The Trajectory of Progress Must Change

Context: 

This article is expressing the need for a new paradigm in the World when India is having an opportunity to use G-20 Presidentship to take steps in a desired direction.

India’s Vision:

• India, as chair of the G-20, has offered a vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family, One Future).
• Aim: To bring all citizens of the world together and make the world better for everyone.
• India has proposed an approach of LiFE (lifestyles for sustainable development) to the G-20.
  • Principle 7 of LiFE also requires the world’s leaders to “recognize and amplify the role of local communities, local and regional governments and traditional knowledge in supporting sustainable lifestyles”.

Why is a new paradigm required for global governance?

• No Common Global Solution is Possible: It is impossible to have one global solution for the environment, society, or economy, and it cannot apply everywhere. There is a need for local solutions.
  • Example: In 2015, all countries adopted the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to be achieved by 2030.
  • The SDGs describe 17 complex combinations of environmental, social, and economic problems. 
    • All 17 problems do not appear in every country, and when they do, they do not appear in the same form.
    • Also, no country has only one of the SDG problems, every country has at least six or seven.
• A Detailed Map of Realities: The McKinsey Global Institute has produced a detailed map of realities which concludes that growth of GDP at a country level explains only 20% of the progress on the ground. 
  • The remaining 80% is local and specific.
• Flaws in Top-Down Theory: The present theory-in-use of top-down problem-solving is conceptually flawed.

Challenges that need to be Addressed:

• Concerning Global Governance:
  • The world is being divided by wars amongst nations, and differences within them — wars with military weapons and with financial and trade weapons.
• Economic Inequality:
  • Economists try to prove with numbers that poverty is reducing, and incomes are increasing for everyone while ground realities are entirely different. 
    • Real people are struggling in precarious livelihoods.
• High Temperature & Climate Danger:
  • The planet is heating up continuously without having any chance of controlling.
  • It cannot take the pressure of the present consumptive model of economic growth any longer. 
  • Now, the focus should be on sustainable and equitable economic growth rather than more economic growth.

The Path Ahead:

• Local Systems Solutions: Complex systemic problems require local solutions tailored to specific contexts.
• Collaborative and Sustainable Approach: Effective solutions emerge through cooperation and community-driven implementation, addressing economic, environmental, and social challenges.

Conclusion:

Democracy is the government of, for, and by people. With the upcoming 2024 elections in India, there is a need to build pressure to change the old system and come up with new sustainable and inclusive solutions with movements on the ground in India.

News Source: The Hindu

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