Archives

by H. K. Seneviratne

Public attention is seemingly growing on the MoU between SLFP and JVP as additional political groupings seek accession to it. In some respects the five precepts underlying the MoU could be a new dimension to the country's social and political order.

One of the salient features in the MoU is the integration of cultural dimension to the economic development. This is an important element in the program of action enunciated in the MoU.

The people are looking for a positive change and they can no longer endure the political governance that led to social evils of unabated open market policies which made denationalisation of economy more and more dominated by foreign nationals and the local businessmen and elites merely serving as their intermediaries.

The adoption of western consumerism based on unlimited greed has undermined all cultural and moral values the nation has inherited for a simple living in harmony with nature.

In the name of open economy the resources had been plundered on profit and for private accumulation and not for collective benefit. The consequences of this social political economic order have been unprecedented namely the commercialisation of most aspects of life, increasing social discontent, underworld crimes, break down in the law and order.

Yet no viable alternative system has ever been attempted. We have forgotten the simple truth as Mahatma Gandhi's famous dictum says "there is enough wealth in the world to meet everybody's needs, but not to meet everybody's greed."

The MoU while emphasising the urgency to remould the economy, which is currently plagued by crony capitalism, racketeerism and corruption and subservient to international donor institutions into a vibrant national economy, declares the need to safeguard the national identity and cultural heritage of Sri Lanka and its people.

The cultural dimension to economic development is a 21st century phenomenon that has gained recognition at international level as an initiative by the developing countries to rebuild global justice. This has become a new challenge for policy makers though it still remains a low priority in the politics of most countries.

The notion of development can no longer be considered solely from the economic perspectives. The countries are now eager to harness culture to the task of nation building.

New outlook

The world is now moving for a new outlook based on sustainable development and steering the process of globalisation in a more equitable direction. The cultural dimension for development has to be recognised at its true worth and will surely become a driver of the economy in the twenty-first century. There is noting dearer to the human being than culture. The task is to safeguard cultural needs and to harness cultural riches and not to dismantle in exchange for commercial consideration.

UNESCO in one its recent reports on World Commission on Culture and Development has observed, "Any policy for development must be profoundly sensitive to and inspired by culture itself". It declared that policy makers should understand cohesive relationship between culture and development and concludes that "the success of future cultural policies will greatly depend on whether the relationship between culture and development can be effectively integrated."

Pivotal role

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) within its current institutional framework is playing a pivotal role with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund supporting it in strengthening multilateralism in the rules of trade and services between nations. The developing countries are beginning to realise that international relations created by international institutions are suffering from a disjuncture between increasingly open world economy and the weakness of its global political governance.

The landmark attempt at the final negotiations of the Uruguay Round of the WTO/GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariff) rules was laudable. Some countries have expressed their concern over the enforcement of GATT principles, in particular Most Favoured Treatment and national Treatment trade rules on goods and services as well as on copy right protected products would undermine their cultural specificity and opposed to the "one-size-fits all" approach on commercial consideration being applied to cultural products and introduced a notion of cultural policy to globalisation.

The countries at international level have begun to oppose any form of mechanism that lays foundation for standardisation of taste and behaviour in a world of cultural diversity.

In the Uruguay Round's concluding negotiations this has resulted in the emergence of the rule of "cultural exceptions" and was accepted tacitily, the principle that culture is not like any other merchandise because it goes beyond commercial consideration.

This notion as a doctrine has no legal status nor does it exist as in any agreement or treaty but it was the starting point of a new phase to rethink the role for the state with regard to cultural matters in a globalised world.

The notion of "cultural exception" in international trade rules is based on the principle that culture is not like any other merchandise because it goes beyond commercial considerations.

Even prior to the Uruguay Round negotiations, the cultural dialogue was promote in the Florence Agreement where a legal instrument on importation of educational, scientific and cultural materials was adopted in 1950 and updated in 1976 through the Nairobi Protocol which extended its application to other cultural products particularly those using the technologies developed at that time, such as audio-visual materials.

'Cultural exceptions'

While the Florence Agreement and its Nairobi Protocol contain reserved mechanisms, allowing countries to avoid importing cultural goods that many prejudice the development of national culture and their cultural products. The practical effect of these texts are in fact similar to guiding principles of "cultural exceptions" even before this notion was developed during the Uruguay Round of negotiations on multilateral trade rules on goods and services.

The United Nations in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in September 2000 has upheld the collective responsibility of the nation states to respect nature and sustainable development being essential relations for any development program. The MDG declaration underscores the need for prudence in nation building and in accordance with the precepts of sustainable development and indicated that it would be only in that way that the immeasurable riches provided to the nations by nature be preserved and passed on to the nation's descendants.

Unsustainable patterns

The current unsustainable patterns of production and consumption must be changed in the interest of our future welfare and that of the nations descendants. The respect for nature, culture and traditional heritage and the human being must not be feared nor repressed but cherished as a precious asset of humanity.

The Doha situation of WTO in introducing a development dimension to multilateral trade and services rules, the MDGs in the UN, the Johannesburg declaration for sustainable development are self-evident expressions of a broad international agreement among the international community especially the developing countries for the need of a new and better structure and methods of governance. This international development should percolate to national levels.

Sri Lanka's cultural dimension for economic development is a relevant factor having regard to the strong foundation of cultural, and spiritual strength, and will for nation building it has historically inherited.

In order to translate the inherent cultural riches for a vibrant national economy the policy makers have a responsibility to steer the country's economic development through a new path which will be sensitive to sustainable development inspired by cultural and traditional heritage enhancing rather than depleting riches provided by nature.

(The writer is an Executive Director at the Board of Investment)

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.ppilk.com

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager