Shetubondhon:
Toward a Paradigm and Culture of Bridge-BuildingDr. Mohammad Omar Farooq
Courtesy: Alochona Monthly e-Magazine [April 2003]
http://magazine.alochona.org/magazine/2003/april/theme/theme5.asp
The world is beset with much tension and conflict. As I write this, the American Coalition of the Willing (or, as the world sees it, Billing) has waged an unprovoked, unilateral war against America’s former friend, Saddam Hussein and his regime in Iraq. As Bangladeshis we are all too familiar with conflict as well. The birth of Bangladesh was marked by one of the bloodiest struggles. As Rounaq Jahan, a senior research scholar at Columbia University argues: “A major impact of the genocide was the introduction of violence in Bangladesh society, politics, and culture. … The genocide, looting, burning, and rapes also brutalized the Bangladeshi society. After witnessing so much violence, the people seemed to have developed a higher degree of tolerance toward wanton violence.”
Bangladesh and Bangladeshi society display quite symptomatic conditions: conflicts are widespread and deep-rooted and differing visions, interests, and power continue to lead to violent conflicts. The constitution and rule of law appear incapable daily to serve as the medium of conflict resolution. Worse, wanton killings and atrocities by thugs (sometimes in cahoots with the law enforcement agencies and corrupt political leaders) seem to have paralyzed the lives of the common people.
Regardless of the progress that humanity has made in dealing with tensions and conflicts, at international and/or national levels, Bangladesh seems to be failing to uphold a minimal threshold of justice. Is there any way out? That’s the challenge of our modern times, as the ability of the world to utterly self-destruct itself is now well within our reach.
While fairness in interpersonal dealing at the level of ideas and actions continues to define the foundation for a healthy and functional society, the level to which tension and conflict seem to have risen requires more than seeking and upholding justice. Once again we need to identify ourselves at the level of humanity. It is a colossal task and requirement and not a modest dream by any means. Yet, our collective failure to rise up to the task may dwarf the twentieth century’s designation as the Century of Genocides.
While bigger dreams and tasks that foster creativity, vision, and commitment await capable people, there is no reason why we can’t take smaller steps in the desired direction at a much more rudimentary level. With that perspective a new e-forum was initiated in 1999; it was called Shetubondhon (bridge-building).
This new forum has contributed toward setting new standards for Bangladeshi forums, earning its distinctiveness for its vision, content, and quality. Yet it is not the first or the largest in its peer group. Notably, however, it is the first among Bangladeshi e-forums that offered full disclosure about the moderation team as well as a detailed posting guideline, to which the team adheres in a non-partisan manner.
The core idea behind this forum is what its name conveys: Shetubondhon (bridge-building). In the context of tensions and conflicts, many among us are conscientious and passionate about seeking justice and fairness. However, in most such cases, people tend to lean toward one party/side or another. The power of negotiation, persuasion, pressures, and other means adopted by different sides often play important role in mitigating or resolving tensions and conflicts. Most of us are familiar with this aspect in terms of both ideas and actions.
The idea of bridge-building goes much further in a fundamental way. It is an empathic approach and perspective that proactively seeks common grounds. In this context Shetubondhon’s mission is to: “Enhance human tolerance, instill enduring sense of morality, foster an attitude of positive thinking and cooperation, and heighten awareness about pertinent human concerns among people of South Asian origin in general and Bangladesh in particular through interactive dialogue on socio-economic, geo-political, religious, education, cultural and agronomic issues.” Its goal has been “To emerge as a premiere web-based discussion forum that will enhance understanding among peoples of various social, political, religious, ideological, ethnic, and professional backgrounds.”
Those who are parties to conflicts or tensions, it is all too human to seek that their side will prevail, sometimes without regard to rule of law, as it seems to be the case for Bangladesh and Bangladeshis. However, those who value the role of those who facilitate conflict resolution are quite different. At the core of conflict resolution is the emphasis of common grounds over differences.
Our culture is essentially a difference-emphasizing culture. If any of us has 90 or 99 things to agree on, the 10 or 1 thing that we disagree about dominate our attitude and approach. Just as conflict resolution requires finding and focusing on common grounds, often mediated by those who guide the process of dialog, bridge-building also requires a passion for and commitment to proactively seeking common grounds.
On Shetubondhon there was a number of focused discussions, among which were: Hindu-Muslim relationship, Bangladesh-India relationship, Muslim-Secularist relationship. A number of contributors dealt with the topics in a truly bridge-building manner.
