Discussion / motion for debate

Spirituality alone cannot fill stomachs

EXPLANATION OF THE MOTION

In March 2008 there were violent clashes between Buddhist monks and the Chinese forces in Tibet. These events prompted the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to reiterate his message that the Tibetan definition of 'meaningful autonomy' means the guarantee to preserve the region's unique cultural environment, including the language. The Dalai Lama follows in the tradition of non-violent, peaceful action set by leaders such as Gandhi. At the same time, however, the Dalai Lama recognises his country's economic reliance on China, adding 'After all, spirituality alone cannot fill your stomach'.

Coincidentally, a BBC documentary, A Year in Tibet, was shown in the same month. The maker of the documentary, Peter Firstbrook, describes: 'It is estimated that in the 1960s over 2000 monasteries were destroyed. Just 12 survived. The Pel Kor monastery in Gyantse was founded nearly 600 years ago. Tsephun is one of its few novice monks. His great uncle Dondrup, a senior monk, arranged for him to be accepted at the monastery three years ago. But whereas Dondrup  is part of the old Tibet, Tsephun has grown up in a world of television, mobile phones and dating; he resents the restrictions of monastery life. This causes conflict between Tsephun and his great uncle.'

In many ways, the uneasy relationship between Tsephun and his great uncle reflects the changes happening throughout the world: the tension between holding on to traditional values and embracing new ones. It is specifically in this field of tension that endogenous development operates.
One of the distinguishing features of the endogenous development approach is its recognition of spiritual aspects of life. This stems from a conviction that many, if not all, societies' worldviews include notions of spirituality, as well as material and social aspects. However, as the lively debate in this issue of ED-Magazine (INteracting) shows only too clearly, extreme poverty and hunger are still a major problem worldwide. And even someone as inspired and inspiring as the Dalai Lama warns of the dangers of overemphasising spirituality at the cost of material well-being. Are the critics of the endogenous approach right in wondering whether the harsh realities of the material world and the problems of poverty and hunger leave room for addressing spirituality? Do material needs indeed outweigh spiritual needs?

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