On Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh (Part 10)

On Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh (Part 10)

Md. Amzad Hossain

Perth, Western Australia

Email: A.Hossain@curtin.edu.au

Quotes on Inequality

The inequality between the world's individuals is staggering.     

Zygmunt Bauman

You need to look at inequality as a typical condition of modern society.

Rem Koolhaas

Rising inequality isn’t about who has the knowledge; it’s about who has the power.

Paul Krugman

The inequality of income and fortunes is essential in capitalism.     

Ludwig Von Mises

http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/inequality-quotes/

Prelude

            Natural provisions are sustainable. Inequality is natural, thus, natural inequality is sustainable and pro-sustainability. On the other hand, unnatural or man-made inequality is antagonistic to civilization and so anti-sustainability. The present day reality with regards to inequality is such that the prevalence of increasing greed centric socio-economic inequality within and among countries is a persisting global phenomenon (Appleton, 2014;  Jackson, 2009). Apparently, there is no remedy to it; for it was triggered in the past by the western colonialism. Professor Daron Acemoglu

 reveals: “The immense economic inequality we observe in the world today didn’t happen overnight, or even in the past century. It is the path-dependent outcome of a multitude of historical processes, one of the most important of which has been European colonialism”.[i]

Currently, inequality is encouraged by capitalistic economic system, promoted and practiced by people in power and politics, some powerful organizations both within and among countries, and the countries with super military strength. Unfortunately, all this is done under the banner of economic growth, and promoting equality, progress, peace and justice. Relevant literature, especially that of Stiglitz (2002), critically talk about globalization, WTO, ODA, IMF, World Bank and the Green Revolution with regards to triggering inequality in the LDCs including Bangladesh (McNeill, 2010; Dauvergne, 2009; Hasan, 2007; Veltmeyer, 2008; Wheeler, 2013). However, the UN tends to appeal for the reduction of greed centric socio-economic and political inequality, as noted in SDG 10 and its target areas, through government intervention of the respective LDCs and the international bodies such as WTO and ODA.

This discourse agrees with the UN intention in this regard; but disagrees with its prescriptions in the contextual reality of Bangladesh. Thus, the discourse formulates questions and remarks in order to understand the issue of inequality and find pathways to addressing it in Bangladesh.

What are the objectives of SDG 10?

“Reduce inequality within and among countries” is the main intent of Goal 10. It has 2 objectives: (a) to reduce inequality within countries; and (b) to reduce inequality among countries. The major focus of this discourse is the first objective: to reduce inequality within Bangladesh, and has to be done by the people of Bangladesh. For addressing the other objective, the UN has the major role to play, effectively.  Goal 10 has also a dozen of target areas to be implemented by the government institutions.

What is understood by the term ‘inequality’ in general?

The term ‘inequality’ in the context of SDGs can be understood as a lack of equality in terms of fair treatment in the sharing of national economic wealth, social opportunities including status, and environmental goods and services. It also means the lack of justice when some people have socio-economic and political opportunities to exploit others. Another kind of inequality exists in terms of racial discrimination, gender inequality, and social inequality in terms of mindset or values, dignity and sense of honour.  In sum, inequality means the difference in social outlook, status, wealth and opportunity between people or groups.[ii]

What is social equality?

“Social equality is a state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in certain respects, including civil rights, freedom of speech, property rights and equal access to certain social goods and services”.[iii]

What is economic inequality?

“Economic inequality is the difference found in various measures of economic well-being among individuals in a group, among groups in a population, or among countries. Economic inequality sometimes refers to income inequality, wealth inequality, or the wealth gap. Economists generally focus on economic disparity in three metrics: wealth, income, and consumption. The issue of economic inequality is relevant to notions of equity, equality of outcome, and equality of opportunity”.[iv]

What is the salient feature of inequality situation in Bangladesh?

Inequality in Bangladesh appears to be on the increase (Hossain and Marinova, 2015).[v] Mahmood (2017) reveals that “In effect, the income share held by the highest 20 per cent is 41.48 per cent. This is clearly indicative of a situation where the very little of the benefits of economic growth are trickling down to the very poor, the people who needs it the most. More alarming is the steadily declining share of wages in total personal income in Bangladesh”.

