A Key Note for an Initiative to Address Problems in Asia
Basic problems in Asia Food security, Starvation, Malnutrition, and Poverty, Development and Unemployment, Energy and Fuel, HIV and Human Trafficking, Trans border Migration,Sabotage,Infiltration, Corridors and Refugee problems, Security and Terrorism, Health and Education,Labour,Child Labour and Bonded Labour, Water and sanitation, price rise and Inflation, Minority persecution and Caste Discrimination, Nationality problems, Industrial development, Destruction of Indigenous and Agro Crisis, Natural and Man made Calamities, Problems relating Children and Women, Pesticides,GM Seed and chemicals,Problems of Youth and their degeneration, Drugs, Credit Crunch and financial problems, Ecological problems and Global Warming,Wars and civil Wars and so on.
We may have so many points of dissent. Let us have some points of consent!
Rather we may concentrate to ensure Food security and Job security in Asia!Those most affected by the current global food crisis are the poor, particularly in developing countries, international agencies and independent experts agree, and a large number of people for whom steep food prices spell disaster live in South Asia.
These problems get more complicated as we deal with only the alienated units of the Geopolitics. Fascism and Imperialism make us bleeding across the borders. We may believe to try to be initiative to make Asia an Intact peace zone as Indian Ocean has always been. If we consider the Asian , specially the South Asian geopolitics a single Unit we may be able to address every problem with surgical precision. We have to discard Blind Nationalism invoked by fascist forces. We have to defend human rights and civil rights. We have to stand united against minority persecution. Bangladesh is a country where most cases of minority persecution are reported since partition. But Bangladesh is also known to resist persecution of minorities as the entire Intelligentsia and civil Society are mobilised to defend Bengali nationality. We have to recognise this. In Pakistan, general public want peace and sustainable friendship with India. We have to make it an assets against the Imperialist plans to divide us. Hitherto, China has never interfered in our internal affairs despite the History of Border clashes way back in 1962 and claims and counter claims of territories! It may prove to be the best launching pad for Asian Solidarity and brotherhood. Nepal is keen to strengthen age old friendship with India even after the Maoists held the rein of power. it should be cited as the most positive thing.There needs much to be done in bringing the status of woman at par, and in uprooting the stereotyped biases, prejudices and attitudes of society. There is a need of consciousness raising both in men and women, and the discrimination bias can be shattered only if we bring a change in our social customs which make the birth of a female child unwelcome, since, she is considered a financial and social burden. Women are often treated as inferior and are socialised to put themselves last, thus undermining their self-esteem. Economic and political empowerment of women does not refer only to some improvements in their position within the parameters of hierarchical structures.
Youth forces in Asia is indulged in virtual reality. Pseudo channels and avenues confuse them most. They have been uprooted from the homeland of their Mother tongue and cultural heritage. Misled Youths opt for drug addiction and terrorism. recent case studies show that the highly educated technocrats have become terrorists. Educationgdepends on purchasing capacity. Higher education and research sidelined. The generation next is informed very well but they have lost the objectivity and vision as they end up as illiterate and semi literate just jumping into professionalism with some knowledge of Computer and Spoken English. Job opportunities have crunched and they are being trapped by the expanding retail market network. South Asia has to bleed more , provided we do not address this problem immediately. it is a cross border problem and threatening wide scale insurgency!
Labour laws have been amended widely. Labour cost remains unchanged but sustenance cost skyrocketed due to inflation, credit boom and price rise. It generates unemployment as well as immigration!
Changing lifestyle, Consumer Culture and Brand Starvation do drive us towards an age of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases besides the epidemics we inherit.Health services are privatised and we may not afford health expenditure. This problem may also be addressed without any diplomacy invoked.
Agro crisis and food security problems are overlooked in the context of neo Liberal development and urbanisation. Indigenous communities are being targeted by fascism and imperialism. natural resources are being captured and indigenous production systems killed. It leads to resurgence of nationality movements for survival while the theatrics of liberation invites Repression!
Caste system and untouchability leads to large scale discrimination and creates ruling Harmonies seeking global strategic re alliances to sustain the enslavement of the majority of the people. Only united peoples movement Asia wide may solve this problem.
An Asian version of the euro must look extremely attractive this morning.It may help to solve the cross border economic problems in Asia! Becoming part of a big, strong Asian currency, however, might solve much of this. Inflation or economic downturn would be walloped by the manoeuvres of a heavyweight Asian central bank. If enough nations were signed up to the idea, the unit (whatever clever name it was given) would be innately more stable than the sum of its legacy parts.The idea was raised earlier this year at a summit of the Asia Development Bank, and many Asian economists are openly questioning the shape of a future world where the US dollar is relegated from its position as the default currency for nearly everything.
Hatred, violence and political divisions are not the natural state of mankind, kept in check only through the tireless exertions of wise rulers and diplomats. They have particular roots in history, the exertions of political leaders using disreputable means to gain support, attacks by others, and sometimes in ethnic or national differences. Asia is a very big continent and different parts of it experienced different very different problems through the ages. During the period of the Great Games of the Europeans, there were constant threats of conquest and colonization. In fact many parts of Asia, East, Central, South and West were colonized or harmonised by powerful European nations.Asia should help stabilize the world. Unfortunately there are countries outside Asia which do not want to see a stable prosperous Asia. These countries threaten Asia’s security and if Asia arms to the teeth it is because of these countries.
South Asia has become a helpless spectator of unending violence. Instead of solving people''s problems, these regions'' politicians find it easy to divert public attention by indulging in indecisive rhetoric. They realize that there are no quick solutions to the growing problem migration which has become an urgent need to check migration trend in this region.South Asia''s intra-country migration is politically dangerous. Actually, the Indian sub continent''s partition in 1947 has not been able to create stable domestic conditions. About 6.5 million Muslims migrated from India into Pakistan and nearly 5 million Hindus from Pakistan into India between 1947 and 1951. Intra-country migration still continues in South Asia. Such migrations, whether in the eastern parts of the subcontinent between India and Bangladesh or in the terai region afflicting Nepal or India or between Nepal and Bhutan or the neighboring areas or Sri Lanka, create political and social problems.
The unemployed youths, frustrated in their attempts to find jobs, become receptive to vicious propaganda against migrants or outsiders. The demand for explosion of the hated migrants or outsiders is the common theme of all secessionist movements in South Asia.
THE riots in Kathmandu earlier this year over remarks that the actor Hrithik Roshan had not actually made, reflected a simmering hostility towards India among a wide section of the public which was exploited for reasons of domestic politics. Once the episode was over, few people cared to probe the latent cause. So, it is with the bloody skirmishes on the Indo-Bangladesh border last April. Only 6.5 km of the over 4,000-km boundary remain to be demarcated. But if Nepal is sore over India's refusal to replace the obsolete 1950 treaty with one respectful of its sovereignty, the issue of Kalapani and the persisting differences over the Mahakali Treaty of 1996, Bangladesh, which allowed the 1972 Treaty with India to lapse, has its own grievances.
The dispute over the sharing of the waters of the Ganga was settled after protracted wrangling by a Treaty signed on December 12, 1996; thanks only to the decisive intervention of Jyoti Basu, then Chief Minister of West Bengal. Even so, it is less favourable to Bangladesh than the Agreement of 1977 which, unlike the Treaty, contained a binding minimum guarantee clause in favour of Bangladesh. He publicly complained (on January 1, 1997): "We saw from the figures that some people are talking things which are not correct." He was given incorrect statistics by New Delhi.
In 1975 India completed the Farakka Barrage, across the Ganga, at a point only 17 km upstream from the boundary with Bangladesh, in order to divert sufficient water into the Bhagirathi-Hughli river, and prevent the siltation which impaired the navigability of the Calcutta port at the river mouth. As a lower riparian State, Bangladesh was vitally concerned and the issue was raised even during Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's pro-India government. His assassination in August that year during a coup made matters worse. His successor Ziaur Rahman received short shrift from India.
The author describes in careful detail how Indira Gandhi pursued a highly personalised policy based on extraneous considerations and how the Janata Party government, headed by Morarji Desai, followed a different course. Here is one passage: "The most prominent India-Bangladesh border issues, the Tin Bigha Corridor, Muhuri Char and New Moore/ South Talpatty/ Purbasha island have all tended to reinforce the traditional antagonisms, rivalries and fears existing in South Asia, the disputes being manipulated and protracted for political advantage by both Mrs. Gandhi and Ziaur Rahman. A marked contrast can be observed between the relatively minor tension associated with the issues while the Janata Party held power, and the bitterness which developed around them after the Janata collapse. Although little substantial progress was achieved in resolving the problems of border demarcation, the way in which the Desai government diplomatically addressed the issues differed particularly from the tactics used by the succeeding Indian government under Mrs. Gandhi. By simply acknowledging that the problems, along with Bangladeshi concerns about Indian territorial designs, actually existed, and furthermore, required discussion and accommodation, the Janata regime was establishing a foundation for the possible, mutually satisfactory resolution of the border issues. In spirit at least, Desai's discussions with Zia in Dhaka in April 1979 were an attempt to do so."
