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Willian Rosa

Teaching assistant, FATEC - Technological College of the State of Sao Paulo

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Are we entering into a new historical period?

The world is becoming crowded, flatter, and hotter. Citizens are claiming for change in government. Information technology and telecommunications are enabling people to share and collaborate in free and creative ways. The Earth demands careful use of its resources.

Across the globe, wealth is being redistributed as well as freedom in all its forms is being pursued.

Today's news -- from the economic meltdown in developed countries to rising power of developing nations to advances in science and technology to setbacks in human rights in some places to natural disasters -- are a call for thinking and action.

Are we writing a new chapter in History? How will it be titled?

Related Talks:
Topics: globalization history
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  • sushmitha krishnamoorthy

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    Mar 23 2011: I believe that every moment we live is going to be "history". Every period is going to be a "historical period".
    Talking of the problems the current world is facing, there are going to be problems every minute, every day, every year, every time! So problems should not be a basis of defining an era. There are changes and revolutions happening everywhere and every moment. So every moment is a "defining period".

    Talking of issues like human rights .. they have existed from ancient times and may exist for many more years!
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    Stephen Feber 200+

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    TED Attendee
    Mar 21 2011: It's just history - us on the planet - change is new and its old. What was true of the village, then the town, city and country is now starting to be true globally and it is a truly good thing. The question is always how fast we'll solve the problems we've created and how great the price of the mis match will be between problem and solution.
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    M.A. Lucas-Green

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    Mar 21 2011: I'm not sure we are rewriting as much as we are discovering global contributions to history and the future.
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    Siddhesh Kabe

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    Mar 20 2011: One thing our era has changed is the value of information. The true value of information in the world is... free and thanks to the web, it is kept free. The world has finally realized this value and hence a new trend is setting in.

    This and the fact that the world is now tired of running, spinning out of control and finally resting down.

    Finally we are not writing a new chapter in history, we are rewriting history, where information does not flow through hierarchies of lies and trees but is broad-casted for any worthy seeker, who is looking for it.

    • Willian Rosa

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      Mar 20 2011: Siddhesh, there are no doubts about how valuable information is today.

      It's interesting that you notice we're rewriting history in fact. For me, this doesn't apply for the future only, but for the past, too -- historical periods as we currently know them are defined by events in Europe, however, as we look backward, we better understand how Eastern countries played important roles in History.
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      Andrew Close

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      Mar 21 2011: Quite profound Siddhesh.
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    E G 10+

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    Mar 20 2011: I also think that we have entered into a new historical period , one in which the power will be very concentrated in a hands of a very few poeple

    • Willian Rosa

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      Mar 20 2011: Eduard, why do you think power will be restricted to few people? Do you think social relationships and a greater sense of collaboration enabled by the Internet aren't harnessed enough to causing change in how power is shared?
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        E G 10+

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        Mar 22 2011: At your last question William I think the answer is no, maybe the internet give us informations but not any kind of informations , look for example at what happened with Wikileaks (and it was just an attempt)..........I think we find a very huge quantity of informations on internet but not what's really worthing , not THE INFORMATION.
        Social relationship are created , of course but just up to a certain level (that's depending of our interest).
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    Timothy Cobbs

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    Mar 20 2011: I think we are entering into a new historical period yes, but one of so much unnatural turmoil and change that I can not decide if it will become positive or negative. I believe that we are waiting for the next huge thing to determine wether what this era is to be named, maybe it will be a new energy source, maybe it will be the greater production of synthesized foods, or maybe we move to an era of cities built in giant sky towers, and the idea of community is brought back, or maybe we move into an era where people despise their govt. even more due to lack of real support or solid answers.... the questions of what this era really is are limitless.

    • Willian Rosa

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      Mar 20 2011: Timothy,

      I don't think it's possible to predict if the outcomes from the current events will be positive or negative, too. But I think we can shape our common future according to the decisions we make today.

      I also agree with you about the sense of community being brought back. For me, it's the basis upon which cities will be built and governments will be reshaped. As we both live in democratic nations, we can clearly notice how communities -- whether they're a school, an enterprise, a family, or a group of students -- play an important role in setting common goals and making things happen.

      Asking the right questions and looking for creative solutions are really big challenges of this new historical era.
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