Globalization pertains to the same logic as colonialism and dominant development assistance. All three of them respond to materialism, productivism, instrumental reason, utilitarism, submission of society to the market, reduction of the human being to an animal of needs whose value is recognized at best as a " human resource " to be made use of. Colonization, development and globalization have been deeply influenced by western ethnocentrism.

2. Deviating practices as sources of alternatives

The failure of many development programmes and projects, particularly in Africa, paradoxically signals the vitality of local cultures which resist alien values felt to be hostile. Social, economic and political practices seen as " deviating " from mainline development models or as " informal " in comparison to dominant economic thinking deserves careful scrutiny and analysis. These local practices may constitute germs of alternatives to the mainstream models. They may therefore be hopeful signs of social, cultural, economic and political transformation processes. Also in the West, marginalized people try out new practices which are helpful to envisage ways out of the current crisis.

3. Spirituality is the hard core of culture

Values, ethics, spirituality and religions play a vital role to help individuals and societies orient themselves. This avails both South and North. Spirituality constitutes the hard core of any culture, although it is often invisible. By spirituality is meant here a deep quest about meaning. Any political project, any social commitment needs firm grounding in spirituality as much as it needs rationality. Without such spiritual base, commitment may peter out or degenerate into tragic perversion of meaning or crude meaninglessness. Development, when taken up in a secular way, ignoring the religious dimension of the people concerned and based only on a materialistic-rationalistic model is doomed to fail. Both in North and South there is a need for societies with a soul. It is vital not to leave to extremist fundamentalists the monopoly of religious teaching and practice.

4. Under-development is cultural dependence

Reaction and/or resistance to globalization is rooted in the search for meaning. It is from this quest and, very concretely, from " rebellious " social and economic practices that societies or communities protect themselves from cultural dependence which threaten all of them. Cultural dependence is caused by, and at the same time is the cause of economic and political dependence. " Under development " is to be understood as this threefold dependence. There is a dialectical relationship between culture, economics and politics, or - to put it is Mr. Godelier - between " ideas " and " matter ". (...)

11. The end of aid

Network Cultures is of the opinion that it is about time to avoid using the word " development ". It is a toxic word, far too ambiguous to be of real use. Network Cultures is also distancing itself from the project approach. This methodology acts as a straightjacket. It relates to the modern western culture of control of time and mastership on a given territory and its people. Projects are often a way for donor agencies to impose their views. Network Cultures also questions the paternalism and hypocrisy inherent to the notion of development cooperation which, it believes, should never be viewed as playing a central role in the history of a given people. New forms of solidarity must be explored which allow more room for creativity at local level and which dare tackle squarely the structural causes of the gap between haves and have-nots. This involves the difficult yet necessary effort to change the consumerist way of life and the economic culture of the privileged inhabitants of the planet. Without such change, ad-hoc projects and actions are just cosmetic.

12. Inter-independence

A new structure has recently been set up within the South North Network Cultures and Development so as to operationalize internally the end of the old development aid paradigm. This re-structuring is based on " inter-independence " as a new paradigm to be explored within the Network. This implies that each Base within the Network first seeks its own autonomy in terms of definition of its own priorities, of its financial sustainability and of the local exercise of its social and political responsibility. This implies also that Network Cultures' Base in Europe will no more specialize on the problems of the others (the " third world "). It will instead deal with the problems in its own continent. According to the afore-mentioned definition of culture, which focusses on social creativity, Europe may be regarded as a progressively under-developing continent. It is time to stop thinking of the world as having problems in the South and problem-solvers in the North. Each citizen in this world is required to " sweep in front of his/her own doorstep " and then to share good and bad experiences with others, in other continents. Network Cultures will hence function according to this model.

13. Inter-independence : a new paradigm for another world order ?

The notion of inter-independence may have interesting implications in the field of international relations. Would it not be reasonable that countries plagued by hunger gird themselves first to ensure their food security before entering the pityless arena of world competition ? The notion of inter-independence also sheds light on what underpins intercultural dialogue or, for that matter, human relations in general. Only when a person is firmy rooted (" independence ") can he or she venture unscathed into relations with others (" inter ... ").