The Tin Bigha Corridor is no larger than a football field. The Nehru-Noon accord of September 3, 1958 provided for a straightforward exchange of enclaves between India and East Pakistan. A formal agreement was signed thereafter on September 10, 1958. Besides the exchange, Berubari was to be split horizontally and equally. But the notification in respect of Berubari was never issued by India. Under the 1974 accord between Indira Gandhi and Mujibur Rehman, India agreed only to lease in perpetuity to Bangladesh an area of approximately 178 metres by 85 metres near Tin Bigha to connect Bangladesh with its enclave Dahagram. Agreement on the terms of the lease was reached in 1982. Only in 1992 could it be implemented.
Asia has not interfered in the internal affairs of other countries. And God knows these countries’ internal affairs, their treatment of their people, their blatant disregard for human rights etc do not bear examination. Asia has every right to publish the ratings in term of various abuses in their countries and let the world be enlightened. But Asian have refused to take the moral high ground, not because we are not qualified to do so but because we believe in the freedom of every country to manage its internal affairs by itself. We believe our security is best guaranteed by a prosper-thy-neighbour policy. We believe when we prosper other people we will not have their problems spilling over into our country. We believe we will enjoy security that way.
War is no longer an option in the settlement of conflicts between nations. This is because the capacity of modern weapons to inflict death and destruction is so enormous. Additionally war has become prohibitively costly. Even the United States rich as it is said to be, is now practically penniless because of the war in Iraq. When countries feel insecure they must find ways to provide for their security. During the Cold War period they could play the two blocs against each other. But now the Cold War is over. So they must possess their own defence capability.
There is a belief that the world would be safe so long as the nuclear powers provide nuclear deterrence. But the nuclear powers have shown that they are the source of military threats and not the non-nuclear powers. So the idea of confining nuclear capability to the established nuclear powers does not hold water.
Another point seems to be a major bone of contention and it is continuous refugee influx from Bangladesh. Minority Persecution, Political repression and economic problems are cited responsible for this problem. The Truth is that neither of the country intiated a process to solve the sixty years old problem. Fencing won`t help it. Internal political security and democratic setup are mandetory. Diplomacy is also urgent. But the People`s initiative may be the most effective, we believe.
On the other hand pakistan has also the share of refugee problem as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed serious concern over ``numerous obstacles'' in the way of urgent preparations for a possible influx of refugees in countries bordering Afghanistan.In a strongly-worded statement here, the UNHCR, Mr. Rudd Lubbers, complained of inadequate international and regional support to raise the resources to tackle the refugee influx.
Pakistan, on its part, once again pleaded helplessness in throwing open its border to more Afghan refugees.
The culture of Asia differs from that of Europe. Their concept of empire does not involve conquest and the setting up of colonies. The Turkic people advanced westwards and established states in Central and West Asia, advancing even into Europe. But by and large the Turkic people adopted the culture of the local people and were absorbed.The Mongols conquered much of Asia and again advanced into Eastern Europe. More than the Turkic people the Mongols allowed themselves to be assimilated by the local people. In the Turkic countries they became Turks, in China they became Chinese and in India they became Indians. They have no colonies as understood by the Europeans.The Japanese did try to conquer China and Korea. But it was at the time when they were trying to emulate the Europeans. Had they succeeded there would perhaps be Japanese colonies in East Asia and Southeast Asia. But they failed and the lesson is well learnt by them. Japan by itself is not a threat to anyone’s security.Other than these there is no history of military conquest and colonisation by Asian countries in Asia. The Asians of the past preferred to carry out raids and to cart away the spoils of war. But for a long time now the Asian powers have not indulged in military adventures.
But America has been telling Asian countries that they have a serious security problem. They have been telling us in South East Asia (S.E.A.) ever since World War II ended that we face the threat of Chinese invasion.They fought a long war in Vietnam and promoted the domino theory – which says that if Vietnam fell to the Communists than one by one the countries of S.E.A. will fall to the Chinese – through Communism.Well, South Vietnam did fall to the Communist. But none of the S.E.A. countries have gone the way of Vietnam. In fact Vietnam has now adopted the strategies of the S.E.A. countries and is inviting foreign investments which have made Vietnam the fastest growing East Asian country after China.
The threat from China and the Communist ideology did not materialise. But the United States is still insisting that we need its 7th Fleet to provide security for us.
China has no history of military conquest with the purpose of acquiring territory. The United States has convinced Japan that China is a threat to its security. Therefore Japan must have American military forces based in Japan and paid for by the Japanese.China has perhaps the biggest standing army in the world. With its new found wealth its military forces are now well equipped. But is it a threat to the security of its neighbours and to the rest of the world?
The Asia region must unite through collective action to consolidate economic success and overcome the problems posed by crime and natural disasters.Abject poverty, wide income gaps an lack of development provide fertile ground for transnational organized crimes such as drug smuggling, and trafficking in humans and weapons.
Let us see some scenes of Social Realism in Asia!
There has been a big fall in the number of mothers dying during childbirth in South Asia, according to the UN children's fund (Unicef).
In a new report, the agency says that maternal mortality fell by five percent worldwide in the 15 years to 2005.
The figures show that the rates fell by 22% in South Asia (from 650 to 500 deaths per 100,000 live births).
Unicef says that antenatal care and childbirth attendance rates in the region have also improved.
Their report said that India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan were still among the 10 countries that accounted for almost two-thirds of maternal deaths globally.
Women constitute on average 33 % of the total labor force in the South Asia Region, the second lowest level of female labor force participation in the world. The majority of these women are earning incomes through Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) activities. For example, 76% of women's urban employment in Nepal, and 61% in Pakistan, is in the informal sector.
Golden Temple, the most sacred shrine for Sikhs in India, has come up with a unique idea to fight the dwindling sex ratio in Punjab. It has started distributing free saplings to visiting women devotees, which would remind them to protect the unborn girl-child from being killed in the womb.
With an estimated 9.5 million, the Asia and Pacific region claims the highest number of people among the estimated 12.3 million victims of forced labour in the world today. The region is struggling against both traditional and newer forms of forced labour. An 8.1 million people are trapped in forced labour by means other than trafficking, primarily through debt bondage. But the region is also home to state-imposed forced labour in Myanmar. ILO online reviews the tragic reality of forced labour in Asia.
In fact, we share the History and cultural heritage which Europe never did in their region.But we never think to replicate the European community in Asia Region. Why? Strict citizenship, Passport and Visa rules divide us terribly. It is not there in Europe despite strictest Immigration laws! But our own people the Bengali'es across the border has no liberty to walk free in corridor es left in India as well as Bangladesh. We could not solve the dispute for full six decades.
Water disputes is another field of Concern. India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan share the water resources of the Himalayas. it is always a bone of contention. We have to deal not only international , but interstate dispute for water! We may press a little hard to solve the problems like these and it would ensure peace in Asia and we may, thus, resist the Plan of Weapon Market to transform Asia into a vicious War and civil war zone! They have to do this for their Economy. We must resist this for our people and peace!India's groundwater woes are, in places, at crisis levels. But the problem is not confined to a few corners of the subcontinent; groundwater depletion is a major threat to food security and economic stability in China, the US, Mexico, Spain and parts of North Africa -- just to name a few. All of these regions are grappling with the problems inherent in extracting groundwater from deep below the earth's surface.
But the problem is most acute in India for two reasons: the country has long prided itself on being self-sufficient (not importing food) and because in this messy democracy free electricity is provided to farmers to win votes. Punjab, a wealthy state favored by the central government in New Delhi is just 1.5 percent of India's total landmass, but its annual output of rice and wheat contribute 50 percent of the grain the government purchases for its food distribution programs that feed over 400 million poor Indians. Experts are now saying that the 375-foot deep tube well and 7.5 horsepower pump Naresh Kumar's installs for a local sharecropper is at the eye of a storm that threatens India's food security, environmental health, and economic progress.
Although there is a world-wide trend towards women with disabilities emerging from their isolation to establish their own self help groups and rights groups, the situation in developing countries remains quite different. In the available literature on women with disabilities in developing countries, it is often stated that these women face a triple handicap and discrimination due to their disability, gender and developing world status. In the South Asian context, gender equity is an issue for a large majority of women, given the socio-cultural practices and traditional attitudes of society. Therefore, many of the issues that are faced by women in general in a male dominated society, also have an impact on women with disabilities. In addition, women with disabilities from these countries face certain unique disadvantages compared with disabled men
On December 26 2006, an earthquake, a magnitude 7.1 according to the US Geological Survey, struck off Taiwan's southern coast. It severely damaged the undersea cables in the region. As a result, Skype connectivity and call quality to and from the region is affected. You might not be able to connect to other Skype users at all, may see incorrect online status for yourself or other users, or call quality may be seriously degraded. The major affected regions are China and Hong Kong, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Japan, India, and Taiwan itself.
