Shared Future for Mankind: Building Community Where the Lamp of Material Civilization Is Illumined by the Light of the Spirit
Loh Lee Lee
Director, Ludher Consultancy, Malaysia
1 The question
If I have only 6 more months to live, the last thing I want to do is to go to work! Will I be doing what I am doing today? If this was true, then there is certainly be a major contradiction in my life. “Work” is THE pursuit in most people’s lives in this world driven by a growing economy and material pursuit. Why then, does it become the last thing one wants to do when the end is near?
From early childhood and throughout most of their lives, people give great importance to career, ambition, vocation, or occupation. This centrality is even found in the reproductive work of women-defined as “the child-bearing / rearing responsibilities and domestic tasks undertaken by women, required to guarantee the maintenance and reproduction of the labor force. It includes not only biological reproduction but also the care and maintenance of the work-force (husband and working children) and the future work-force (infants and school-going children).”[1]
Education from primary to tertiary is tailored to produce the work-force for an economy. Any mismatch or unemployable graduates will be deemed as failure of the education system. Transportation is designed to take people to work in the fastest and most efficient ways.
Why is it then, that at the end of all of this, the last thing we want to do is to go to “work”? Is there then more to life than earn to pay bills and feed the insatiable self?
Work can also be at the center of contention with life as well. The tension between the reproductive and productive roles causes what Myrdal and Klein[2] refer to as the “féminine dilemma.” Without men taking their share of domestic responsibilities, women are often faced with the dilemma of choosing between productive or reproductive work. Work-life conflict or work-family conflict today is no longer gender-specific. A study by Center for American Progress showed that 90% of working mothers and 95% of working fathers report to experience work-family conflict[3]. According to The CQ Researcher Online at the Wayback Machine, Steven Sauter of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati stated that “the workplace has become the single greatest source of stress.” Many employees expose themselves to high levels of stress trying to be the “ideal worker” on the job, working long hours and taking work home, thus giving little time and energy to other aspects of life. Depression, burnout and other diseases cost Germany for example, 41 million absent days and led to 3.9 billion Euros in lost production costs (Frank, 2010).
Similarly, there are a lot more hidden social costs to family, children, and society as a whole that is not accounted for. There are millions of home alone children (e.g. latchkey kids), left behind (in rural and remote villages while parents or spouses work in the cities or overseas) and broken families. Gifts and once a year or longer visits cannot be the remedy for the pain and deprivation of a wholesome and fulfilling family life.
To use one’s talent and faculties to pursue a profession, trade, or occupation is noble and commendable. Work contributes to the social and economic development of a country and to the welfare and prosperity of all. It is a means for the acquisition of wealth and is praiseworthy to the extent that it serves as a means for achieving higher ends for example for meeting one’s basic necessities, for fostering the progress of one’s family, for promoting the welfare of society, and for contributing to the common good. It is also important that work generates wealth and enriches the generality of the people bringing about social justice. But if work is related to the exploitation of others, the monopolization, and manipulation of markets, and the production of goods that promote violence and immorality, it no longer contributes to the betterment of the society. It is worse when work becomes an obsession or for the accumulation of wealth motivated by greed. Then work becomes the curse instead of a blessing.
2 Common issues in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia covers about 4.4 million square kilometers, which represents three percent of the total land area of the Earth. The total combined population of the region is about 651 million people (9% of the world’s population). Its combined Gross Domestic Product is estimated at US$3 trillion (Wikipedia, 2019). It is one of the fastest-growing economies of the world. Eight out of ten ASEAN members are among the world’s outperforming economies. This puts tremendous demand for its population, environment, and infrastructure to continue to sustain its economic growth. Among the common concerns of these countries are:
2.1 Deterioration of social and environmental well-being
The issue of environmental deterioration in over-crowded, smog-filled cities. In addition it focused on the thick haze enveloping the region caused by the annual burning of land for the production of pulp, paper, and commercial crops. Air quality index readings went into thousands, way beyond the unhealthy 200 marks. The health implications were so severe that thousands of people were forced to flee the worst affected areas.
2.2 Megacities and its challenges
Based on the Environmental Performance Index in 2012, Vietnam was ranked 123rd in air quality- among the worst in the world in terms of air pollution. Smoke and dust created by trucks, motorbikes are some of the main factors of a decrease in air quality especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Smoke emissions are the heaviest pollutants with an average content of soot around 0.36-0.63mg, mostly due to dense road traffic activities.
