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Lim Teck Ghee. Forging National Unity and Integration: Whose Responsibility. World Bank/IDA Findings. Resilient and Competitive Economies are marked by high social cohesion and low conflict inclusion of social groups access and equality of opportunity
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Lim Teck Ghee Forging National Unity and Integration: Whose Responsibility
World Bank/IDA Findings • Resilient and Competitive Economies are marked by • high social cohesion and low conflict • inclusion of social groups • access and equality of opportunity • rule of law and vibrant democratic institutions • neutral, efficient and non-corrupt bureaucracy • open societies
Less Competitive and Resilient Societies are marked by • exclusion of groups and communities • oppressive and authoritarian systems • inequity/inequality • partisan, corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy • closed society
Conflict Avoidance • Learn from lessons of past but do not be imprisoned by paradigms of past • Social rights should not be delayed/reduced because of economic • disparities • Need to match rhetoric with action in practicing tolerance and fairness • Engage in positive tolerance • Practice/ internalize fairness as a prerequisite to participation in a modern pluralistic society
National Integration: Whose Responsibility? • Government of the day • Mass media • Teachers and religious leaders • Elites • Tolerance and fairness must be extended beyond elite groups to the ground level through inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogues at the community level
Role of NGOs • Provide early warning through identification of social risks and tensions • Monitoring and evaluation of issues, policies and outcomes • Act as conduit for greater stakeholder participation • Act as catalyst for transparency and accountability, leading to better outcomes
How ASLI/Center for Public Policy Studies Can Assist • Assist in identification and dissemination of best practices in national integration and social cohesion • Through the use of the electronic website, establish a continuing multi-ethnic forum on national integration and unity issues • Tap the potential of the younger generation in advancing national unity and integration • Assist in collection of better data with better methods and employing better analytical tools