SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

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160 The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy International Conference In reality, development is a never ending path. It is broadly defined. Development encompasses personal physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social development. It includes community social and cultural development. And it should include technological as well as economic development. Western development is pretty much focused only on intellectual, technological, and economic development. The results of this are the cultivation of consumption and greed. This economic development has led to the deterioration of community society, broken social networks (including families, the community and the government) and a hunger for depth and connection. Sufficiency Economy Philosophy My understanding is that the development of the King’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy was sparked, least in part, by E. F. Schumacher’s book, “Small is Beautiful” and his introduction of the concept of Buddhist economics. Buddhist economics has much more in common with Hindu, Islamic, and Christian economics than it does with neoclassical economics. It is a view of economics with a lens of spiritual wisdom. All of these views value the spiritual and social development of human beings over the economic development. They all value community over individuals and relationships over things. They all value moderation. Their view of development is much more integrated than how we currently understand development. In short, they are all morality based. The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy is nothing short of elegant. It is based on three components: • Moderation • Reasonableness • A self-immunity system: being able to cope with shocks from internal and external changes Two underlying conditions are necessary to achieve this sufficiency: • Knowledge: breadth and thoroughness in planning and carefulness in applying knowledge in implementation) • Morality: people need to have honesty and integrity while conducting their lives with perseverance, harmlessness and generosity 1 1 Office of the Royal Development Projects Board, http://www.rdpb.go.th/rdpb/Front/ SufficiencyEconomy.aspx?p=4, 11 September 2011
The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy International Conference 161 As the King has clarified: This “sufficiency” means a “sufficiency economy.” It is satisfactory if each individual has enough to live on, but it is even better if the entire country has enough to live on. We in Thailand used to be sufficient. Now, it is free to be insufficient. Therefore, it is a policy to adopt a sufficiency economy so that everyone has enough to live on. Sufficiency means to lead a reasonably comfortable life, without excess or overindulgence in luxury, but having enough. 2 His Majesty also explained that Sufficiency Economy differs from the English term “self-sufficiency”: Self-sufficiency means producing enough for one’s own need, without having to borrow anything from others, or as they say, standing on one’s own feet. But the Sufficiency Economy concept is much broader than that. Sufficiency is moderation. If one is moderate in one’s desires, one will take less advantage of others. If all nations hold this concept, without being extreme or insatiable in one’s desires, the world will be a happier place. Being moderate does not mean to be too strictly frugal; luxurious items are permissible, but one should not take advantage of others in the fulfillment of one’s desires. Moderation, in other words, living within one’s means, should dictate all actions. Act in moderation, speak in moderation - that is, be moderate in all activities. Therefore, sufficiency means moderation and reasonableness. 3 The 2007 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program issued a warning “to avoid growth that is jobless, ruthless, voiceless, rootless, and futureless,” with a remark on the Sufficiency Economy principle and human development: In the light of the Sufficiency Economy approach, it’s time to add another to this list: mindless growth - where the path of growth adds nothing to the mental and spiritual capabilities of people. 4 The report concludes that Sufficiency Economy is a valid approach to development: 2 The Government Public Relations Department, http://thailand.prd.go.th/ebook/ communication/part3.php?s=3, 11 September 2011 3 Ibid 4 United Nations Development Programs, Thailand Human Development Report 2007: Sufficiency Economy and Human Development, http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Thailand/ Thailand%20HDR.pdf , 11 September 2011
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SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

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