Moral Education for Sustainable Future

24 October 2011 (Reposted from EROPA - Eastern Regional Organisation Public Administration, Manila)

Is every problem related to poverty? My homeland in northeast India in the midst of the mystic beauty is a land infested with insurgencies. This sort of terrorism caused by impoverishment and unemployment arising would fade away with improved living condition under effective policy implementation accompanied with equality of treatment. These days, the deep worry is on the kind of terrorism fed by radical ideology sanctified under the divine power. Whilst secular and enlightened brethren detest radicalism in all its forms; others bonded under a common sanctified ideology could used the ideology as a means to avenge and achieve victory.

The popular theory is that poverty, as a recognized curse, causes terrorism; the ideology gives the courage to do things unimaginable and the ideology fed by religious sanctity makes it very lethal and highly potent. Radicalism borne from this type of ideology cannot exist alone; it is bound to threaten others who would then polarize into another radical group to counter the threat. In this chain of one action leading to a reaction, conditions become worse for the innocents and the impact of conflict on civil society aggravates more intense radicalism on both sides. The dilemma of the world today lies in finding a solution to stop this chain reaction and that is possible only by removing the conditions and circumstances responsible for causing terrorism fed by radicalism.

The hard fact is that neither capitalism nor socialism or a mix of the two can ever help remove conditions and circumstances causing injustice and inequality that led to radicalism spurring terrorism lethally; because the universal political and economic system, no matter how humanely they are intended to be, innately thrives on human greed, self interest and exploitation. This means that, injustice and inequality will continue and thus anger, vengeance and violence will continue in the same measure; and it further means that terrorism and counter terrorism with its ill effects such as the radical forces will bloom and grow. Ultimately, the inability to remove the conditions and circumstances affirms the presence of the perennial threat from terrorism and radicalism. In other words, the terrorist may die but the ideology he upheld lives on. In this dark tunnel of no clue, this article discourse finds a ray of hope on how to control the lethal effect of radicalism on terrorism.

Is higher learning contributing to problem than solving it? : It is believed that terrorism is caused by poverty, illiteracy and in-exposure. This theory is now questioned by the occurrences of the recent attacks organized by terrorists who belonged to the rich, affluent and educated class of society. It is not the act of bombing but the operation of the mind guiding the action to bomb that now leads some to believe in the vulnerability of highly reputed world class institutes in becoming potent points for future terror operations. This assumption cannot be overlooked on circumstantial evidences of recent bombing in various parts of the world. The terrorists having a background of rich affluent educated class from reputed centers of learning also belong to countries beset with economic and political crisis. In these countries, the local leaders terrorized their own citizens under dictatorial regime; and the capitalist forces terrorized the dictator with the help of disgruntled elements for freedom of operation for both the capitalists and the rebellions. The terrorists from rich educated background confront the capitalist forces for the turmoil, evidenced in 11/09. The perspective revealed that all participants in conflict situation become terrorists in the end under infringement on civil liberty rights: the dictator, the capitalists, the terrorist and the radical forces (the Middle East situation) the democratic governments facing terrorism and the radical forces (Israel, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan). The participants are not the victims, the victims are the citizens.

Is higher learning helping to listen better? The participation of the knowledge community in terrorism is an intriguing but interesting development, which led some research to link terrorism with high education instead of poverty as the cause. I beg to differ on this rationality as I think, the mass of people as bearers of injustice and inequality and who could be influenced by the ideology may not be armed for violence, but their desperate woes under dictatorship and aggravated by the capitalists are heard by the educated savvy from high reputed world class institutes. The intelligentsia has been prompted to act on the signal received from the bottom level condition of life. The present fear is that the successful terror operations led by the intelligentsia could lead to a quest for more terror strikes under the belief of a divine sanctity.

Besides terror operation, the intelligentsia is expected to contribute in the future, a significant role in spurring mass movement already started by the bourgeoisie in several countries of Middle East and expected soon to be joined by the proletariat with the help of the intelligentsia. The intelligentsia as facilitator for mass movement has a constructive role while their participation as terrorists is a destructive one and this particular point calls for a careful thought on how to plan a strategy to deal with the negative role of the intelligentsia.

