Tuesday, May 25, 2004
My two cents on Changing the way we organize
The purpose is to explore a scalable model that will help uplift the standard of living of millions around the globe who are still untouched by the realms of modernism and the Web.
Lets take the case of the thousands of farmers on the outskirts of the Indian Cyber City - Hyderabad. On one hand, you have gleaming glass buildings of the world's top corporations adorning the skies of Hyderabad - a city that has abundant power and water. And less than 100 kilometers away, farmers are comitting suicide because of scarcity of water and not being able to pay electricity and other bills. Clearly, pure capitalism, where profit is the only motive, is not the solution to these problems - it only serves to increase the divide between the rich and poor.
So is socialism / communism / Marxism the solution to this problem? Well in theory, probably yes - but neither of these models have solved these issues. One might argue that corruption is a reason why these models have failed. But these models provide fertile grounds for breeding corruption. If you leave the problem solving to a few people of the State, corruption is bound to creep in. That is what happened in India from 1947 to 1991 as a result of the so called "license raj" or permit system.
Web space is the ultimate concept - sooner or later the world will get there. But a lot needs to be done before the world gets there. In India, for instance, where the middle and upper classes are riding the wave of the internet economy, over 300 million people still do not have the basic necessities of life - no shelter above their heads... and getting two square meals is a luxury. How do we make these people a part of the web space?
First, there is a need for a system that provides a source of livelihood and raises the standard of living of these people - provides them with food, clothing, and shelter - and makes sure the villages have decent roads, drinking water, and electricity. If these issues are not addressed soon, the migration from rural to urban areas will only be expedited, and the problems resulting from that are well documented.
What is necessary is the existence of sufficient employment opportunities in the rural areas. Entrepreneurship in the rural areas needs to be promoted. That is where the "Open Source Entrepreneurial Model" comes into picture. At the same time, steps should be taken to make sure good education is available for the next generation (if not for the current one). And that is where the "Open Source Educational Model" comes in.
Obviously, merely having these models in place is not magically going to solve the problem. There has to be motivation for people to implement these models. There are selfless people working with NGOs who are already doing great work along these lines. But the world needs more and more of such wonderful people. There are several more who are sitting on the border, waiting for a suitable launch pad and for some basic conditions to be met. Now one would argue that this is not pure selflessness, but we do not live in Utopia. Different people have different aspirations and view points - and all these must be respected. (Each person, sooner or later, will come to the point of realization of the Ultimate Truth - the destination is the same, but the path and time taken is different). This is where the profit-based service enterprise comes into picture. Like Dr. V's Arvind model - to attract the best talent - we do not have to promise the highest pay - but overall good quality of life - and above all a sense of satisfaction.
No model is exclusive. There is so much that needs to be done, and there is an urgent need to come up with a scalable approach. The sooner this happens, the more lives can be saved, more hungry mouths can be fed, more children can go to school. And at the same time, capitalism, socialism, non-profits - all can co-exist. They have their own role in society. Even these models have evolved - pure capitalism died in America with the great depression of 1929, and pure socialism / communism have also collapsed. Over time, as society evolves, the models also evolve and blend. However, since this evolutionary process of merging the extremes of capitalism and socialism has been a rather slow and painful process, there is a need to find a middle path.
Lets take the case of the thousands of farmers on the outskirts of the Indian Cyber City - Hyderabad. On one hand, you have gleaming glass buildings of the world's top corporations adorning the skies of Hyderabad - a city that has abundant power and water. And less than 100 kilometers away, farmers are comitting suicide because of scarcity of water and not being able to pay electricity and other bills. Clearly, pure capitalism, where profit is the only motive, is not the solution to these problems - it only serves to increase the divide between the rich and poor.
So is socialism / communism / Marxism the solution to this problem? Well in theory, probably yes - but neither of these models have solved these issues. One might argue that corruption is a reason why these models have failed. But these models provide fertile grounds for breeding corruption. If you leave the problem solving to a few people of the State, corruption is bound to creep in. That is what happened in India from 1947 to 1991 as a result of the so called "license raj" or permit system.
Web space is the ultimate concept - sooner or later the world will get there. But a lot needs to be done before the world gets there. In India, for instance, where the middle and upper classes are riding the wave of the internet economy, over 300 million people still do not have the basic necessities of life - no shelter above their heads... and getting two square meals is a luxury. How do we make these people a part of the web space?
First, there is a need for a system that provides a source of livelihood and raises the standard of living of these people - provides them with food, clothing, and shelter - and makes sure the villages have decent roads, drinking water, and electricity. If these issues are not addressed soon, the migration from rural to urban areas will only be expedited, and the problems resulting from that are well documented.
What is necessary is the existence of sufficient employment opportunities in the rural areas. Entrepreneurship in the rural areas needs to be promoted. That is where the "Open Source Entrepreneurial Model" comes into picture. At the same time, steps should be taken to make sure good education is available for the next generation (if not for the current one). And that is where the "Open Source Educational Model" comes in.
Obviously, merely having these models in place is not magically going to solve the problem. There has to be motivation for people to implement these models. There are selfless people working with NGOs who are already doing great work along these lines. But the world needs more and more of such wonderful people. There are several more who are sitting on the border, waiting for a suitable launch pad and for some basic conditions to be met. Now one would argue that this is not pure selflessness, but we do not live in Utopia. Different people have different aspirations and view points - and all these must be respected. (Each person, sooner or later, will come to the point of realization of the Ultimate Truth - the destination is the same, but the path and time taken is different). This is where the profit-based service enterprise comes into picture. Like Dr. V's Arvind model - to attract the best talent - we do not have to promise the highest pay - but overall good quality of life - and above all a sense of satisfaction.
No model is exclusive. There is so much that needs to be done, and there is an urgent need to come up with a scalable approach. The sooner this happens, the more lives can be saved, more hungry mouths can be fed, more children can go to school. And at the same time, capitalism, socialism, non-profits - all can co-exist. They have their own role in society. Even these models have evolved - pure capitalism died in America with the great depression of 1929, and pure socialism / communism have also collapsed. Over time, as society evolves, the models also evolve and blend. However, since this evolutionary process of merging the extremes of capitalism and socialism has been a rather slow and painful process, there is a need to find a middle path.