The quality of air has direct effects on human health, water, and environmental burden disease. Air pollution costs Ho Chi Minh City an estimated $50 million annually including treatment of respiratory diseases related to air pollution and absenteeism from work to take care of sick family members. Hanoi loses another $20 million due to air pollution every year.
Another megacity is Jakarta which ranks as the most congested city. The city is without a mass rapid transportation system. It has a very high number of junctions and crossroads which make gridlock common. The city had roughly 17.5 million motor vehicles on the road in 2014, up from 16 million in 2015. Inevitably, it means traffic gridlock. Getting stuck in traffic jams every day is expensive. According to the Malaysia Economic Monitor by the World Bank (2015), the total cost of traffic congestion in Greater Kuala Lumpur alone is estimated at 1.1-2.2% of the GDP in 2014.
2.3 Poor living conditions in cities for workers and families
When people move from their villages to the cities, one of the challenges they face is the overcrowded urban living conditions. The Uplanders of Laos who are resettled in the towns are often residing in cities with an entire family, normally more than five people, crowded into a room. Since they could not afford the higher rental, they cook, eat and sleep in this small space. The space outside of the room is also not theirs to relax or gather for a drink to chat with their neighbors. Construction and factory workers who go to the city or neighboring countries to work face similar situations with little privacy or personal space. As a result, they hang out in malls, gardens or public spaces with some young people ending-up in budget hotels resulting in unwanted pregnancy. Over-consumption of alcohol, smoking, and drug addiction often provide common escapes from the loneliness and boredom of living away from their communities.
2.4 Rural poverty and rural flight to cities and abroad
In most of the ASEAN countries, rural poverty squeezes its population into the city or to neighboring countries in search of work and a higher income. Besides internal migration from villages to towns, many from Indonesia and Philippines work as domestic helpers and construction workers Singapore and Malaysia, while those from Cambodia and Laos work in Thailand as manual workers in farms or construction industry. Thais and Malaysians in turn work in Singapore both as professionals as well as in the formal sectors.
There are some two million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) of whom 1,149,000 are males and 1,170,000 females. The majority are working as laborers (32.8% women) and unskilled workers of which, 54.0%, are women. Some nine million Filipinos’ children were left behind with either one or both parents working abroad. Such family situation left a negative impact on the children. Studies have shown that elementary school children experienced high level of anxiety and loneliness. The younger ones felt that they were abandoned and were resentful to parental absence.
Of the 5.2 million Indonesian working overseas, about 75% to 80% are serving domestic workers. Many domestic workers endure isolation, long hours, underpayment, forced labor and in the worst case, violence. Many women see it as their duty to bring enough money home to support their families so they can have better lives and brighter future. Some even forego home leave to save more money to send home. In 2013, Indonesian migrant workers sent home remittances of more than $7.3 billion. These women surrender most of their incomes to their husbands as traditional heads of households, often turning a blind eye to the reality that the husbands may be having extra-marital affairs or second wives.
Another vulnerable group is the displaced native or tribal groups from mountainous regions, for example, those in Laos and Myanmar. They often move out of their remote villages and settle in small villages located at the fringe of their home regions. Their land is often taken over by large corporations for commercial crops or hydro-electric schemes, or mines or lumber business. So, they have to leave their traditional livelihoods such as fishing, hunting or shifting cultivation life-style. After resettling in para urban areas, they have to learn to farm crops for food as well as produce cash crops for income. The compensations offer to them are often not substantial enough for them to adapt to the new culture and to benefit from their first harvest.
The difficulties of integration of these new settlers into existing villages have led to many new social issues. Conflicts and disputes among the new settlers and villagers are common. It leads to further marginalization of these communities. Many of them leave for the cities, pulled by promises of possible cash from jobs. An estimated 7.1% of the total population is internal migrants. A significant number are those between 15-29 years old. Their destination is often the capital city.
While the labor laws are meant to protect internal migrants as well as foreign workers, in Thailand, for example, more than one million unregistered migrant workers face obstacles to secure decent work opportunities, health-care access, and civil rights. Although Thailand’s Labour Protection Act does not distinguish between citizens and foreign workers, in reality, migrants may not receive the same and equal treatment. They are often denied the legal minimum wage, accident compensation plans or pension.