“According to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook (October, 2017), labour income shares have been trending downward since 1980s in advanced economies also and are now 4.0 per cent lower than they were in 1970. The report further added that labour's share of income declines when wages grow more slowly than productivity resulting in growing share of productivity gains going to capital. Since capital tends to be concentrated at the upper ends of income distribution, falling income shares are likely to raise income inequality. Something along that line appears to be happening in Bangladesh.”[vi]

Why is inequality increasing in Bangladesh?

Apparently, Bangladesh government has one of the largest institutional or service infrastructures for eliminating inequalities in the society. The infrastructure is on the increase to reach the grassroots, even to the remotest areas. Yet, Bangladesh has an increasing presence of socio-cultural, status, gender, and economic inequalities. This contrasting situation reveals that the infrastructures are largely inefficient and unrealistic. The grave concern is that the more the execution of increasing service infrastructures for removing inequality taking place, the more increase in inequality is also happening. The Bengali proverb “যে রক্ষক সেই ভক্ষক”  (One who is savior also the destroyer) or “destruction in the name of protection” is clearly proving its validity.

What should be the ultimate goal of reducing inequality in Bangladesh context?

In a word, the ultimate goal should be achieving self-reliant sustainability of the vulnerable section of the population through achieving SDGs countywide in order to achieving the objective of Goal 10 with respect to “reduce inequality within countries”.

What is self-reliant sustainability?

             Self-reliance is the act of the relying on one’s (that is individual’s, society’s or nation’s) own capabilities. The concept emphasizes the power of independence, creativity, originality and belief in generating strength and resilience (Marinova et al., 2006). In the past, when societies and nations were largely isolated, self-reliance referred to “self-confidence, reliance primarily on one’s own resources, human and natural, and the capacity for autonomous goal-setting and decision-making” (Changula et al., 1977). Traditional communities worldwide survived entirely on their own efforts but this drastically changed with industrialization, urbanization and globalization, including the division of labour within and across nations. People at large are now dependent on others for their quality of life.

To become a country of self-reliance, Bangladesh requires that the country would be more stable in terms of meeting food requirement and to keep the country  free from boom-and-bust cycles and distant political crises, more self-regarding, more cohesive;  and the pride that comes from stability, control, competence and independence (Kumar,1986).

In sum, the goal of self-reliant living is a genuine independence within the available local bio-resources and biosystems with their integrity, stability and beauty preserved (Sterba 1998). It implies meeting basic needs by sustainable natural resources using biosystems or/and bio-friendly human innovated technological systems (Marinova et al. 2006).

Is self-reliance sustainable in Bangladesh?

           Yes. Both Hindu and Muslim traditions in Bangladesh encourage self-reliant living through sustainable consumption practices and recycling of natural resources. People are persuaded to lead self-reliant lives within the limited available renewable resources by practicing simplicity, naturalism and spirituality which are considered traditional values in Bangladesh’s culture of sustainability accounting. In rural Bangladesh such a lifestyle is also strongly supported by the Bauls. These unique philosophers encourage harmony within nature and society through their songs and music, and they transcend the question of affluence or hardship by way of peace and happiness (Hossain 2001). When living self-reliantly rural people take responsibility for the long-term health of the biosystems to which they belong and would not trade economic rewards at the cost of environmental and social degradation. Most importantly, self-reliance stimulates human creativity to develop methods and technologies which synergistically build resilience to ensure stability, control, competence and independence (Marinova et al. 2006).

What are the major reasons of the prevalent inequality?

            Presently the major reasons are culturally incompatible democratic political system, inefficient social services, lack of values education, unsustainable economic development,  pervasive corruption, mal-governance. But the roots of all this is linked to the colonial past. Noah Smith reveals that “colonial powers stole natural resources from the lands they conquered which definitely made the colonized regions a lot poorer. Britain, for example, caused repeated famines in India by raising taxes on farmers and by encouraging the cultivation of cash crops instead of subsistence crops. That is a pretty stark example of destructive resource extraction”.[vii]

What is the most obvious cause of inequality in Bangladesh?

