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| December 08, 2008 | Monday | Zilhaj 9, 1429 |
Curse of slavery
When billboards take over
OTHER VOICES - North American Press
Reading habit is gathering dust
Record job losses
IN the recent past, my experience of interviewing candidates for university admission and on a separate occasion for teaching jobs led me to conclude that reading habits in our society are on the decline.
THE US economy shed 533,000 jobs last month, with the worst employment figures since 1974 underlining the scale of the economic crisis gripping the country.
POOR nations living beyond their means land themselves in deep trouble — just like we have done. This is precisely the message the central bank sends across in its annual report on the economy. Economies across Asia grew, most of them faster than us, on the back of strong global demand, low commodity prices and cheap credit in the last several years to 2007. Pakistan’s GDP also increased by an average 7.3 per cent during four years to June 2007, but failed to improve the living conditions of most people. While most others used high growth to prepare themselves for any possible downturn in their fortunes, we used the opportunity to encourage passive consumption and import luxuries. Little was left to build up a modern economic and social infrastructure for sustainable growth. Nor did we use macroeconomic stability in those days to attract investment in the production sectors — manufacturing and agriculture — for creating jobs and ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth.
No wonder then, when the crunch came, we had little money left to support the sudden jump in the import bill which reached a record $40bn last year. Nor did we have the infrastructure or competitive manufacturing skills to push exports to bridge the current account gap. Inflation, which had already begun rising due to loose monetary policies, has skyrocketed to 25 per cent in the first five months to November of the current fiscal. The failure of previous governments to pass on the increase in global oil to consumers for political gains ahead of the general election expanded the fiscal deficit. Foreign-currency reserves declined to the equivalent of two months’ exports. We were left with the only choice of economic stabilisation under the IMF to correct the imbalances as capital inflows dried up and our friends refused to give us cash.
Now the bank says that macroeconomic imbalances are expected to improve, but GDP growth will moderate to 3.5 to 4.5 per cent. The average headline inflation, however, is unlikely to decline below 20 per cent, meaning another round of interest rate hikes could follow to curtail domestic demand. Unfortunately, we have been forced to slow down growth at a time when most countries are cutting interest rates to boost demand to protect production and jobs. This means that the economic slowdown will not only affect domestic sales but also make exports uncompetitive. This could lead to industrial closures, massive job cuts and increasing poverty. The next couple of years are going to be challenging, particularly for the lower and middle classes, as the state will be forced to cut down on essential spending, healthcare, food, education etc. But these years can also be used to put the economy on the road to sustainable and equitable growth.
WE ought to be appalled for the numbers involved are staggering. Last week, in a message marking the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, the UN secretary-general said that some 27 million people across the globe are shackled by the chains of slavery and slavery-like practices. He also warned that the situation may worsen in the days to come. As the global economic downturn pushes more and more people into poverty, the poorest are likely to become even “more vulnerable to slavery-like practices”.
Modern-day slavery manifests itself in many forms, most of which are practised in Pakistan today. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act was passed as long ago as 1992 but there has been little improvement on the ground. Estimates vary wildly about how many Pakistanis work as bonded labourers but the number runs into the millions — some put it as high as five million or more. The country’s minorities are targeted in particular because of their grinding poverty and second-class status in society at large. Every other day there are stories in Sindh of dozens of peasants being recovered from the private jails of feudals and other landlords. Besides being held against their will, many bonded labourers are also subjected to sexual and other forms of violent abuse. Though not all bonded labourers are physically imprisoned, it goes without saying that they endure unspeakable misery. Besides the farms of Sindh, brick-kiln owners in Punjab are also notorious for trapping the poor into bonded labour. Such gross violations of both human dignity and the law have also been reported from the NWFP.
Slavery in Pakistan is not limited to bonded labour. Our country is a source, a transit point and a destination for human traffickers who sell women and children into forced prostitution and slavery. Men, who initially may have been willing participants in the trade, are also exploited by traffickers in various heinous ways. Then there are the millions of men, women and children who toil for a pittance in appalling conditions in other people’s homes, in factories and on the roads, among other workplaces, and it can be argued that they too are victims of slavery-like practices. At the very least they are being held in servitude which, along with slavery, is unacceptable under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The government is duty-bound to implement existing laws and draw up fresh legislation to stamp out slavery and ensure a fair wage for all.
A CITY is known by the monuments it has. But monuments need to be seen to be known, not dwarfed and hidden behind gigantic billboards. Much of the cityscape in Lahore, including some historic landmarks, remains hidden from view because of huge billboards advertising everything from beauty
products to branded clothes. Few seem to care how this erstwhile ‘city of gardens’ appears in their ubiquitous presence. Any official operation for getting rid of some of this visual clutter, therefore, should be welcomed, and the removal last Friday of some 250 billboards across Lahore should help the city retrieve some of its image lost to gross and careless commercialisation. The devil is in the detail, however, and perhaps certain aspects of this apparently positive move have been overlooked. For one, the billboards that were removed were not among the most monstrous and distracting ones. They were removed not because they hid the city’s considerable charms but because either their lease had expired or their location made them an encroachment on greenbelts and other
state land.