3 Reflection on the situation in Southeast Asia
The collective life of Southeast Asia suffers when any one group thinks of its own well-being in isolation from “others” or pursues economic gain without regard for how the natural environment, which provides sustenance for all, is affected. Avarice and self-interest prevail, time and again, prevail at the expense of the common good. Unconscionable quantities of wealth are amasses by a minority of the population, creating incomes and access disparity both between nations and within nations.
Perhaps, the center of our life should be “life” itself and orbiting around it are the social, material, spiritual, cultural and intellectual aspects that come in the form of work, health, family, religion, service to community and others. Love for life maybe that gravitational pull that keeps all aspects of our life, including work, in balance. Thus, we can integrate and bring into coherence work and life. Then work is worth living for.
4 Breaking through
Efforts have been made by various institutions ranging from Government to civil societies and corporate organizations to address the challenges and come out with innovative approaches to overcome these issues and concerns. Below are some examples of the efforts made.
4.1 Government efforts promoting a coherent life
An example of a Southeast Asian country committed to implement policies promoting a more coherent life is the Government of Brunei Darussalam. The Institute of Civil Service of Brunei Department of Community Development (JAPEM) has been conducting courses on work-life integration for the public and private sectors. A Special Committee under the National Plan for Women also organizes courses and roadshows on work-family balance exploring family-oriented policies and strategies aiming mainly at confronting family poverty; ensuring work-family balance and advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity.
Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna as the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Royal Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam had reminded the administrative professionals not to let work-life overwhelm their personal life. She said that they should work hard and play harder. She added that it was crucial for working parents to integrate their work and personal lives.
The National Strategy on Gender Equality (2011-2020) of the Government of Vietnam is another example. It ensures support for gender equality with the objective to narrow the gender gap in the economic, labor and employment domain; and to increase access of rural poor women and ethnic minority women to economic resources and labor market. As a result, the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) carries out many activities, including providing micro-finance support, vocational training, and science and technology transfer and job creation for women. In an effort towards a coherent life, VWU-launched movements such as “Women study actively, work creatively and nurture happy families” and “Women help each other to develop the household economy”. They have stimulated women across the country to move up the production value chain, increase income and improve economic status.
The Singapore Government, for example, has the “Enabling Master Plan” to support the integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in mainstream employment through “Open Door Program.” As “work” often shapes the self-esteem of an individual about herself, finding jobs for those with disability is essential for wholesome living. This program funds employers’ efforts to accommodate the needs of PWDs such as modification of workspaces, streamlining of work processes and the purchase of assistive technology to integrate PWDs into a regular work environment.
Environmental and attitudinal barriers in society make the work-life experience of PWDs different from average able-bodied individuals. Other training programs also help PWDs to navigate their lives in society as they contend with work-life balance. There are many websites, e.g. jobs 4 Disabled (jobs-4-disabled.jobfinder.com.sg) and www.latikaroy.org which open opportunities for employment as well as offers training and skill developments. These pieces of training not only build capacity but offer social spaces for a more balanced life. The participants become friends, support groups and develop social networks, sometimes leading to marriage and establishing family in Singapore.
4.2 Working at / from home
Not all countries of ASEAN recognize the value and contribution of home-based work. Home-based work, in different forms of sub-contracting or production of material or knowledge-based, is prevalent all over the region. Its ability to combine productive and reproductive work suits women who have to care about the young and elderly. It, being in the home, enables those with disability to earn a living. The home then becomes a workplace for producing traditional products ranging from textiles and garments to basketry to leather and metal products. It is then marketed directly to contractors and business middlemen or through e-businesses to customers. Thai HomeNet estimates that the actual number of homeworkers is close to two million. Most homeworkers are women, 56.2% (between 31-45 years old), with another group 34.3% between 46-60 years old. About 67.6% of them are uneducated or a few years of primary schooling. They are married and still live with their spouses and 4-5 family members on average under 16 years of age, according to research conducted by HomeNet Thailand (2013).
In order to protect home-based workers against injustices, the Thai Parliament in 2010 passed the Homeworkers Protection Act B.E. 2553, and a policy of social protection in May 2011. The law mandates fair and equal wages between men and women as well as those in factories and home-based. The contractors are also obliged to provide a contract, to ensure occupational health and safety, and to establish a committee that provides access to the courts in labor disputes and gives women a place at the decision-making table. A social security fund for informal workers has also been established, where the government will provide 30 THB of a 100 THB monthly payment to entitle a worker to sickness, disability and death benefits.
