TITLENEW THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE POLITICSOF MULTICULTUALISM: VANDANA SHIVA’SCONTRIBUTION

by Hari ZamharirDepartment of International RelationsFaculty of Social and Political SciencesUniversitas Nasional Jalan Sawo Manila No. 61, Pejaten, Pasar Minggu,Jakarta Selatan12520Indonesiae-mail: hari_zamharir@yahoo.com

Title/page 01NEW THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE POLITICSOF MULTICULTUALISM: VANDANA SHIVA’SCONTRIBUTION

by Hari ZamharirDepartment of International RelationsFaculty of Social and Political SciencesUniversitas Nasional Jalan Sawo Manila No. 61, Pejaten, Pasar Minggu,Jakarta Selatan12520Indonesiae-mail: hari_zamharir@yahoo.com

SHIVA & GANDHI/ PAGE 02

The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi

or The Moral and Political Writings of Mahatma Gandhi by Prof. Raghavan (Oxford Univ Press (1987).

Gandhi has been noted as the true heir of the legacy Great Civilization by way of adapting ideas & fundamental values of great personalities as Jesus (on Love) and Muhammad SAW (Justice).

“The Nobel Peace Prize 1964—Presentation Speech” http://nobelprize.org/ retr.d 8 January 2009.

SHIVA & GANDHI (2)/PAGE 03

Amongst so many themes dan deep thoughts ofGandhi, it is the prime embeddedness of Love & politics.In the framework of non-violance movement (famous &influential across the world), Gandhi find the importanceof “purification of politics” or the need for Love-boundpolitics. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929—1968), deeplyinspired by Gandhi—along King’s success in themovement of cultural change in the US, demanding civilandpolitical rights—says “Gandhi, he says, wasprobably the first person in history to lift the love ethic ofJesus above mere interactions between individuals to apowerful and effective social force….” .

POLITICS OF LATINO EMMIGRANTS/ PAGE 04

Mayoritas pemilih Latino dan Asia rupanya tidak senangdengan kebijakan imigrasi ala Romney. Romney tidakmenawarkan solusi imigrasi yang memungkinkan imigrangelap menjadi Warga Negara Amerika. Praktis, tanpalegalisasi sepenuh hati. Bahkan, Romney menyarankan agarpendatang ilegal ini untuk secara sukarela angkat kaki dariAmerika (self-deportation). Ini dianggap tidak praktis, karenajumlah imigran gelap di Amerika saat ini sekitar 11.1 juta jiwa.Tidak manusiawi, karena deportasi akan memisahkan anak-anak imigran gelap ini dari orang tuanya. Ketidaksenanganpemilih Latino dan Asia tadi terjelma dengan tidak memilihcalon Presiden Partai Republik.

Reformasi Imigrasi Komprehensif Amerika Serikat

10 Februari 2013 ·

ON NORMATIVE THEORY/ PAGE 05

Normative theorists vis-à-vis social theorists

Although multiculturalism is primarily discussed by normative political theorists,

who are concerned with recommending policy prescriptions and the distribution of

rights, duties and resources, it has also featured amongst social theorists who use

some of its ideas to analyze issues of group identity and social movements and

practices. There is some overlap between these two strands of the literature on

multiculturalism, particularly in the work of prominent sociologists and social

theorists such as Stuart Hall and Tariq Modood, but generally the normative theory of

multiculturalism remains distinct from its appearance in sociology and social theory.

The social theorists tend to be suspicious of the abstract normative claims of the

political theorists, whereas the political theorists tend to be impatient with the social

theorists preoccupation with description and typology over prescription and critique.

METHODS (1)/PAGE 06

Multiculturalism: A Study on Political Thought or Policy ?

(Political Thought): Multiculturalism has any place in a survey and analysis of British political thought ? (“Every day” Politics) Survey of British politics and policy in the last twenty-five years.

In this chapter I want to supplement that argument with a genealogy of multiculturalism as a form of political theory in late twentieth-century Britain.

METHODS (2)/PAGE 07

There remains considerable debate about whether multiculturalism is a distinct ideology or a distinct strand in theory or whether it is merely an application of more traditional political ideas and concepts to a new set of local social circumstances.

* some sort of ideology

* theory ?

* ideas?

Scope: As such there is considerable scope for disputing whether multiculturalism has any place in a survey and analysis of British political thought as opposed to survey of British politics and policy in the last twenty-five years.

Method of Genealogy:

Kelly writes “…Bernard Williams in his study of the nature of truth and the related virtue of truthfulness. He describes the method of genealogy as ‘... a narrative that tries to explain a cultural phenomenon by describing a way in which it came about, or could have come about, or might be imagined to have come about.’ “.

