html

Introspect:  What is the meaning behind a passport?

What sets of freedoms, rights and obligations does it grant you? How deep of a difference does it carry between folks of different passports? Does it affect their humanity?  What would a world without passports be like? Why do some countries forbid dual citizenship? What do their governments fear?

[thepostnational]

Welcome to Latin-Africa: Equatorial Guinea

Fans of Concha Buika know of her ancestral land. Here is a bit more:

Source:  http://remezcla.com/lists/film/films-of-equatorial-guinea-africas-only-spanish-speaking-country/

Introspect:

Does nationality supersede cultural affiliation to a larger group?

What is the role of phenotype and ethnicity in the creation of national identity?

How much can national identity stretch into its diasporas before it fades away beyond ethnic enclaves? How much can you learn about a country from its cinema?

Other than distribution, what limits you from watching foreign-language cinema? Did you know that Spanish is spoken in Africa? Beyond Morocco? How long do you think it takes an immigrant to claim its host country as his own land? How about the first generation individual? Is your country a good host to people of very different cultures? Have you taken a step to get to know immigrants where you live? Are you planning on it?

[thepostnational]

Passports, Nations and First Nations

There is some irony in that nation-states known worldwide are the consequence of previous geographic formations with different names.

Keywords: colonization, invasion, forced relocation, genocide, exodus, integration, etc. Article Source: http://goo.gl/y0gYzl

Introspect:

Which nations within nations do you know of? Are you part of one?

If you were, can you imagine claiming adherence to a nation not recognized as a state?

What are the cultural implications of these nations geographical confinement?

If you normally form part of a majority, have you ever tried visualizing what you life or way of thinking would be like if you were a minority of any sort?

If you form part of a minority do you feel claiming such status should define you? Should it define you completely?

If you form part of a First Nation (or Originary People) or an immigrant do you claim loyalty to more than one nation? Is there anything preventing you from such duality or multiplicity of loyalties?

[thepostnational]

Online Social Identity

“The social media movement fragmented our identities in ways that don’t align with the 360 degree view we have of ourselves. This fragmentation is an unintended consequence of being active on services that represent different aspects of our personalities (i.e., you are a different person on Twitter than you are on LinkedIn or Facebook, etc.). Said another way, you are not the sum of your Tweets, you are not solely defined by your professional experiences/ accomplishments, and you’re most definitely not defined by your social graph. These are all important facets of our identity but none should be given the lead role of defining us. We believe that YOU should define YOU. YOU should navigate people interested in learning more about YOU to a page that introduces YOU on YOUR terms, not leaving it to focused services or a Google algorithm to define YOU.”

 - Tony Conrad, About.Me via ProductHub Q&A,     Oct 23,2015: http://j.mp/1S18ctB  

INTROSPECT:

Do you have more than one identity online? e.g. clearly different avatars, opinions, behaviours, etc.

How much do your social media identities define you?

Do you show different aspects of you on each social network you use?

Do you target your messages via friends lists, groups or other categories?

How much of the national identity that you claim is conveyed through Social Media? 

Do you convey a stronger national or post-national aspect of you?

Think of your most used social networks and the location of their members: which one prevails: local, regional, national, international, expat/migrant/diaspora? 

Among your social media interlocutors which ones do you have more meaningful interaction with? local, regional or diaspora? Does it matter?

Upcoming topic: Translocality http://www.transre.org/en/blog/what-translocality/

[thepostnational]

Saudade in the words of  Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo: "a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy" is one of various emotions that we do not have specific words to name in the English language.  Source: http://goo.gl/SylXic

INTROSPECT:

Are emotions limited to specific cultures?

Is there one particular emotion that you feel or know is peculiar to the culture that you claim? Are you certain no other cultures claim anything similar?

Do you ever feel the inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends who you really like? There is a word for that and it is not in English:  Mauerbauertraurigkeit.

It sounds Teutonic, does that mean speakers of languages other than German or Scandinavian languages cannot feel this?

Is there any possible way language is private?

If it is public does it mean we can all claim it and in a way own it?

Do you claim a second or third language as your own?

What does this say about your initial nationality? Does it take from it? Does it add to it? Does it matter?

More words about emotions you may have not named before: http://goo.gl/SdbTTz  ...hey come back!

