in seventh grade, everyone had to do a project on a country of the world in geography class. we got to pick which country we studied, as long as no one else had already picked it. having always had a flare for and attraction to the obscure (or seemingly so), i chose sri lanka.
some of the things i learned from that project struck me so deeply that i hold onto them today, still probably fourteen years later. i learned that sri lanka was in a civil war that started the year i was born. i was amazed that a civil war could last so long. my only exposure to the concept was the war between the north and the south here, and by comparison, that seemed to be a neat and tidy war that wrapped up quickly.
i remember thinking about the tamil tigers and what they want. they are a minority, and want and equal voice. they didn't seem to be getting it as a part of sri lanka, and so they wanted the right to govern themselves. this seemed simple to me at the time. every one should get to exercise that right if they so desire. that is how our country was founded right? we wanted the right to self-determination, and we fought for it.
what i didn't understand in seventh grade, is that though that may be true, throughout our history, we have restricted the right to self-govern of other groups, lots of them, the world over. we keep sticking our nose in business where perhaps it just doesn't belong. even with that deeper knowledge, more complex view of the situation, the idealist in me still says that everyone should have the right to self govern. it affirms our most basic human dignity.
and so i am saddened to still see this island's civil war in the news. it has been this way since i did that project. every few months, an attack or a battle would be a big enough deal to devote a paragraph to the incident on the second page of the world section, hidden by the fold of the newspaper. the media claims the end of this war is in sight. but will the war really be over until everyone in that country feels like a dignified citizen with a voice? will our conflicts around the world end until that happens?
we only control our own destiny to an extent. in 2004, about 35,000 people died on this island in the tsunami. the waves did not distinguish between who was on which side of the conflict. the tsunami indiscriminately swept people to their deaths. in a world where this can happen, we crave control and agency over our lives. it gives us person hood, identity and a sense of stability.
how can we ensure that everyone feels like a person?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
As a Sri Lankan Tamil, I would say that you have grasped the fundamental of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
Equal treatment to all citizens in all walks of life without discrimination on any ground and IF that is not possible THEN the Tamils must have the liberty to the Right of Self-determination.
An answer to the problem which avoids the necessity to exercise the Right of Self-determination is given below.
I am in full agreement of the above saying.
Everyone is talking about the war and the problem and the causes.
But very few are talking about peace and action to restore peace in the country.
Rather than continuing to express and analyze the problem of the day we must move towards a solution.
For my part I have prepared a set of suggestions and am circulating it in any platform available.
One of them is the proposal to split and separate the powers of parliament now exercised by a group of PARTY representatives, and empower small groups of people's representatives to exercise each of the separated powers. This suggestion is put forward to eradicate the corruption that is eating the entire governing system due to the concentration of power at a point.
There are many other suggestions that together go to make good governance, basic need for sustainable peace, serenity, prosperity and a pleasant living for ALL the people in the country.
In Sri Lanka, the trouble started due to discrimination and injustice to the minorities and this continues due to bribery and corruption. These may be the reasons for troubles in other countries too.
Current wars have to be ended and new wars have to be prevented. To achieve this goal the present system of Democratic Governance has to be changed to one that is really democratic in its true sense.
In the present democratic system it is only those - who possess the power to attract people through speech (or worse inflammatory speeches), have enough money and muscle power - can join the ruling class to suppress or convert all others as their subjects and is thus a fertile ground for "corruption" in various forms to thrive.
In my opinion "Corruption" includes any kind of waste, neglect and every form of malpractice, dishonesty, abuse, misuse, unreasonable exercise of power, failure or refusal to exercise power, anything and everything left undone which results in the right of the people being denied or impaired.
Without a "just society" in existence much talked about "terrorism" cannot be eradicated. For the creation of a "just society" there should be "good governance" in the country. For the creation of "good governance" in the country "corruption" in ALL its forms must be eradicated. And to eradicate "corruption" the present democratic system of governance, where full power to make final decisions ultimately rests in the hands of one person, must be changed.
So the only way to salvage a country is to change the present system of governance to one that is truly democratic where the final decision-making power will NOT be in the hands of ONE person BUT shared by as many people as possible and thus restricting any individual to rush into hasty decisions that might lead to trouble everywhere.
To make a country truly democratic, the powers of the Parliament (the decision making supreme body of a country) should be split and separated and each of the separated powers must be handled by different groups of persons selected and elected by the people for the purpose of administering EACH SET OF POWERS or duties as the case may be so that no single group has the full power. All the groups together will make the whole. The country is not divided but the powers of parliament are divided/separated. The World would become united. The people would have sustainable peace, prosperity and a pleasant living with dignity and sovereignty for everyone is guaranteed.
Different groups have to be elected for such purposes as administration, fiscal management, planning, implementing, policy and law making, auditing and for any other function that may be deemed necessary.
It has to be ensured that people are treated equitably regardless of their gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origins, age, disability, socio-economic background, religious or political beliefs and affiliations, marital status, family responsibilities or other inappropriate distinction;
The decision-making powers with regard to each and every set of powers must be spread through-out the country.
With such system in practice discrimination, injustice, bribery and corruption, the four pillars of an Evil society might become history.
When the above four pillars of Evil are eradicated, the people would be living under a system that would guarantee sustainable peace, prosperity and a pleasant living to everyone in any country.
Post a Comment