I conclude from this discourse that the two theorems attempting to link terrorism either to poverty or to the educated are not exclusive to one another as propounded by theorists, they are complimentary to each other in practical situation. The condition of poverty, inequality and in-exposure has been an excellent breeding ground for terrorism. May be poor condition do not always turned into terrorism as in Africa, all terrorism borne from poverty are not always guided by ideology as in northeast India, and that radical ideology differs among communities (Jihad, Zionism, Hindu radical force).

The point to note is the voices of victims heard by the knowledge community in the absence of benevolent state leadership, which is not only pointing towards ruthless dictatorship but even towards chaotic democratic governance. The persons with knowledge and skills touched by the pain of suffering may enthused themselves with divinity sanction or political dogma. They inspire themselves to terrorize the perceived exploiter; who may be a local leadership or a western imperialist soon to be replaced by eastern imperialists like China and India. Given this development, it speculates a future with growing radical terrorism versus the Chinese Kungfu or the Indian Kabadi game.

It is not possible to delete injustice and inequality completely on earth and it is impossible to retrieve past events for corrective action on past mishaps. On this basic premise of knowledge, the unwanted vicious circle of anger and vengeance expressed through the notorious outlet of terrorism will continue to haunt the world. And in this world of terrorism, the most potent of all is the one fed by ideology under divine sanctity.

What needs to be done to secure a safer world? I am prompted to suggest an immediate and long-term strategy to deal with this undying unconquerable ideology for the safety and security of the future for all. The most immediate requirement is to remove the conditions producing injustice. It practically demands for the willingness on the part of the aggressor/ oppressor to grant the wishes of the people for liberty and to give them their core needs in life. Kashmir and Tibet represent key examples on this perspective.

Alongside the effort to alleviate the hard condition, the other strategy involves a visionary long term preventive measure against future scourge of radicalism. This calls for participation of all families as members of world community to prevent radical forces to cause destruction. One may consider introducing an innovative social home program to help families inculcate good values and ethics under state surveillance. School education may introduce social themes as part of curriculum for citizens' character building from young age. The emotive theme of forgiveness could help strike the emotional chord of human love and the marketing strategy of the virtue of forgiveness could help reduce hatred along-with all the related negative emotions.

The objective of moral education project will be ultimately to improve personal development of individual citizens. It will be a project that urges the practice of the principle of forgiveness, not for the benefit of the wrong doers but in the self-interest of the person engaged in the act of forgiveness that nourishes the giver by the act of giving forgiveness. Nurturing children at learning stage in this way and helping to heal the wounds among the adults will help achieve the goal of safety, security and well being of the community free from fear of radicalism and terrorism.

I wish to advocate for an effective and efficient resource planning with vision on world safety and security. If resources can be added to the component of moral science in education program instead of enlarging the defence budget to produce and purchase war weapons, the world would certainly earn a higher rate of investment return with much richer dividend on security of the world. This soft approach to nurture each human being from babyhood to adulthood seems to be most lasting solution for the world community and its sustainability for the future.....till the gates of heaven open.

About the author:

Ms. Margaret Gangte has been actively engaged in various international forums on global issues. She is an author of Journal Articles and a writer on policy issues. Some of her published articles are Sustainable Community Development Alternative: Unlocking the Lock (Journal of Sustainable Development by Canada Center of Science), Right Man for the Right Job: Motivate to Deliver (Indian Journal of Dynamic Public Administration) and Farewell Gift to Afghanistan Before the Final Adieu (Public Administration Times, USA). Her articles on public policy are also published in ezinearticles.com and news journals in Northeast India.

Read more articles on Public Administration here.

End Note: I received a remarkable response in my email from President of an NGO from Maharashtra state of India, appreciating the thought expressed in the article. They implemented this idea in the programmes of education under the NGO activities and sounded the government to follow the idea. I was invited to work with them and keep in touch with them. Due to my preocupation with work, I lost touch with the desirable activities I could have undertaken. During the same period of time, my posting to UNDP- India- Afghanistan capacity building project was sabotaged although I was selected by Department of Personnel and Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. I had turned the lost the opportunity to work in UNDP into an opportunity to writing my experiences in public administration which have been published as Journals during 2010-2012. I penned my thoughts on issues that touched my heart and soul in my facebook notes as a substitute to publishing in Journals.