Highways and Road Construction Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was assassinated on April 6,2008 by a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber, in an incident which killed at least 13 others. The attack underscores the force projection of the Tigers despite being pushed onto the back foot by the Sri Lankan military. While the military seems to be scoring small successes in its war of attrition, the country at large - including Colombo and its environs - remains vulnerable to bomb attacks.
The UN says that many of the 3bn people throughout the world who have no access to proper sanitation and clean water are from South Asia.
The report says that the water problems facing India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are worse only in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The UN says that while the quality of India's water supplies has improved in recent years, around 80% of the population of 800m still live in what it describes as unsanitary conditions.
Nepal could significantly reduce its food insecurity over the next decade if it revamped its agricultural sector and invested more in irrigation, according to specialists. it may be true for many of the Asian nations.
If there is any single-most important issue that mars bilateral relations among the countries of South Asia, it is water. The issues of cross-border water distribution, utilisation, management and giant irrigation and hydroelectric power projects affecting the upper and lower riparian countries are gradually taking centre stage in defining interstate relations as water scarcity increases and both drought and floods make life too often miserable.
Thanks to its location, size and borders with other South Asian countries, India, as an upper and lower riparian territory, has come into conflict with all its neighbours except Bhutan, on the cross-border water issues. Given an atmosphere of mistrust, an upper riparian India has serious issues to resolve with lower-riparian Pakistan and Bangladesh and, despite being lower-riparian, with upper riparian Nepal. This, however, doesn't mean that India is solely responsible for certain deadlocks, even though its share of responsibility may be larger than that of other countries which have their own physical limitations and political apprehensions.
What is, however, to be appreciated is that the countries of South Asia have made certain remarkable efforts to resolve their differences over water distribution through bilateral agreements. India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in 1960, under which Pakistan allocated three eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej and Beas) to India and India three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) to Pakistan.
The IWT has remarkably survived the ups and downs of Indo-Pak relations, and despite wars the parties have upheld the Treaty, although serious differences persist over various projects being undertaken by India over Jehlum (two dams) and Chenab (nine dams) rivers. Similarly, the Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty (GWST) was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996 that resolved the dispute over Farrakha Barrage, although differences continue on Bangladesh's share of the water during lean periods. Nepal and India signed the Mahakali Treaty in 1996, but despite ratification by the Nepalese parliament, the Treaty has remained stalled.
Despite these treaties, serious differences over water sharing, water management and hydropower projects continue to spoil relations between India, on the one hand, and Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, on the other. Differences between India and Pakistan continue to create ill will between the two on around 11 large hydroelectric projects India plans to construct, including the Baglihar Project, over which Pakistan has sought the appointment of a neutral expert by the World Bank after the failure of talks.
Four decades of impressive economic growth,rising per capita income, and growing employment opportunities have provided millions with a better standard of living in the Asia-Pacific region. As a result of this greater prosperity, Asians eat more meat, fish and dairy products. Coupled with a growing population, this increased demand has the potential to overwhelm global commodity markets and raise the specter of food shortages. The close linkage of food scarcity issues to other major problems (environmental damage, trade tensions, and resource disputes) is especially vexing. This chapter examinesthe food problem in terms of its population, supply, and demand components, identifies key food policies, and points to the potential for these issues to pose security problems in the region.
Eight South Asian countries have launched a regional food security programme, pooling together scientific and natural resources to improve crop production and nutrition in the region.
The 'South Asia Food Security Programme' will receive an estimated US$25 million for ten projects addressing South Asia's food security.
The announcement was made by Ram Badan Singh — secretary general of the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperatives Limited — at a meeting of South Asian agriculture ministers, crop scientists and farmers' cooperatives in Delhi, India,on 5th march,2008.
The donors include the Asian Development The donors include the Asian Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).The programme was approved at a meeting organised by the FAO and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last month (27–29 February) and will begin in 2009.
Rice, an important staple, is in short supply. The United Nations reported in June that Nepal, which imports much of its rice, has 2.5 million people in immediate need of assistance and 3.9 million more whose welfare may be compromised by rising prices.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, people are protesting wheat prices so high that many cannot afford to buy flour to make bread. Bangladesh likewise is afflicted, its agriculture disrupted by frequent floods. In light of these problems, the U. S. government has asked countries implementing food export bans, including India, to lift them.
India, regional leader and emerging global economic powerhouse, fails to deliver sufficient food to several hundred million of its people despite its 8 percent annual growth in its economy.
Although India’s success “has created enormous opportunities for accelerated human development,” it has achieved only “modest progress in poverty reduction,” according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2007/2008 report. One reason is a growing agricultural shortfall resulting from inefficiencies in policies and infrastructure, according to UNDP.
Food security is a vast and complicated subject. Debates can centre on whether to tackle hunger primarily through broad-based economic policies that alleviate poverty or through targeted food and nutrition interventions. Often no single approach suffices.
Many governments do not develop explicit policies on food security. Generally different components of a food security programme are written under different chapters of the national development plan. This layout does not provide a clear and holistic plan. It allows the concerned sub-sectors to go their separate ways of co-ordination of food security. Food policy is enormously complex and the lack of co-ordination among ministries responsible for food is a significant contribution to the problem.
To civil society organisations, the components of a national food policy should cover policies and programmes for food production, marketing, consumption and disaster management.
Across South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), large populations depend on semi-subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Rainfall in the semi-arid and sub-humid regions of South Asia is highly variable and undependable and influences agricultural productivity. Farming practices in these regions have developed as a response to such climatic risks.
According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (lPCC) released in 2007, future projections of climate change indicate that South Asia is very likely to warm during this century. Also, freshwater availability is projected to decrease and coastal areas will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and rivers. Sea level rise in Bangladesh is expected to impact over 13 million people with a 16% loss of national rice production. In some South Asian countries, a substantial reduction in crop yields from rainfed agriculture could occur. Additionally, dramatic changes in the land use patterns in South Asia compound the problem of climate change.
The agricultural sector, including crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, and land and water management, is both a bearer and a contributor of global climate change. Some specific options have already been identified, tested and documented for climate change mitigation and adaptation for agriculture sector, such as sustainable land and forest management; changing varieties; more efficient water use; altering the timing or location of cropping activities; improving the effectiveness of pest, disease and weed management practices and making better use of seasonal climate forecasts to reduce production risks. If these options are widely adopted, they could have substantial potential to offset negative impacts from climate change and take advantage of positive impacts. To cope with climate change more effectively in South Asia, it is necessary to identify integrated adaptation and mitigation options for a range of agroecosystems so as to enable a favourable policy environment for the implementation of the framework.
Dynamics of the Food Market
In Asia Pacific, high marketing costs are reflected by the inadequate physical and institutional infrastructure in the marketing system. In some cases, the exploitative rents charged by landlords and private traders caused disparity between what the farmer receives and what the consumers pay.
Is it true that whenever there is a dearth of diplomacy – whenever the striped-pants set is not gripping, grinning and laboring behind the scenes – that violence and hatred, always bubbling under the surface unless the sterling members of the "international community" are being not just active but proactive, is virtually inevitable?
If we are to have any hope at all of building a more peaceful world, it is important to acknowledge this. It is not simply a lack of diplomatic attention from wise superpowers that leads to cross-border and ethnic conflict, at least not very often. Concentrated attention from the representatives of the superpowers, therefore, is seldom the sovereign cure for brewing hostility. Imagining that just a bit more attention from the responsible members of the world community will ease the latest tensions, then, is often a formula for disaster, making matters worse rather than better.
Tension and the Zone of Interference
The South Asian region represents 22 per cent of the world's total population comprising over one billion, of which 30–40 per cent lives below poverty line. Of them, only 40–50 per cent have access to electricity. Despite the development, the countries of South Asian region are energy starved. To meet the growing energy requirements, energy trade between these countries is essential. But South Asia's current cross-border energy trade is limited to Bhutan, India and Nepal. Recently, energy trade between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan has been proposed, in line with the construction of liquefied natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to India through Bangladesh, and Iran to India through Pakistan. These proposed energy trade projects, if implemented successfully, will contribute to integrate regional economies.
In the case of India and Pakistan, there is not only the tension – perhaps an understatement in that it has included three shooting wars – that has existed since the British left the subcontinent and the old Raj was partitioned between predominantly Muslim Pakistan and predominantly Hindu India. There are genuine disagreements over the future of Kashmir, the gorgeous mountain region. And the sense of mutual tension rises very close to the level of each nation being seen as an ever-present threat to the fundamental interests of the other. In a sense, the very existence of one is a recurring or ongoing insult and irritant to the other.
