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Every
year, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) brings out its Human Development
Report, which governments await with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
Anticipation, because it tends to provide some fresh and revealing insights into
the human condition. Dread, because a country may well find itself slipping down
the development list.
It
is rather like receiving a school report card, where students are either rapped
on their knuckles or patted on the back. Scandinavian countries traditionally
top the list. This year, Norway, followed by Sweden, Australia, Canada and the
Netherlands, figure as the most highly developed - note that the US only comes
eighth. At the very bottom of the pile of 177 countries is Sierra Leone, with
some 30 other African countries above it, all in the “low human development”
category. Countries which are antagonistic towards each other - like India and
Pakistan - rush to compare where each stands in the index.
Role
of Cultural Diversity in Progress
This
year, UNDP looks at the role of cultural diversity in human progress and makes a
strong case for promoting such cultural freedoms as part of civil rights and
democratic principles. It is at pains to distinguish the protection of such
cultural liberties from the retention of all traditions, which can include
abhorrent practices like female
circumcision or various kinds of social or religious exclusions.
At
a time when many in the West speak of the “clash of civilizations”, the
Human Development Report does well to emphasize that differences should enhance,
rather than retard, human progress. In his overview, the Nobel prize-winning
economist, Amartya Sen, notes that hypotheses such as the civilizational clash
tend to exaggerate the differences between supposedly liberal and authoritarian
societies and ignore the similarities between them. Regarding Max Weber’s
postulation of the Protestant ethic being responsible for the growth of
capitalist societies, he observes that while being “persuasive in explaining
the past, these theories have repeatedly proven wrong in predicting the
future”. The growth of the “Asian Tigers” surely debunks this assumption.
India’s
first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, often stressed the significance of
“unity in diversity”. He was referring to the tremendous differences between
communities, castes and religions in the country, the most populous democracy in
the world. All developing countries believed that it was essential to bury such
differences and forge a “national mainstream”. However, environmentalists
have more recently pointed to an analogy with the natural world. The richest and
most productive form of nature is the tropical rainforest, which is the most
complex and diverse. Thus, the more diverse a country in terms of its natural
habitat and access to natural resources, the “richer” it will or should be,
if it reaches its true potential. This relates to food, dress, building
materials and so on.
One
Size Does Not Fit All
“One
size fits all” is not a prescription for any country, despite the tendency in
an era of globalization for certain cultural practices to dominate the world.
The Human Development Report underlines that diversity “promotes cultural
liberty and enriches people’s lives. It is an outcome of the freedoms people
have and the choices they make…If local cultures disappear and countries
become homogeneous, the scope for choice is reduced.”
All
cultures share a notion of “global ethics”, where individuals have many
identities and yet share common values. One of these is equity, which also
embraces the need to preserve the environment and natural resources, the report
says, so that these can be used by future generations.
Rights
of Indigenous Peoples
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Indigenous people are threatened because they often occupy areas which are rich in minerals, oil and gas deposits
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The
report dwells on the dilemmas faced by indigenous people. It opposes the notion
that anyone can opt out of the global economy and restrict the flow of goods and
ideas. Similarly, it debunks the practice of preserving traditions for their own
sake, oblivious of individual choice or democratic decision-making. Cultures are
not static but change with the times. Instead, it prescribes alternatives which
permit the inclusion of indigenous people, based on respect for cultural
traditions and sharing the benefits of resource use.
Indigenous
people are threatened because they often occupy areas which are rich in
minerals, oil and gas deposits. Their rights to land need to be more strongly
asserted and before resources are exploited, they ought to be consulted and
compensated fairly. While funding a pipeline project in Africa, the World Bank
set up a Future Generations Fund, for which a tenth of the revenues from the
project were earmarked. Two new national parks were also created to compensate
for the loss of a small forest area. At the same time, the local people feel
that this has not been adequate: fewer than 5% of the indigenous people
displaced were hired for the project. This is a typical dilemma: the project
authorities tend to argue that they lack the skills but one solution would be to
provide training on the job, even for illiterate people.
Protecting
Indigenous Knowledge
The
report also highlights the role of traditional knowledge, particularly in
agriculture and medicine. As has been well documented in the case of
biodiversity, traditional framers need to be compensated for their hereditary
knowledge regarding selection and breeding of plant varieties. The UN Convention
on Biological Diversity recognizes such rights, in contrast to the global
intellectual property rights regime administered by the World Intellectual
Property Organization and agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS). This convention requires parties to protect the
knowledge and innovations of indigenous and local communities. It also seeks the
wider application of traditional knowledge “with the approval and involvement
of the holders of such knowledge” and encourages “equitable sharing of the
benefits”.
In
a world where biotechnology is fast gaining ground, this is difficult to achieve
in practice. India, for example, has had to battle with several plant-based
traditional foods and medicines being patented. It was successful in blocking
patents being sought on the leaf of the neem tree, which has excellent anti-pest
properties. American farm companies have marketed “Texmati”, a variant of
the fragrant basmati rice grown traditionally in Pakistan and India. Western
companies are attempting to patent a product containing turmeric, a traditional
spice. Countries like Costa Rica and India now require disclosure of the origin
of plants and other genetic material before granting patents.
While
the UNDP report focuses much more on cultural diversity, there is a close link
with natural diversity as well. Many countries in the global South are
“biomass-based” - the lives of farmers, artisans and other rural communities
are closely tied to the availability of a wide range of traditional produce. By
highlighting such diversity, UNDP has greatly contributed to an appreciation of
how people’s lives are shaped in poor countries. At a time when globalization
puts a premium on conformity, this year’s Human Development Report has
certainly blazed a new trail.
Disclaimer:
The article reflects the opinions of the author.
*
Darryl D’Monte is the founder President of the International Federation of Environmental Journalists and is serving a second term until 2003. He is also the Chairperson of the Forum of Environmental Journalists of India (FEJI) and a syndicated columnist and freelance writer. He has published two books: “Temples or Tombs? Industry versus Environment: Three Controversies”, Center for Science & Environment, New Delhi, 1985 and “Ripping the Fabric: The Decline of Mumbai and its Mills”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2002. He was previously the Resident Editor of the “Indian Express” (1979-1981) and of the “Times of India” (1988-1994) in Mumbai. Your emails will be forwarded to him by contacting the editor at:
ScienceTech@islam-online.net.
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