Human Development

Bestowal of the Honorary Doctor of Education by the University of East London

Addressed by Tan Sri Lim, London
9 November 2006

From where I stand I see faces of different colours and different features, each betraying your origins from all over the world.

From where I stand I also see one group of people come together for one single purpose.

Unity for whatever reason is to be applauded. This function, I am certain, is the result of collaboration and co-operation of various people who have created an event that is now running so smoothly, and everybody is happy.

If only the world outside was now inside this hall.

It is sad that after thousands of years of scientific progress and technological advancement we are no nearer a solution where people everywhere can co-exist in peace and earn a decent living.

We still remain a world divided. There are the poor, the rich, the literate and the illiterate. Digital divide, religious divide, language divide. Eastern values versus Western standards. We are divided in so many ways.

We are divided by different situations and because of different perspectives and all require an understanding that must come without judgement.

And that can only happen through education.

It is the educated mind that can understand and appreciate the standpoint of two different sides.

It is the educated mind that can discern why a person can be a freedom fighter and honoured in one part of the world and hunted down to be killed by another part of the world that sees the person as a terrorist.

From one perspective this is a person who is honoured for making that ultimate sacrifice in giving up his or her life for a cause he or she sees as just and holy.

But from another perspective this will be a terrible person, a murderer and a religious fanatic to be condemned.

To the educated mind both sides are not wrong.

To the educated mind both sides are not right either.

Both sides only see their own points of view and feel they have perfectly valid reasons for their actions.

An educated mind is an open mind, fully aware of the long history of conflict and suffering that the world has endured for centuries.

An educated mind is an analytical mind that seeks an end to this senselessness that results in killing and mayhem.

It is the educated mind that can initiate peaceful negotiations that will end the disputes.

We may come from vastly different civilizations but in reality we are just two sides of the same coin. We are two halves
that must melt,
that must merge,
that must integrate
to make a whole and become complete.

Imagine what the future will hold for mankind if we are able to achieve this.

Imagine the power of individuals used for constructive purposes.

Imagine such a future…

The universe will become our playground.

In the early days there were individuals, consumed by a passion to know more about the world that made them travel to distant places and they discovered new lands, new customs, new traditions and new civilizations.

It opened their minds to new ideas and the experiences changed their characters forever.

Today we ALL have to be THAT individual consumed by THAT same passion to know more about the world. We must all turn explorers and adventurers.

The East must know more about the West and the West must know more about the East.

The young generation so attached to their digital lifestyle must be wondering what more is there to learn about another country when we have access to so much information.

All we need to do is press a button and we are transported to another world.

All we need to do is click the mouse and we get all the information on the history, the culture and the politics of any country we choose to visit in cyberspace.

Cyberspace is now the new world where most of our young people are escaping to.

But wars are real.
Human suffering is real.
Starvation is real.
Poverty is real.

There is no escape to cyberspace for millions of people who have no access to education, to wealth generation opportunities to even the simple amenities of life.

True, technology and globalisation are bonding us in ways we never envisioned before.

They are creating a generation of people who have many things in common. Music, fashion, food. It′s a shared lifestyle of the global generation. You will find people with the same preferences in India, South Africa, Brazil.

But behind the similarities there are vast differences. Differences that are cultural, geographical and political.

By attempting to understand fully how the other half of the world lives we begin our first steps to creating a new world.

It is never enough to watch a documentary, surf the net or read the newspapers, magazines or books about other countries.

What we are getting are interpretations of others who pass along their understanding and their opinions. And these are sometimes opinions tailored to influence, to make you arrive at desired conclusions. It happens in both East and the West. And therein lies the confusion and turmoil in which the world is living today.

It is better if we take the time to know for ourselves how wonderful this planet is. How amazing the diversity of the human race is and I guarantee that you will come away enriched, nourished, rejuvenated and enlightened by the experience.

And of course, along with this fascinating view there are others that show you how millions subsist without proper water, electricity or sanitation - things that we take for granted.

And there are those that live in war-torn areas - the biggest casualties of the human race. Men, women and children who live in fear everyday.

As you see there are so many things very wrong with the world today. I believe it is education, the right kind of education that will provide the solution. The right kind of learning that goes beyond classrooms and textbooks.

Living in the West you have to comprehend why the East is rising so rapidly and how this is going to influence global trends in economics and other areas of our lives.

Living in the West you have to comprehend why there is this divide between Christians and Muslims and that every Muslim is not a terrorist.

Living in the West you have to comprehend that democracy is interpreted and applied in ways that are culturally acceptable to people in other countries. That one size does not fit all and you cannot force a people to adopt an alien way of life, albeit it is democratic.

The East is a bewildering mixture of cultures, each is unique, each is different and each is rich in traditions passed down over centuries.

To those living in the East the ways of the West are very important in understanding the intricacy of the politics that dictate economic trends and indicate the shift of powers.

The cultural differences may not be acceptable but they must be tolerated for the sake of peaceful co-existence.

We must make the attempt to know more about other cultures, because if we don′t, we will actually spend our working lives knowing only half the story and, seeing only half the picture.

We need to interact so we can appreciate different viewpoints, so we become tolerant of customs and traditions that are alien to own beliefs.

Increasingly there is interaction between the East and the West for trade, tourism, education, humanitarian, political and diplomatic reasons.

Many of us are or will be involved in these areas where we need to communicate and negotiate with people in other countries. Knowing them, understanding their ways will ease this communication and help to speed up decisions.

I have no doubt that an enlightened mind can overcome any obstacle. That is the purpose of education. More than ever we need to intermingle, to become culturally sensitive. To the young people of today they have the opportunity to decide whether history should repeat itself in such disastrous ways.

It can be changed. I have tremendous faith in the young people of today. I am convinced that they will be that force that will build a better, more peaceful world.