Asian
Values- their relevance for cooperatives
Whatever may be the political
controversy about the Asian Values, there is
no denying the fact that some of the Asian values
like honestly, truthfulness, concern for the
community, brotherhood, tolerance, non-violence,
coexistence etc. are the universal values which
are essential and the foundations of a sustainable
socio-economic development and thereby of the
cooperative functioning.
The value system propounded
by Gandhi and Tagore as mentioned earlier and
which combines both social and economic values
and ethics is quite relevant today for the success
of cooperative movement.
It is however, a matter of
introspection whether the so called Asian values
are being practiced and followed in the actual
working of the cooperatives in Asia. In most
cases they are not.
The need of the day is to imbibe
and inbuilt the value system alongwith the economic
principles of business and management in the
working of the cooperatives for a sustainable
development. Infact, wherever the cooperatives
have failed in Asia, it is because of the negation
of these values. Philosophers lay down the philosophies,
but it is for the cooperators to follow and
practice.
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