By the use of a modified Sudoku, this
piece of work is a portrait of the globalization process in action and a reflection of our
globalization era.
Sudoku is a puzzle game that has achieved worldwide popularity. It is
played on a board consisting of nine 3 x 3 blocks. The objective is to fill numbers 1 to 9
into each square so that no numbers appear more than once in the same row, column or the 3
x 3 block.
One finds in this work that numbers metamorphose into influential
personalities from the international political and religious arena. Moreover, there is an
insinuation of our digital age where individuals are simply treated as numbers and
powerful political players are no exception.
Globalization is simply an econo-political game on a magnified scale. Each
country is just like one of these 3 x 3 blocks, transnational frontiers and international
organizations are just like the rows and columns on the board. The current process of
globalization is completed and the international relations are stabilized (and become
stagnant), when the game is successfully played out, i.e.
when there is a balanced representation of all global powers in each country and in all
major international bodies.
But the game is still in progress. Given the existing configuration,
various questions beg for answers: What will be
the next move? At what stage are we in the game? Is there a successful ending for the
game? If so, is there only one possible outcome? What would be the best outcome for all of
us?
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