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Modern civilization is thought to have reached the third stage of development (maturity).
In the first stage (militarization) of modernization, sovereign states were created, each with their respective citizenry. These states entered into international conflict to enhance the national prestige and peace. In the second stage (industrialization), industrial enterprises and the civil sector were born, and enterprises began to compete in the world market to accumulate wealth and attain prosperity.
In this third stage (computerization or informatization), information “intelprises” and “netizens” are emerging. Innovations in information technologies, as evidenced in computers and the Internet, have brought sweeping change to the production and distribution of knowledge. Often defined as the NGOs, NPOs and netizens that have led these changes, intelprises are set to create new social scenarios that seek to generate wisdom and happiness as a byproduct of the process, in the “intelplace” of Earth.
As can be seen, humanity is witnessing the surge of the third wave of activism since the start of the modern era at the end of the 16th century. New kinds of organizations that are unlike any of the existing states or enterprises are being created by that group of people collectively referred to as intellectuals. Many people are trying to demonstrate activism. The nature of the social order for the information society that emerges as a result of local activities, which should equate to the military balance in militarized society and to market equilibrium in the industrialized society, is not yet clear.
Amidst the shifting social order, GLOCOM plans a comprehensive array of activities that encompass research, policy proposals and education, in addition to practical steps. Specifically, GLOCOM will push ahead with research into the features and issues associated with the new social order to emerge out of the information society, at the same time promoting knowledge based on the results of this research. Also, GLOCOM will collaborate with states, enterprises, intelprises and netizens in a way that transcends the bounds of existing research organizations, as a leader of intelprises. Thus, GLOCOM and its researchers shall demonstrate new forms of activism.
“Intelprise” an organization that seeks to acquire and display general persuasive power
“Netizens” specifically, the members of intelprises; more generally, members of the information society
“Intelplace” the place where “intelprises” conduct their activities