“Gandhi,
Development, & International Political Economy”
(online
Presentation to the International Fellowship Program for Peace &
Nonviolence)
BRIEF
SUMMARY
by Michael Sonnleitner
Presented: Dec. 9, 2023. Written Summary: Jan.1, 2024.
Michael’s
Contact Information: (cell): +1
971-998-2427 (email): soulom2u@gmail.com
(Address):
1037 S.E. 80th Ave., Portland, Oregon 97215-3010 U.S.A.
CONTEXT: The recent United Nations COP 28 and
current Environmental Crises must frame any discussion of survival & sustainability
with regards to life on earth and economic systems. From Gandhi’s perspective, “Development”
has Personal, Political and Economic dimensions relating to his ideological
goals of Moksha, Swaraj, and Swadeshi – and can be seen as relevant to Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs: On individual, national,
and global levels, 1) physiological needs need to be satisfied before 2) security
needs must be addressed, 3) social needs should be met, 4) self-respect needs
to blossom, and 5) the self-actualization may be achieved. With 2023 being the hottest year in the
recorded history of humankind, humanity’s behavior is predicted to result in
the extinction of over 1 million species
by 2050 – and will harm the ability of over
8 billion people to live peacefully among themselves and with the planet’s evolving
ecosystem. From a Gandhian point of
view, self-actualization (the secular equivalent to self-realization) cannot be
achieved on a large-scale making use of the currently dominant approaches to
IPE.
APPROACHES to IPE
(International Political Economy) can be analyzed briefly as follows:
1) Economic
Nationalism often assumes human nature to be competitive & controlling
with peace achievable through strength (emphasizing military means) guided by a
“Might Makes Right” view often advocated by ideological conservatives (and fascists)
who seek to Control Trade in the interest of one’s own nation (historically
lending itself to colonial and neo-colonial policies). This orientation
exploits people and resources, creating great harm to ecosystems in the process
of achieving its paramount goals of Order, Stability, and Self-Preservation at
all costs.
2) Economic
Internationalism often assumes human nature to be extremely competitive
& individualistic with peace achievable thru an interdependence produced by
Globalization (“Free Trade”) guided by a “Might for Right” view often advocated
by ideological liberals who value strong military force as well as national
& international legal systems to protect private property. This orientation helps the rich get richer,
the poor stay relatively poor, with a heavy price to be paid both in human
suffering and in ecological destruction. Extolling Liberty as its primary goal,
“free trade” is not free of externalities, creating huge costs to the
environment in fuel use & other resources essential to the exploiting of resources
and the exportation of goods to global markets.
3) Economic
Structuralism often assumes human nature to be cooperative & social (as
conditioned by environment) with peace best achieved thru the enforcement of
international law by global security provided by an evolution towards worldwide
government guided by a “Right for Might” view often advocated by ideological democratic
socialists or Marxists. Promoting Equality as its primary goal, “Fair Trade” is
preferred to “Free Trade”, with many international agreements regarding labor
& human rights and environmental protections to be in place prior to the expansive
opening of national borders for trade. While
sustainable development is valued, the promotion of consumerism as well as huge
costs to the environment in energy consumption & the transporting of goods
to markets worldwide still contributes greatly to the exploitation of resources,
greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and other eco-destructive practices.
4) Economic
Empowerment often assumes human nature to be cooperative & social (more
inherently founded in an unchanging spiritual essence) with peace present to
the extent to which communities live in accordance with moral laws and in
harmony with nature. Security is far less based upon physical force or law
enforcement than a “Right Makes Might” integrated lifestyle more often
advocated by adherents of Green Ideology committed to nonviolence. Promoting a
balance of Stability, Liberty, and Equality as values, trade and consumerism is
less emphasized than living more simply and sustainably in decentralized communities
committed to encouraging self-reliance and greater participatory democratic decision-making
structures. Unlike the other IPE alternatives, this option intentionally seeks to
be free of exploitation of people or resources and is fundamentally non-hierarchical,
anti-colonial, and conducive to personal, political, and economic empowerment. Only
variations of this IPE may save life on this planet as we know it.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
(Gandhi-inspired Green Ideological Components):
1) The
Golden Rule (Assumption) holds that people should do unto others as they
would have others do unto them – and be guided less by gold than by treasuring
harmonious relations with all that is (Rta) while recognizing the Law of Karma (Cause
& Effect) as the guiding reality.
2) Ahimsa/Nonviolence
(Belief) is a central importance as soon as we see how pervasive it is that we
reap what is sown (personally, by others, and historically over time). To not
even think to do harm (ahimsa) is the means by which we can learn from others
and achieve a progressively more complete understanding of Sat (Truth). To voluntarily accept Tapas (Sacrifice) is simply
necessary to dissipate karmic cycles of destructive behaviors flowing from the
past into the present. Practicing high degrees of nonviolence can thus help
heal a world harmful to life.
3) Swadeshi/Self-Reliance
(Goal) radiates out from the individual (who lives simply that others may
simply live), to family (where each is willing to sacrifice for others), to the
village or neighborhood (collectively producing & consuming locally), to
the nation (using a proportionate share of the world’s resources), and to the
world (where all can help one another as members of a global family). This cultural environment nurtures personal
Moksha (Self-Realization) – which is the spiritual equivalent to Maslow’s “Self-Actualization)
and Swaraj (participatory “Self-Rule”) within families, localities, the nation,
and a global community of nations.
4) Sarvodaya
(as a Strategy)), for Gandhi embraces “Welfare of All” constructive program
activities (decentralized small-scale production, Nai Talim educational
institutions, and other local programs) that provide for everyone’s physiological,
security, social, and self-esteem needs, while fostering Self-Restraint (Brahmacharya)
practices (not necessarily abstinence for the householder). Satyagraha (holding
firm to Truth as one sees it at any point in time) includes many nonviolent
action strategies) and is the means of achieving and maintaining political
goals of Swaraj (personal, national, and global) against threats to democratic
institutions posed by tyrannical practices and power-hungry people both within
one’s society and external to it. Servant (Seva Sangh) leaders who respect all
life should inspire others to resist eco-destructive actions, encouraging humankind
to become more kind to one another and all of creation.
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
What threats are there to life on earth and are
human beings responding effectively to them?
What does “Development” mean to you? (elaborate)
What do you believe to be “human nature” (why)?
Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs helpful to understanding
human development (why/why not)?
Is “Self-Actualization” a practical objective for
large numbers of people to achieve? (elaborate)
Why do most national leaders today advocate for
approaches to International Political Economy that reflect Economic
Nationalism, Economic Internationalism, or Economic Structuralism?
Giving examples of how Economic Nationalism,
Economic Internationalism, and Economic Structuralism are manifest in the world
today, which (if any) are not eco-destructive (why)?
Does Economic Empowerment provide a practical
approach to sustainable development which may prevent extreme eco-disaster and
species extinction (including our own)?
Show how well you understand:
The Golden
Rule Law of Karma Swadeshi Swaraj Sarvodaya Satyagraha
How are these concepts related to Rta, Moksha, and
Brahmacharya?
Would you agree with those who say that Mohandas
Gandhi’s teachings & the Green Movement globally provide a pragmatic framework
for living more effectively with one another in greater harmony with
eco-systems worldwide (why and/or why not)?
No comments:
Post a Comment