Postscript

It has been one month since the Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Reunion in Denmark. One month since our exchange of ideas and friendship. One month since the fellows re-ignited the fires of debate that were first started one year ago. During their stay in Denmark, their understanding of international politics grew from the lectures and meetings they attended. Most of the lectures focused on the world in the era of globalisation and that the world is becoming smaller and smaller due to advances in communication, such as the Internet. The BFTF is a true testament to communication power of the Internet. The Internet has made communication between the fellows easier and cheaper than in years past and some may say that the relations among fellows may not have been so strong without the Internet. Another aspect of globalisation that was discussed was the spreading values of freedom throughout the world. One lecture focused on the clash of values during the Muhammad Cartoon scandal unfolded. During all these studies the fellows had clashing opinions on many different subjects ranging from AIDS relief to war to global warming. While the debates raged on, several common underlining values were realized. The first is a common belief in the power of democracy and global cooperation. In the age of globalisation, the realization that some issues need to be addressed on a global level and that unilateral action is not enough is first step in addressing problems such as global warming. Another common belief is the value of free exchange and debate. This value of the diversity of ideas is an essential pillar in sustainability of democracy. A government in which there is no debate or no exchange of ideas is totalitarian government. On the global level this equates to open exchange among countries in forum such as the UN. While methods of how these global issues are to be solved may differ, as long as an open forum for the solution is available, then the eventual resolution of the issue is inevitable. Though the fellows have been separated from each other for one year the values of the Ben Franklin Transatlantic Institute were never lost. Time has not shaken the bonds of friendship among the fellows or their willingness to discuss tough and controversial issues that are in global spotlight. If the global community could discuss these issues with such openness and enthusiasm, then no problem would be too large or complex to solve. The Ben Franklin Transatlantic Institute serves as a model to humanity of what transatlantic cooperation could yield.

By Lendyll.