The simple, popular and also universal answer to this question is some people’s greed for increasing materialism i.e. more and more ‘money and wealth’. The proverbial wisdom “Want is unlimited” and  “অর্থই অনর্থের মূল” (Money is the root of all evils) or (Wealth is the root cause of all unhappiness) are well visible here.  “Enough is enough” never happens to greedy people (Dietz and O’Neil, 2013).

.

How is greed reflected in the society ?

Greed is not the problem, it is a symptom.[viii] It is generated in people who think of themselves in isolation from others. They are the individuals of self-centered mindset who want more and more after meeting their basic needs. No enough is ever enough for them (Dietz and O’Neil, 2013).  They go for meeting their unlimited wants at any cost i.e. exploiting other people and destroying the environment. Poet Tagore put it in his poem “Dui Bigha Jomi” (2/3rd Acre of Land):

এ জগতে, হায়, সেই বেশি চায় আছে যার ভূরি ভূরি–
রাজার হস্ত করে সমস্ত কাঙালের ধন চুরি।

E jogote hay shei beshi chay ache jar bhuri bhuri,
Rajar hosto kore shomosto kangaler dhon churi.

Translation:

(Alas, in this world those who have most want all

Even the king won’t stop until he has grabbed everything–big or small)!

Why is greed centric inequality unrelenting in Bangladesh?

Depletion of traditionalism with respect to code of life is the root cause of persisting inequality in Bangladesh. Unless values driven code of life in the traditionalism of Bangladesh is revived, the unrelenting inequality encompassing social, economic, political, material and ethical or spiritual aspects of life will persist.

What is causing the depletion of traditionalism?

The insurgence of anti-sustainability western culture devoid of sustainability values such as stewardship, procreative mindset, sharing and caring, happiness with less, respectfulness, naturalism and resilience in the one hand; and globality[ix] that inherently induces people to ‘competing with everyone, from everywhere, for everything’, on the other (Sirkin et al., 2008).

Is inequality reduceable as per the UN prescriptions as formulated in Goal 10?

Highly unlikely under the prevalent western capitalistic approaches with respect to education, economic order, sociality, technology systems and politics. Wisdom has it that “Capitalism is, fundamentally, an economic system that promotes inequality” by Annalee Newitz.[x] Consequently, pro-people political will and policy implementation practices appear to be practically insignificant in Bangladesh. The people who are responsible for triggering inequality and liable for maintaining socioeconomic parity or justice lack traditional sustainability values with regards to equality. Proverbial wisdom reveals:

চোরে শোনে না ধর্মের কাহিনী ।
A rogue is deaf to all good or The devil would not listen to the scripture.

কয়লা ধুলে ময়লা যায় না (Black will take no other hue).

What is missing from the UN prescription that is highly crucial for Bangladesh in terms of achieving SDGs?

The missing point is the missing of the role of the grassroots in sustainable development who are the victims of inequality. It is clear that people at the grassroots are integral to achieving SDGs in Bangladesh because sustainable development of the country invariably lies largely with bottom up initiatives.

In other words, bottom up development that requires participation of the grassroots stakeholders as pre-requisite to achieving most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is untraceable in the UN prescriptions.

How simply the existing inequality can be reduced?

It can be sustainably reduced by educating the greedy destroyers, in the one hand; and empowering the destroyed, on the other. Goal 4 and 5 have the prescriptions that can empower the powerless. Goal 4.7 that includes applied education for ecologically sustainable development can be the most effective means to addressing  man-made inequality in Bangladesh. In collaboration with Bangladesh government, Curtin University’s action research team for implementation of SDGs  in terms of developing Model Projects for action research, applied education and training, demonstration and replication is already in visible stage.

How can SDGs Model Projects achieve social equity?

An SDGs Model Project site is considered to be a hub of achieving 17 SDGs including social equity.  The Ward SDGs groups under the guidance of the SDGs Model Project Committee, as indicated in Part 2 (http://newsfrombangladesh.net/new/editorial/51091-on-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs-in-bangladesh-part-2), can achieve social equity through alleviating compelling or forced hunger, abolishing dowry and other anti-social phenomena, empowering the powerless and educating the ignorant exploiters as well as the ill-educated greedy individuals, and restoring the traditional self-reliant living for the vulnerable households in a sustainable way.  