From India's perspective, as Stratfor.com has recently pointed out, "Pakistan represents the only serious national security challenge." To the east are thick jungles and weak countries. To the north, the Himalayas offer fairly strong security from any realistic threat from the Chinese. To the south is the Indian Ocean, dominated militarily by the United States, which doesn't present a threat to India. Only Pakistan is a real threat.
Furthermore, the Pakistani-Indian frontier is also, in a fairly real way, the border between the Hindu and the Islamic worlds. If the Islamic world ever does unite politically – which Muslims are always talking about and so far haven't managed to do and might never do – the marginal irritant represented by Pakistan could become a serious threat. Imagine a militant Pakistan actually united with Iran, Saudi Arabia, et. al., and the money, power and military might such an alliance might be able to muster. A nuke in the hands of Pervez Musharraf might start to look like the good old days of easy challenges.
PAKISTANI PROBLEMS
One might think, given that India is so much larger and has so much more military potential, that Pakistan would seek accommodation with India. But several circumstances prevent this – or at least have up to now. Pakistani governments have perceived (and perhaps not just because of irrational fear) that India over the long haul seeks to dismember Pakistan. Thus they view any concession to India as a step toward accomplishing India's long-term goals, not Pakistan's, and also as steps that would weaken Pakistani ability to resist the next step.
Pakistan is also divided ethnically and religiously. At the time of partition its rulers were religiously Muslim but essentially secular, as the first modern non-British rulers of India were Hindu but secular in their philosophy of governance. But a powerful Islamic fundamentalist movement has arisen, partly because of the Pakistani government's involvement in Afghan politics and partly for other reasons. The existence of that movement, which has already been somewhat destabilizing to Pakistani governance, makes it even more difficult for a Pakistani government to reach accommodations with India, even if it were inclined to do so, which it isn't.
Therefore Pakistan has spent the last 50-plus years rather consciously avoiding anything that might lead to a comprehensive settlement with India.
The entrance of the United States as a big player in the region after September 11 actually complicated what had been a tense but essentially stable situation. The U.S. considered it important to get Pakistani support for the war to oust the Taliban (which had to a great extent been installed by Pakistani intelligence but had become uppity), and Musharraf made all the right noises. Now that al Qaida and other fighters have apparently retreated into mountain fastnesses in Pakistan, the United States considers Pakistani cooperation – at least to the point of letting U.S. forces operate without raising an overt fuss – more important than ever.
The U.S. used Indian outrage over an attack on the Indian parliament in December to gain more leverage in Pakistan, while appearing in public to be trying to defuse the situation. The U.S. has also made it known that it might be prepared to take over physical control of or destroy Pakistan's nukes. All this has given Musharraf less and less room to maneuver, both domestically and internationally, at a time when the Islamic groups' interest is to destabilize the region, and ideally to precipitate an Indo-Pak war.
All this has weakened Pakistan vis-à-vis India and helped to make a lot more Indian officials think that if India is ever going to act militarily against Pakistan, it is unlikely to have more favorable circumstances than it does now. So to some extent, at least, the imminent current tensions the United States is trying to address have been caused by U.S. meddling in the area – all well-intentioned, of course, but unintended consequences are one of the few constants in an inconstant world.
Checking Migration Problems in South Asia
Migration is a kind of population dispersion. It involves movement of population from one place to another or from one country to another. Most two-way migratory movements are rhythmic processes of population. Regular periodicity is a common feature of such movements.
The social transformation that affects migration is felt in various countries in different ways. The situation results in what are referred to as mobility transitions, which are meant to stress that there is no single mobility transition.
Migration is an outcome of economic and political change. Economic growth creates inequalities which encourage movements from places of fewer opportunities to more ones.
Usually, migration of population may occur for food, shelter and other basic needs. In such cases, mortality of many individuals may occur due to different ecological risks such as temperature fluctuation, food scarcity, etc.
Despite continuing efforts over the past few decades, substantial economic and social developments are not evident in South Asian countries. It can be realized only in the more accessible and most profitable parts of these countries where investments have only brought profit to urban areas. People of undeveloped sectors, hills and mountains, faced with demographic pressures, leave their villages and go and settle in the more advanced regions of the country.
Migration within each country and between the countries of South Asia will become a greater problem than it already is. Intra-country migration has already caused problems in this region, straining the social fabric and creating social tension.
The Maharastrian versus the non-Maharastrian conflict in Mumbai city or the insider-outsider conflict in northeast India for many years or the Sindhis versus Mohajirs in the Sindh Province of Pakistan reflect the tension inherent in the migration process within each country.
Indo-Nepal migration is unique. In accordance with the Nepal-India Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950, Indian nationals can enter Nepal for any purpose, stay in Nepal for any period of time and either leave or settle permanently if one chooses to do so. In this regard, no documents are required, no registration is done at the border check-posts and by and large no questions are asked. The treaty established open border for people''s movement without any travel documents such as passport or visa. But migration seems to be high on the agenda and is likely to continue as a major irritant in Indo-Nepal relations.
The influx of Nepal''s terai migrants from the hills and Indians from across the border, some Bangladeshis'' crossing into eastern Nepal after being pushed out from Bihar and West Bengal, will eject the local population. Consequently, this will create conflicts among the different categories of people.
The Indian stage of Assam has been complaining against the impact of influx of migration from both Bangladesh and other Indian states. Since Assam''s population has increased considerably, Assamese feel that they are virtually in the process of extinction due to the exodus of immigrants.
According to a previous study ago, Bengali Muslim immigrants possibly exceed one million, most in Karachi city. This city is also the destination of about 0.2 million BurmeDuring the last two decades or so, about half a million Indian Muslims crossed the Pakistani border illegally in order to join their relations in Pakistan.
Given the fact that South Asian countries, apart from Sri Lanka, will reach replacement rates much later, only after two decades, net rural to urban migration will contribute 25-40 percent urban group in this region, except in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Karachi may receive more migrants in comparison to other countries. However, there is little proof to support the frequently heard complaints that most South Asian countries are swamped by migrants.
The concentration of such migrants in some specific localities of the above-mentioned cities may give a contrary impression. It will seriously strain the provision of services and urban administration.
Migration has caused violence in various parts of South Asia. Fear of changes in the population structure has led to widespread resentment against migrants. In some places, the situation has become contentious because the migrants compete with locals for jobs and other economic benefits.
Tainted Food
The head of the Chinese agency that monitors food and product safety has resigned, state media announced Monday, pushed out by a scandal over tainted baby formula that killed four babies and sickened nearly 53,000. China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy companies -- prompting stores, including Starbucks, to yank milk from their shelves.
While the discovery of tainted imports from China has shocked Westerners, food safety has long been a problem in much of Asia, where enforcement is lax and food poisoning deaths are not unusual. Hot weather, lack of refrigeration and demand for cheap street food drives vendors and producers to find inexpensive — and often dangerous — ways to preserve their products.
What's exported, for the most part, is the good stuff. Companies know they must meet certain standards if they want to make money. But in the domestic market, substandard items and adulterated foods abound, including items rejected for export.
Formaldehyde, for instance, has long been used to lengthen the shelf life of rice noodles and tofu in some Asian countries, even though it can cause liver, nerve and kidney damage.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic and child trafficking
The HIV/AIDS epidemic and child trafficking have reached alarming levels in the East Asian and Pacific region, delegates at a regional conference said on May 7. More than 2 million people in the region are already HIV-positive, and infections continue to rise rapidly, according to the "Bali Consensus," a document adopted at the end of the three-day conference in Bali, Indonesia. The conference, organized by UNICEF, was attended by delegates from 25 countries.
"In the years ahead we will also have to provide support for millions of children and young people whose lives have been severely affected by the illness of their parents, especially those who have been orphaned," the report said.
Delegates said human trafficking involved increasingly large numbers of women and children. Children are being trafficked for labor, sexual exploitation, begging and adoption. Girls under 18 make up one-third of those who have been forced to be prostitutes in a number of countries.
"These children are frequently subjected to physical and sexual violence and psychological trauma, and are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases," the document said. "The HIV and AIDS pandemic among children, serious malnutrition, trafficking and sexual exploitation of children are important challenges for the implementation of the Bali Consensus," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy.
Pesticides in Asian Agriculture
When farmers first began to apply chemical pesticides in Asia, they found them to be very effective in controlling insect pests, diseases and weeds. Unfortunately, this effectiveness did not last long. Pest resistance soon appeared, and became so widespread that many pesticides became ineffective. Over time, the health hazards of pesticides also became apparent. Chemical pesticides are still seen as a useful technology, but one which needs careful management if it is to be safe and effective.