14. Maieutics rather than dialectics

The organisations which play an intermediary role such as NGOs, would be well advised to apply to their interlocutors in the big institutions (macro-level) the pedagogy and the ethics which they apply in their relations with the grassroots (micro level). Network Cultures calls this approach : " tendering a mirror " to people, act as a midwife, use maieutics as Socrates did. The point is : try to discover together what is the implicit meaning of the decisions and practices under discussion. This allows to avoid considering the interlocutor as the " devil " and to look for the genuine person behind the carapace of professional jargon : the person with his or her questions, interests, values. The rhetoric of globalization should not deceive anybody : behind the triumphal discourse of the decision-makers (e.g. a senior officer in the World Bank, in the European Commission, in a ministerial cabinet ...) is to be found the human being with her or his doubt, vulnerability, ethics and human depth.

15. The feminisation of our cultures, our economies, our politics

Are there no " win-win " scenarios in economics ? Time has come to explore them without naïvety. It would be fruitful to move away from the old antagonisitc " win-loose " dualism, characterized by the present day obsession with competition. Competitiveness is now proclaimed as the ultimate saving of mankind. Its effects, however, remind one of an outright social and economic war. In the political realm, antagonism is central as well, which leaves less room for dialogue and cooperation in addressing ways to achieve the common good of society. Power is still very centralized and dominating (although some evolution is noticeable here). Our political systems, our economic structures and the mentality which underpins them are too " yang ", too masculine. Is it possible to restore some balance towards the " yin " ? Can we somewhat " feminize " our cultures ? This question is equally valid for " development " as a theory and as a practice.

16. To connect opposing forces

A " yin-yang " approach implies that one first admits that there is a yin point in the yang and conversally. That means that one recognizes in oneself light and darkness, the other in ourself. What I hate in the other or what I admire is also present within myself. I am co-responsible for the economic and political system which I criticize : it is present within myself. Tradition is in modernity, wealth in poverty, and vice-versa. It also implies, and that is very important, that one should connect both elements so as to ensure a creative interaction.

17. The gender debate is not a woman's privilege

It is important to bring to an end the monopoly exercised by women (particularly those with higher education) on the issue of male/female equality. Women and men must both face the darker side of themselves, without looking to the other as the evil one. Men should be well advised to come to grips with their fear of separation from the feminine, and women their fear of loss of connection. Men should let the feminine flourish in themselves and women should learn to better manage the masculine in themselves. What about women and men discovering together what unites them beyond the male-female distinctions ?

18. A constructive post-modernity

The positive values of western modernity such as freedom, reason and mastership over nature turn into threats to the world as they become absolutized. Their meaning is being perverted. But they can be re-oriented. The West would do well to remember that its culture is not to be limited to the last three centuries, that is from the 18th century Enlightenment up to now. There is such a thing as a pre-modern European culture from judeo-christian, greek, " barbarian " and celtic origin. These pre-modern European cultures are rich and full of wisdom as are the other great and smaller traditions of humankind. Remembering these cultures does not imply some shy, conservative return to the past but rather a creative renewal which draws from some elements of the past (as well as from elements from abroad to be observed today in this globalized planet of ones). This is not a call for a kind of post-modernity which simply de-constructs everything through a fancy intellectual exercise in skepticism and nihilism. It is a call for a constructive post-modernity where responsible citizens earnestly try to find meaningful answers to the challenges of the coming millenium.

19. After the optimism of progress, hope in the human being

The old motto " I think therefore I am " and the actual craze " I buy therefore I am " must be replaced by the simple message of spiritual wisdom from both East and West : " I breathe therefore I am ". Inner silence, compassion and an ability to marvel are a modest and uncertain path towards hope. Not the shallow optimism of " progress " but a deep hope in the human being.

Thierry Verhelst and Edith Sizoo