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 Preparing for the Next Century
The Tribune, Changarh, India
Many people all over the world positively
hope and intensely imagine that this magical time will make this
world a better place to live.
Though only less than half the world population is Christian,
but for the sake of convenience and due to the colonial history,
people all over the world use Christian calendar. In India, Vikarmi
calendar, based upon the lunar cycle is much more logical and has
direct relation to our cultural heritage as well as gave us precise
timings for various activities such sowing and harvesting.
Idea of millennium, that has created euphoria in the West, is only
a date of this Calendar. There is no celestial event, such as alignment
of certain planets or any other link to any natural phenomenon.
It is very much like trying to draw a line on water of ever-flowing
River of Time. At the same time, I can not deny the fact, that this
very imaginary marking of time is creating an euphoria when many
people all over the world sense that this time in history is special
and our collective wish for brighter future for mankind may be fulfilled.
It is not really important that Christ was really born on December
25th, but idea of Christmas, brings a sea change in the attitude
of millions of people all over the world. All of sudden they become
generous and caring. This mood normally last only for few days,
but it is still worth it. Many people all over the world positively
hope and intensely imagine that this magical time will make this
world a better place to live. Or at least steps taken during the
time leading to the millennium year would change the way we usually
think. Signs are that we may possibly achieve some goals those were
unthinkable till now. (I am one of those millions ‘born optimists’.)
Javier Perez de Cuellar, ex-Secretary General of UN and Chairman
of the World Commission on Culture in his Report ‘OUR CULTURAL
DIVERSITY’, says, “This truly exceptional time in history
calls for exceptional solutions. The World as we know it, all the
relationships we took as given, are undergoing profound rethinking
and reconstruction. Imagination, innovation, visions, and creativity
is required. International partnerships and interaction are an essential
ingredient for creativity in problem-solving, a quality that requires
a willingness to frame bold questions instead of depending upon
conventional answers.”
Serious pondering about the future of the mankind and the planet
itself, is normal part of the process for many individuals and institutions.
But the arrival of new millennium has created a sense of urgency
in this direction. A substantial amount of material has been written
and scores, if not hundreds, of serious debates are going on or
are being planned for the next 2 years, leading up to the year 2000.
First time in 1992, when I read in an airline magazine, about the
arrival of the millennium and how thousands of Americans were booking
their spaces in hotels and restaurants for the night of 31st December
1999. It added that some people had booked their flights to other
end of the planet, nearest to the Date Line, where, they will be
first ones to toast the New Year. At that time, this all seemed
nothing more than flights of fancy for the rich Americans who have
nothing better to spend their dollars on. I don’t think many
people took any notice of such news.
Nearly four years ago, ‘Royal Society of Architects’
and ‘Public Art Forum’ jointly invited a meeting of
50 or so architects and 25-30 artists in London that was chaired
by Peter Plumbo, (then chairman of the Arts Council of England now
Lord Plumbo). This special meeting invited ideas from the participants
on How to celebrate the arrival of third millennium?
I, only non-Christian participant, was wondering what this millennium
was it to do with me or others living in non-Christian parts of
the world. On second thoughts I joined the band-wagon, thinking
that if this, or even any other pretext, can be used to achieve
something positive, why not?
Since then, in UK, The Millennium Commission has
been set up to fund some very ambitious projects; ones couldn’t
even be imagined a decade ago. The projects supported by the Commission
are mainly symbolic, either major landmarks or building such as
cultural centres. The famous and most ambitious project is the Millennium
Dome at Greenwich. This mega Dome will house a mind-boggling panorama
of light and digital images depicting British achievements in various
fields using most recent technology and virtual reality, is expected
to attract millions of visitor from all over the world. This, in
turn, will show that Britain is still a major power that otherwise
it is not sure of. On economic terms it is expected that millions
of visitors will pay directly or indirectly the cost of creating
this mega fun-fare and as a bonus Britain will improve its image
and boost its ego. This is one way of celebrating as well as making
the best of the opportunity that this moment in time has brought
to all of us.
In India, we are very slow grabbing these opportunities.
We have just celebrated, (I would rather say not celebrated) the
50 years of country’s Independence. We could have used this
opportunity to achieve so many dreams that our fore-fathers dreamt
of at the time of Independence in 1947. This was the time to make
citizens of India feel proud of their country and its achievements.
This, in turn, would have elevated the morale of our people as well
as created a positive image of the country abroad.
This is the time in history, when the world needs
another major country to take the lead to counter-act the Western
domination in political and economic fields. India is the only developing
country that has the capacity to do so in the above fields as well
as being represented on world bodies such as the Security Council.
It would have certainly helped in India’s efforts to gain
a permanent seat on this world body that is, at present, dominated
by Western powers.
India could have also reaped additional benefits
of securing increased orders for export and creating more business
and prosperity for its own people.
Global State of Affairs
The first major event since the 2nd World War
was the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which have had global
implications. After decades of Cold War, this single event made
you feel as if one morning you had woken up and heard the news that
the earth had lost its South Pole and was left with only one, 'the
North'. Imagine how much chaos it would create; the planet might
lose its orientation and its annual cycle. Today, as a result of
this one event in history, not only have alternative views of the
world died a death, but also we are left with a ‘one party/one
opinion’ world.