In 1997, FFTC and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) carried out a regional survey of the production and use of agricultural chemicals in the region. The results of the survey showed changes in patterns of pesticide use in recent decades, mostly in the direction of an increasing trend. The survey also showed that some countries lack a strong national system of pesticide registration, or clear regulations governing chemical applications. This suggests that chemical use in Asian countries may still be immature, and that there is a great need for detailed data if maximum safety and effectiveness are to be achieved.
In December 1998, FFTC held an international seminar as a follow-up to the survey. Topics discussed at the seminar included discuss current patterns of production and use of chemical pesticides in Asia, government policies concerning agricultural chemicals, and major problems faced by farmers in using these chemicals effectively.
Integrated Pest Management (Ipm)
For some decades, there has been a pro-pesticide bias in research and extension. This is now giving way to a general bias in favor of IPM. However, although IPM policies are popular, in practice IPM programs are difficult to implement. They are now becoming even more difficult as countries in the region adopt a free market approach to pesticide sales and distribution. This makes it almost impossible to coordinate pesticide use over a wide area, a basic strategy in IPM for resistance management.
Improved Pesticide Use
Many of the harmful effects from applying chemical pesticides come not so much from pesticide use as from pesticide misuse. This includes overapplication, repeated application of the same pesticide, poor application technology, and even the use of pesticides to catch fish. It was suggested that rather than focus on new technologies such as biological control and IPM, it might be more effective to make sure that pesticides are used properly.
This includes the improvement of application technology and sprayers, especially for low-income farmers. The condition and quality of the sprayer, and especially the nozzle, are very important. Under the best of circumstances, it is not easy for farmers to apply a fixed volume of chemical spray evenly over a fixed area. If the application technology is poor, farmers tend to apply far too much pesticide.
Monitoring for Pesticide Residues
An efficient monitoring system which regularly tests food items for pesticide residues is a strong incentive for farmers to use chemicals wisely. Indeed, unless contaminated shipments can be identified, farmers may not know or care whether the produce they are selling contains pesticide residues. However, the facilities needed for chemical testing are expensive, while there is some controversy over the accuracy of the cheaper bioassay procedure. One promising approach is HACCP - Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points. This looks at the whole chain of pesticide distribution and use, and selects the particular points where action is feasible and will make an impact.
Biological Pest Control
Part of the IPM approach is the use of non-chemical control methods. Farmers themselves share a great deal of valuable indigenous knowledge about botanical resources which help control pests. However, because a biological product is `natural' does not mean that it is safe.
The use of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) is widely accepted, as is the use of insect sex pheromones, and entomopathogenic microbes and fungi. More controversial are transgenic crops which incorporate genes from other species to enhance disease and pest resistance. Because this technology is new, we cannot predict its long-term effects. Our experience with chemical pesticides and other technologies has taught us that powerful new technology often carries unforeseen and serious side-effects. There are fears that the side-effects of transgenic crops may be more widespread and damaging than those from chemicals, and more difficult to control.
Resistance management is a key concept in pest control. Usually this involves repeated change of the control agent Bacillus thuringiensis) genes in transgenic crops. Although b.t. resistance is known to occur after repeated applications of b.t. products, the effect seems to be due to a number of recessive genes. If applications stop, resistance generally disappears after a few months. The presence of b.t. genes in crop plants would mean that insect pests are constantly exposed to b.t.. This may cause permanent and irreversible resistance.
Biological pesticides have many advantages. They are low-cost, the effect is self-sustaining, and they should not harm non-target species. They are also much cheaper to develop than new chemical pesticides. An important recommendation of the meeting was that the development of biopesticides should focus on indigenous biological resources, and on low-cost, on-farm production of these control agents.
Asia's Megacity Problems can be Averted, Says ADB
Asia will soon see a doubling in the number of its megacities -- urban areas with a population of over 10 million -- with an attendant rise in congestion, pollution, and crime.
But the good news is that, with proper management, the chilling prospect of a serious deterioration in quality of life could be averted.
This is the message of the theme chapter on Asian megacities in the 1996 Annual Report of the Asian Development Bank which was released today.
The Report notes that the continuing migration from rural to urban areas in Asia will expand the number of megacities from nine to 20 by the year 2025. It concedes that megacities are often plagued by environmental deterioration, inadequate housing, traffic jams, and social alienation. But the Report takes a positive approach, noting that megacities are also important to a country's economic development and can also provide residents with a satisfying quality of life. Properly managed, Asia’s megacities can also offer efficient business conditions and a better standard of services than in rural areas. In addition, they allow a variety of cultures to coexist and thrive, providing an enriching diversity of experience for all.
Over the past 30 years, the Asian urban population has nearly tripled from 400 million to 1.1 billion and there has been a corresponding increase in the level of urbanization. There has been a sharp rise in the number of megacities. Today, Asia has nine megacities - Beijing, Bombay, Calcutta, Jakarta, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Tokyo. Soon four more will be added -- Bangkok, Dhaka, Karachi, and Manila.
Megacities have both positive and negative features. They generate a higher-than-average proportion of the nation’s output of goods and services; are centers of innovation in science, the arts, and lifestyles; contain many of the cultural assets of the country; and offer some of the best opportunities for people to lead full and satisfying lives. Yet, they also suffer from water shortages, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and proliferation of slums, crime, and social alienation.
The Child Labour Problem
Around the world, millions of children have never had a childhood. They are forced to work, sometimes as child laborers, sometimes as virtual slaves. This practice is illegal and just plain wrong.
Child labor is a crime committed against nearly 220 million children, or one in every seven, ages 5 to 17, around the world. The majority are girls in the Asia Pacific region.
Many of the worst forms of child labor are a problem in India, Nepal and Pakistan, where RugMark operates. These include child trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, bonded child labor, child domestic work and the recruitment and use of children for armed conflict or drug trafficking.
Demand for child labor is so high that desperate parents sell their children into bondage. According to UNICEF, 14% of children in India between the ages of 5 and 14 are engaged in child labor activities including carpet production.
Many of the worst forms of child labor are a problem in India, Nepal and Pakistan, where RugMark operates. These include child trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, bonded child labor, child domestic work and the recruitment and use of children for armed conflict or drug trafficking.
While some people mistakenly think it is better when all members of a family work, child labor actually makes poverty worse. Child workers come cheaply and sometimes at no cost, and drive down wages for adult laborers. Plus children who work forfeit an education that could have helped them achieve a higher standard of living as adults. Child laborers are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, are subject to long hours of physically demanding and unrelenting work, and suffer from deprivation and poor health.
In the last two decades, the issue of child labour has taken a center stage in the international and local discussions and initiatives addressing the problems of children all over the world. Especially with the campaign for and the eventual adoption of the ILO Convention 182, the Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, there has been heightened awareness and sensitivity on the issue of child labour among peoples all over the world. At no other point in history has there been more programs and resources allocated to respond to this issue affecting millions of children worldwide. Research and information work on the issue has also developed rapidly. In Asia, most of our governments have adopted the ILO Convention and are working together with ILO-IPEC and other international programs addressing child labour issues. Indeed, the past years have seen developments on the legal framework for protection of children against labour exploitation and other forms of child abuses in our region.
Despite these gains, child labour remains far from being “solved”. Earlier in 1995, ILO estimated that some 250 million children between the ages 5-14 are economically active worldwide, and that 120 million of them are working full time. Last June 2002, the ILO Director General presented a report to the ILO International Conference during their 90th Session in Geneva: A Future Without Child Labour: Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The Global Report gave more detailed information on the incidence of child labour, especially the worst forms of child labour. The report acknowledges that the problem is more massive than earlier thought of. Of the estimated 211 million children with ages between 5 to 14, 186 million are engaged in work that must be abolished (including its worst forms). Of an estimated 141 million children aged 15-17 who are engaged in economic activities, 59 million children are engaged in child labour, which in this case are necessarily in the worst form. 8.4 million children are in the unconditionally worst forms of child labour (See Table 1). The report also identifies the Asia Pacific as the region where the majority of the children working in the worst forms of child labour are found.
Still another gap in the current initiatives on child labour is in engaging the children themselves and the organizations working with children in policy making and monitoring processes. While non-governmental organizations, child workers, and former child workers themselves have been at the heart of the movement that has brought about these global consciousness and actions on the issue, the actual interest in the richness of the lessons gained directly by these organizations working in the field is limited. Many non-government, community, and children’s organizations are yet to find adequate representation in various decision-making and monitoring structures at national, regional, and international levels.
The first part of the 21st century is a defining time for the movement to end child labor. Anti-child labor organizations have grown and have gained enough international support to declare some victories: child carpet weavers in South Asia have declined from one million in 1995 to an estimated 300,000 today; the ILO Convention 182 on the “Worst Forms of Child Labor” passed in 1999; and the Trade and Development Act of 2000 clarifies that the U.S. ban on articles made with forced and/or indentured labor includ goods made with forced or indentured child labor.
