Interconnected Global Society

Humankind moves together

The global division of labour and the spread of the knowledge and communication society have enabled worldwide economic development, created a global ‘middle class’ and reduced poverty worldwide. For the first time, a genuine ‘world structure’ is emerging. It is conceivable that 10 to 11 billion people will be able to live together peacefully on our planet in the future.

But the path to a global society is not a straight one. The challenges are complex: from competition for the dominant political system and the unsustainable consumption of natural resources to dealing with advancing digitalisation.

The networked global society must be understood as a self-organising social system without a clear centre of power. Decisions are made decentrally by governments of varying strength, supranational organisations, civil society institutions, and private companies and corporations. The future of the planet is an ‘emergent phenomenon’ – it emerges from the interaction of the vast number of actions taken by people and organisations.