Ushering back a better, brighter democracy
WHAT a pleasure it has been to visit beautiful Bangladesh. I saw the difference that innovative micro-credit financing for development can make in peoples' lives -- a difference between life on the edge and a life of hope and progress.
I saw how innovative NGOs can partner with global corporations to promote UN Millennium Goals. A case in point: the Grameen Danone social business enterprise, dedicated to improving the nutritional health of children.
I saw how a small char community in the middle of the Jamuna River has worked with government authorities and UN specialists to protect itself from natural disasters and climate change.
My visit may have been brief, but I come away with a deep respect and admiration for the Bangladeshi people -- for their industriousness, for their inventiveness in grappling with the challenges they face, and for their indomitable spirit.
Bangladesh has much to offer the world. It is a model of how economic growth and poverty-reduction should go hand-in-hand. It is a case study in successful family planning, getting girls into schools and reducing child mortality. Both blessed and battered by Mother Nature, Bangladesh has become a leader in disaster management -- demonstrated during the floods and cyclones of 2007.
Bangladesh reaches well beyond its borders to assist those in need. It contributes outstandingly to UN peacekeeping missions around the world. I salute those who have lost their lives or been wounded in the cause of international peace, and I honor their families for their sacrifice.
Great challenges lie ahead. Like many developing nations, Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to the crises of our day: climate change, the energy and power crisis, global economic recession, rising food prices. All must be confronted for Bangladesh to continue its economic climb.
This is why I have called attention, strenuously and repeatedly, to the moral dimension of the global financial crisis. We must ensure that it does not weight disproportionately on those who can least afford it. We must insist that wealthier countries do not retreat on their foreign assistance programs and commitments under the Millennium Development Goals.
Times of global crisis demand global solidarity. We cannot allow the financial crisis to turn into a prolonged human crisis.
For Bangladesh, much depends on good governance. Perhaps never before has it been so important for the nation's diverse people and political leaders to pull together -- to fight corruption, to uphold the rule of law, to respect institutional checks and balances and to promote democracy.
This was my message to all I met: government authorities, political parties, civil society leaders and ordinary citizens. I saw clearly that democracy belongs in Bangladesh; there are no insurmountable obstacles to ushering back a better, brighter, more sustainable democracy after the elections in December.
Bangladesh possesses all the qualities for successful and vibrant democracy. Bangladeshis are politically engaged, independent-minded, eager to debate their future. It has a vibrant press and active, organised political parties representing many points of view. Its voter list is the envy of many countries; the UN is proud to have helped create it. And Bangladesh has experience with successful democratic transitions of power.
What is needed now is to put the larger interests of the nation above other interests. For its part, the government must protect the fundamental rights and freedoms necessary for a free, fair and credible election. It must ensure a level playing field. And it must guarantee that the elections take place in a peaceful and secure environment.
The incoming government will need to reach out to the opposition in Parliament. The opposition must engage constructively with the new government. Political competition is good and necessary, but it cannot be allowed to undermine the foundations of democracy. Tolerance and cooperation are required so that everyone can win.
Political parties shoulder a big responsibility. They must engage with citizens across the country and shape their very different interests into a coherent vision. They must agree among themselves to evolve the unwritten conventions and norms that define acceptable political activity.
They must abide by the electoral rules and desist from violence and intimidation. They must work together after the elections, sincerely and in good faith, to consolidate the reforms begun by the current caretaker government. And they must dedicate themselves sincerely to fighting corruption.
Time and again, Bangladesh has proven that where there is a will, there is a way. I am confident that the creative spirit and wisdom that grace this ancient culture will guide the country through its time of need.
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