The process of globalisation, as distinguished from liberalisation
and privatisation, is a natural corollary to human progress.
It represents the inescapable need to integrate into the
rest of the world, economically and politically. To achieve
optimum outcomes in this process of integration, a nation
must govern itself well with the full backing of its populace.
Globalisation without centring it in its citizens, their
interests and their aspirations, is doomed to failure. In
the context of globalisation, the need is for `human-centric'
governance and development.
The suggestions made herein include governance by consensus;
by better informed political leadership; demarcation of
a national sphere of governance outside the pale of party
politics; a more democratic and nonetheless more effective
functioning of the Parliament; an institutional arrangement
for coordination among the different Constitutional authorities
to achieve the national objectives; genuine self-governance
at the local level; and guaranteed access to drinking water,
sanitation, public health, maternity and child health; and
above all, education up to a level that makes every citizen
a productive member of the nation.
Globalisation is a historical process resulting from human
innovation and technological progress. Globalisation is
not just some economic fad; it is not just a passing trend.
It is an overarching international system shaping the domestic
politics and foreign relations of virtually every country.
Globalisation is the inexorable integration of markets,
nation-states and technologies to a degree never witnessed
before, which is enabling individuals, corporations and
nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster,
deeper. This process is also producing a powerful backlash
from those brutalised or left behind by the new system.
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