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| The Importance of Self Reliance |
| UPDATE : 30 July 2010 |
Social inequality is not a phenomenon exclusive to Thailand. Countries across the globe experience some extent of division amongst its social classes with some dealing with the problem superficially and others taking a more serious stance. In many nations, surprisingly, the masses have chosen not to wait for state action and have taken the matter into their own hands with examples such as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.
Established by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the Grameen Bank hands out ultra-micro loans, many not exceeding 27 US Dollars, to allow women and the impoverished to fund skill based enterprises. Beginning with only a handful of participants, the bank today has provided funding to 8.3 million people, which have in turn taken themselves out of abject poverty.
The solution to any problem is the instillation of principles and skills that remedy it. Much as the saying “give a man a fish, teach a man to fish”, people are benefited in the long term by solutions that work within them. The remedy to poverty is no different, as the answer to this problem is supporting the impoverished to financial independence, not state dependence.
Back in the Grameen Bank example, a Japanese clothing company recently realized the high potential of the bank's debtors and decided to erect a production facility in Bangladesh geared at hiring Grameen Bank's skilled clients. Coupled with moderate retail prices, the foreign clothing label has elevated hundreds of Bangladeshi to self reliance with no state intervention.
In Thailand, local production projects and community businesses are a step in the right direction. Adding value to domestic goods is a proper safeguard against the world's unpredictable economy, especially as dependency on export grows increasingly dangerous. Falling back on a self-reliant public was an option the Thai economy did not have during the recent crisis which began in the United States but it is not too late to establish such a cushion.
Not only does self reliance do away with Thailand's problematic social inequality issue, it also encourages national pride and unity. All of this can be achieved, without having to wait for government panels and agencies to resolve their bickering.
Post Today Editorial, July 19 2010
Translated and Rewritten by Itiporn Lakarnchua
Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.
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