Project: GLOBELOC (Global-local)

The Belgrade economic-sociological circle

Methodological-conceptual approach:

Under the conditions of fast globalization of economy, society and a way of life, there is a tendency of bringing together the fundamental and applied researches in science that increases the role of the quickest possible application of the achieved positive results. In that context, one feels a shortage of the developed models for global estimates and local activity, idem est for the interaction of the world trends in economy and society, on the one hand, and their influence on the European continent, on the Southeast Europe region and the Balkans, on our country, on the other hand.

A new interactive philosophy is required, a philosophy of global and local in business contacts, business, scientific communications and the application of each new idea, regardless of the form of its launching.

Scientific-theoretical meaning of GLOBELOC

We have to work on the formulation of a new philosophy of the development of the Serbian and Yugoslav economy which would have its roots in the maximum use of cultural specific traits and spiritual values of our country and above all:

– important degree of mutual trust at the moment of mobilization for achieving joint supreme goals as understood by the majority of population. At this historical moment these are economic and social reforms and reasonably guided process of integration into the European and world course.

– a feeling of social engagement and a responsibility for the real growth of freedom, especially in the economic life, restriction of the interference of a state and political structures into social life.

We can also begin with the thesis of Francis Fukujama expressed in his new book “The Confidence. Social values and creation of welfare” – that only the countries with a high level of confidence among citizens can create flexible economies under the conditions of globalization and information society which requires quite new philosophy of a man’s development and human societies.

That means that in GLOBELOC, at the first theoretical level and in close cooperation between scientists and businessmen, politicians, bankers, one has to investigate the causes of well-known facts that the countries with, at first sight similar, economic systems have considerable different economic and financial results (for example Bulgaria and Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia.)

“Spiritualization” of economy as a chance in the age of total “economization”

The Belgrade economic-sociological circle will start from the fact that today all political and social problems, like never before, have been permeated with economic questions. That refers to, even until yesterday considerably distant from the economy, a sphere of spiritual creation.

The growing “economization” means at the same time total “informization” of social life with the consequences that will create completely new picture of the planet and human life.

The initiators of the Belgrade circle, beginning with the experience of BK Group which includes the bank, the first private university, top civil engineering and the Institute for strategic studies, telecommunications and the Academy of arts, begin with a thesis that the economy only is not what it seemingly appears to be. Economy in its deepest layers has its roots in the life of society itself as a system with its sociological structure, therefore it depends on the central attitude: what is the degree of freedom and the mechanism of regulation of organization of contemporary society as a whole.

Psychological-organizational aspects of the Belgrade circle’s work

The Belgrade circle conscientiously directs itself towards the stable liberal democracy which assumes spiritualization of the economic life and the growing role of psychological factors.

Globalization in certain sense jeopardizes the cultural and national identity, compels to centralization and therefore increases a danger for the freedom of citizens and their natural rights about which even John Lock and John Stuart Mill used to write. Exaggerated centralization of the political power may have negative reflection on economy, even on the amount of “social capital” about whose importance Prof. Ralph Derendorf used to talk about.

A problem of new ethical transformation has to be developed, in which motives for economic success are not only the material power, but also positive ambitions to achieve the highest peak and to receive the recognition of a society.

The most important economists, sociologists, psychologists, philosophers and businessmen have to be gathered in the Belgrade circle, who should gather once a year maybe at Kopaonik in order to discuss the economic trends, the way of connecting the Yugoslav companies with the world, efficiency of investing and what should be done in future. That would contribute to a creation of the most contemporary way of lobbying for the investment of the foreign capital in Yugoslavia and for the fast grow of the reputation of BK Group as the generator of new ideas not only within our institutes and universities, but also in the research centers in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France, America, Austria, Switzerland and other countries, with which we have excellent cooperation.

It is necessary to discuss the organizational form for the beginning of establishing the Belgrade circle. It has been suggested that Mr. Hedwig De Koker should give some ideas about people from the Belgian side and generally from abroad, who could eventually with him and with us start the initiative for the creation of the Belgrade economic-sociological circle.

Belgrade 19.02.2001