SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

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The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy
International Conference
The Sufficiency Economy offers a way to avoid mindless growth through
application of a set of principles which can seem disarmingly simple, but
which are rooted in observation of the real world, and underwritten by
humanist theory. The appeal of the approach is that the principles are easy to
grasp, but the daunting fact is that the application demands high standards of
commitment and integrity. But then, if development were easy.... 5
Implementation of this philosophy is the challenge. As has been amply
demonstrated here in Thailand in a rural context, with access to arable land, an
individual, a family, or even a community can agree together to adopt this
philosophy and implement it into their lives with relative ease.
In a different setting, for example in an urban setting, the challenge increases.
Holding to moderation and reasonableness are achievable for an urban individual.
Establishing a self-immunity system would seem to present a challenge. In living
moderately, one can save financial resources but in a severe economic downturn or
in the case of a crisis or natural disaster, it is not nearly so clear that one would be
protected. Having a social network to help support each other is one way to address
the safety net but requires an infrastructure to support building a community from a
group of strangers where everyone comes from families far removed from the urban
area.
Having an education that provides a person with ownership of skills that can
produce a livelihood is also important. This however also requires access to capital
to enable formation of a business.
Ultimately, the critical piece of the puzzle is individual understanding of
moderation, reasonableness, and the personal traits of honesty, integrity,
perseverance, harmlessness, and generosity. The current economic culture is not
particularly supportive of many of those things. Corporate mentality tends to look at
labor as a commodity. The stated goal is to maximize profit which is often
accomplished by building artificial need and encouraging immoderation, taking
from the environment with total disregard to sustainability, and discarding wastes
into the environment with no regard to the damage caused. Rights and wrong take a
back seat to maximization of profits. The encouragement of consumerism has
resulted in the encouragement of over-extended credit as opposed to the
encouragement of savings for both businesses and individuals.
Sufficiency economy outside of Thailand
The talk to this point has been centered on Thailand. Being American and
living in Thailand as I studied the Sufficiency Economy philosophy, one of my
concerns was how do the concepts apply in the the US where in 2000, over 79% of
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