Ex-Indian foreign secy says global problems must be solved for unity
Former Indian foreign secretary and renowned scholar Krishnan Srinivasan on Saturday laid focus on resolving the global problems due to conflicting values that may divide instead of unite humanity, reports UNB.
“We must think about resolving problems,” he said adding that they need a new universalism, a shared principle of common humanity which will somehow permit them to prioritise universal and international interests over “parochial national interest” that truly divide instead of unity.
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, principal research fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, conducted the symposium while Cosmos Foundation chairman Enayetullah Khan delivered welcome remarks.
Delivering a lecture on “Values, or Their Absence, in Foreign Policy” organised by Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cosmos Group, as part of Cosmos Dialogue’s Distinguished Speaker’s Lecture Series, he said you will find a universal tension between values and interests.
The prominent author and former deputy secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations said they live increasingly in a globalised world and described how intractable problems are confronting humanity, regardless of border.
“We have to seek congruous between different value systems to forge a harmonious world predicated on common factors -- tolerance, equal rights and equal opportunities,” said the former Indian diplomat.
He, however, mentioned about some difficulties noting that societies cherish different views that produce the prospect unrealistic and unattainable for the time being.
In exceptional cases, Srinivasan said, values are so deeply held that promoting them becomes a national interest.
He said they, sometime, find that values, ethical or moral principles, ideologies are generally not central to the foreign policy. “This we need to understand.”
Srinivasan said values are principles or standards of behaviour where good and bad, right and wrong could possibly be assessed.
Values of course can vary based on generation, class, education origin, tradition and they supply the motivation to influence the outcomes both in the minds of folks and governments, he said.
“Even though some values are shared across cultures, there’s the contrast of values in various societies that account for many of the misunderstanding and misperception among countries,” said the Indian scholar.
Highlighting domestic values and its own practice, he discussed situation in america, India and the united kingdom with focus on secularism, equal rights, social harmony and the rule of law.
Srinivasan said the acceptance of refugees, monetary migrants and asylum-seekers is currently widely unpopular in most parts of the developed world but in Germany it stresses the acceptance of refugees as part of its values. “Every country firmly believes that its values have ethical standards.”
He said values influence foreign policy, specially when a country is strong enough to project power or influence.
The former diplomat said soft powers can only sustain values up to point and one nation’s values are meaningful only when they are recognised as such by others.
Srinivasan said an effective foreign policy can't be implemented without having to be supported by values.
He mentioned that values which are in mere one country’s interest may potentially jeopardize its relationship with other countries which usually do not respect those interests.
“It’s important for us to discover that values can lead either to agreement or to discord with other countries,” Srinivasan said.
He said it is true that nations generally pursue the same basic goals - the welfare and security of their populations, and protection of their national borders.
But, he added, languages, political cultures, social customs might differ and create obstacles to cooperation and welfare efforts could easily get lost.
Essentially, Srinivasan said, the true drivers of foreign policy have a tendency to be the advancements of monetary or strategic advantage.
Giving an answer to a question, Srinivasan said India is a democracy and it is not eroded. “I believe Indian democratic system is robust.”
He said certainly the central factor of a democratic process as they understand them still continues in India reasonably in a robust way.
Iftekhar sheds light on a number of the problems of the existing time and laid focus on resolving those problems noting that civilizationism is frequently based on myths erected on falsification.
He also discussed how the global and domestic politics operate; described Rabindranath Tagore who wanted all to live in a world which includes not been split up into fragments by narrow domestic walls. “Should we not then desire to that?”
Enayetullah Khan said today, they are witnessing, if not really a decline of the West, but certainly a growth of the East, with Asian powers playing an extremely critical role.
“The values they practise, therefore, have gained considerable international salience. So, what set of values determine current global politics: Western? Eastern? Or will be the interactions between your two making a universal consensus?” he questioned.
Recently, Khan said, they have already been experiencing a rise of ‘populism’ in different parts of the world.
“This development is maintaining exacerbate the distinctions between ‘us’ and ‘them’. This seems to be gathering momentum in an array of otherwise dissimilar countries. Sometimes they espouse their particular values and ideologies as well,” he said.
But, Khan said, unfortunately, these can be threatening to global stability and social order. “This phenomenon merits observation and study with a view to addressing them in a positive manner, so as to manage their unwanted effects.”
Among the speakers highlighted the role of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s foreign policy and his achievements in only 3.5 years in the global arena.
UNB chairman Amanullah Khan, foreign affairs professionals and senior journalists attended the dialogue.
Source: en.prothomalo.com