A major effort by a not-for-profit social enterprise, eHomemakers, has its mission to assist disadvantaged and home-bound, training them in ICT and business skills to utilize the internet to telework or market their products. Established in 1998, eHomemakers is a community network that provides technical training and business skills to help women become financially independent. Through its Salaam Wanita Program which train women in innovative upcycling schemes such as weaving “eco-baskets” from used magazines, and home-based telework, these women could connect with each other through a web-based app, ECHO, share production and marketing together and also using SMS and MMS to share information, skills, and designs.
Most of the women under this project are unable to seek jobs outside because of disability or caring for chronically ill family members. The network enables these women to connect with each other, share their experiences, and learn new skills together.
The individual workers have the gargantuan task to find creative ways to overcome their challenges to bring balance to their work and life. There are eLearning courses online which can increase their education and skill gaps. As a parent away from home, they have to exercise those rights through digital parenting. With the consent of employers, parents can take time to chat with their children daily as a transnational parent. Through online games they can still play with their family members and remain connected. This reminder is important to keep the overseas worker patient and with perseverance can avoid immorality and family break-up.
4.3 ICT4D contributing to family well-Being
With the increased sophistication of technology and its high penetration all around Southeast Asia, millions of people can work anywhere with a computer and high-speed broadband connection. This will build a truly inclusive region, with the governments working with local companies to explore alternative work arrangements for both men and women to nurture their family life at home and also other aspects of life while progressing in their careers. Even for other vulnerable groups, it will enhance their employability and encourage an ideal work-life integration. For most countries, there is a national broadband policy and plan with the objectives to develop the broadband network to provide access to everyone, everywhere and every time. Focus is also given to ensure standard quality of service at affordable prices.
4.4 Green-living, livable cities and smart cities
There are many efforts made by social enterprises around Southeast Asia to advance a change in rural communities, especially to preserve and conserve its human capital. The various initiatives taken try to encourage youth to stay or return to help to revitalize their small hometowns or villages. Education seems to be a powerful tool to assist youths in developing the necessary capabilities in the field of science, technology, language, mathematics, and community development. These capabilities enable rural youths to contribute to the processes of community building. The program of Cambodian Organization for Research, Development, and Education (CORDE) for example, provides youths and adults with courses that help them to be the protagonists for the development of their own communities. The educational program empowers the individual to transform by engaging in social transformation processes personally.
These youths who participate in the program remain in their villages and dedicate themselves to take social actions and facilitate development decided by the population for individual and collective advancement of the community, be it material, spiritual, social, intellectual or economic.
Another organization, One4One of Vietnam utilizes resources in rural areas to produce organic products and seeks to empower the rural population to create jobs for themselves that will also help them to address the deteriorating quality of air and water in the country. Its aim is to provide green and safe products as an alternative for healthy living.
In 2014, a new policy framework called Smart Thailand 2020 was introduced with the principal objective to increase the accessibility of ICT everywhere in Thailand through ongoing improvements in infrastructure and greater mobile broadband penetration. With the on-going campaign of ICT literacy for vulnerable groups, there will be more opportunities for full and equal participation in the knowledge economy and digital society. The existing 2,500 Telecentres and 400,000 Wi-Fi access points around the country can be better utilized with full-participation in e-commerce and telework.
4.5 Building community infused with spirit
Singapore ranks as the most livable city in ASEAN and fourth in Asia. Singapore performs strongly in economic vibrancy and competitiveness, domestic security and stability, and political governance. Liveability is conceptualized under the five dimensions of economic vibrancy and competitiveness, environmental friendliness and sustainability, domestic security and stability, socio-cultural conditions, and political governance. With it is the quality of life which has to do with experienced sense of well-being including the immaterial aspects of the living situation, e.g. health, social relations or the quality of the natural environment. It may also include the extent of the deepening of social cohesion and decreasing social exclusion and increasing social capital. The greenery gives the city its “soul” and it takes pride that there is a city with a “kampong” (village) spirit.
4.6 The light of the spirit
The people in Southeast Asia practice many religions, with Islam having the largest number of followers (240 million), next comes Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. Minority religions include Sikh, Baha’i Faith, and folk religions. Religion in true form is known by its fruits – its capacity to inspire, to transform, to unite, to foster peace and prosperity.
Religious Teachings infused the spirit, ethics, and morality among its population. Religion cultivates in the individual, institutions, and community the desire to do good deeds and service to others[4].