However, the transformation that will drive a permanent change is still several steps away.
Unemployment in Asia Pacific at record high: ILO
SOUTH Asia faces five major employment challenges, says the recent report of the Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre, Human Development in South Asia 2003: The Employment Challenge. One, South Asia is a hugely populated region with 1.4 billion people, 60 per cent of whom are in the working-age group. Two, labour force participation is only about 66 per cent of the working-age population. Three, employment growth rates are lower than both gross domestic product (GDP) and labour force growth rates. Four, agriculture is the predominant employer, although this sector has been suffering from lack of investment and low productivity since the Green Revolution during the 1960s. Five, one-third of South Asia is in poverty; and, about half of the population — in four large countries — is illiterate.
Employment in the Asia Pacific region, between 2003 and 2004, increased by only 1.6%, compared to the strong economic growth rate of over 7%. What’s more, during this period, the number of total unemployed edged up by half a million, reaching 78 million, the fifth consecutive year-on-year increase since 1999, according to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report released in Bangkok on Monday.
The report, Labour and Social Trends in Asia and the Pacific 2005, notes that despite progress in cutting poverty and improving the working lives of people in Asia under the Millennium Development Goals, unemployment was a cause for grave concern as it had reached a new record high in the region.
It assumes significance as the United Nations World Summit in New York opens on September 14-16. The summit, the biggest gathering ever to be mounted by the UN, will discuss efforts to reduce poverty, among other issues. A host of key Asian leaders are expected to attend the summit, among some 160 heads of state.
LABOUR PAIN
• Employment in the Asia Pacific region, between 2003 and 2004, increased by only 1.6%
• The creation of new jobs has failed to keep pace with the region’s impressive economic growth
• Total unemployed edged up by half a million, reaching 78m
• Young people, aged 15-24, are bearing the brunt of this employment deficit
• Fewer girls attend primary and secondary schools than boys in South Asia
• Women in these countries have limited employment opportunities
According to the study’s “stark analysis of a growing employment gap in the Asia region,” the creation of new jobs has failed to keep pace with the region’s impressive economic growth. Under-employment, it says, remains widespread and manifests itself in many forms: millions are working involuntary less than full time or are taking jobs below their qualifications or skills. And many public enterprises are overstaffed. A disturbing trend brought out by the study is that young people, aged 15 to 24, are bearing the brunt of this employment deficit, accounting for a disproportionate 49.1% of the regions jobless, although they make up only 20.8% of the labour force. It points at the “cruel irony” in the co-existence of youth unemployment with child labour: “millions young people are jobless or under-utilised while many jobs are filled by children who should be attending schools”.
According to ILO estimates, halving youth unemployment would increase GDP by up to 2.5% in East Asia, by up to 6.7% in South Asia and up to 7.4% in Southeast Asia.
While the region’s countries have made huge strides in reducing poverty and the prospects are good for meeting the first MDG of halving extreme poverty (those living on less than $1 a day), the so-called working poverty remains a serious problem, the report adds.
It shows the problems spotlighted by the MDGs are all interlinked — poverty can’t be tackled unless issues like child labour, gender equality, youth employability are addressed.
Many countries, especially in South Asia, are also unlikely to meet the MDG on gender equality and empowerment of women.
“Fewer girls attend primary and secondary schools than boys. Young women suffer more unemployment than young men — a particularly worrying trend in some countries where female labour force participation is still low. Women in these countries have limited employment opportunities and, if employed, generally earn less than their male counterparts”.
At its thirteenth session in 1995, the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) decided to consider the question of indigenous peoples and health as a sub-item of its agenda item on the review of developments. In its resolution 1995/38 of 24 August 1995, the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities welcomed the decision. In preparation for the fourteenth session of the WGIP in 1996, the Secretariat prepared a note which identifies some of the issues to be considered in discussions of the question of indigenous peoples and health (UN Doc E/CN 4/Sub 2/AC 419963). Paragraphs 3-19 of the Secretariat's Note are reproduced below.
The need for considering the issue of health and indigenous people
3. The health conditions of indigenous people are recognized to be generally worse than those of the national populations in the countries in which they live. The first Workshop on indigenous Peoples and Health in the Americas held in Winnipeg in April 1993 under the auspices of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) noted the alarming health situation confronting some indigenous peoples of the continent and recommended that PAHO and its member Governments take immediate action to identify priority areas and the neediest populations. Resolution V adopted by PAHO recognizes that "the living and health conditions of the estimated 43 million indigenous persons in the Region of the Americas are deficient, as reflected in excess mortality due to avoidable causes and in reduced life expectancy at birth, which demonstrates the persistence and even the aggravation of inequalities among indigenous populations in comparison with other homologous social groups".
4. Governmental statistics point to the higher infant mortality rates, lower life expectancy/ and greater morbidity and chronic illness of indigenous people in comparison with the wider population in national societies. Comparative disadvantage in the health situation of indigenous people prevails worldwide, including in rich countries where some groups are affected by malnutrition arising from protein and calorie deficiencies. Indigenous people are particularly subject to infectious and parasitic diseases and some peoples, for example relatively isolated forest-dwelling peoples, can be extremely vulnerable to imported illnesses against which they have no immunity. Under certain circumstances, even the common cold can be fatal. Tobacco and alcohol are widely used and cause great harm among indigenous peoples. Mental health disorders and psychological problems, depression, stress-related disorders including violence against others and suicide are growing concerns among indigenous people. Problems related to alcohol and other substance use are also a matter of special consideration.
5. The right to health is recognized in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, as adopted by the Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, also contains a number of specific provisions concerning the health of indigenous peoples, in particular articles 22F 23 and 24. The International Labour Organization's Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (No. 169) also includes in its Part V provisions relating to indigenous health. Finally, reference can be made to General Assembly resolution 48/163 in which the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People and identified as one of its goals the strengthening of international cooperation for the solution of problems facing indigenous people in the area of health.
6. The World Health Organization (WHO) is charged with the responsibility of promoting and coordinating international health work, so as to bring about a steady improvement in the public health situation and in the health status of all peoples. In May 1977, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA30.43 which stated that the main social target of Governments and WHO should be the attainment by all citizens of the world by the year 2000 of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life. In 1979, resolution WHA32.30 endorsed the Declaration of the International Conference on Primary Health Care held in Almaty in 1978, and invited Member States to formulate national policies, strategies and plans of action based on primary health care for attaining the goal of health for all by the year 2000. Of relevance also is the International Conference on Nutrition organized by the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO in December 1992 which resulted in a World Declaration and Plan of Action aimed at achieving adequate household food, security, health and nutritional well-being for all through sustainable and environmentally sound development.
7. In 1981 the Global Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000 was adopted by all Member States. This is the framework for action at the international level and the present focus of the Health for All strategy is on equity and access to health services. The forty-seventh World Health Assembly, through its resolution WHA47.27, called upon the Director-General to increase cooperation between WHO and other United Nations organizations to help meet the health needs of indigenous people, to provide Member States with technical support, and to assist Governments and indigenous people in addressing indigenous health needs in a culturally effective manner. The forty-eighth world Health Assembly, through its resolution WHA48.24, requested the Director-General to report to the forty-ninth World Health Assembly on the measures taken, including those at regional level, on the implementation of its resolution 47.27. At the forty-ninth World Health Assembly, the Director-General informed the session of the designation of
Dr. A. Kone-Diabi, Assistant Director-General, as focal point for the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, and made recommendations for future action. These recommendations include a commitment to consolidate WHO's work and cooperate with national Governments and organizations of indigenous people, and to participate in the health-related discussions at the fourteenth session of the Working Group. The World Health Assembly, in a resolution adopted at its forty-ninth session, requested the Director-General to strengthen the focal point and to submit to the ninety-ninth session of the Executive Board a comprehensive programme of action for the Decade, developed in consultation with national Governments and organizations of indigenous people, to be undertaken by the
World Health Organization at both headquarters and regional levels, with a view to achieving the health objectives of the Decade.
The social and cultural context of indigenous health
8. All over the world indigenous people are affected by poverty and below average living conditions. They have generally less access to education, health services employment, adequate housing, basic water and sanitation than other sectors of society. In practice, these factors contribute to the poor health situation of indigenous people. Certain indigenous peoples are affected by serious nutritional deficiencies as a result of poverty and limited availability of food, leading to higher rates of infant mortality and incidences of illnesses such as tuberculosis. [2] The most significant consequences of substance use amongst indigenous people are those associated with health damage, social disruption and destruction of indigenous culture and values; in some communities they pose the greatest threat to their very existence. Indigenous peoples, particularly in rural areas, are faced with the problems of unequal access to health facilities and services. This is due both to the general isolation of some indigenous people and poverty which severely limits their ability to pay for medical attention. [3]
9. The loss of the traditional lands and natural resources of indigenous peoples has been identified as a major cause of the deterioration of their health. The loss of land and resources undermines and, in severe cases, can lead to the breakdown of indigenous food production systems. The reduced reliance on locally produced foods and on fishing, hunting and trapping has resulted in less food intake as well as nutritional deficiencies. Indigenous people who have lost their territories or whose access to a land base is restricted are often reduced to dependence on cheaper, unsuitable and unhealthy foodstuffs brought in from outside.
