THE LIVING ROOMS

Eco Echo column March 2011

AT LAST – SOME GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS

It is hard to believe that it is now 22 years since the Berlin Wall came down, and the eastern half of Europe started its more or less peaceful transition towards democracy (apart from the Balkan countries, where complex nationality and ethnic issues came into play – although several democratic states have established themselves even there).

So it is interesting to see a similar drive towards a more democratic system now taking grip in much of the Middle East.  At the time of writing, people power has toppled President Mubarak in Egypt with minimal bloodshed, largely thanks to the restrained attitude of the Egyptian army, who deserve much praise.

So can we expect western-style democracy to spread in this region?  Whilst many westerners – especially politicians – might wish it, the answer is probably no.  And neither should we necessarily wish for that.  Why should we think we have the right to impose our own, imperfect system on other cultures?

As he so often does, President Obama made this point with great eloquence two years ago in a speech he made in Cairo of all places.  He said, “No system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other.  That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people. Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people.”

So whilst we are right to demand that basic human rights are respected within whatever system emerges in the new Egypt – and indeed elsewhere in the Middle East – we must be very careful not to try and make out that our own form of democracy is the only valid one.  Provided that the government does indeed reflect the will of the people, and that it respects the rights of everyone, including those who will be unhappy about the new form of government, then it should have our support.

Trying to impose our own ideas about government is as bad as trying to impose our own ideas about trade and economics on other cultures.  I have always felt uneasy about inflexible fair trade rules laid down by first world organisations, declaring, for example, that trade can only be called fair if it is organised along co-operative lines.  That is why we embrace the ‘ethical trade’ tag, which does not seek to impose any system on our suppliers, provided they adhere to a level of ethics that we can all agree upon.

It is too easy to think that we have nothing to learn about democracy, or indeed trade, from the developing world.  Maybe the experience in Egypt may prove us wrong on that score.

Article published in Eco Echo March 2011