Democracy, Sustainable Development, and Peace

Description

A participatory democracy that engenders social cohesion helps promote economic development. Persistent mass poverty and economic disparities, however, are constraints to fulfilling such a vision of democracy among the nations of South Asia—a region which is at a conjunctural moment in its history. The book examines, in the context of South Asia, four interrelated dimensions that constitute the central policy challenges of our time: strengthening democracy through greater social inclusion in the process of democratic governance, confronting violent extremism, overcoming mass poverty through inclusive growth, and addressing the crisis of the environment. With contributions from some of the eminent scholars and public figures in South Asia, this volume explores these interrelated themes at the country-specific and regional levels. The essays argue that participatory democracy and inclusive growth need to be underpinned by the norms and core values that signify the ‘unity in diversity’ of South Asia.  

Table of contents

Foreword by Syed Babar Ali

1 Introduction: Contemporary Challenges and Civilizational Wellsprings
Akmal Hussain and Muchkund Dubey

PART I DEMOCRACY

2 State of Democracy in India
Subhash C. Kashyap
3 Pakistan: Striving for Democracy
Hasan Askari Rizvi
4 State, Society, and Democratic Futures: Challenges for Bangladesh
Imtiaz Ahmed
5 Deepening Democratic Structure in Sri Lanka
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
6 Reconstru2cting Democracy in South Asia
Rounaq Jahan and Rehman Sobhan

PART II INCLUSIVE GROWTH

7 Inclusive Growth in India
Muchkund Dubey and Biswajit Dhar
8 Strengthening Democracy through Inclusive Growth
Akmal Hussain
9 Beyond Minimalism of Growth with Safety Net: Is Development 'Inclusive' in Bangladesh?
Binayak Sen
10 Inclusive Growth in Sri Lanka
Saman Kelegama
11 Inclusive Growth and Policies: The South Asian Experience
Thangavel Palanivel and Fatma Gul Unal

PART III THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

12 The Challenge of Global Climate Change: An Indian Perspective
Shyam Saran
13 Climate Change: Pakistan's Existential Challenge
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh
14 The Environmental Challenges in South Asia: Regional Cooperation for Adaptation Strategies
Leena Srivastava

PART IV PEACE

15 Persistent Inequality and the Challenges to Legitimacy and Peace-building in Pakistan
Imran Ali
16 Unfinished Peace in a Diverse Society: Some Thoughts on the 'Peace' Process in Sri Lanka
Sumanasiri Liyanage
17 South Asian Union: Vision of a Peaceful South Asia—Of the People, For the People, and By the People
Kamal Hossain

PART V SOUTH ASIA'S DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE

18 A Regional Financial Architecture for Sustaining Asia-Pacific's Dynamism in the Post-crisis World
Nagesh Kumar
19 Reform of Global and Regional Financial Architecture
Ramgopal Agarwala

PART VI RECOVERING A SHARED SENSIBILITY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE SOUTH ASIAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS

20 Pluralism and Diversity in South Asia
Kapila Vatsyayan
21 Peace, Sustainability, and the Religious Other
Muhammad Suheyl Umar
22 Some Aspects of South Asian Cultural Traditions
M. Anisuzzaman

PART VII PERSPECTIVE ON SOUTH ASIA

23 Democracy and Sustainable Development
Mohamed Nasheed
24 Form and Substance of Democracy: Situating South Asia
T.K. Oommen
25 Inclusive Growth, Democracy, and Sustainable Development
Ajay Chhibber
26 Some Reflections on Development in South Asia: Markets, Democracy, and People
Deepak Nayyar
27 Livelihood, Nature, and Peace: A Grihini Perspective
Ela R. Bhatt
28 The Story of Micro-credit: Grameen Bank and Social Business
Muhammad Yunus
29 The Impact of Global Warming and the Imperative of Mitigation
R.K. Pachauri
30 Natural Disasters, Food Security, and Sustainable Development
M.S. Swaminathan
31 State Pathologies, Peace, and Water
Khaled Ahmed
32 A Vision for a South Asian Commonwealth
Abul Maal A Muhith

About the Editors and Contributors
Index