10. Indigenous lands are also particularly affected by environmental degradation and pollution. It may be noted that, in the last decades, areas occupied by indigenous people have been subjected to intensive development. This has taken the form of mining, hydroelectric, logging and agroindustrial development as well as settlement by non-indigenous peoples. These activities have often resulted in adverse social and environmental impacts for indigenous peoples. A report of the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations (E/CN.4/sub-2/1991/49) identifies a number of effects including the alteration of streamflows, habitat loss, soil erosion, disruption of aquifers, toxic discharges, and deteriorating water and air quality which cause reduced crop yields and fish harvests, poor quality diets, stress, the introduction of disease, family and community break-up and declining health conditions. Non-indigenous people are also adversely affected by environmental degradation. However, whereas non-indigenous peoples can relocate with less long-term damage to their communities, indigenous peoples experience a break from their ancestral lands and history and eventually risk a loss of cultural identity. In extreme cases, Indigenous people so distraught with the loss of their lands have resorted to suicide.
11. The process of acculturation, for a long time part of the official policy of States, has been responsible
for a devaluing of indigenous cultures, a lowering of individual self-esteem, and disruption of social and
community organization. Indigenous people consider that this form of often forcible integration has resulted in marginalization and cultural disintegration. The effects of acculturation may manifest themselves in high incidences of stress-related illnesses, domestic violence, self-inflicted damage, and harmful alcohol and other substance use.
12. The social and cultural context of indigenous health is complex. Diverse and interrelated factors contribute to a continuing health disadvantage for many indigenous people. Limited access to health services is not the only or even the principal cause of the generally worse health situation of indigenous people. The loss of lands and resources, inappropriate governmental policies of acculturation and poverty are especially relevant contributing factors. Indigenous people themselves refer to the need to re-establish control over their own affairs as a fundamental basis for the improvement of living and health conditions.
Indigenous approaches to health
13. Western medicine is indebted to indigenous and traditional healing sciences and practices. For example, it was the Jivaro people of the Amazonian region who taught the world how to combat malaria with cluinine, an alkaloid extracted from the bark of the Chinchona tree. In Quebec, the French explorer Jacques Cartier depended upon indigenous remedies based on the bark and leaves of the white cedar tree to fight scurvy. The alkaloid emetine, derived from the roots of the plant ipecacuanha now used as a treatment against amoebic dysentery, was discovered after observation of its use by indigenous
peoples in Mato Grosso, Brazil. [4] It is estimated that a quarter of all prescription drugs are derived from plants and
that three quarters of these have been developed from information provided by indigenous peoples. The figure of
$43 billion of annual sales has been attributed to the value of medicines derived from plants discovered by indigenous peoples. [5]
14. With respect to the protection of the intellectual property of indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Erica-Irene Daes, has been entrusted by the Sub-Commission to elaborate draft principles and guidelines for the protection of the heritage of indigenous people. Reference is made to the series of reports by the Special Rapporteur on this Question. [6] It may be noted that the environmental destruction of bio-diversity is currently threatening the medicinal resource base of indigenous communities. The dramatic changes affecting local ecosystems may eliminate plants used by indigenous healers and may also lead to the extinction of plant or animal species of potential usefulness for humanity. The social disintegration brought about by the loss of indigenous lands, acculturation and inappropriate development is also a factor in breaking the essential collective and cross-generational character of indigenous health knowledge and experience. As has been suggested by several observers, the loss of the knowledge of indigenous healers is equivalent to the destruction of a library.
15. Some comment is necessary on the different approach adopted by indigenous and traditional health practitioners. The World Health Organization defines traditional medicine as comprising therapeutic practices that have been in existence for hundreds of years, before the development and spread of modern scientific medicine, and are still in use today. These practices vary widely, in keeping with the social and cultural heritage of different countries.7 While Western medicine focuses by and large on a specific syndrome or disease, indigenous and traditional healing addresses the whole person. Indigenous medicine as well as being holistic, also makes extensive use of natural cures based on plants and animals. For this reason indigenous healers often have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the local pharmacopoeia. There is and has always been some acknowledgement of this wealth of knowledge. Western scientists visiting the Americas and other regions in the early years of colonization, for example, actively gathered information about medicinal plants from indigenous peoples. Today certain traditional health practices are considered harmful, others beneficial. There remains, however, among medical practitioners a general reluctance to accept indigenous and traditional medicine, and it certainly does not enjoy the same status as modern scientific medicine.
16. The Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Health held in Winnipeg in 1993, while recommending the promotion of access by indigenous people to mainstream medicine, also supported the need to develop socially and culturally sensitive local health systems in which indigenous wisdom can be preserved. The Workshop also stated that "indigenous peoples must regain control over their own lives, of which health is only one aspect", and recognized that it is important to reassess the value of indigenous wisdom and to strengthen the unique elements of indigenous cultures, recognizing that it is the members of these cultures who have the best understanding of their own people, their health and development needs".
Best Practices
17. Significant progress has been made in indigenous health in all countries. The experiences of national and indigenous health services can be a source of information of interest to all concerned. Of particular importance are the grass-roots projects being developed by indigenous people themselves which offer a range of options for consideration. For example, in practice certain health problems are more effectively solved through the intervention of family or clan members than of medical, mental health or social services professionals. In other cases, indigenous control over local health services has led to better information being provided to indigenous people on maintaining good health through self-help. International, regional and national health authorities have an interest in exploring ways to promote and support these local indigenous initiatives.
18. Research into specific problems faced by indigenous people, including research by indigenous health professionals, and in providing opportunities for the exchange of information about successful health initiatives has also proved valuable. In this respect, it may be noted that the World Health Organization has initiated phase II of the Indigenous Peoples and Substance Use project, by providing an opportunity for indigenous people to be involved in the design and implementation of a United Nations global project. This is a substantial project including field-level activities and technical input which will be managed by indigenous people. [8] Another area which is currently receiving attention focuses on ways of reconciling modern scientific medicine with indigenous health practices, possibly through the training of indigenous people. Information about these and other initiatives would be a source of guidance to the Working Group.
Possible discussion points
19. The working Group may wish to identify some common elements related to indigenous health and consider some of the following questions:
(a) What is the present situation of health of indigenous peoples?
(b) What are the obstacles to improved health among indigenous people?
(c) How can successful indigenous health practices be preserved and supported? How can indigenous people gain greater access to national health services?
(d) What initiatives to improve indigenous health are considered best practices? What general observations can be drawn from these experiences? Are there defined best practices/guidelines for improving indigenous health? If so, have they proved effective?
(e) What policy, programmes and projects could the World Health Organization and the regional health organizations be invited to consider to promote full indigenous health by the year 2000? What action could be recommended to other United Nations organizations and agencies?
(f) Would it be helpful to organize regional and/or national workshops on indigenous health issues in order to contribute to the elaboration of appropriate programmes and projects?
(g) What mechanisms can be developed to establish a process of exchange and consultation on indigenous health issues among the appropriate United Nations organizations, national Governments and organizations of indigenous peoples, as requested by the World Health Assembly at its 1996 session?
(h) How should the Voluntary Fund for the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People be used in order to promote indigenous health?
Energy crisis
South Asia has a problem: it doesn't have enough energy. Pretty standard stuff, really, but what is notable is that grand energy-policy visions are drifting dangerously far from the realities on the ground.
For a region that is developing swiftly, energy problems can only worsen in coming years. In response, institutional change needs to happen swiftly and in the form of basic energy management, better transmission infrastructure, greater efficiency and, in most
cases, something as rudimentary as the drafting of a countrywide energy strategy.
There is clearly competition for energy resources, but what about the heated competition for grand energy visions? Hot out of the blocks we have India and its nuclear deal with the United States. If statements are to be believed, the support the US is prepared to offer will help India overcome its considerable power-sector difficulties in one fell swoop. To be fair, it's a surprise that the deal has gotten this far this quickly, and although there is clearly a long way to go in finalizing all those devilish details, once in place, India has a clear run at developing its civilian nuclear-energy program to international standards. Impending energy crisis averted, future energy needs addressed - job well done.
Not to be outdone, Pakistan has its own energy strategies on the boil. It is seeking to pursue international gas-pipeline options with which it hopes to position itself as an energy hub for South Asia and possibly China through the port at Gwadar.
