“Insignificant” Individuals and a New Sri Lanka

A New Sri Lanka?

Maithripala Sirisena is the President of Sri Lanka. What was unthinkable two months ago is news today. There is hope today that we can emerge from the lawlessness, corruption, nepotism and racism that we are sunk in. That we can become the plural, vibrant, democratic country we ought to be.

Of course Sri Lanka’s problems are still around. Today, Sri Lanka is not ruled by law – it is ruled by connections and political influence. Today, nepotism and corruption are rampant. Today, there is a deep and fundamental ethnic divide. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat may mean that we have a better chance of dealing with these problems, but it is by no means a guarantee.

After all, we know that Rajapaksa was not the root of these problems. He contributed to them in the last ten years, but they existed before him and will continue after him. The idea that we should ‘help’ our family or friends at the expense of our public duty is still part of our way of thinking. The belief that breaking the law is OK as long as we don’t get caught has seeped into us. Racism, and the mistrust and hatred it breeds, are a part of all communities, and, I would add, a part of all of us. Sirisena’s election may create more space to deal with these problems, but it will not make them go away. For that to happen, we need to change.

Why? Because what a society is like depends a great deal on what its people are like. It takes a certain type of society for politicians like Mervyn Silva to exist. It takes a certain type of society for things like the 18^th amendment and the impeachment to happen. It takes a certain type of society for open disregard of the law to be met with a shrug of the shoulders. Apathy, disinterest, and an “aiyo-what-to-do-men?” mentality are all a part of why we got to where we are today.

It’s easy to blame Mahinda or the weak Opposition or the so-called “ignorant masses” for these problems. But we need to realize that we were also part of the problem. We were silent when we should have spoken. We slipped easily into apathy. We tended to ignore problems that didn’t directly affect us. We would not stand up for what was right if it meant trouble for us. In societies like this it is easy for the law to be subverted, for the weak to be downtrodden, and for any ruler to become a tyrant.

No matter how many new Presidents we elect, independent commissions we appoint, laws we pass, or constitutions we propose, our problems will remain unless we change. To create an inclusive, pluralistic and democratic society, we need to be inclusive, pluralistic and democratic wherever we have influence or power. To create a culture that values the rule of law, diversity, dissent and the vulnerable we need to be people who value those things.  If we want a new Sri Lanka we need to be a new Sri Lanka. It cannot be legislated or voted into existence.

“Insignificant” Individuals

It is easy to read this and think that individuals are too small and insignificant to make any difference. Once the euphoria of the election and people power wears off, it will be easy to slip into a sense of powerlessness. To think that while we may be able to vote and change things every now and then, that it’s actually those people “over there” – the politicians, the religious leaders, the government officials – who can change things. Or to believe that even if individuals can make a difference, it’s only the ones who are “connected” or “smart” or the “activist type” who can actually do something.

This idea must be challenged. History is full of “insignificant” individuals who made a difference because they did what they could from where they were. Look at Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat for a white passenger was a catalyst for the American Civil Rights movement. Think of Mukhtaran Bibi, an illiterate Pakistani woman who was gang-raped and decided to take her attackers to court despite the odds of a shari’a legal system, where rape needs to be proved by four adult male witnesses. She succeeded, became a symbol for women’s rights in Pakistan, and a year later Pakistan changed its legal code concerning rape. Take Amnesty International, which began with a single individual writing a letter to a newspaper about the unjust imprisonment and torture of people by their governments, and ended as an organization with global reach and influence. Individuals, normal “insignificant” individuals, have immense power to change things.

How come individuals can change things? We are powerful because we are the grassroots. We are the culture. We all have power and influence in our own spheres – in our homes, offices, schools and neighbourhoods. If we act collectively, we have enormous power.

For instance, each of us is placed in a unique position in relation to our friends, family or people at school or work. If I was to go up to some of them and start a conversation about what a plural Sri Lanka should look like, they might think I was weird at best. But if you did, they would listen. If I was to talk to them about how we all are a little bit racist, they might shut their ears. But if you did, they would listen. And some of them would change. The fact is we are more open to the views and ideas of those who are close to us. And each of us is close to certain people in a way that no one else is. As individuals, this is where our power lies.

As individuals we are also uniquely placed to fight everyday injustice in our own spheres – in the office, the street, the bus and at school. We may not be able to pass legislation on sexual harassment, but we can stand up for those who are being harassed on the bus or the street. We may not have the power to arrest those responsible for hate speech – but we can challenge anti-Muslim sentiment among our friends. We may not be able to end structural racism, but we are each uniquely placed to fight racism within our own communities – for instance a Tamil challenging racism among Tamils can be far more effective than someone else doing so. And as we do this, as individual attitudes and everyday injustice is challenged, we are able to help transform culture, and push society as a whole towards change.

In the end, society is changed by the everyday acts of ordinary individuals, in classrooms, offices, fields, towns, cities and villages. If we don’t change, things won’t change. Only when we become a new us, will we begin to see a new Sri Lanka.

Of course it won’t be easy. Change never is, and there will be failure, discouragement and disappointment. But since when do we only fight for something because it’s easy? We want equality, freedom and justice because they are good and because they are right, not because it’s easy to get them. Whether we win or not is a different matter. But you can be sure that we have a better chance of winning if more of us try.

The first step to a new Sri Lanka is with us. We need to act.

(This is the first in a series. The next article is here. It suggests things individuals can “do tomorrow”, as part of being the change. There are more to come, so if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments, or better yet write something an article about them and share it! Thanks.)

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