Whereas this change brought an end to the cold
war, and as a result solutions to decades-old problems, such as
South Africa and Palestine, became more achievable. Some unpalatable
regimes, in countries those were strategically important for superpowers,
have became less favourable. As a result of these changes, the super-powers,
those were trying to out-bid each other, have started to pay little
more attention to other problems such as the environment.
The demise of the Soviet Empire made the West, and especially the
US, feel that it had won the game. State Department policy maker
Francis *censored*uyama made this claim in his celebrated thesis ‘The
End of History and End of the World’. This very sense of victory
has unshackled the US multinationals and they are spreading their
operations all over the world as a pace that seems to know no stopping.
The US is now determined to paint the planet in Coca-Cola colour.
Only five countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Cuba, and North Korea) are
for one or the other reason resisting this onslaught. These are
the very countries now marked as enemies of the world by the powerful
Western media.
Undoubtedly, it was not that many people were fond of communism
or the Soviet regime itself, but it at least provided an alternative
view/concept of the life and the world, as opposed to liberal capitalism.
Now, the idea of Socialism, at one time, was seen as an ideal future
for many of the world’s disadvantaged people, as opposed to
Liberal Capitalism. A large number of world’s artistic and
academic circles saw it as an alternative that could give an opportunity
for the disadvantaged to change their circumstances and an achievable
paradigm for the future.
Today, the word Socialism has become an anathema, and does not
inspire any further debate. For example millions of workers in Britain
who very sincerely gave their blood for decades to nurture the Labour
Party at grassroots level. Today they are feeling betrayed by their
own party leaders. These innocent and loyal souls did not foresee
the in-coming sea change in the world politics and economic realities.
The market forces, those cannot fight you on the ground, can seep/burrow
under your very feet and one day you would realise that the ground,
that you were standing on, is not yours any more. The same story
is being repeated all over the world. We all are told again and
again by the world’s most powerful media that there is only
one option left open to all of us, to embrace the golden mermaid
of market forces and liberal Capitalism beautifully packaged in
Coca-Cola bottles.
POSITIVE MOVES / GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Fortunately, world bodies such as UNESCO and others
are initiating and supporting projects those are really concerned
about the good of humankind.
- The first ‘World Assembly’ for the ‘Progress
of Humankind’ was recently held in Brazil that was organised
by the independent Swiss-based ‘Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation’.
This initiative is supported by world figures like Mikhail Gorbachev.
It is aiming for a multi-scale long-term programme for dignified
entrance of humanity into the 21st century.
- On the New Year’s Eve, 31 December 1997, Christian Aid
came with a very imaginative idea, ‘Jubilee 2000’.
Under this banner, churches, trade unions and economists, 50 agencies
have formed a coalition and will launch a biggest campaign ever
in UK. They will campaign to convince the Western Governments
and Banks to cancel the backlog of unpayable debts of the 50 poorest
nations by the year 2000. No doubt this is a hugely ambitious
goal, but creditors do agree that these debts of these countries
is unpayable and must be cancelled. ‘The Guardian’
(London) argues in its editorial of 31st December 97, that the
millennium could be the right time to achieve this, not only for
the sake the governments but for the millions of people living
in those poor countries. If the world fails to make this generous
gesture, these poor people will continue to suffer well into the
next millennium.
- In 1992, UN and UNESCO appointed World Commission on Culture
and Development under the chairmanship of Javier Perez de Cuellar,
ex-Secretary General of UN. The Commission worked for three years
and published its report ‘Our Cultural Diversity’.
It is being followed up by the Intergovernmental Conference in
Stockholm March/April 1998.
- ‘The World Beyond 2000’ is another global project
set up in Britain, to look at the Role of Artists in Changing
Histories and Imagining Futures. This project is aimed to examine
how the artists and other creative people all over the world has
contributed in making it a better place and what will be the role
of these creative people in the 21st century. Though project is
the brainchild one artist (author of this article) but it is gaining
international support and has been lauded by world figures like
Perez de Cuellar. UNESCO is only supporting the project but planning
to take it further by bringing thinkers from other disciplines
together following this proposed symposium in year 2000.
(More about these global initiatives in parts 2& 3 of the series.)
This is the first article in a series under the titles -
- Millennium - A magical time to imagine a better future for
Mankind.
- Cultural dimension as important for a healthy future for humankind
as Environment.
- Role of Artists and Thinkers in Shaping Histories and Imagining
Futures
- Education as a tool for translation of cultural values and
preparing for the future.
- Can India Shake its Shackles of Indecision and Inactivity and
face the future?
Avtarjeet Dhanjal is a Panjabi sculptor settled
in Britain, works, and lectures internationally. In 1997, Institute
of International Visual Arts organised a survey show of his 25 years
work in London and published a monograph. In September 1998, he
is invited to show his work at Palais de Nations, Geneva to coincide
with the UN celebrations of 50 years of signing the Peace Treaty.
In 1996, he initiated ‘The World Beyond
2000’, that has received international support including UNESCO.
The project held its first seminar at the Tate Gallery in September
1997 and is invited to run a seminar by Swedish Commission for UNESCO
at the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for the
21st Century to be held in Stockholm in March/April 1998.
This series of articles is based upon the deliberations to take
place at Stockholm Seminar.
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