1995-10-01a- CIA Conference Report: THE CHALLENGE OF ETHNIC CONFLICT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE 1990S GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES 01-Oct-95

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at the left and right sides? Or do we have maps with How "Green" Is Your Thinking?
the Pacific Ocean in the middle and the Asian and Environmental questions are being raised in all areas
American landmasses at the left and right. Perhaps of human livelihood. This includes making decisions
one of-our difficulties is using old maps with old. about where crops will be grown as well as where
boundaries and names, which tend to convey mes- industries will locate. Although there is much support
sages of stability at global and regional levels. Do we for environmental thinking and policies, progress is
regularly in our research, classroom, and lectures uti- not attained easily, in part because many people have
lize maps that portray boundary stability, ethnic har- difficulty seeing the need to incorporate green think-
mony or complexity, or gradations of tyranny and , ing into education, religion, politics, and economies.
democracy? Powerful messages are conveyed through A true test is whether those who teach political geog-
maps and projections. As an instructor, I am reminded raphy will successfully incorporate green thinking
how more valuable the maps are in the State of the into spheres traditionally excluded from such thought.
World Atlases-including the specialized ones on
women, military, and environment-than are those in Religion as if Politics Mattered
our textbooks and frequently used atlases. We would As the events of the past couple decades have demon-
do well to develop other innovative maps for various strated, religion is an important element in our exami-
users. nation of foreign affairs. It is not only the rise of
Islamic fundamentalism-again, a Western label-in
Which Way Are We Looking as We Approach the the Middle East that illustrates the significance of this
Next Century? issue but also militancy in the name of religion in Ire-
At this time it is useful to think about how we land, Israel/Palestine, India, and Pakistan. Evangelical
approach the study of the future. Are we looking back- groups and liberation theologians have confronted the
wards as we look ahead or do we look ahead without politics in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. In South
the burden of hindsight? The question might be simi- Africa as well as in former Eastern Europe, the church
lar to that raised above about map projections. Are we at times has been active in pushing for political
too frozen in our thinking to look at the dynamics reforms. In many countries, those seeking political
occurring around us? Certainly the next 10 to 20 years office are courted and supported by certain religious
will call for looking at the world differently than the groups. The importance of religion as a component in
past 10 to 20 years. Will we try to use models, theo- the politics in many states and regions cannot be over-
ries, and policies from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s- looked. Leaders often look to the state-church or to
many of which did not help us then-for the future? important church leaders for support and encourage-
Or will we be willing to realize the need for working ment. To dismiss the growing importance of religion
constantly with alternative systems and models that in emerging democracies, the blurring of church-state
may be completely non-Western in logic, purpose, and separateness in others, and the importance of the spiri-
design? The true test will be whether scholars, and tual dimension in human life is to neglect an important
those communities that rely on scholarly inquiry, will component of raison d'etre in many societies. Aca-
be able to be imaginative and creative in exploring the demics and policymakers would be wise to devote as
purposes and cross-purposes of what is being much time to studying a society's religion as they do
observed, written, and practiced. its economy in order to understand the decisions and
actions of leaders, political parties, and citizen groups.
Major Issues Meriting Attention The Rise of Secularization
The rise of secularization in the world is not ques-
As a geographer interested in global politics, I identify tioned. I do not see this emergence as a corollary to
six major areas that I think will be important within what I stated about religion above. But I observe there
the next 20 years. They are the environment, religion, is a growth of a secular society, including emphasis on
secularization, sports, territory,and information/com-
munication.
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