Paradigms of creativity and collaboration alone can lead to recovery, rebuilding and stable futures
Most of the communities, perhaps periodically, recall their glorious past in order to show their grandeur. In other cases a narrative is created of the ethnic greatness. Still on other occasions some virtue is picked and held out as an ideal where other communities should be aspiring to arrive. The list is endless. It is commonly believed by people globally that when the sun rose for the first time, the rays had fallen on their city first. It’s hard to counter such sentiments as they are often rooted in mythologies. However, if such mythologies are scientifically analysed, the psychology of communities could be far better understood. On the other hand, the history of nation-building (which is essentially a post-19th century phenomena) is unfortunately overladen with historical references to the leaders who led the unification movement. What began as the German and the Italian unification has had many versions, especially in the Third World countries. This is also so, because, as the empires liquidated, issues of nationalism had to be resolved. Geography helped to resolve many of these identities as in the case of Australia and New Zealand. But, these were exceptions. The unification of hundreds of islands as Indonesia, left the contentious issues of the identity of some islands. The Philippines and China are still arguing over the sovereignty affiliations of certain islands. Border disputes take many forms and ultimately logic takes a back seat and the real world forces call the shots. Even small countries have split further into smaller segments and there is a constant struggle between the ethnic forces. Speaking of technology — it binds, but only up to a certain point. The fundamentals of technologies can vary, based on the scientific principles that have been used in developing them. Further, various attempts to create an effective international system for achieving peace and development had some assumptions in common but several differences in its rollout. Compare the experience of the League of Nations with that of the United Nations.
All this raises a simple question. How close are we to recognising that Mother Earth can only have a shared future? Sociologists are studying cases of couples who do not want children because they anticipate a fundamental climate change in future. An increasing number of women prefer to freeze their ovum in labs for getting them fertilised at a suitable time. Perhaps, human civilisation has never experienced so many possibilities of fundamental changes in so many dimensions of human life as is evident today. This is a great opportunity for thinkers and doers alike, to put their heads together and envision a future where good sense prevails rather than might. Mutual accommodation is the key rather than assertion. This cannot be a poetic dream as revealed by the troubled experiences of the last 15 months or so. A lot of fundamental experiences have emerged on the limitations of science, technology, human ingenuity and the ability to cope. Today, faith and clarity have become more existential to human development than perhaps ever before.
The pandemic is a wake-up call for humanity. Might alone is a tempting plank to rule the world. But like everything else, the power of the mighty declines and the same stories of struggle begin resurfacing till new power centres emerge. Paradigms of creativity and collaboration can alone lead to recovery, rebuilding and stable futures. This may not be a poet’s dream. It may not even be a philosopher’s postulates. It need not come out of somebody who would claim to save the world. It is a simple recommendation that makes sense.
(The writer is a well-known management consultant of international repute. The views expressed are personal.)
