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I have just remembered the concept of identities the Philosophical and the Cultural identity, by which the people are involving on their day-to-day activities. After hearing these two identities, I realize the world (nations, country and myself) from my inner soul. But every action around the world in itself is found in dispute between these two identities. The people, politics, religion, language and every identity of the people is roaming within these two aspects.
I can say the philosophical identity as to the peoples understanding of the world by reading books, thinking critically, analyzing minutely and doing some intellectual exercises as much as possible, where as the cultural identity is the indicator of people’s personal and social dignity, that they need for ever and ever. This identity also includes the Social, Cultural and Economic status of the community or the people. Both of the terms are quite related to each other and both of them are necessary for the people. The best way is the equal implementation while doing some thing. There is equally needed to have knowledge for analysis and for action. Without having common understanding between these terms, it is not possible to make the world better and to work for peace within the nation. Let’s take some examples of the world and try to conceptualize these terms.
The war between Palestine and Israel is also based on territory of these two identities. Philosophically both of the conflicting parties are aware that they have to fight for independent and sovereignty of the nation. The Israelites are fighting against Palestine declaring them ‘terrorist’. On the other side the Palestine are fighting for independence nation. They are demanding their motherland, which the Israelites colonized from their hand. Both of them may be right while arguing to each other. And the war may be justifiable to them. But they are gradually loosing their cultural identities of the nation. The Israelites, in the name of ‘terrorist’ are happy to demolish the Palestine’s civilization and culture by operating frequent military attacks upon them. In the same way, the Palestinians are killing innocent Israelites, by using suicide bombs and other means of attack. Here the same question can be repeated, they are loosing their cultural values themselves. They are growing their land where not only the Cultural identities of the people but also the sense of humanity is lost.
The ongoing Hindu Muslim dispute in India is also a kind of contradiction between these two identities. Philosophically, the Hindus are considered as non-violent community and their Myth advocates for peace. But they are killing Muslims, which is opposite their philosophy. They also destroyed the Babari Mosque in Ayodhya, India. It was the cultural identity of religious faith in India in a sense there was Muslim existence even in the holy place of Hindu. But the Hindus never think to respect the cultural values of the nation. In other sense the Muslims are also repeating the same manners as Hindus are doing to them, which is opposite their belief of religious homogeneity. Certainly both of the religious groups are destroying cultural identities of the Indian people, but still they think they are protecting their religion from others.
Same thing has happened in Sri Lanka, where the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) are fighting for two decades. More than 64,000 innocent people were killed and millions of property has been lost during the period. Philosophically the LTTEs were demanding their separate land and the protection of their ethnic community. But the government has also not been compromising for negotiation, because they were proud of showing their philosophical identity, as ruler of a nation. Even the government does not respect the identity of Tamil community, because Tamils are the minorities of the country. Finally the conflict came out as a civil war and these two parties have fought themselves for their existence.
The war could not be resulted in freedom, peace and prosperity rather the inhuman deaths, destruction, displacement of the people and losing cultural identities of the country. The peace dialogue is going on between Sri Lanka government and the Tamils at present. This negotiation may work for peace and the strong existence of the Tamils but they cannot reconstruct their destroyed cultural identities, cannot procreate their cultural identities. Only they can remember their past. They may be humiliated for losing their family members, destroyed property and their superiority. But they cannot be the same people as they were before. They cannot behave same as they used to before.
All around the world, there are different struggles between these two identities. The leader of every nation and the community thinks their superiority while ruling the country or the community. They try to apply their philosophical knowledge in every initiative. But they never try to measure their accuracy and applicability. They never respect to others’ identity. Only they put forward theirs, what they have known for long and are doing intellectual practices time and again. The dispute between India and Pakistan in Kashmir issue, disagreement about Tibet between China and the Tibetan Holy leader, the fight between America and Iraq and several disputes, disagreements and divergences around the world are quite related to the Philosophical and Cultural identity.
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Prakash Bhattarai
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Clear Vision of Future and Supportive Actions Zorica Vukovic | Dec 30th, 2003
This article of yours is very appealing and very alarming regarding the hard situation that people of Nepal are in, but also very informative and broad regarding the observation of possible consequences that every war has on culture and the identity of people involved. Also, it gives the opportunities for possible action towards creating better future for the people which can be considered as a long term engagement, lifetime orientation for a generation, sometimes. The experience of other countries and other individuals who have been walking that path can help.
For Nepal, what else to say except - something has to be done! What are the supportive actions that are already applied there with the best results, and which are the ones that haven't been done but would be beneficial? What else is needed to be done? What can be done regarding the cultural identity that you mention that can be a strong drive for positive changes? Who are the carriers of the actions?
Have in mind that the best actions taken tend to reach twofold target - immediate result that can be obvious (broadcasted in media) and also a long term value creation or re-creation (according some existing cultural pattern) which is creating intangible but priceless value. However, talking about media including the internet - it's always sad to trace one country (regardless its culture and profile) in the news that outline only one side, its worst, an open wound side of war operations, negotiations and destruction, and rarely concentrate on positive side - everlasting values that should be protected. The only thing to "fight" bad image in media is to produce news of other kind. That is the question of what actions could be taken to create news and/or attract media attention - reporting on positive change of course! This needs thinking more creatively, but also having a strong support!
The most important thing is what you have briefly outlined here:
"But, before the dialogue between two conflicting parties takes place, it is needed to commit, to protect the philosophical as well as cultural identities of the people. The government and the Maoists have to think once again and have to realize thousands of time what they did against civilians. Their action was whether crime against humanity or the way of their guiding philosophy. We all people working for human rights, social justice and peace should go towards the areas of conflagration, where people need trauma treatment, where the people again desire to enroll their children in the school, where an older people need capsules to heal the fever, where the people can enjoy with traditional customs and festivals and the people could forget their bitter past. Only then the nation could go on progress. The human rights of the people would be protected. The most important thing, the philosophical and the cultural identity of the people would be justified."
That is exactly what has to be done! A program of preserving culture and identity and the course of actions needed - in a nutshell! If you are speaking like this that means that you have a clear vision what need to be done! If you are envisioning like this it means that you have knowledge that you need for the beginning. For the rest you would need help - the more you articulate your vision, your needs and requirements, the more you personalize the picture and the more people you involve - the better. You can use all your contacts and your friends, me, my friends and many people out there, (even powerful people and celebrities :), who would like to help you, your noble cause, legendary Katmandu and Nepal in general to reveal its beauty and keep nourishing its true values.
P.S. Please, tell me what you think of this example of intl. volunteer cooperation available on:
http://www.cosmicvolunteers.org/oggie.html
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