Meanwhile, the city authorities do not have anything by way of a policy backed by law and supported by rules and regulations to ensure that all outdoor advertising remains within certain limits. Since August this year, the official approach to the issue has been at best confused and at worst disturbing because it is creating more grievances than it is meant to address. It also allows a lot of exemptions and exceptions to persist in the form of omnipresent political banners and obtrusive shop signs.
Urban development experts have pointed out that outdoor advertising in certain places may not be as bad as it appears. Sao Paulo, for instance, looks dreary without its advertising billboards banned some years ago. Authorities in Lahore, therefore, need to know what they want. To retain the image of Lahore as a historic city with a thriving modern life, they need to showcase both its monuments and modern artefacts. More importantly, they need to devise and implement consistent rules to regulate all commercial and non-commercial signage.
Landmarks process
The New York Times
JUDGE Marilyn Shafer of the New York State Supreme Court ruled last month that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission habitually acted in a manner that was “arbitrary and capricious” and ordered the commission to conduct its business in a more timely manner. Her conclusions are welcome and frustratingly familiar to New Yorkers.
The city plans to appeal. Instead, it should reform the commission. In a recent series, The Times’s Robin Pogrebin detailed many of the commission’s dysfunctional ways. The commission’s notable successes — creating historic districts and protecting significant buildings — have been diminished by its notable failures, including its decision to let 2 Columbus Circle be substantially rebuilt without a public hearing.
Part of the trouble is that the commission enjoys little political independence. The chairman serves at the mayor’s pleasure; the 11 unpaid commissioners see only the cases the chairman recommends. These are attributes that a pro-development mayor is not likely to want to change.
We urge Mayor Michael Bloomberg to give preservation more weight in city planning. The next landmarks chairman should come from preservation circles. The commissioners need more independence and authority. There needs to be better communication with the Buildings Department to prevent the confusion that has sometimes resulted in the destruction of a building slated for landmark consideration.
The most valuable change would be to address Judge Shafer’s concerns. Landmark decisions should be made expeditiously and transparently with a clear public record of the commission’s decision-making. The proper balance between healthy development and preservation cannot be found unless the commission plays a more vigorous and public role. — (Dec 6)
Anti-poverty plan
The Toronto Star
CHILDREN raised in poverty aren’t as healthy and don’t do as well in school as other kids. They’re more likely to be involved in crime, be underemployed and start their own families when they’re still young — beginning the cycle all over again.
Ontario has taken a vital step toward breaking that cycle with a focused poverty-reduction strategy. Announced yesterday, it seeks to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent within five years. That means 90,000 children and their families would escape poverty.
Unfortunately, the strategy is far too dependent on the willingness of Ottawa to contribute an additional $1.5bn a year to boost the federal child tax benefit and the working income benefit.
A firm reduction target serves to hold the government accountable. That is why anti-poverty advocates are thrilled Ontario has become the first province to adopt a target.
But in its plan, the government has qualified its 25 per cent reduction target by saying: “Ontario can’t do this alone — meeting this target depends on having a willing partner in the federal government and a growing economy.”
… The poverty reduction strategy, and previously announced Liberal programmes, have brought Ontario a long way from the Mike Harris days of welfare-bashing. Enshrining the strategy in legislation, as the Liberals plan to do, will help ensure the fight against poverty doesn’t fall off the agenda under some future government.
[Deb] Matthews, the lead minister on the strategy, says the child poverty 25-in-5 reduction target is “bold”. It is. But the test of boldness is achieving the target. Given the strategy’s reliance on Ottawa, it’s unclear just where Ontario’s poor children will be in five years. — (Dec 5)
Young students with A levels certificates, ready to start university, have frankly shared with me that they did not have time to read any book outside their syllabus, especially because their exams were tough and required rigorous preparations. Moreover, they were not encouraged by teachers and parents to read anything other than what they were required to in class. Student reading is confined to school hours and later at tuition centres which they hope will help them score good marks in the highly competitive assessment system.
The time which could have been given to reading has been taken up by more attractive activities. The internet is on top of the list that consumes most of the time of our youngsters in the form of chatting and surfing. The use of iPods and cellphones at home and on campus is on the rise. A large number of students can be seen wearing earphones in their free time. Libraries are usually deserted or under-used. This is also true of the libraries in cities and towns. There used to be an extended chain of small libraries even in remote vicinities. Most of these libraries have either vanished or been converted into internet cafes.
My experience of interviewing candidates as lecturers for teaching English language and literature was even more depressing. Most of the candidates could not name even three titles other than those prescribed in their syllabus. In some cases even the prescribed novels had not been read by the candidates. ‘Help’ books make it so convenient these days to qualify as an MA in English without having to read the original text. Some candidates said that they had no time to read books as they were working long hours in private organisations. Some candidates said that they did multiple jobs and had no time for reading.
Why is reading so important for us? What does it do for us? Reading has multiple functions, one being pleasure and entertainment. This may initially appear to be trivial but is essential as it is a form of catharsis. Of course the obvious goal it serves is gaining knowledge and being informed on a variety of topics. Reading has a direct correlation with cognition. There is research available to indicate a strong link between exposure to print and better performance in cognitive tasks.