This shows some very savvy forward planning. From Gwadar, which itself sits adjacent to 40% of the world's oil-tanker shipping lines, Pakistan can ship energy supplies in any direction through its landmass and find an energy-hungry market. Similarly, a planned gas pipeline - possibly operational as early as 2009 - from Iran, crossing Pakistan and heading on to India, offers not just a supply on tap for both nations but would be a major incentive for stability between these two restive neighbors. Another pipeline option running from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and potentially on to India may be similarly well conceived on this hypothetical basis.
The operational reality of the projects, including security concerns and pricing disputes, are noticeably absent from the vision. Less successfully - though it gets points for trying - Pakistan's attempts to pursue its own nuclear agreement with the US have fallen foul, with the administration of President George W Bush arguing that when it comes to nuclear issues, it treats India and Pakistan very differently.
Then, of course, we cannot overlook the ambitious visions from South Asia's energy sectors, which include the competition to secure oil and gas supplies abroad. The activities of India - often considered in relation to China - are the most notable here, though many other nations are lining up prospective deals worldwide. None has yet seemed able to surpass the Chinese for global reach, with its top leaders dispatched as far afield as Africa and latterly Latin America in the unquenchable mission to satisfy its future energy requirements.
Global Report on Forced Labour In Asia: debt bondage, trafficking and state-imposed forced labour
Bonded labour is the main form of forced labour in the region, affecting mainly the South Asian countries of India, Nepal and Pakistan. It usually begins when poor people have no option but to take a loan or wage advance from their employer to cover emergency or major social expenditures. They subsequently find it impossible to repay for a combination of reasons, including high interest rates, low pay, and over-inflated prices for agricultural or other essential production inputs provided by the landlord or employer.
Illiteracy compounds the problem, as debtors are unable to keep or verify records of the loan payments they have made, and in most cases no written contract exists in the first place. Violence and threats of violence can be used to enforce the bond, or more subtle strategies such as exclusion from future employment. In the worst of cases, children can be bonded independently of their families, or they inherit their parents' debts.
Older manifestations of bonded labour are transmuting into newer ones, which - although still widespread in its traditional stronghold of agriculture - is increasingly found in other sectors such as domestic service, brick-kilns, rice-mills, mining and quarrying, and carpet-weaving.
The governments of India, Nepal and Pakistan have all enacted legislation to outlaw bonded labour systems, and have had varying degrees of success. Around 18,000 identified former "Kamaiyas" in Nepal have received some rehabilitation, including land and housing materials for the poorest, as well as a range of other support such as vocational skills training and access to microcredit. At the moment, however, the political situation in Nepal is an impediment to ILO programmes there.
In India, the government's "centrally sponsored scheme" provides financial or in-kind grants to released bonded labourers and their family members; over 285,000 people have benefited to date. Almost 5,000 prosecutions have been recorded so far under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976. Pakistan adopted, in 2001, its National Policy and Plan of Action for the Abolition of Bonded Labour, which provides the framework for attacking the problem, mostly in agriculture and brick-kilns in Sindh and Punjab Provinces.
Other forms of forced labour
Trafficking for forced commercial sexual exploitation is growing, but with 1.4 million people concerned it makes up less than 10 per cent of the total. Annual profit generated by trafficked forced labour in the Asia-Pacific region is estimated at US$ 9.7 billion. The economic disparities in the Mekong sub-region fuel the trafficking of women and children from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia towards Thailand. Women and children from Indonesia and the Philippines are trafficked into forced commercial sex work in destination countries such as Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, China.
The incidence of forced labour among domestic workers trafficked from these countries to Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong SAR is high. In Japan and Australia, for example, women have entered the country legally under "entertainment" visas, with the expectation of working in dance clubs, only to find themselves forced into providing sexual services.
In China, massive internal migration from rural to urban areas puts many young women and girls, in particular, at high risk for labour and sexual exploitation. Many Chinese migrants are also susceptible to smuggling and trafficking into ethnic business enclaves in Europe and North America, where they become trapped in slavery-like conditions in sweatshops, in restaurants, and under the premise of domestic work.
Root causes of trafficking and irregular migration include poverty, indebtedness, and limited educational and employment opportunities in rural communities of origin, social exclusion and the lure of the big cities. Some women and children are sold into the sex trade, while others are trafficked for domestic or seasonal agricultural work, or begging and soliciting.
The "Bali Process" was initiated by the governments of Australia and Indonesia to develop practical measures at a regional level against trafficking and smuggling. The process has thus moved from one of merely enunciating principles to one of implementing more practical measures, and there has also been a recent change of focus from the interception of smuggling towards the prevention of trafficking and the protection of victims.
In China, there have been well-publicized arrests and prosecutions of leaders of trafficking networks, and a toughening of penalties. Between 2001 and 2003, the government investigated over 20,000 cases, in which 43,215 women and children were rescued and 22,018 traffickers arrested. Government action is also underway to prevent illegal emigration for work abroad by cracking down on hundreds of unregistered labour intermediary agencies.
About 20 per cent of forced labour (affecting approximately 1.9 million people) is state-imposed and concentrated in a few countries. In Myanmar, labour is required on a large scale from villagers - including men, women, children and the elderly - for a range of purpose including cultivation, portering, sentry duty, and road or bridge construction and repairs. If villagers refuse to comply with orders, they can be subject to threats, imprisonment and violence.
"The Myanmar case demonstrates that it is impossible to make effective progress against forced labour when there is a climate of impunity and repression against persons who denounce forced labour abuses", comments Roger Plant, the main author of the global report on forced labour.
As they are not recognized as workers, and deprived of labour rights in Asian countries, domestic workers may also be subjected to forced labour. To remedy this situation, both the Philippines and Indonesia now have bills that provide for a minimum wage for domestic workers, as well as for working hours and benefits similar to those for workers in other sectors. Japan has recently embarked on a series of measures to eradicate the exploitation of migrant and trafficked women, including strict enforcement of the rules for entertainment visas, financial assistance for victims to return home, and intensified cooperation with origin countries.
The ILO is both helping Indonesia and the Philippines strengthen the outreach of domestic workers' organizations, and creating linkages with organizations of migrant workers in the neighbouring destination countries of Malaysia and Hong Kong SAR. In the Mekong Delta region, the ILO Mekong Trafficking Project is working to prevent ill-prepared migration of vulnerable groups like women and children who are easier to steer into forced labour through human trafficking.
Through technical cooperation projects in India, Pakistan and Nepal, the ILO is addressing bonded labour and assisting the governments in providing effective rehabilitation for released bonded families, targeting specific needs of the poorest-of-the-poor, especially women, who are most vulnerable to debt traps. An important aspect is work with microfinance institutions to help them develop and offer specially adapted savings, loans and other financial services like life insurance, so that families no longer need turn to their employers or landlords for loans. The current political situation in Nepal, however, is a serious impediment to effective action.
A major ILO initiative to prevent trafficking in women and girls between Cambodia, Yunan Province of China, Viet Nam, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thailand has contributed towards reducing the vulnerability of girls and young women to trafficking by warning them of the dangers of ill-informed migration. It encourages them to participate actively in developing solutions to the problems in their communities of origin that give rise to this migration in the first place.
In China, a new ILO project aims to enhance the capacity of the government and labour institutions to address the law enforcement aspects of trafficking. The project includes data gathering, victim identification, and law and policy-related activities in selected provinces of high out-migration. In Viet Nam, the ILO has provided technical support to an Inter-Ministerial Task Force on forced labour, established to review forced labour concerns in law and practice, and to oversee a comprehensive review of forced labour in the country.
The process has succeeded in mobilizing a wide range of government departments under the leadership of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, building consensus on forced labour and the relevance to Viet Nam of eliminating forced labour. In Mongolia, possible forced labour practices have been examined, including forced overtime in manufacturing, and placing prisoners at the disposal of private companies in the textile and garment industries.
Conclusion
We may discuss details of every problem and we may find no end of it.
Just let us have an initiative to make Asia Peace zone. Let the People`s power have the last say. Let us resist the fascist and imperialist design to colonise us.
An United civil Society may break the jinx, we believe.
We may pressurise the governments in every nation to have dialogue to resolve long standing issues.
We may stand united with Minorities and persecuted nationalities everywhere. If we care to defend human and civil rights, No War against terrorism would need and the terror strikes would end for ever.
The NGOs may coordinate across the border all over Asia the People`s welfare and empowerment programmes sustaining their respective identity and autonomy.
We may mobilise mass movement within nations to defend food security,right to employment, right to education, right to information, justice, equality and brotherhood! We may take an initiative to abolish untouchability and the cursed problems of caste system and discrimination. We may resist the harmonies to save Man and Nature Asia Wide.
Let us be social as well as Eco Activists working for world peace and Peace zone Asia!
Let us be United rock solid against Fascism as well as Imperialism!
Memories of Another day
While my Parents Pulin babu and Basanti devi were living
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