SHIVA’S THEORETICALBASIS (1)/ PAGE 09

Shiva’s theory of earth democracy (ED)

(1) Adopting the movement promoting living knowledge,

living economies, and living democracy.

(2) Basis of the theory is bio-diversity principle—an

epistemological basis that is vey new to the conception

of politics in general and democracy in particular.

(3) Accepting bio-diversity would includes accepting

diversity in Man and Culture,

(4) and more importantly, with Shiva’s re-inventing the

earth as the family of man—accepting the

interconnectedness of human race democracy and

democracy for the earth.

LIBERTE * EGALITE OF SHIVA/PAGE 10

Shiva’ conception of Earth Democracy (ED):

As a consequence, we are encouraged to adopt

real politics of multiculturalism whereby no

knowledge is dominating over other forms of

knowledge; no democracy is dominating other

forms of politics of democracy; and no economy is

dominating other modes of economic system.

SOME THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES (1)/PAGE

11

Kymlicka (1)

“Just treatment of cultural groups for Kymlicka requires both a measure of self-government rights, but also measures to compensate minority cultures that are under disadvantaged by the dominant societal culture of the host community”. (Kelly; p. 13)

Fair Treatment (Economy & Socio-culture)→self-government rights: Dominant—minority relationship

Parekh (2)

“….The second strand of argument addresses the apparent ‘cultural blindness’ orfalse neutrality of liberal norms of justice and inclusion. It is argued bymulticulturalist critics that the form of liberal norms of inclusion is alreadyculturally biased in that they prescribe ‘equality of opportunity’ in terms ofhaving and exercising certain primary goods. These goods are things one needs,whatever else it is that one wants or values—such things as civil and politicalrights, the minimum conditions of self-respect and some level of economic well-being. As general headings these may well seem fair enough; who possibly couldobject to civil and political rights?” (Kelly; p. 19)

FROM CONVENTIONAL TO NEW BASIS/PAGE 12

More about basic needs

Other than basic needs: Wants or values (civil and political rights)

Other needs: the minimum conditions of self-respect and some level of economic well-being.

Note : all these ideals do not base ( ) on “deep” normative theory;

Shiva develops diversity in Man and Culture :Rights to let local economy lives; rights to exercise forms of its living democracy

“EVERY DAY” POLICY ON MULTICULTURALISM

/PAGE 13

Policies & Practices of Multiculturalism

For examine, consider his list of multicultural policies which immigrant groups can rightly seek:

While children should be educated to be familiar with the history and traditions of the dominant culture of the country, they should also be educated in the culture of their group, if their parents so desire;

– The customs and practices of different groups, within the limits of permissible

toleration, should be recognized;

– The link between poverty, under-education and ethnicity should be dissolved;

– There should be generous public support for cultural institutions (museums,

theatre etc.);

– Public space should accommodate all cultural groups.

Kymlicka, “Liberal Theories of Multiculturalism”

http://postfilosofie.it/archivio_numeri/anno2_numero3/anno2_numero3_KYMLICKA.pdf

Rationality: Weber & Shiva (1)/page 14 MAX WEBER

(PRACTICAL RATIONALITY

OPTIMUM ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE PURSUIT OF “HAPPINES”, MATERIAL WELL-BEING)

VALUE RATIONALITY

(OPTIMUM ACHIEVEMENT BASED ON THE VIRTUE CALL OF RELIGION; PROTSTANT ETHIC—WORLDLY ASCETISM)

SHIVA’S BIO-DIVERSITY/PAGE 15

Assumption: Liberal individualism vs. “Collectivism”

Political philosophers such as Charles Taylor, Alasdair MacIntyre and Michael Walzermounted a communitarian challenge to the primacy of the liberal individualism that underpinned the theories of Rawls, Nozick and Dworkin.The communitarian challenge takes a number of forms but all stress the primacy of what has been called the social thesis, namely that the individual subject of liberal theories of justice is a social creation with a distinctive history.

Paul Kelly, “Multiculturalism Reconsidered”

http://paperroom.ipsa.org/app/webroot/papers/paper_5457.pdf

Shiva’s epistemological Stand: Social thesis (From Social Creation (culture & history) to Bio-diversity)

RATIONALITY (2)/PAGE 16

Bebas dari Pembangunan (Perempuan, Ekologi,

dan Perjuangan Hidup di India), Vandana Shiva;

1997; Yayasan Obor Indonesia; Jakarta.

THANK YOU

Hari Zamharir/4th International Conference on Advances in Social Sciences, Kuala Lumpur 27-28 December 2014/GRDS