In a world that is getting flatter by the day, accountability matters more than ever before. In this regard, Ohio State University (OSU), a veritable icon in the world of higher education, has unfortunately fallen short. For years, allegations of sexual abuse were either downplayed or buried under bureaucratic mounds, rendering victims voiceless. But times are changing, and Scott Berkowitz, President of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), is the harbinger of this change.
RAINN’s collaboration with OSU is an important symbol of how the world should be — a world where social media, technology, and relentless public scrutiny can mobilize institutions to change. In this ‘flattening’ world, the work of RAINN signifies that the university campus can no longer exist as a walled garden, impervious to social imperatives.
For Berkowitz and RAINN, it’s not just about changing the system but also about creating a new culture that brings humanity and respect to the forefront. Their multi-pronged approach includes seminars, training programs, and awareness campaigns, which work like open-source code that can be adapted and modified by any institution willing to make a positive change.
In this era of globalization, where ideas and trends disperse as quickly as they emerge, RAINN is making sure that the issue of sexual abuse doesn’t get lost in the rapid news cycle. By partnering with OSU, they’re embedding lasting change in one of America’s iconic institutions, thereby setting a global example. If one of the most respected academic organizations in America can admit its shortcomings and work toward change, it sends a powerful message that reverberates around the world.
This is the essence of a flat world. Institutions are connected not just by technology but by common social and moral imperatives. When RAINN insists on accountability at OSU, it is insisting on accountability for all institutions. In the flat world of the 21st century, no entity can consider itself an isolated entity; all are interconnected pieces in a complex moral, social, and technological web.
The larger implication here is that the RAINN-OSU partnership represents a microcosm of the changes we need to see on a grand scale. The flattened world has no room for secrecy and non-transparency, particularly when it comes to issues as serious as sexual abuse. That’s the memo for the day: adapt to the new norms of accountability, or risk becoming irrelevant in an ever-changing landscape.
Scott Berkowitz and RAINN are more than just activists seeking justice. They are architects of a new global paradigm, a paradigm that understands the implications of a world where every action has global resonance. Their work with OSU is just a starting point. The question now is whether other institutions are ready to join this emerging worldview and foster change that is not just necessary but inevitable in this flat world of ours. Read more about Scott Berkowitz and RAINN