Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Pushing the Religious Envelope

A day after the Ministry of Economic Development lifted the ban on sale of alcohol in the inhabited islands, the President's Office has weighed in under public pressure. President's Office says it will not be implemented until it is published in the government gazette. Critics see this as a cynical move fearing a public uproar as they say that the Economic Development Ministry's position is the government's stand on this highly sensitive and polarising issue.

This is the government's way of pushing the envelope to test the limits of public acceptance of a 100 per cent Muslim society. Until now alcohol is freely available in all the tourist resorts. It is a perverse logic for the Economic Ministry to say that lifting the ban to allow sale of alcohol in authorised hotels of inhabited islands will bring an end to the black market created by the permits given to foreigners to buy and consume alcohol in their homes. We already have an epidemic of substance abuse and drug addiction affecting more than one-third of our youth. With such weak laws and even weaker implementation and enforcement of them, lifting the ban will only lead to another complicated phenomenon- alcoholism, another devastating social problem.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A struggle to find the truth

Like many other societies that needed to achieve closure on a past of oppression while simultaneously working toward national reconciliation and nation building, Maldives too has to face this difficult challenge. Both President Nasheed and Vice President Waheed have publicly spoken about this difficult task faced by the government. There are many Maldivians who feel that past injustices and human right violations should be dealt with properly, in order to avoid a repeat of such cruel behaviour. As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." But just how does a nation take the very painful and challenging road to the truth?


When South Africa emerged from more than four decades of apartheid, they turned to the concept of a truth commission. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is one of the best examples of restorative justice. Established in 1995, the TRC was charged with investigating gross human rights abuses that occurred between 1960 and 1994 so as to create as complete an accounting as possible of the atrocities of that period. Perpetrators were offered amnesty in exchange for full disclosure about their past crimes. This was part of a political compromise between the African National Congress and the outgoing apartheid government led by the National Party that was deemed necessary for a peaceful transition to democracy. This form of restorative justice emphasized reconciliation between perpetrators and victims built ideally on a perpetrator’s repentance and a victim’s forgiveness. Ultimately, it was hoped, the South African nation as a whole would likewise become reconciled.

This concept of a truth commission despite criticisms from some human rights and victims groups has worked for South Africa that went through tremendous upheaval, and needed to heal old wounds and bring closure.

East Timor also known as Timor-Leste, the first new nation of the 21st century is going through a painful struggle to bring national reconcilliation after the country suffered some of the worst atrocities of modern times during the Indonesian occupation. Timor-Leste’s president José Ramos-Horta, who survived an assassination attempt in February 2008, fears that prosecuting those responsible for atrocities could create serious instability in the fledgling state, as well as damage relations with its main trading partner Indonesia.

In a lecture at the MIT's Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, Ramos-Horta who won 1996 Nobel Peace Prize said:

“I’m happy to endure criticism from the ultrapatriots of international justice who want to make East Timor a guinea pig of international justice. I will not be part of that. ... Let’s put all the past behind us -- look after the victims, the wounded, in their minds, bodies and souls, build a country that is deserving of so much sacrifice. Chasing the ghosts of the past leads us nowhere.”

During President Ramos-Horta's recent visit to Maldives, the Maldivian leaders would have learnt about the reconciliation process of Timor-Leste. Such a process acknowledges past mistakes including regret and forgiveness as a product of a path inherent in the process of achieving justice. It is also a process which should break the cycle of accusation, denial and counter-accusation. This process needs to be seen only for conflict resolution and truth should be the final outcome. It seeks justice and not retribution. It should not be used as a political tool to gain political advantage by political parties.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tiger Woods Played By Different Rules

In the USA, the celebrity-obsessed culture is constantly fed by the mass news media which permeates to far reaching corners of the globe setting trends for the rest of the world to follow this repulsive obsession. The Tiger Woods apology posted on his website has proven yet again that the rich and powerful do have an advantage over the rest of the population- infidelity in relationships included among others.


"I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply," Woods admitted talking about his numerous sexual indiscretions and reckless behaviour. “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules.”

Tiger Woods has made history on and off the golf course since he joined the PGA Tour in 1996. First up was a record $40 million contract from Nike. The following year he won the Masters by a record 12 strokes, becoming the youngest winner ever and first black player to take the title. His career has been packed full of accomplishments, including major titles (14), annual money titles (9) and Player of the Year awards (9). Woods is also the first athlete to earn $1 billion.

