Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Kamal Boullata:

by Kamal Boullata

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Kigge Hvid: Hi David, where do you speak from? You speak from Canada. I would understand your question if you spoke from a part of the Middle East or if you spoke from parts of Africa or from Asia. Actually, what I think is going on in the Western world right now is that female values are prevailing. I have two boys, 7 and 10. They are, when not with me and my husband, raised by females. They are surrounded by females all around them, in kindergarten, in school and universities. That’s one thing. And I can tell you that the female values prevail, which I actually think is a problem because I think what you have to aim for is a balance between male and female values. So, that’s one thing. If we look into the educational system, education at the highest level at least in Denmark have more females than males. Being a doctor, being an architect, being a dentist, being an economic, being a lawyer. We have more females trained in those areas than males. So, that would mean that in just a few years all the female values would prevail at least in Denmark. And it might be the same in Canada and the rest of the Western world. And that’s a problem because it’s not that female values should prevail. It’s that female and male values should prevail; it’s that human values should prevail. I would think that if the balance were on the male side or on the female side, it would always be a problem. The other thing you could ask in this question you posed is that in some places of the world, females have very little [inaudible]. Yes, that’s the problem and it shouldn’t be like that. But, I also see due to the global connectivity, due to globalization, due to the internet, that also in areas where females are really oppressed you see big very strong movements working against that. And I can see, you are male. So, you see males and females engaged in a movement of having human rights, not female rights, not male rights. But, having…

by Kigge Hvid

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Kurt Weidemann: Question 17 can be answered very similar to question 4, that is the position of women in our society. It is not absolutely necessary or absolutely to be expected that only balance and harmony will return to the world if women were given more power and more influence. This would idealize the female sex too much. I already said in my answer to question 4 that the 21st century will belong to women, that they will wield influence and that this is not bad for sure. But balance and harmony do not return by women alone but it can also be the contrary.

by Kurt Weidemann

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Lesego Rampolokeng: Right at the beginning, as soon we agree and recognize that women have been made to exist on the periphery of this great human power being. If we agree that from the beginning of time women have for ever been made to serve roles that see them in subrogation, that see them bow down before the male, before the [penis veras]. As soon as we realize that one effect, then we realize why it is so easy to push women away from the center, and if you can be comfortable with pushing women away from the center and you celebrate this parochial little lie that you believe to be your power, then you can easily see why things will for ever be out of [com] and out of cock and out of balance. Human society can never be in balance, can never be in harmony at all, if there is the oppression of one sect of humanity by another, and women have forever been oppressed on a number of levels and a couple in certain instances with religious belief, explain away with the need for economic this and that, women have forever, never been allowed to be as fully and wholly human as the rest of us. And once that then becomes the norm, then you see that balance and harmony can never be spoken about then. If we can just lead to the destruction of the entire power structure, then women can begin to move to the center and the world can indeed be balanced out. And you can speak of this glorious thing called harmony. Until that point it will never be in balance, ever.

by Lesego Rampolokeng

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Leung Ping-Kwan: This is a question usually raised. How can we reconcile respect for universal human rights with this rights conflict with traditional or religious values? And usually when we pose the question and we look at the question, we usually like privileging universal human right and look at traditional values something reactionally or something blocking the progress of the people. But maybe we can step back a little bit and see things not necessarily in party opposition, because I think that these universal human rights have -- it's very important, it is important to have respectful human right, but in different society and different phases in their development, the criteria or the sentence for human rights may not be universal. They may not be at one place, they may not be exactly the same as the other and also we have to be aware that this is of values, ehm, the religious values are not necessarily the conflict to human rights may be in a superficial way, but [if not] in the tradition or values, there are also respect for human rights as well. So, I did said the danger is leading here the traditional value as something oppositional to the human right, but further we, I think they are both positive way will be to develop that to see how we can reconcile as it for human rights and but are also the respect with traditional values because I think that in different countries and in different cultures, when we want to protect the constructive for human right, make it possible to have a broader exact result to the human rights. The best way to do it will be to also do it within the local cultural contacts and to see the things that traditional values that could contribute to and could work together, which as these are of no values brought oppose [audio cuts out]

by Leung Ping-Kwan

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Lijun Fang: A balance and harmony society cannot be an absolute value, which is similar to how many materials are suitable for mixing Vodka or for stir-frying a dish. If it is absolute in this way, actually no one and not a nation can endure it. Hence, in my opinion, our present world is already balance and harmony.

