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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Some spicy home truths
Today, I would like to talk a little about how I find Sri Lanka, though it has been only seven months since I came here. Many things are there to be praised in this country; it's a beautiful land, with a unique, culture, historical heritage, friendly people with a smile, diligent people at work (may be not everybody), high rate of literacy, etc. However, it may not be interesting to you to hear diplomats only praising your country and your people, as unfortunately a diplomat's comforting words are believed to be untrustworthy as a politician's. So, I like to talk, not about the sweet part of my findings, but the bitter or even hot ingredient like WASABI the Japanese spice for Sushi and Sashimi. In this country, I hear and see a distinct set of English words so many times. Those words are 'donor' 'donation' 'donor country' and 'recipient'. Of course there are certain instances where we cannot logically avoid using these words like 'donation of books' or 'donors meeting'. But it is my impression that the Sri Lankan media and even intellectuals tend to use these words too easily. Maybe not so much in Sinhalese, sorry I cannot tell about that. I personally don't like these words. Although Japan is the single largest 'donor' by far to assist the development of this country, I don't like these words. Because the perception of donor-recipient relation between countries or between individuals and groups tend to imply somewhat of a one way action, from rich to poor, from advanced to less advanced, or from higher to lower. Perception It may also have an implication that both a donor and a recipient tend to be satisfied by the mere fact that a country has given or that a country has received, forgetting what really matters is how assistance will help others do better by their own effort. The flood of these words 'donor' and 'donation'" everywhere might indicate some perception among people that there are two kinds of countries in international society and two kinds of people within the country; these two are those who donate and those who have received donations. I don't think this is a constructive philosophy, and I don't believe this reflects the true relations between countries and between people. Complaint I saw a complaint recently in an opinion page of a newspaper, which said that financial aid from donors are not all grants but largely loans to which Sri Lankans have to repay with interest. Sure, to count by the amount of money, large portions of foreign aid including those from Japan, the World Bank and ADB are concessional loans. Japan, for instance, provides technical assistance, grants financial assistance, and soft loans depending on the nature and scale of the development project; a grant aid for building a hospital and a school, a soft, loan with much lower interests than a commercial loan, for power projects and highway construction, etc. Those who complain that the aid they receive are not all grants, sound like they like to always be in a position to be given rather than to make full use of aid for further development to the point where they need not receive aid anymore. Meiji Restoration In the 19th century, Japan went through the Meiji Restoration. It opened the doors to the Western World after a 300 year closed policy and started adopting Western civilisation in order to make the nation competitive in the world. For that purpose, the Government invited intellectuals and professionals at the then highest level from France, Germany, Netherlands and the UK at exceptionally high salaries, much higher than the salaries of ministers. They taught and trained Japanese officials and students in Government and at Universities and colleges. Their knowledge and technologies were digested and absorbed by Japanese just like dry sand absorbs water. The big payment to those Western teachers has in return given Japan incomparable benefits after 20 or 30 years and made it the most industrialised country in Asia by 1900. Restore After the defeat in the last world war, Japan worked hard to restore its economy and society by receiving aid from US and World Bank. Even the famous bullet train was constructed partially with a loan from the World Bank. And as you know the project has benefited Japan hundreds or thousands times more than what we repaid to the World Bank. In Sri Lanka, I have no doubt that informed people and leaders in various sectors know better than I, that any assistance from abroad is meaningful to the country only if the Sri Lankans make full use of it for further advancement. There are many examples of Japan's assistance in this country which has grown like a big tree in the hands of the Sri Lankan people. In Gampaha, Japan built 'Upland Model Farm' and assisted in planting ginger, ground-nuts, etc. Now, this model farm, without Japanese experts' help, has expanded its production to urban consumer items like flowers, and also started to train neighbouring farmers, particularly women, on farming and marketing. In Nuwara Eliya, Japan built solid waste treatment facilities in Moon Plain valley and also helped the Municipal Council in environmental education. Now the municipality is working hard to make the entire city clean by putting disposal bins on the roadside to collect solid waste and bring them to the treatment facilities in the Moon Plains. They are also developing and cleaning the lake around the Moon Plains. Nuwara Eliya would possibly become a model clean city in Sri Lanka. Polluted Now, after talking much about my hatred of the word "donor", I like to touch a bit on another of my hatreds in Sri Lanka. That is solid waste abandoned on or in streets, fields and waters as well as polluted canals, rivers and ponds. Sri Lanka should be one of the most beautiful lands with enviously rich fauna and flora, a valuable heritage and old streets. But wherever people live, its natural beauty and comfortable environment are spoiled by solid waste and pollution. It is unfortunate that foreigners who arrive in this country are welcomed by a spread of waste on the road from Katunayake to Colombo and again from Colombo to Kandy. Colombo is blessed with canals, rivers and lakes. But we hesitate to stroll alongside these waters because of the dirt and stench. I believe, the matter of cleanliness is not an issue in the social and economic development of a country. It also affects the psychology of the people. If a factory is not kept clean, you cannot efficiently produce a product of good quality, if a shop is not clean, you cannot make a good sale with shoppers, if a street is not clean, you cannot expect people to enjoy walking and visiting the town. Needles to say, cleanliness greatly relates to the health of the people through sanitation could be eradicated if there was proper sanitation and concern. I don't think, however, we need to be too pessimistic in solving this problem. I remember, when I was a child, teachers told us every day about 'public morals.' They said "Don't throw away waste in public places like streets, in parks and in waterways. It is a shame to do so while you keep the inside of your houses clean". This repeated educational direction has had a profound influence on our psychology and behaviour, although I must admit that there are still individuals and firms who litter or dump garbage illegally in Japan. Up to 1960s, major rivers in Tokyo like Sumida River or Kanda River were all polluted by industrial waste without any fish in the water. But in the 1970s, those rivers were transformed into beautiful clean waters with carps and other fish and with leisure boats on them. Even a gorgeous fireworks festival, which originated in the 17th century Edo, come back to Sumida River every summer. Transform So it is possible, I believe, to transform the streets and waterways of Colombo. It largely depends on how well people, children and the community understands the importance of making their surroundings clean. Clean up your house, clean up the front street of your house, clean up your town with the town people. These small moves and campaigns will make a fundamental change to the whole urban environment. And it eventually helps accelerate the development of society and industry of the whole country. Japan has intensively assisted in this area for sometime including water supply, sewage, garbage collector, waste treatment, and water cleaning tractors, and it will continue to support the people's efforts on this track. I may have served too much hot WASABI to you tonight. I know I should prepare a very sweet desert to get rid of the bitterness from your tongue. But now I have realised it is not possible, since I made a mistake at the outset by honestly saying that a diplomat's sweet words are not to be trusted. Incidentally, people ask me why Japan has been providing so much official development aid to Sri Lanka? I too am always asking this question from myself, and my answer is that it is not just because Mr. J. R. Jayawardene made a moving speech half a century ago in San Francisco, not because we are both Buddhist countries (to be precise the religious situation is quite different between the two), but, the main reason is, because what is good for the future of Sri Lanka is, I believe, good for Japan in the long run. Sri Lanka is a country with great potential and attractiveness. Therefore, successful achievement in peace and development of this country will benefit Japan and the Japanese people, by enabling both countries to widen and deepen their economic, cultural, political, and people to people exchanges. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
This speech titled 'WASABI' refers to the Sri Lankan perception of
foreign aid and the need to clean up Sri Lanka. It was delivered by
Ambassador Akio Suda at the installation ceremony of the Rotary Club of
Colombo Uptown, held on Saturday, July 17, 2004 at the Hilton Colombo.
