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Nepal Can Be Rich Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by k, Nepal Mar 22, 2006
Peace & Conflict   Opinions
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In a 2001 comparison of 174 countries, Nepal ranked 150th in per capita income; a universal indicator of material wealth and living standards, since money enables people to buy at least the basic living needs for themselves and their families: food, drink, shelter, clothing, medicines and health care. Why is Nepal this poor compared to other countries?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to review the direct cause
of higher incomes, and then review the subsidiary causes of living
standards; that is, the geographies, cultures, economies and polities
under which the people of the listed countries live. In that way,
some generalizations can be drawn that will be useful to country
leaders and their contenders. In doing so, we recognize that we make
a significant value-judgment: acquiring material wealth is "good", and
not doing so is "bad".

This statement acknowledges the morals of leaders in countries who eschew this value; who prefer to spend the studies and labors of their people in the pursuit of spiritual wealth; and who consider material wealth a necessary evil that must be tolerated only to the extent of sustaining life and no more. Note, too, that we are talking here about relative wealth and poverty; i.e. the wealth of the rich countries versus the poverty of the poor countries. There will always be an increase in absolute wealth in varying amounts by poor countries, because some wealth will inevitably spill over from the rich countries to the poor ones via trade, industrial globalization (the transfer of businesses from rich to poor countries) and repatriated income from nationals working in foreign lands. However, a continuing state of relative poverty in a nation leads inevitably to revolution, emigration, or both; it could also lead absorption by other countries.

The Nepali poverty is the result of reliance on an agriculture as a
source of food by the poor; Maoists violence that prohibited keeping
exportable wheat, the "cash crop" in Nepal; and prohibiting the import
of agriculture surpluses to support the Nepali landowners.

Although the problem appeared throughout South Asia, the reliance of
the Nepali poor exclusively on rice as a staple for economic livelihood made it particularly susceptible to poverty. Agriculture product is domesticated by Nepali farmers and provides more calories per acre than any other staple. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was and is cultivated throughout the world.

Nepal used and imported rice from other countries to obtain foreign currencies for international trade. However, most of the Nepali land and government policy was to favor others over the peasants. Thus, the Nepali poverty occurred, which brought millions of Nepali trying to seek a better life.

Productive and prosperous transformation in the development process
can become viable only through permanent economic development. It is essential today to ensure the solidarity of national development with economic re-strengthening. Is it going to guarantee sustainable peace? Will there be earnest effort in harnessing cooperation from all respective sectors?

Active economic reforms are always needed to lead the social
movement because a strong economy is the foundation of democratic
development and the creation of an equitable nation. In any time of
conflict, it is the economy that plays the lead role in bringing about
a tangible and lasting solution to the economic crisis facing the
nation and the people. The economic reformers in Nepal should rally for
bigger social transformation, and to bring about social reforms.

If we work together, we can help bring about drastic and conceptual changes; because the role of the economy is largely confined. An economic reformist in Nepal has to be trained in the skills they will need to
organize action; including public speaking, managing people,
preparing effective appeals for support, fundraising, and identifying
and neutralizing informants or infiltrators. These reformists can promote economy through people-participation in programs that develop a consensus around eco-development issues. They can contribute to the definition of a permanent economic policy through action, ideas and research aimed at the construction of a society based on policies of social justice and sustainable, humane development.

Economic development, whether in personal, group, or international
relations, requires a variety of capacities for self-transcendence:
transcendence of one's own interests and perspective for the sake of
understanding the interests and views of the other side, which
calls for the virtue of empathy; transcendence of one's pride and
defensiveness.

We cannot forget how detrinmental the the violence is that is targeted against the local infrastructure; community forestry projects, small hydro plants, bridges, telephone stations, and office buildings. The closure of
educational institutions, businesses and cession of ordinary life in





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Writer Profile
k


Journalist and Story Writer Kamala Sarup is specializing in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace, Anti War, Women, Terrorism, Democracy, and Development. Some of her publications are: Women's Empowerment in(South Asia, Nepal)Booklet). Prevention of trafficking in women through media,(Book) Efforts to Prevent Trafficking in for Media Activism (Media research). Two Stories collections. Her interests include international conflict resolution, cross-cultural communication, philosophy, feminism, political, socio-economic and literature. Her current plans are to move on to humanitarian work in conflict areas in the near future. She also is experienced in organizational and community development. A meeting of jury members held on 21 March in Geneva has decided to attribute Kamala Sarup, The Conservative Voice, writer, with a Honorable Mention of International Award for Women Issue.

Comments


new nepali yourth concerns on opportunities
satya N singh | Dec 10th, 2007
hats off to u kamala..keep us know such inforamtive and driving force to understand the situation to fight and win the poverty for economic sound nation

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