The Hindu Business Line : We've no faith in the World Bank but it is betting much on faith

A QUOTE from the Rg Veda is `Aa no bhadraah kratavo yantu vishwatah', meaning `Let noble thoughts come to us from every side'. Possibly, Montek Singh Ahluwalia thought likewise when getting `foreign experts' to help in planning, little expecting a backlash from right and left.

With such fire-breathing from every side, it may not be long before the representatives of the World Bank and other `outside' bodies get off the rumbling debate on whether a plan of the sons of the soil can't be a better one. So, even as they shut the windows and doors to work in secrecy, I'm reading a recent book from the World Bank (www.worldbank.org) titled "Mind, heart, and Soul in the Fight against Poverty" by Katherine Marshall and Lucy Keough.

In foreword, Dr James D. Wolfensohn decries as `a scandal' that one out of two people alive in the world today lives daily "with poverty, disease, and hunger". Is there hope? Yes, says the book, the first effort by the Bank to explore the efforts of "institutions from different sectors and realms, especially faith institutions, working to fight poverty," and present cases of `shared objectives' and `uncommon partners'.

Are faith and development in different worlds, asks chapter 1. "The vocabulary and approach of spirituality often seem inimical to the technical, hard-nosed economic and financial approaches of developmental practice."

But religion is "pivotal in the daily lives of most of the world's people," acknowledge the authors. What provided a backdrop to putting faith in faith was the Millennium Declaration of World Leaders about four years ago, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that spelt "an overall agreement so unambiguous and commitments so specific that there is no place to hide".

MDGs talk of poverty, hunger, education, gender equality and so on, aiming to weigh progress in about a decade from now, but what's unique is that they do not belong to a single institution, region or nation. And suddenly, one finds economics talking of heart and soul!

Heart? For what? To point to the passion and commitment that drive the daily lives and work of both faith and development institutions, point out the authors. "Fighting poverty has a technical dimension, but even more it requires a capacity to respect and care for fellow human beings."

And won't economics run foul with some soul added on? No, avers the book. "In looking to the soul as a dimension underpinning action, we seek inspiration from the wisdom of the ages from all corners of the world... Soul also suggests a concern for the spiritual dimensions of life beyond the material." Qualities much in demand in development work - humility, courage and conviction - are spiritual qualities, add Marshall and Keough.

Can poverty alienate people from kin of their faith? Yes, as in the case of about half a lakh Jews who were pushed below the poverty line because of the Argentian economic crisis that began in 1999.

"The stigma, social exclusion, and shame of living in poverty prompted the Jewish new poor to withdraw from the community, schools, and other institutions... Some Jews in Buenos Aires preferred to beg for food at a Catholic church to avoid the shame of looking for food at a community institution where people would recognise them."

Are you aware that the International Labour Organisation has a `Decent Work Agenda' to couple the concepts of work and dignity? And that the ILO engaged in a dialogue with the World Council of Churches involving many religions for the purpose?

An idea that ILO listened to was what was shared by almost all faiths: "that God or the Creator is the archetypal worker, and that human work is an extension of that divine activity." The authors observe that according to diverse religious and spiritual traditions, workers are human beings first and labourers second.

"Thus, labour should never reduce people to their material output, or regard them as a production factor dedicated to a function such as producing capital."

That may, however, run counter to accountants labouring to put HR on balance sheets. "Sikh gurus have developed a sense of dignity in labour," notes the book in its only reference to India.

Okay, what is decent work? "Work that enables an individual's growth." Such a work "allows people's creative potential, and their willingness to contribute to their surroundings, to unfold freely." While it may be inconvenient to ask ourselves if the work we do is decent, it could be indecent to ask another such a question!

`Conquering Slim', is a chapter on the Uganda's war on HIV/ AIDS. Their popular name is `slim' because of its emaciating effect on its victims; originally it was thought to be "the result of witchcraft and ancestor revenge."

The country's programme is based on ABC - that is, Abstinence, Be faithful, and use Condoms. Religious communities emphasised A and B, while the government focussed on C. "Each and every element has been vital to Uganda's success in reversing HIV/AIDS trends."

There is then the story about one Father Velaz who was instrumental in the birth of a chain of rural schools in Latin America, to train "a new generation of modern plains peasants".

An important though `not widely sung' part of education system in the 14 Latin American countries is the Fe y Alegria movement, say the authors. "It has stood the test of time, survived many difficult episodes in national history, and educated many millions of citizens." One may say that of the many missionary schools in India too.

"Mountains have deities and water a spirit," is the title of a chapter on the Mongolian Sacred Sites Initiative, "a partnership linking faith and forests". This initiative took help from Mongolian Buddhist leaders and collected "hundreds of parchments describing the cultural significance of natural wonders throughout Mongolia". For instance, "Mt Bogd Khan is represented by a deity who rides 33 grey horses and chants the mantra `um ma hum'."

Hmm, no stories about India, perhaps because we don't have much faith to spare for the big bank.

Economics@TheHindu.co.in