One of the contributors presented a series on “Toward a Marxists-Muslims Dialog,” with the theme that even though there are some irreconcilable differences between Islam and Marxism, if the adherents of both sides care and refocus, they can find important common grounds for a non-hostile relationship. Another contributor wrote a piece Recent Comparison of Mujib and Zia, where he made the point that Bangladesh’s history is intimately tied to the role and contribution of both these persons and our moving forward as a nation requires that positive contributions of both are duly recognized and honored as part of our national heritage. One of the critical fault lines of post-independence Bangladesh is our fragmented, exclusivist, and partisan view about these two leaders.
If as people, at any and all levels, we want to move forward with a positive and constructive vision and goal, we need a new culture that proactively seeks common grounds. That does not mean compromising one’s principles and fundamental convictions. It does not mean not being firm and forthright in one’s communication or articulation. However, it does mean rising above one’s own parochial views and positions, and at least try to see the other side’s position in a respectful and empathic manner. As I offered an analogy in one of my previous writings, our arguments and communications can be used and treated as a Bnaash (bamboo) to irritate and antagonize others; we try to project ourselves in a self-centered manner. Our communications can also be used and treated as Bnaashi (flute) that plays on the chords of others’ minds that helps us become closer.
While our culture encourages us to emphasize and magnify our differences, where one difference despite ninety-nine things to agree on becomes our preoccupation, bridge-building or Shetubondhon requires a fundamental reversal of our attitude and perspective and turn the culture around. In a conflict-prone society, if we have even one thing to agree on, that should be a precious starting point. Once we have a starting point with a common ground and then persist in seeking further common grounds, we find that we may have many more common grounds than we had previously speculated. An important aspect of a bridge-building approach is to distinguish between our differences that are irreconcilable and that are reconcilable. Once people recognize the bridge-building approach, value the process, and care about the enormously beneficial outcomes, they discover that much of their differences are reconcilable. Unfortunately, what appears more common, instead, is that we have a tendency to elevate all our differences at the level of irreconcilable ones.
Shetubondhon as a forum is a modest contribution and step forward toward the culture of seeking common grounds and building bridges. While not all the participants understand or appreciate this cultural dimension of this vision and initiative, it is gratifying that a good number of people are getting used to it. Through constructive, respectful and engaging dialogs, we can help develop and nurture this positive culture. A shetubondhok (bridge-builder) is expected to have some special profile. Among many other things, a Shetubondhoks would have the following common interests, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. Irrespective of their ideological orientation, they would have personal commitment to uphold and see the promotion of a culture based on: (a) respect for the rule of law; (b) civility of conduct; (c) non-partisanship and lack of prejudice; (d) caring and empathic attitude about "human" concerns; (e) desire to identify, seek, and pursue common grounds; (f) respect of various intellectual/ideological orientations, whether theistic or atheistic, secular or religious (the key is that we do not necessarily have to agree with each other, but work together, instead, on matters that affect us all, and our disagreement does not necessarily have to instigate violence: verbal or otherwise); (g) respect of moral values that have implications for social health and stability; (h) consciousness and respect of our freedom of expression, and creative human potential to solve problems and harness our energy and motivation in that direction; and (i) interest in building bridge between our thought/intellection and our work/involvement.
Kazi Nazrul Islam is our national poet, but we have benefited precious little from his ideas and ideals. In one of his presentations, Nazrul pleaded in the context of Hindu-Muslim relationship: “The intoxicating communalism will also come to an end that day, when Hindus and Muslims can embrace each other with full respect. The competition that will ensue will be ‘cultured’ minds' ‘chivalrous competition’ - sportsmanlike competition.” [Nazrul Rochonaboli, Vol. 4, pp. 101-106, 1996]
As Bangladeshis we have devoted so much of our creativity and passion in seeking, creating, and sustaining differences that discord, conflict, and violence have become our culture. Observing it and feeling concerned, Shetubondhon’s humble beginning was predicated upon this question: Would an attempt to reshape our culture by channeling even a fragment of our creativity and passion in seeking, creating, and nurturing common grounds be too much to aim for?
In response to that challenge, Shetubondhon is gratified to have made some modest contribution toward creating better awareness about seeking common grounds and building bridges. To learn more about Shetubondhon, visit http://www.shetubondhon.org and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shetubondhon.
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