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World Affairs
Letter From the Editor in Chief
J C Kapur
The processes of globalisation that are being propagated today are an extension of the exploitative paradigm of "armament protected consumerism". They are designed to sustain and further enlarge the interests of a narrowing band of beneficiaries. These beneficiaries, with a sense of delusion, have used the power of the media and other overt and covert techniques and actions to transform this state of inherent impermanence into perpetuity. Many right-minded people and institutions have challenged the logic of these trends in terms of unsustainability of resources and sheer injustice. The protests against the social and economic consequences of such actions and the cultural underpinning of these policies are becoming increasingly more destructive. While the message that there is a need for change is spreading worldwide, vested interests are promoting their ulterior arrangements. What's more, the dichotomy between democracy and human rights on one side, and the widening dimensions of mass deprivation and cultural confrontation on the other, are being expressed in diverse, and largely violent ways.
In this highly-charged international environment, the parameters of an increasingly controversial consumerist paradigm and its destructive effects cannot be allowed to become global. Not all the queens' men, and the missile defence shields can save this paradigm in its present form. There is an urgent and compulsive need to reorder the human, social environment. The genie of terrorism has been fed for far too long and has become much too large to be put back in a bottle and stored for the future. No single nation or group of nations can contain its international ramifications. What is required is a new social arrangement, designed by a broad human coalition of rational people, as a protection against terrorism.
The underpinning factors necessary for bringing about a new social order are a sustainable vision, a realistic model or road map and an operative mechanism. Centres of excellence and enterprises that have made significant contributions to the alleviation of human suffering through cooperative and social action are legendary. Pioneering efforts that have led to the empowerment of the deprived are of central importance in this issue. Prof. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, through his highly innovative efforts, has provided affordable credit to some of the poorest sections of society, enabling them to make a new beginning with their lives and become part of the emerging mainstream. This self-expanding process helps empower the largest numbers of the people with minimum resources. A detailed interview with Prof. Muhammad Yunus highlights the role of the Grameen Bank in the endeavour.
In this issue, we have also presented the story of the milk cooperatives in the state of Gujarat (India) which laid the foundation for India to become the world's largest milk producer. Dr Verghese Kurien's innovative efforts, through the National Dairy Development Board, could provide lessons that could be replicated in diverse productive ways to upgrade the lives of millions of people around the world.
A number of organisations are doing outstanding work for the upliftment of women and enabling them create a new life for themselves and their families. Here, we are publishing the remarkable work of Mirai Chatterjee, the moving spirit behind the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), that has contributed towards women's economic independence and helped them gain self-respect and dignity. Centres of excellence worldwide must pool their efforts to work towards a world that is devoid of greed and violence.
Health is one of the key factors that conrtibutes towards the alleviation of poverty. While on the one hand, billions of dollars are being spent on expensive medicines for specific diseases, on the other a vast majority of the poor do not have access to elementary health services. It not only affects their quality of life, but has far-reaching implications for social development. Dr N H Antia, a highly-qualified and experienced medical professional has questioned the need to adopt Western patterns of health care and has championed the cause of village level health services and the revival of indigenous systems of medicine. He has spent a great deal of his time in improving the health of the poor through an integrated system of medicine.
It is being increasingly realised that no social process can transform the conditions of deprivation without the empowerment and direct involvement of women. Wherever these efforts have been made, whether in the panchayat system, the government, or the non-governmental organisations in India, women have made some outstanding contributions. Unfortunately, women have a very limited visibility in the political processes worldwide. Narayan S Kotvi has shed light on the political empowerment of women through constitutional processes.
There is a growing awareness throughout the world that the large-scale centralisation of agricultural and industrial processes is creating serious concern about water shortage. Wars have been fought over oil and energy, and many conflicts have arisen around the world to control energy resources. Narottam Gaan asserts that water, a vital part of the human life support system, and not oil will be the cause of conflict in the twenty-first century.
In our globalising world, it is time to sit back and reflect on Mahatma Gandhi's advice, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind" and seek new directions for a sustainable human future.
New Delhi, J C Kapur
September 2001