[thepostnational]

The Ephemerality of Maps and Borders

Reference: In listening to individuals making generalizations about belief systems (atheism included) and the many phobias and isms that afflict our world, one wonders how relative-in-time are the notions of nation-state, culture, religion, etc. For instance look at this sequence of historic maps of the Middle East. Let’s click on the image and ask ourselves the following questions in terms of our current individual or collective notion of the world.

INTROSPECT:

How many of today’s nation-states will exist the same way in a century? 

In your opinion which ones will those be? 

How much will maps change? Looking back at the XX century and projecting ahead do you think the map of what you call  “your nation” remain the within the same border delimitation or government structure the rest of this century? for how long?

Will the cultural claims we make today matter 50, 100 or 200 hundred years from now?

Looking back a century, a millennium or two, which social constructs do you see as remaining relevant in the near future?

Whichever your answer is: How strongly do you believe that your daily actions in the here and now secure your point?

How does this matter for the survival of homo sapiens as a species?

What role does the news cycle play in your view of the world? 

[thepostnational]

PostNational introspection on humanity through the daily drama of immigration | Motion graphics by @TechGuerrero

INTROSPECT:

How does the idea of nationality play in the workframe of social progress?

Is it a vehicle? Is it a trapping? Is it both? Why?

Why does immigration as a hot topic mostly surfaces in the mainstream news cycle in the preamble of a presidential or midterm election?

In multicultural countries (many as there are) why do segments of the population choose to forget their own history when founded by immigrants?

Why do people choose “otherness” as a way to put blame on societal problems outside themselves? Outside their own social groupings?

What role does phenotype (race) perception play in the “in group” and the “out groups”?

How do you imagine societies were like before nation states?

What will they be if/when they cease to exist?

Is control over the media rhethoric about “outsiders” and “otherness” used as a vehicle to sustain power?

Which social sectors control the media? What is the level of diversity in their command lines? What is the level of diversity among mainstream media writers and producers?

In whose convenience is political agitation* performed?

Do you personally know or are friends of a refugee or asylum seeker? What have you learned from this person’s experience?

Same questions apply to citizens, residents, refugees, asylum seekers, documented and undocumented consumers.

Think, discuss and share

[thepostnational]

All citizens of Canada are classified as "Canadians" as defined by Canada's nationality laws. However since 1996, "Canadian" as an ethnic group has been added to census questionnaires for possible ancestry. "Canadian" was included as an example in the English questionnaire and "Canadien" as an example in the French questionnaire. "The majority of respondents to this selection are from the eastern part of the country that was first settled. Respondents generally are visibly European (Anglophones and Francophones), however no longer self-identify with their ethnic ancestral origins. This response is informed by multitude facts, among them: generational distance from ancestral lineage.

INTROSPECT:

Behind the surface what does ancestry determine in the current version of you?

How much does it define you? 0%? 1%? 20%? 50%? 75%? 100%? ____#?

Does it limit you?

Have you felt the same way your whole life?

What ethnicity would you like to have otherwise?

If it is one that originates in the European continent, which another one?

Do you see yourself as Eurocentric? Are you aware of the level of diversity in Europe beyond nation-states? 

Do you backup your life’s decisions based on your culture of origin? on your ethnicity? on your nationality? 

Do you always agree with such decisions? Introspect on this.

If you live in the US, what do you think would happen in the next census if there was an American ethnicity suddenly introduced?

In your opinion is there a need to add more ethnic categories to the census ethnic pentax?

In your opinion, is there diversity within the concepts of “white” “black” “brown” or any similar construct?

Which other identity intersections would matter most to you if nationalities or ethnicities did not exist? 

[thepostnational]

Wiki insight: Learning about #HomeChildren #Brit empire orphans forcefully sent to the colonies for forced labor. #Slavery is such a species-wide issue, it does not discriminate and unfortunately in more than one way it is still present throughout the world in many ways. INTROSPECT: 

From this unfortunate form of PostNational identity, we learn, we think, we observe our surroundings, what they entail, then we choose how we act.

Slavery is a wide concept, do you think it is not an issue where you live? Howcome? Are you sure about this?

What portions of your day to day life do you suspect that are directly or indirectly affected by any form slavery?

Now ask yourself the same question but in regards to the day to day life of your family members and friends.

Which forms of contemporary slavery do you know of? 

Which of them affect your community? your town or city? Are there efforts to combat them?

Is “slavery to consumption” related to “forced human labor”? How?