Reading expository writings, e.g. textbooks, newspapers, etc., is relatively easier as the meaning can be gleaned from the surface. But it is more challenging to interpret or make sense of literary writings where the meaning lies in between the lines and sometimes beyond them if the message is to be decoded. This helps develop critical thinking which is so crucial for any society to move forward. Reading is an active skill. Like any other skill it improves with practice. To become a proficient reader one needs to read more.
What has impacted on reading habits in a negative manner? Is it a hectic lifestyle that has limited opportunities for reading? Certainly the pace of life has gained momentum and we are torn between our responsibilities and distractions like television, movies on DVD, the internet, etc. But how about western societies where reading habits are robust even though lifestyles are hectic?
Traditionally we are an ‘oracy’-based society as compared to the literacy-based societies of western countries. But in Pakistan a sharp decline in reading habits has been observed in the last three decades. The main factor responsible for this decline is our educational system and teaching practices especially at the primary level. At one time school libraries used to have a good collection of books accessible to the students.
Reading habits are developed at an early age. The family environment plays an important part in developing a love for books. Being at home with books gives children early exposure to the printed word. Parents’ reading habits and encouragement of reading help develop reading skills. Similarly, a lot depends on the teacher who by making a subject interesting and engaging students in reading activities can motivate students to read more. Reading habits are not developed by just focusing on intensive reading skills and students must be inspired to read books that are not necessarily included in the curriculum.
This aspect of extensive reading is either missing or not emphasised in our primary schools where teachers would do well to remember that it is important to understand that the love for reading cannot be inculcated just by asking students to read or giving them sermons on why one should do so. Encouraging students to take up a book depends on the teacher’s own reading experience.
Christine Nuttall, a renowned reading expert, suggests, “Reading is an infectious disease: it is caught and not taught.” If this is true how can our students catch this disease (reading) if the teachers don’t have it? Strong reading habits, developed at an early age, remain with a person forever, no matter how hectic his or her lifestyle is.
The writer is director at the Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lahore School of Economics and the author of Rethinking Education in Pakistan.
shahidksiddiqui@yahoo.com
The shock data for November far exceeded economists’ most pessimistic estimates and sent share prices into a sharp retreat.The unemployment rate is now 6.7 per cent, up from 6.5 per cent in October. It is the highest level since 1993.
Nigel Gault, chief US economist at the forecasting firm IHS Global Insight, said the economy was destined for its worst recession since the second world war. “These are just absolutely disastrous numbers,” he said.
The figures will increase the expectations weighing on the incoming president, Barack Obama, who is planning an economic stimulus package when he takes office in January. Some experts have called for an injection of at least $700bn into the US economy and Obama has pledged to create 2.5m jobs over his first two years in office.
Obama warned on Dec 5 that “there are no quick or easy fixes” to the crisis as he again avoided giving details on how he will jump-start the economy, preferring to outline his programme when he assumes office on January 20. He said: “At the same time, this ... provides us with an opportunity to transform our economy.”
The announcement brings the jobless total to 10.3 million people out of a workforce of 154.6 million. Economists believe the jobless rate will peak at between 8.7 per cent and 9.8 per cent over the next two years. Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody’s economy.com. said: “We are going to see the labour market remain very, very weak throughout the remainder of this year and 2009. It hinges on the monetary and fiscal response.”
The Federal Reserve Bank will consider the latest jobs figures when it discusses interest rates, now at 1 per cent, on December 16. Economists said the US central bank could be encouraged to cut rates further amid confirmation that inflation is a vastly diminished threat, with the spot price of Brent crude oil falling to less than $40, against a record high of $147 earlier this year.
Hourly employee earnings also posted a modest month-on-month rise, up 0.4 per cent to $18.30, underlining the lack of upward pressure on wages. However, economists warned that the hourly earnings figure did not bode well for consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity.
The jobs data also points to a severe contraction in the world’s largest economy in the final quarter of this year, with many forecasts indicating a decline in gross domestic product of 4 per cent following a fall of 0.5 per cent in the previous three months. The US economy tipped into recession in December last year, a panel of experts declared earlier this week.
Friday’s data showed job cuts in every sector barring healthcare, education and the government. The service industry suffered the heaviest job losses in November, shedding 370,000 posts. Within that total, retailers axed 91,000 jobs and professional and business services, which includes the financial sector, made 136,000 people redundant. The goods-producing industries lost 163,000 jobs with 82,000 jobs going in construction and 85,000 in manufacturing. Companies that shed jobs last month included the toy firm Mattel, electronics retailer Circuit City and Citigroup, the banking giant.
The bleakest predictions were for up to 500,000 job losses, with mid-range forecasts of less than 400,000. Today’s number for declines in non-farm payrolls is the worst since December 1974, when 602,000 people lost their jobs.
The jobless rate in the 1980 to 1982 recession peaked at 10.8 per cent, the worst since the Great Depression. The current US recession is expected to match its post-war predecessors for length. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the downturn is 12 months old and needs to last five more months to outrank the 1973-75 and 1980-82 recessions.
— The Guardian, London
