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Mauritius: Globalise or Glocalise ?
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L'Express (Port Louis)
OPINION
6 September 2007
Posted to the web 6 September 2007
Shaan Cheekhooree
Port Louis
The clever strategy that Benetton employed during its first Mauritian advertising campaign has granted it with more public attention than it would have otherwise received if the billboard ad did not create any polemic.
The scenario that has unfolded in Mauritius is not a premiere since it is the replica of what has happened several times in different countries. Therefore I found it surprising how some people, such as Deepa Bhookun and Vino Sookloll, are unable to comprehend why the ad has been sanctioned. They are trumpeting the idea that Mauritius is a country full of hypocrisy.
Suddenly the alarm si being raised: Mauritians are sinking in their frustration, and their attitude is going to affect the country's economic development and foreign investment. This sort of reaction is actually overreaction. There seems to be a lack of understanding of the local sphere and a fixation on globalisation. No wonder cultural imperialism is infiltrating Mauritius, and it is inevitable.
An ad of a sexual nature being shown in the public domain is not the same as someone watching a sexual ad on their satellite TV at home.
In their private space, one can control what to see, and what not to see. They can also control what their children can see or not see.
But in public, no such control is possible for an individual. It is therefore very important that everyone's values are respected in the public domain.
However, the very fact that we have satellite TV at home - that the Government does not censor what is being shown on those foreign channels - is proof that changes Mauritius is opening up. Mauritians do adopt and adapt to them in the global environment at their own pace.
Nonetheless, globalisation in no way implies mixing the public sphere with the private sphere.
"Mimicking" mindset
But how do we measure tolerance and openness for matters of a sexual nature? What do we use to gauge the level of frustration and open- mind level of Mauritians? I sense that some people tend to use 'supposedly' ideal American/European standards as a gauge? I also notice some people have the tendency to assume that what is accepted and practiced in America/Europe should also be mimicked in Mauritius.
In short, there is a trend to copy what others are doing outside Mauritius. I find that really sad as those people fail to realise they are not living within an American/European context.
With this 'mimicking' mindset, we are allowing our culture to be eroded. Instead of hyping 'globalisation' and saying Mauritius is unable to handle it, we should be understanding and adopting 'glocalisation'. We cannot carry on worshipping those things which do not make sense in the Mauritian context. We should rather start to take what is global, and adapt it to our local realities. We should learn what to keep and what to reject from the 'global' things that are dumped on us.
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A good starting point would be to understand the Mauritian socio- cultural history, its environment, and its current development. Then use that knowledge to create contextualised ads, and adapt international ads to our local context. Instead of showing adverts that try to sell us westernised images and ideologies, allow adverts to help promote and preserve the Mauritian culture. Slapping a provocative image of a westernised concept on a billboard and stating it is the pinnacle of creative thinking, and then defending it when others protest, is a sign of being brainwashed.
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