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From the Co-Editors Bo
LI & Li-an ZHOU Exactly one year ago, "Perspectives" was born into this electronic age. In the last twelve months, six issues of "Perspectives" have been published. This is the seventh issue, and the first in Volume Two. Including articles in this issue, forty five articles have been published by "Perspectives," ten of which have been translated and published, or are soon to be published, in Chinese journals in Beijing and Guangzhou. As a one year old, "Perspectives" is young, but it has some very old goals. It is using new technology to achieve old purposes. Just like many publications in the early 20th century, "Perspectives" aims at introducing new concepts and new ideas, stimulating creative thinking, and promoting dialogues and debates about China. After one year of hard work, the journal has learned a great deal, and it is also doing better and better in achieving its goals. This young journal, however, is also very different from those publications one century ago. First of all, "Perspectives" is not a printed journal. It is electronic, and it can travel very quickly and widely. Secondly, "Perspectives" not only aims at encouraging creative ideas and promoting exchanges, it also aims at getting together a group of Chinese people, a group that shares the values of freedom, tolerance, democracy and justice and commits to promoting these values in China. People in this group may become teachers, judges, businessmen, bureaucrats, scholars, politicians, writers, journalists, lawyers or technical experts, but they will all do concrete things in their own professions to promote freedom, tolerance, democracy and justice in China. There is a third, and probably most important difference between "Perspectives" and its predecessors one century ago. "Perspectives" is living in an age of unprecedented globalization and openness. Modern transportation and communication technologies, increasing trade and capital flows, and rising tide of cultural and institutional exchanges have made it impossible for any country to keep its door closed. Goods and capital travel very fast these days. More importantly, ideas and institutions now also have a much easier time to travel than one century ago. Our earth is becoming smaller and smaller. The achievements, however, are still far from enough. Many societies are still not free enough, not tolerant enough, not democratic enough, and not just enough; many people are still suffering from injustice, oppression, poverty and illness; and there is still a large gap between developed and developing countries. It seems that ideas and institutions simply do not travel fast enough. "What can we do to facilitate the spread of advanced ideas and institutions? What can we do to promote cultural and institutional innovations in China?" These are the thoughts of "Perspectives." It probably will take a great deal of time, effort and resources for China to develop innovative ideas, culture and institutions to move the country to the frontiers of prosperity, justice, freedom and democracy. "Perspectives" volunteers to be one small part of the effort. "Perspectives" was born to promote creative and constructive ideas, and it encourages us to contribute to cultural and institutional innovations in China. It invites everyone's participation. |