by Lijun Fang

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Lillian Holt: Yes, I think that we need some feminizing values. I think some of these so called values in hierarchal institutional organizations have been dehumanizing values, when perhaps that hasn't been recognized by the players within those situations. And I think that women need to bring that intuition and emotion to the situation, to the institution, within the institution of corporate borders - wherever. But I think that what happens is that unfortunately women somehow coerced or intimidated or cajoled or encouraged to take up those masculine values which tend to prevail. And in the process I think those feminizing values are often lost. I know that from my own journey that intuition and emotion has not been respected. It's often been [copad] and that if I wanted to contribute, I would have to contribute in the limited language of the intellect, as I would call it. I think that we also need a language of the heart, which I think probably much more feminine, which is a more feminine type of language incorporated emotion, intuition and passion which is sometimes very scary to what I would call successful right [inaudible]. It's not just about [inaudible] it's about a [Hageman] leadership which says unless you tow the line and unless you agree to our values which I think are very limiting and bereft at times, it might create technology and corporations and profits, but they somehow-- and sometimes are dehumanizing. And I'm very sad to say that, but I think it's true.

by Lillian Holt

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Livingstone Maluleke: One would start by saying that the position of power of feminine and values are not minimized in all areas. I disagree with your statement. Perhaps, it will have to be staged. People will need to be patient in this process. Putting and engaging women and the full emancipation of women should be a process not an event; a process in the sense that they need to be engaged properly. Women need to be engaged in the positions where they have the real capacity, the actual capacity to do deal with certain power. It will be a futile exercise to just put women in positions and engage them in positions where they do not fit. I am not saying here that men can fit all positions, but I am concentrating on the issue of the imbalance, which is concentrating on the women. Women, of course, have got a potential, the capacity to do certain functions, but then they need to be engaged properly with wisdom that, therefore, they need to be ready. There needs to be an integration of this as a process and, in fact, there should not be an automatic incorporation of women in positions. But then, we need to take time to evaluate and monitor the process so that at the end of the day we’ve got quality women in appropriate positions. That is important. It is not a matter of just putting and engaging and putting all that go into the positions, but it is a matter of checking the imbalance. Is this possible to put this woman in this position? Is she going to be functional? And in that way we shall have a society full of respect, full of ethics for social responsibility.

by Livingstone Maluleke

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Mae-Wan Ho: I think we run the danger of stereotyping feminine values, because this so called feminine values of being caring, loving, emphasis on family, friendship, social wealth and so on are not exclusive to women and that's very important. I fear that if we continue to dichotomize values in terms of feminine and masculine, we don't do society a lot of good. Yes, I think would too for the equality for equity, for sharing wisdom around, inspiration around, there ought to be more women in positions of leadership. Despite that however, there are many inspirational women around the world and people can be powerful without being in positions of power, if you know what I mean. And well, in the olden days, leaders and powerful people just emerge, they just -- because they inspired people and we cannot have leaders that are not inspirational and I think that is probably part of the problem today. We are run by bureaucrats, accountants, lawyers maybe, we are not really there isn’t – there are not very many people in positions of leadership, formal leadership that are also inspiring. On the other hand, there are plenty of inspirational powerful people that are not in positions of power. Those are the people perhaps we should be listening to.

