IN LIGHT of new technologies and interdepedent economies, there are global problems which transcend borders. Non-democratic governments are inclined to withhold domestic information, which may affect other nations, from the outside world -- these desires are irrational because they harm national interests and the world's economy, environment and health, among other things. In order to address concerns of the "common good," it is possible for closed governments to maintain their ideological inclinations and still protect security interests while helping to preserve the world's health and safety. It is the responsibility of Western nations, like the United States, to encourage tyrants and non-democratic countries to make minimal sacrifices of internationally pertinent information.
North Korean government officials, for instance, continue to monitor information inflows and keep domestic information confidential. Recently, South Korean officials suspected possible "bird flu" outbreaks in North Korea and faced deadlock and denial when dealing with the government-controlled Korean Central News Agency. The disease alarms many nations on the Asian continent because it spreads to humans and has proved deadly in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The KCNA finally responded to Asian concerns on Sunday and announced an outbreak of the "bird flu," but not without a month, if not more, of delay.
These situations, which affect multiple states, necessitate open communication and access to domestic information. North Korea's public recognition of their outbreak does not threaten top-secret nuclear programs or weaken its Communist roots. Instead, Asian countries can now work together to stop the spread of this deadly disease. Perhaps neighbor countries have more effective cures or will better prepare themselves for possible outbreaks -- the sharing of information on global health issues helps both domestic spheres and the "common good."
Other examples of closed media circuits are those governments which are not sufficiently modernized. Many African and Third World nations have inadequate technology to report on disease outbreaks, like AIDS, or genocides and terror attacks. Without media technology, international sources of aid and security are not sufficiently allocated to struggling African nations. Inconceivable events occur every day in Africa, such as in Darfur, but never reach the papers of Western nations. There is not sufficient information or reliable media access to these remote areas in Africa. Yet Western ignorance of these horrific problems cannot end at the assumption of underdeveloped media technologies.
The democratic world needs to continue efforts to modernize media institutions and encourage closed governments to release pertinent information. The Communication and Information Sector within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) promotes the "free flow of ideas by word and image."
To address "common good" problems, UNESCO encourages communication development, freedom of expression inherent in democratic institutions and universal access to information. Recent projects include developing radio archives in Laos and Bangladesh, transforming the Philippine state broadcasting system into an independent service and launching African film projects.
Although transitions to democratic institutions and modernization efforts ease the progression to universal information sharing, Western-mandated liberalization is not necessary for this development. Countries like North Korea and China will reject UNESCO and the West's ambitions due to ideological policies to sustain domestic privacy. Granted, each nation has a sovereign right to protect domestic information. Yet issues of global concern, like contagious diseases or environmental pollution, necessitate international cooperation and accurate information.
Western institutions should therefore encourage closed governments to reevaluate their national interests on global issues. "Common good" problems are shared internationally -- cooperation and success in these matters fosters the well-being of a country's citizens, a country's place in the global system, and the world's safety.
And for Third World countries which have underdeveloped media technology, UNESCO and its Western counterparts need to fund media advancement projects. No government, no matter how dissatisfied with the current world order, should irrationally jeopardize the well-being of its own citizens and the fate of the world.
Worldwide information and communication can help to preserve the safety of all people through facilitating cooperation on matters that supersede borders. The United States and other Western nations can take steps, such assupporting and bolstering UNESCO's operations, to encourage enemy governments to cooperate on matters of international concern.
Michael Behr's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at mbehr@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 3 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
