EGALITARIAN ETHOS:

The most horrifying tragedy of “Sahnehah-e-Muzaffarabad aur Muzafaat” had not

served as an eye opener to remind us about the unsustainable existentialist mode of
habitation that we have adopted under the influence of materialism and consequent rank
exploitation of Natural Resources, when the Floods of 2010 followed. It is imperative
that we take a closer look at the unsafe and environmentally damaging practices that we
maintain.
We can yet avail the possibility of making a new beginning by adopting a 21st
Century, Low-cost but High Tech approach that is closest to Nature and thus sustainable,
in order to ensure a safe and comfortable future for our children.
By now we are assured of Global Warming; Unpredictable Weather Patterns;
Increasing Environment Stress from Pollution; Degradation and Potentially Devastating
Natural Calamities as well as increasing Population pressure upon dwindling Natural
Resources, all compounded by Geo Strategic Imperatives. It would be wise to take up the
challenge and come up with an adequate response.
Jargon not with standing, a new Mechanism based upon Cultural Values and
effective Interventions for Community Driven Sustainable Development is the need of
the hour. We must ensure that it is sensitive to issues of Poverty; Emergency Relief; Food
Security; Adequate Shelter; Health Cover; Education based upon our own Egalitarian
Ethos supported by Eco friendly and Honest Commerce in Basic Economy Generation.
Performance based upon excellence and not words is required and a clear “Way
Ahead” can be demonstrated, imparted and replicated if proven an adequate response to
the challenges that we face. For this purpose a Model Eco Habitation complete with
Mechanisms and Appropriate Interventions is called for. A nucleus based upon the Late
Akhter Hameed Khan’s Training & Development Center and a Community Based Eco
Habitation that is Self Reliant and Industrious based upon an Improved Sialkot/
Faisalabad Model can be established at Low-cost and in a very short period of time.
The first and foremost hurdle that we encounter in any Development oriented
situation is “Who will Bell The Cat!” Populist Democracy as practiced by most Countries
rapidly degenerates into an Oligarchy or rule of the rich. This is due to the fact that a
materialistic society is soon enthralled by a display of wealth to attract or even to
purchase votes. Secondly, it is apparent that in a polarized society, actual voter analysis
soon draws the conclusion that this Democracy is actually rule of the largest minority and
not one of the majority. This is exposed in a situation of say one hundred registered
voters, forty five percent turnout and five candidates. The leading candidate gets twenty
votes, the second gets sixteen votes, the third gets five, the fourth gets three and the fifth
gets one vote. Are we expected to believe that twenty percent is a majority? Are not
eighty percent unrepresented?
Structural Deep Democracy or SD2 as named by Mark Rostt, the originator of this
method, uses PageRank as a centrality algorithm to analyze votes to determine the center
of TRUST and CONSENT in a human trust network.
PageRank is an algorithm that allows the participants to determine who the best
leaders are, eliminating the popularity game of conventional populistic-democracy. SD2
uses PageRank to select the top three or five to lead such an organization with one of
them as the executive and then keeps those leaders accountable with frequent rank
recalculations. This creates a small and efficient locus of trust and accountability.
 PageRank allows members to vote their conscience without wasted votes and
analyzes the deep structure of votes to find the coordinators that would be most likely to
represent the values of the community as a whole.
The philosophy of SD2 is "Deep Democracy" - which centers on the idea that
minority opinion should be respected. SD2 takes this two-steps further - not only will
leadership be replaced if it doesn't respect minority opinion, but minority opinion can
actually be decisive.
Our Political scenario almost always has aggressive "strongman” types - who are
more than willing to bully and steam-roll peaceful people. "Strongman tactics can often
impress ignorant common people, and can often lead to "strongmen” acquiring leadership
positions with populistic-democratic selection processes. SD2 is ELITIST and non-
populistic - SD2 is designed to MARGINALIZE would-be bullies and "strongmen”
oppressors and give spiritual/intellectuals a selective advantage. This is ensured by
uncovering the *flow-betweenness* ranking within an interactive grouping.
If this method were used in the very basic population grouping of Villages or
Wards (urban) it would be true Devolution to empower such organizations to ensure self-
rule and “Localization”. With inspired Leadership and an agreed minimum agenda, self-
reliance through basic economy generation can be ushered in and maintained through a
rapidly evolving “Globalization” via the IT Revolution.
This should serve to unmask the charade of “Devolution” to Union Council Level,
which is not the Grass Roots! This exercise has merely served to ensure that all the
inherent flaws, drawbacks and evils that existed at Provincial and National Levels are
transferred to Union and District Levels as well as creating tension between the two.
Rapid Industrialization through Centralized Training and dispatch of
Containerized Units to appropriate locations will serve to uplift the common man and
woman if planned and executed scientifically and honestly. For example Mini Feed Mills
are ordered through existing small and medium workshops. At the same time small
groups of trainees from pre selected localities are imparted training at a central place with
attendant facilities. By the time training is over a Container is dispatched to the selected
destination and production can begin. If care is taken in planning and organization this
will lead to rapid industrialization. Post Harvest Processing of various produce; small
chemical and minerals works; assembly of electronic devices; handicrafts and designer
apparel that is not mass-produced, intensive horticulture and other appropriate efforts will
soon lead to prosperity.
This factor along with Provision of Clean Water; Roof-Top and Surface Water
Harvesting; Conservation Irrigation; Integrated Plant Nutrition and Management Systems
to ensure “Fair Plants and Produce”; Environment and Predator, Plant Protection
Measures; Rapid Composting and Liquid and Solid Waste Management through
Phytoremediation and Bioaugmentation; Use of Alternate Energy for a “Clean Skies
Program”; use of “Low Carbon Building Technology for Earthquake and Hurricane Proof
Habitation using Ceramic-Adobe Technology; Emergency Medical Cover; Afforestation,
Range and Watershed Management; use of Urdu/ Local Languages, based IT Technology
for Web Based Knowledge Banks and Distance Vocational and Learning Centers as well
as E/ M Commerce; Geographical and Management Information Systems and Data
Banks will prove to be a results based and dynamic movement towards sustainability.