by Mae-Wan Ho

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Mahsa Shekarloo: Well, I don’t know exactly what you mean by feminine values. I think we have to be careful here not to essentialize femininity or women or feminine values. I’m not so sure there is such a thing. I think there are certain values that are minimized in all areas that are not necessarily feminine, again, values like, based on values such as social justice, equality, sovereignty, self-determination. These are values that if they’re not implemented, if they don’t become the dominant, driving forces, then society will remain unbalanced and disharmonious as it stands right now. When there are so few women in positions of power, what that tells us is that 50 percent of the human population is being largely excluded from positions of power. But I don’t think that there are feminine values that are inherently good and more peaceful. I think women’s experiences can certainly be an added value to the discourses and negotiations that are happening in human society today in all aspects. But I think values of social justice, equality, responsibility, rights, sovereignty, self-determination, resistance are minimized in all areas. And I think that these values need to be reordered and reprioritized. And I think that women’s input can be very valuable, and women’s experiences and their responsibilities can be very valuable.

by Mahsa Shekarloo

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Martin Almada: No, an unequal representation of citizens cannot create balance and harmony in a human society. The power should be equally distributed, especially as women can contribute a lot by seing global problems from a different perspective. Nevertheless, in my opinion, power is not a question of gender, man or woman, but it´s much more a problem of social compromise of being in favor or against the poor. For example, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, the ex-prime minister of England, and Ronald Reagan, supported the driving forces of the current economic model. This model makes huge profits possible, that are concentrated in the hands of very few ones and make those people more and more powerful. the wealth in the hands of very few ones, which become more and more powerful.

by Martin Almada

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Masami Saionji: The role of women in society is very precious although for a long time the function of women had been thought just bringing the children into the world. Women are equally vested with the same human dignity as men and there are many wonderful roles that only women can do. There has been no chance for women to present their abilities for a long time. The position/status of women was ignored by societies, countries and companies. However, once they gain their footing, they display their intelligence, abilities and possibilities and demonstrate their wonderful way of living. In the 21st century, women make their way in the former male-dominated society (i.e., in the high position of companies or the political world) and show their power. Since women have their feet on the ground, they can give selfless devotion to others. They can give others their love with nothing in return. Moreover, they have enormous　endurance, which is necessary to bring up a child. Now women can return these abilities to society and corporations. I think we can build a new wonderful world, where men and woman work in harmony with each other.

by Masami Saionji

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Masuma Bibi Russel:

by Masuma Bibi Russel

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Mayank Mehta: So we have to start from the first part, yes, there are very few women in power and that’s not that I think, and we have to figure out how can we change that? How can we change things? So that women have into really in the highest levels of equal powers. And I think, once again I spoke about this in the previous section, why aren’t women treated? Why don’t women reach there and that lies which many sub-minimal, perhaps not so sub-minimal messages that [inaudible] can make to each other and worst to children. When we look at any ways in third world or first world, invariably, if not always in the movies, the woman’s role is secondary at best. The woman is not the first person who is going to solve the big problems of the world and save the world, invariably, it’s the man. If they look in the same kind of stuff goes on in the little high school when we expect little girls to be pretty where as we expect little boys to be smart, especially in math. As long as this style of reasoning in this kind of messages are going to get conveyed, they will continue to see this stage, we will continue to see that if we see in the movie that woman is playing a secondary role. They will be more reluctant to see them being primary lead in daily life. And hence, the way out of this is to really to think deeply and careful when we convey this messages without really knowing at least let’s believe that this message is shared with the world and unknowingly minimize the law when we portray girls and women as capable in leadership roles or problem solving roles as men. And such portrayal improves, you take invasion of truth to sink-in to the peoples mind and accept them more readily in high position of power.

by Mayank Mehta

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Michael E. Tigar: David, I'm going to answer this question based upon the third and fourth and fifth centuries of the Common Era. [Origine Perneau], of the Centre Jeanne d'Arc, The Center of Joan of Arc in France, has written a book called "La Femme au tourne des Cathedrales," “Women in the Time of the Cathedrals” and has pointed to the crucial role of women in the early church. Now this is not going to be sort of a religious homily or try to make us all become the good Roman Catholic, not at all. But that book and the study of the Joan of Arc Institute contains powerful, powerful insights about the role of women and of feminist ideology in important social struggles, to the extent where the church “fathers” had to suppress these women's movements in those succeeding centuries. So my first observation is that that really is a hell of a question and an extremely important one. And my second answer is that now the struggle must begin. It must begin in your country and in my country, where despite the fact that women have the vote, and their numbers have increased in the professions, they are confronting the glass ceiling that prevents them from rising into positions of true power. That is an issue that we must address in the context of our own societies and to the extent we have power to do it. We as white men of a certain age probably ought to set an example by making sure that we are mentoring and encouraging and working with powerful and articulate women so that they are with us and take their place in wielding whatever power you and I in our lives are able to wield; and for others, to deal with these issues of gender discrimination in our workplaces, in our educational system, in all aspects of our lives. We need to be conscious of the ways in which we have internalized certain attitudes about male dominance and address those issues.

