Looking for hope!

Pakistan has faced challenges of epic proportions since its inception, yet as a nation, we are endowed with a rich culture and history.

Our crises enumerate everything from economic insecurity to a broken industrial and business landscape to social and political unrest, and all these raise questions about the promise this nation holds for the future. Can we turn this multitude of crises into an opportunity to rise from the ashes? As Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste” so this might be an opportunity to transform for us.

While it is crucial to assess our current situation, it is equally important to give a message of hope to remove the darkness surrounding us. When sometimes it is quite burdensome to steer your thoughts to clarity, I take refuge in my favourite books and this time “Upheaval” by Jarred Diamond, Daron Acemoglu, and James A. Robinson’s “The Narrow Corridor” came to my rescue.

Several nations have faced crises of identity, social construct, and economic destabilization before, but there are many examples where these crises have transformed these nations into fresh, more resilient developed countries.

Pakistan has seen more than its fair share of problems that are several and severe; these include inflation, unemployment, and a crushing debt that is suffocating the economy. In addition to these challenges, Pakistan grapples with corruption, poor governance, and political unrest. If oxymorons ever existed then something named “progressing backwards,” would also be possible, surely we would have been its real time manifestation as we have progressed backwards socially in terms of poverty, healthcare, and education.

Our current landscape creates a very dismal outlook, and whenever I try to write any further on the causes or what these could mean for our future generation, it becomes a depressing account. However, not all is lost yet, and there is hope—a lot of hope.

“The Narrow Corridor” offers insights into how countries and societies can attain freedom through careful balancing between state and society. Acemoglu and Robinson contend that both an overly demanding and a weak state cause failure. So, as we face political upheaval and appear to be in a conundrum of a boiling cauldron of political unrest with activism from all pillars of the state, we must understand that our success will be in keeping a dynamic equilibrium whereby society and the state both reinforce and limit one another. It is easier said than done, but this can only be achieved while a nation faces crises like ours and struggles to put things right.

This necessitates fostering a robust and accountable government while empowering civil society to hold it accountable. The present crisis, if handled properly, can guarantee that changes are inclusive and sustainable. Here, the intention is to point out that, though we appear to be quite destabilized, there is hope for us to emerge stronger only if we remember that this crisis is an opportunity for change.

The next message of hope arises from another favourite book, Jared Diamond’s “Upheaval,” which looks at how countries negotiate crises by means of deliberate adjustments. There are four main elements that define a nation’s capacity to withstand crises: national identity, honest self-evaluation, learning from other countries, and adaptable responses. These points apply to Pakistan in the same manner as they have to many other nations in the past:

Overcoming crises needs a sense of a strong national identity. We must inspire our people towards our shared objectives of economic and social uplift and a decent life with dignity and honour by encouraging harmony and a sense of direction. As a nation, we are blessed with cultural variety that we must celebrate while stressing shared values and goals.

We must honestly assess ourselves to find our strengths and weaknesses (here the keyword is “honesty”). This would require us to move away from cliches and take a deep dive into what we really have by way of human, natural, and technological resources and where we have faltered. This requires transparency at all levels and honest communication between various stakeholders.

We must not try to reinvent the wheel; learning from other countries that have handled such crises can be a good start for us. We must apply sensible judgment to adapt these lessons to our particular situation, but we must also follow best practices and avoid the mistakes others have committed.

I wrote earlier about South Korea, which faced similar crises, but today it is a technological powerhouse and a developed country that transformed its economy with technology and education. Similarly, we can get insightful knowledge from the way Norway handled its natural resources to uplift itself from Scandinavian backwaters to a developed nation.

We must be open to trying and implementing new ideas and technologies and make use of the youth bulge that we are blessed with.

We must make efforts to create conducive conditions supporting technological innovation and economic diversification, enabling our youth. This great resource is a double-edged weapon; either we use it for our progress or we see it becoming the fuel for further social instability.

As every crisis also presents a possibility so this series of crises also offers us with an opportunity to reconsider and reorganize the way we look at our resources.

There is a fundamental shift happening in the world where the big money has moved away from hard assets to technology. That’s why the richest corporations today do not deal with natural resources or tangible assets but rather with technological innovations. Cases in point are Microsoft, Google, Amazon, PayPal, etc.

As we try to change ourselves, political changes will be needed to create a more open and responsible system that can acquire and maintain public confidence. Social reforms are required, making healthcare and education our top priorities, which will guarantee that our workforce has essential knowledge and enjoys good health.

We must understand that our future is intertwined with the future of the youth, which has immense potential. Wealth creation in the world is moving away from hard assets to knowledge-based resources, so technology can be our saviour.

Our IT sector is currently projected at just $3 billion, which falls well behind nations like India, whose IT exports reach a staggering $200 billion. Pakistan suffers from low-quality graduates and a lack of government incentives, including affordable broadband internet and continuous power supply. We are creating over 20,000 IT graduates a year, but the quality of a large majority of these is below par and leaves a lot to be desired.

These young people are our greatest resource, and we must take advantage of this resource by upskilling them. This great pool of talent, which is almost 60% of our population, could be the driver of progress if we use it properly.

The young people can significantly help shape Pakistan’s future only if we facilitate them taking up entrepreneurship with access to technology and international marketplaces so that they can launch businesses tackling both local and worldwide problems. We can provide support in the form of incubators, financing, and mentoring; this can enable Pakistan’s IT sector to expand beyond its present constraints.

We must emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education as well as vocational training that can provide young Pakistanis with the skills of the future.

We must encourage digital literacy and the use of technology for government, healthcare, and education, which would improve accessibility and efficiency and reduce corruption.

Although it might be seen as the darkest hour in recent times for Pakistan, there is hope for all of us. Only a few simple steps are needed to alter the trajectory of our future. The foremost is to be honest with ourselves, be ready to change the way we work, frame policies using proven best practices and frameworks, and bring in transparency in our interactions.

Easy as it may sound, it is surely a daunting task that needs careful consideration by all the stakeholders. If there is a message of hope, it surely goes with a message of change and great struggle ahead.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024