The Bahá’í Faith, for example, calls for each individual should exert oneself and strive to earn the means of livelihood. Those who are rich must have the utmost regard for the poor. “Every person must have an occupation, a trade or a craft so that he may carry other people’s burdens, and not himself be a burden to others. “Wealth” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has affirmed, “is praiseworthy in the highest degree, if it is acquired by an individual’s own efforts and the grace of God, in commerce, agriculture, art and industry, and if it is expended for philanthropic purposes.” For wealth is most commendable “provided the entire population is wealthy.”
Every choice an individual makes—as employee or employer, producer or consumer, borrower or lender, benefactor or beneficiary—leaves a trace, and the moral duty to lead a coherent life demands that one’s economic decisions be in accordance with lofty ideals, that the purity of one’s aims be matched by the purity of one’s actions to fulfil those aims[5].
The Bahá’í framework thus guides its followers to collaborate with all to build community infused with spirit. “Material civilization is like the body. No matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is dead. Material civilization is like a lamp-glass. Divine civilization is the lamp itself, and the glass without the light is dark. Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit. Without the spirit the world of mankind is lifeless, and without this light the world of mankind is in utter darkness” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá).
4.7 A shared future: the journey of cambodian Bahá’í community
After decades of the atrocities of internal strife and genocide, the people of Cambodia rose up determined to overcome its past and build a better community. The Message of Bahá’u’lláh that summoned all peoples to work for unity and peace was embraced by the Cambodians in large numbers. Despite years of hardship and pain experienced by so many, the Bahá’ís responded with much enthusiasm, drawing on the power of unity, made strenuous efforts to uplift souls through spiritual and material education. They build capacity for service and imbuing the material and social aspects of their communities with the light of the spirit.
Through a process of prayerful study, consultation, action, and reflection, these Bahá’ís learn to engage everyone in their villages and neighborhoods to determine their own material and spiritual development. Evidently the individuals and community undergo transformation that weds the two inseparable aspects of Bahá’í life: worship and service. The inseparability of worship and service in the life of their community is fostered and reinforced through the collective worship and each generation educating and serving those younger than themselves.
In 2017, the community of Battambang inaugurated a Bahá’í Local House of Worship, an edifice of noble purpose, erected by a people of noble spirit. Its design by an accomplished Cambodian architect reflects the grace and beauty of that nation’s culture. It embodies the concept of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár or “Dawning Place of the Mention of God” where the central edifice constructed for collective worship is surrounded by other structures dedicated to serving the needs of the community: school, university, hospital, and other social and humanitarian agencies.
This is but an initial effort in translating Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings into practical actions in the reality of a rural community by a group of people endeavoring to determine their own path of development. The Bahá’ís around the world are collaborating with the local population and learning together with them. Nevertheless, it is a focussed, dedicated effort to contribute to build and transform the material community, infusing it with the light of the spirit.
5 Reflection
The countries in Southeast Asia have agreed to provide equitable access to human development opportunities by promoting and investing in education and life-long learning, human resource training and capacity building, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, promote the use of English language, ICT and applied sciences and technology in socio-economic development activities. This will contribute to the material civilization. What the Bahá’í community is endeavoring to do is to infuse the light of the spirit to illuminate the lamp of this material civilization. It is an effort to bring coherence in the life of individuals, institutions and communities little by little, day by day.
References
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace Bahá’í Reference Library, www.bahai.org.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selected Writings Bahá’í Reference Library, www.bahai.org.
Krassner, Paul, Henry Adler, Richard Claus, Laura Godofsky, Irwin Rosen, Carole Quinn and Avima Ruder (1963), “An Impolite Interview with Paul Krassner” in The Realist n. 41, June 1963.
[1]Moser, Caroline (1992), “Adjustment from Below: Low income Women, Time and the Triple Role in Quayaqquil, Equador,” in Afshar, H and C. Dennis (eds.) Women and Adjustment in the Third World, Macmillan, London.
[2]Myrdal, Alva and Voila Klein (1968) Women’s Two Roles: Home and Work, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London edition.
[3]Williams, J. and H. Bousley (2010) The three Faces of Work-Family Conflict – the Poor, the Professionals and the Missing Middle Center, Center for American Progress, Hastings College of the Law.
[4]The Universal House of Justice, Letter to All those who celebrate the Glory of God, Oct 2017.
[5]The Universal House of Justice Letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, 1 March 2017, Bahá’í Reference Library, www.bahai.org.