by Michael E. Tigar

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Michael Laitman: The correlation between men and women in governing human society does not have to be equal. We think this way, because from our point of view this appears to be truth and justice. But in reality, this is completely not so. We are tearing women out of their natural sphere: out of the family, bringing up children, the household, building a home, and building a family. Precisely this is bringing us to the disintegration of families, to divorces and to all the negative phenomena that are so widespread today in modern society. As the result of all these phenomena, precisely women turn out to be miserable and feel unhappy. This fictitiousness, this lie that a man and a woman can be equal according to our arbitrary measures, without any consideration of their gender and the natural position of each one in their niche—precisely this makes the world so unbalanced, in spite of the laws of nature. The boundary between the sexes must be preserved, and we must always take the nature of each sex into consideration. We have to understand that we must take into consideration the characteristics of the female psychology, the role of a woman in giving birth to and developing the generations. What we are seeing today is precisely the result of our desire to pull or tear a woman out of her natural setting, out of the family and the home, and to bring her to govern human society, to participate against her natural desire in the functioning of various social systems. This is completely not her place. The equality lies in that we must attribute equal significance and give equal opportunities to each sex, but not level them out completely, as if they do not differ in any way.

by Michael Laitman

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Michael P. Totten: Well, we certainly have to. That’s a general broad question, and when we move to specifics, perhaps a common ground for universal human rights that certainly can and should be vigorously pursued. There may be some areas that come into conflict and that requires much more of a deliberative process of discussion and conversation, to find common ground there. But to respect the human being and the rights of everyone to have a minimum of social rights and well-being, it’s something that has a universal meaning to us across all religions and cultures. Where the conflicts may arise because we have had religious conflicts, and cultural conflicts forever, dialogues and multi-logues are absolutely vital. Since, when people share lots of common threads in other ways that helps to nurture discussions in those more painful areas where there may be sharp distinction. But the fact that we have families that come from extremely different religious and cultural background and yet show the love that is possible in bringing up children to lead a positive life is an existence proof that solutions are found. So, we need to bring that kind of consciousness to the community and the national and the global level. Certainly, where conflict is inevitable, we need to find I think an early warning process that prevents us from flaring up into the types of conflagration what we have seen in past century. My brother, Dr. Sam Totten has been involved for the past quarter century of--[audio ends].

by Michael P. Totten

Sep 9, 2006 11:20:00 AM cite

Mohammed Arkoun: We make always the experience of the inequality of women and of the nearly impossible challenge to change the mentality vis-à-vis the role of the woman in society and of their contribution to change the mentality themselves concerning the construction of a more harmonic society which is more open minded concerning equality in general. The traditional and archaic societes sattle the women with rules which are quiet alarming concerning the future of women in these societes which is equal with the future of the whole societes. Because if a societe doesn't considere the situation of the women all problems of inequality will consist. You have to consider first of all the musselman societes which are numerous all around the world and where exists a large number of citizens who are in favour of a maintenance of the islamic law system and who want the women to stay in a situation completely unsustainable vis-a-vis the position which women should have and vis-à-vis the voting rights women should benefit from in a modern society. I'm talking about the islamic example because of my own large knowledge about this religion but there are also other societys where women smart under a considerable backwandness in equality and we are inclined to forget that even in Europe and in this way in the countries of the Occident, women have to continue fighting for a larger equality.

by Mohammed Arkoun