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World Bank's warm gesture

More good news came Sri Lanka's way when World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn was quoted saying that the international financial institution could muster the necessary monetary resources to bolster this country's reconstruction and reconciliation program. Coming close on the heels of US President George W. Bush's firm support for Sri Lanka's peace process, the World Bank chief's encouraging words are further proof of the success of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's US visit.

Such warm and ready pledges of support from the most influential sections of the international community are a measure of the goodwill the peace process in Sri Lanka has generated world-wide. One is reminded of the Western countries' Marshall Plan for the war-ravaged regions of Europe at the end of the Second World War, which helped greatly to bury the bitterness of war and conflict. This was a massive peace dividend which brought healing and well-being to once divided Europe.

Of course, the situation in Sri Lanka is vastly different to that which existed in the Europe of those days, nor are we speaking of conflicts of equal magnitude and kind, but the lesson to be drawn is that those who seek peace in earnest usually win the goodwill of the world.

Inasmuch as the peace effort in the West at the close of World War II brought immense prosperity and stability to once warring nations, the peace process in Sri Lanka too, if pursued vigorously and taken to its desired objective, could bring a measure of well-being to Sri Lanka.

These are some of the reasons why efforts in some quarters to criticize and undermine the peace process could be considered suicidal and dangerously myopic. This is, indeed, the "best chance" for peace. If we allow this chance to go abegging the likelihood is great that we would forfeit the goodwill of the world and return to a dark period of conflict and anarchy. When this happens we could be certain that we would be having very few or no friends in the world to take our troubles to.

As any visitor to the North and East of Sri Lanka would observe, vast extents of these areas have suffered severe damage and devastation. Roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and working places have been brought to rack and ruin. Besides, tens of thousands of internally displaced persons need to be rehabilitated and given a new lease of life. A reconstruction and rehabilitation program of this magnitude requires the influx of a massive dose of financial resources. Thus the World Bank President's pledge of support for Sri Lanka is most timely.

However, this is not Carte Blanche assistance.Both, the US President as well as the World Bank chief spoke of the need for justice for all Lankans. Assistance would be forthcoming only if a single-minded, concerted effort is made to achieve a just peace. By the latter is meant justice to all communities in the country. "While Sri Lanka builds its peace it needs to make sure that no citizens are left behind. Economic development is going to be critical across the country and the benefits need to reach the very poorest citizens", World Bank President Wolfensohn was quoted as saying.

This should give Sri Lanka an inkling of what the world expects of it. The peace dividend, when it comes, should be shared by all its citizens. No one could be left out. Economic development must percolate down to the masses and should not remain concentrated at the upper layers of society.

These are legitimate aspirations of the world community. For, economic and social justice is the basis of peace and stability. So far, the fruits of "development" could not be said to have seeped down to the masses, to the desired degree. Apparently, major systemic changes need to be made to enable the people to savour the fruits of economic development in their entirety. Besides, economic and social equality need to be made realities if any community is not to experience a sense of alienation.

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