Concluding Remarks

There are two types of persisting inequalities - natural and man-made or institutional inequality. In the creation no beings and things are exactly similar to each other. Mahatma Gandhi says: “No two leaves are alike, and yet there is no antagonism between them…”.[xi]  Thus, natural inequality is inherently pro-sustainability. It exists as unity in diversity – more or less everywhere including Bangladesh.

The man-made social and economic inequality that is chronic and on the increase in modern Bangladesh appears uncontrollable because ‘inequality is a typical condition of modern society’ (Rem Koolhaas).[xii] However, reduction of inequality can only be achieved in the following ways:

1. Narrowing the lifestyle and behavioral gaps between the rich and the poor through sustainable development in terms of making the poor self-reliant;
2. Educating the exploiters with socio-economic sustainability values;
3. Removing the business deals between political parties and their donors and cohorts is a global challenge. The donors and cohorts become exploiters when their respective political party is in power. Therefore, it is difficult to decouple business and politics in a country like Bangladesh unless creating a social value for moral and ethical behavior through values education.
4. The containment of inequality would require a basic change in the exercise of state power. Azizur Rahman Khan reveals that in Bangladesh, “the state power itself has been used to institute a system of surplus extraction that has been the major contributor to the polarization of the distribution of income”. He further states that

“I find it hard for state power in Bangladesh to give up this role which has become its raison d’etre. Since I do not know how a fundamental change in the predatory use of state power can be brought about, I can see no major change in the trajectory of inequality.”[xiii]

(To be continued)

References

Appleton, Jack 2014 Values in Sustainable Development. Routledge, London.

Changula, W.K,; Feld, B.T.; and Parthasarathi, A. (1977).  Self-reliance - Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. New Delhi: Ankur Publishing House.

Dauvergne, P 2009, The A to Z of environmentalism, The Scarecrow Press, Toronto.

Dietz, Rob and O’Neil, Dan. 2013. Enough is Enough – Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources. Routledge, London.

Hasan, Zoya, ed. 2007. Democracy in Muslim Societies: The Asian Experience. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Hossain, A 2001, ‘Renewing self-reliance for rural Bangladesh through renewable energy technology system’, PhD thesis, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

Hossain, Amzad, and Dora Marinova. 2015. “Restoring Sustainable Governance in Bangladesh”. In Corruption, Good Governance and Economic Development: Contemporary Analysis and Case Studies, edited by Robin Ghosh and Md. Abu Bakar Siddique, 101-122. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.

Jackson, Tim. (2009). Prosperity Without Growth – Economics for a Finite Planet. UK: Earthscan.

Kumar, S. (1986) The Schumacher lectures. Vol. 2. Abacus, London

Marinova, D, Hossain, A & Hossain-Rhaman, P 2006, ‘Sustaining local lifestyle through self-reliance: core principles’, in S Wooltorton & D Marinova (eds), Sharing wisdom for our future: environmental education in action, Australian Association for Environmental Education, Sydney, pp. 373-380.

McNeill, John R. (ed) 2010 Environmental History – As If Nature Existed. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

Sirkin, Harld L.; Hemerling, James W.; and Bhattacharya, Arindam K. 2008. Globality -competing with everyone from everywhere for everything. Headline Publishing Group, UK.

Sterba, JP 1998, ‘Biocentrism and ecological integrity’, in J Lemons, L Westra & R Goodland (eds), Ecological sustainability and integrity: concepts and approaches, Kluwer Academic Publishers, London, pp. 63-74.

Stilitz, Joseph. 2002. Globalization and its Discontents. W.W. Norton & Company, UK.

Veltmeyer, Henry, ed. 2008. New Perspective on Globalisation and Antiglobalisation: Prospects for a new World Order? Aldershot, UK: Ashgate

Wheeler, Stephen. (2013). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable and Ecological Communities. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.

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