Tiger Woods is now a billion dollar brand. In his carefully scripted self-loathing apology, it is not surprising that Woods also apologized to his business partners.

Behavior expert and physician Drew Pinsky who has co-authored the book "The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America" has given a very interesting take on the cultural influence of celebrity narcissism; a culture whose young emulate the behavior of celebrity models.

In answer to a question in an interview, "What do you mean by the "mirror effect," and why do you say it's a problem?"- Drew says:

"I've been working with celebrities many, many years. I've treated many for chemical dependency and the like. They have profound childhood trauma. It's not something to do with their job or the life they lead. They just happen to be people driven to seek celebrity as a way to make themselves feel better. Then the question becomes, why are we preoccupied with this population? This points toward the mirror. We, too, have been increasingly narcissistic. I speculate that that's what drives us toward this phenomenon of elevating people to almost god-like status. It's not so much that it's the glamour we like focusing on — rather it's the dysfunction. We're taking someone who needs to be a god and making them a god. Then we spend all our energy tearing them down."

Celebrity narcissism, the term narcissism meaning that a person is totally absorbed in self sets a bad example for kids who view these celebrities as role models.

Cricket Star Adam Gilchrist who was nominated as the Australian of the Year has hit out at the obsession with instant celebrities who are famous only for being on YouTube.

Gilchrist urged the nation to embrace role models of substance.

The chairman of the Australia Day Council said only people who showed sustained effort over many years to make Australia a better place should be put on a pedestal.

Gilchrist told a gala dinner at Parliament House, marking the 50th anniversary of the Australian of the Year award, that celebrity worship was a worry.

"As our obsession with celebrity continues to grow, renown seems to come these days, for some at least, on the back of a few minutes of outrageous behaviour or a funny clip on YouTube," he said.


In the very tightly controlled stage set where Tiger Woods addressed his scandal for the first time, he has also demonstrated how skilled he is at dodging and ducking personal questions. Even though he said that he does not get to play by different rules, by his refusal to take any questions from reporters he has contradicted himself and confirmed that indeed he plays by different rules.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Ignorance is not always a Bliss

Following article is from the Jakarta Times, marking the World Cancer Day on 4 February 2010.

"The public needs to realize that cancer is often preventable and treatable, including through changes in lifestyle, activists say.

“Many people still believe that when you have cancer you will die, and that’s it,” Melissa Luwia from the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) said during a rally to mark World Cancer Day, in Jakarta, on Thursday.

The general public also wasn’t fully benefiting from early detection and early treatment of cancer, she said.

“Some types of cancer, such as cervical cancer, if detected early, can be treated effectively,” Melissa said.

She added that many people were unaware that healthy habits, such as giving up smoking, avoiding overexposure to direct sunlight, maintaining a balanced diet and regular physical examinations, could help prevent cancer.

“People should realize that they have, and must make, choices. They can choose to eat food without preservatives, for example,” she said.

According to the International Union Against Cancer, each year more than 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 7.6 million die as a result of the disease.

However, 40 percent of cancers are preventable, YKI said. During the rally, YKI members and university students distributed leaflets promoting healthier lifestyles.

They also displayed a banner denouncing smoking, attracting passers-by in the busy area.

“Today we are trying to increase public awareness of the dangers of smoking, because it is one of the known causes of lung cancer,” Melissa said.

Indonesia’s Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) estimates that last year there were around 60 million smokers in Indonesia, and that 427,000 citizens died from smoking-related diseases."

The title of this article refers to an old English proverb- where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise. The phrase is used to mean what you do not know cannot hurt you. It is a quotation from the English poet Thomas Gray born December 26 1716 and died 30 June 1771 taken from the poem:

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

"To each his sufferings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan—
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Yet, ah! why should they know their fate,
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies?
Thought would destroy their Paradise.
No more;—where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise."

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Liberty without Wisdom and without Virtue!

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue?


It is the greatest of all possible evils;
for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.


-- Edmund Burke
(1729-1797) Irish-born British statesman, parliamentary orator, and political thinker
Source: Reflections on the Revolution in France

Link: Liberty Quotes