As President Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: “You can fool some of the people all the time; all the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne in Montreal
“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein
One could be justified in thinking that it’s all very well for me to sit in the relative comfort of a developed country that is replete with all the luxuries one could wish for, and pontificate to the brave, the courageous and intelligent younger generation which brought down an insidious and invidious regime that contumaciously clung to the last vestiges of power. Indeed, the least I could do as an outsider is to express my admiration for their tenacity and relentless struggle which has now ended in a resounding success and well deserved achievement of their consensual goal.
What struck me when following the peaceful protests throughout the country were the sage voices of the intelligentsia (in Sri Lanka) offering a way forward. Yet another was the overall outcry of the protesters for a clean sweep – a purge – of the corrupt old guard without exception of a single sitting parliamentarian and for a brand-new set of honest and honourable people who have the competence (the ability to apply their skills, capabilities, and knowledge with integrity) to be elected to a new legislature through a democratic election.
One media report had a commentator making a rather intriguing remark reflecting a paradox in thinking in the international community, where, on the one hand, they were questioning why the people of Sri Lanka had been so gullible as to re-elect a proven corrupt regime, and on the other hand they had sheer admiration for the same people who provided an example in democracy to the world by ousting (without the use of force or violence) a bankrupt and corrupt regime. The overall feeling was that the courage, integrity, and determination of the people of Sri Lanka should be emulated throughout the world as an enduring mark of true democracy and strength of the people.
I am not a politician. Nor am I an economist or investment expert. But as one from the older generation who has learnt a thing or two in my long and sustained professional life - working with 193 countries preceded by educating myself and thereafter working in Sri Lanka during turbulent times, I have some suggestions (which by no means comprise an exhaustive list) which I enumerate for ease of reading:
- Fix the economy of the country first (this is of course par for the course): a robust economy is an integral and essential precursor to a stable democracy;
- Establish a stable democracy under an honest legislature, an independent and unfettered judiciary and a corrupt free executive and ensure and enforce the Rule of Law;
- Simultaneously draw up a Master Plan (short term; long term) under the following principles:
- The “aragalaya” was largely carried out by Millennials and Gen Z, defined as those born between 1981-1996 and 1997-2012, respectively and will reach its peak in the coming decade. Millennials comprise the largest generation currently in the workforce; Millennials and Gen Z will represent 1/2 of the workforce by 2025; Millennials are the most college-educated generation ever; Gen Z is almost 50% of multiracial background and Gen Z has experienced remote work for their entire careers. They are now facing a bleak future. Therefore, as a priority, include these generations actively in the planning process;
- Have a practical programme for those not blessed with higher education in terms of their employment: enable them to have a sense of meaning, purpose, direction and dignity in their work and career; ensure their quality of life and fulfillment in their work, without sacrificing their personal life values; arrange for employment with organizations that support them professionally; enable them to provide adequately for their families;
- Ensure inclusive governance at all levels: there should be; fairness and inequality in all aspects of policy and decision-making; people should have a greater voice even beyond a representative democracy in shaping the direction the country is taking so that they will expect more opportunities to participate in and influence the strategic vision and daily affairs of the country;
- Demonstrate regularly to all classes of people that the government has embraced responsibility towards the greater good of the people;
- Intensify the use of technology as skilled trades workers are in short supply; build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation;
- Establish a ministry of personal and public grievances that will actually work. According to the Government of India its “Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is the coordinating agency of the Central Government in personnel matters specially issues concerning recruitment, training, career development, staff welfare as well as the post retirement dispensation. The Ministry is also concerned with the process of responsive people-oriented modern administration. Allocation of Business Rules defines the work allotted for the Ministry”.
- Open regular discussions that would result in solutions for grievances; in pursuance of f) above, provide for livable pensions for the elderly;
- Ensure equal education and health services for the entirety of the country;
- Along the lines of the United Arab Emirates, create a Ministry of State for Happiness and Wellbeing “which oversees the country’s plans, programs and policies to achieve a happier society”. The responsibility of this office should be to "align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction”;
- Seriously align Government policy with the Sustainable Goals of the United Nations, particularly: eradication of hunger and poverty; achievement of universal primary education; ensuring environmental sustainability; provision of clean water and sanitation as well as affordable energy; encouraging responsible consumption and production; making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable;
- look into reducing the level of pollution in cities, employing efficient methods of waste management in cities and in making the city spaces inclusive and safe for all of its inhabitants;
- Engage with relevant countries to form a global partnership of development.
As President Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: “You can fool some of the people all the time; all the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. With this in mind, those taking over this beautiful but unhappy land (to quote the illustrious D. N. Pritt) must also heed the words of Albert Einstein who said: “There is nothing called right or wrong: only what works, and what doesn’t”.
Dr. Abeyratne worked as a senior official at the United Nations for 25 years. He currently teaches at McGill University.
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