GRDS Conferences

1. TITLE
NEW THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE POLITICS
OF MULTICULTUALISM: VANDANA SHIVA’S
CONTRIBUTION
by Hari Zamharir
Department of International Relations
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Universitas Nasional
Jalan Sawo Manila No. 61, Pejaten, Pasar Minggu,
Jakarta Selatan12520
Indonesia
e-mail: hari_zamharir@yahoo.com

2. Title/page 01
NEW THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE POLITICS
OF MULTICULTUALISM: VANDANA SHIVA’S
CONTRIBUTION
by Hari Zamharir
Department of International Relations
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Universitas Nasional
Jalan Sawo Manila No. 61, Pejaten, Pasar Minggu,
Jakarta Selatan12520
Indonesia
e-mail: hari_zamharir@yahoo.com

3. SHIVA & GANDHI/ PAGE 02
 The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma
Gandhi
 or The Moral and Political Writings of Mahatma
Gandhi by Prof. Raghavan (Oxford Univ Press
(1987).
 Gandhi has been noted as the true heir of the
legacy Great Civilization by way of adapting ideas
& fundamental values of great personalities as
Jesus (on Love) and Muhammad SAW (Justice).
“The Nobel Peace Prize 1964—Presentation Speech”
http://nobelprize.org/ retr.d 8 January 2009.

4. SHIVA & GANDHI (2)/PAGE 03
Amongst so many themes dan deep thoughts of
Gandhi, it is the prime embeddedness of Love & politics.
In the framework of non-violance movement (famous &
influential across the world), Gandhi find the importance
of “purification of politics” or the need for Love-bound
politics. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929—1968), deeply
inspired by Gandhi—along King’s success in the
movement of cultural change in the US, demanding civil
andpolitical rights—says “Gandhi, he says, was
probably the first person in history to lift the love ethic of
Jesus above mere interactions between individuals to a
powerful and effective social force….” .

5. POLITICS OF LATINO EMMIGRANTS/ PAGE 04
 Mayoritas pemilih Latino dan Asia rupanya tidak senang
dengan kebijakan imigrasi ala Romney. Romney tidak
menawarkan solusi imigrasi yang memungkinkan imigran
gelap menjadi Warga Negara Amerika. Praktis, tanpa
legalisasi sepenuh hati. Bahkan, Romney menyarankan agar
pendatang ilegal ini untuk secara sukarela angkat kaki dari
Amerika (self-deportation). Ini dianggap tidak praktis, karena
jumlah imigran gelap di Amerika saat ini sekitar 11.1 juta jiwa.
Tidak manusiawi, karena deportasi akan memisahkan anak-
anak imigran gelap ini dari orang tuanya. Ketidaksenangan
pemilih Latino dan Asia tadi terjelma dengan tidak memilih
calon Presiden Partai Republik.
Reformasi Imigrasi Komprehensif Amerika Serikat
10 Februari 2013 ·

6. ON NORMATIVE THEORY/ PAGE 05
Normative theorists vis-à-vis social theorists
Although multiculturalism is primarily discussed by normative political theorists,
who are concerned with recommending policy prescriptions and the distribution of
rights, duties and resources, it has also featured amongst social theorists who use
some of its ideas to analyze issues of group identity and social movements and
practices. There is some overlap between these two strands of the literature on
multiculturalism, particularly in the work of prominent sociologists and social
theorists such as Stuart Hall and Tariq Modood, but generally the normative theory of
multiculturalism remains distinct from its appearance in sociology and social theory.
The social theorists tend to be suspicious of the abstract normative claims of the
political theorists, whereas the political theorists tend to be impatient with the social
theorists preoccupation with description and typology over prescription and critique.

7. METHODS (1)/PAGE 06
Multiculturalism: A Study on Political Thought or Policy ?
(Political Thought): Multiculturalism has any place in a survey and analysis of
British political thought ? (“Every day” Politics) Survey of British politics and policy
in the last twenty-five years.
In this chapter I want to supplement that argument with a genealogy of
multiculturalism as a form of political theory in late twentieth-century Britain.

8. METHODS (2)/PAGE 07
 There remains considerable debate about whether multiculturalism is a distinct
ideology or a distinct strand in theory or whether it is merely an application of more
traditional political ideas and concepts to a new set of local social circumstances.
* some sort of ideology
* theory ?
* ideas?
 Scope: As such there is considerable scope for disputing whether multiculturalism
has any place in a survey and analysis of British political thought as opposed to
survey of British politics and policy in the last twenty-five years.
 Method of Genealogy:
Kelly writes “…Bernard Williams in his study of the nature of truth and the related
virtue of truthfulness. He describes the method of genealogy as ‘... a narrative that
tries to explain a cultural phenomenon by describing a way in which it came about, or
could have come about, or might be imagined to have come about.’ “.

9. SHIVA’S THEORETICALBASIS (1)/ PAGE 09
Shiva’s theory of earth democracy (ED)
(1) Adopting the movement promoting living knowledge,
living economies, and living democracy.
(2) Basis of the theory is bio-diversity principle—an
epistemological basis that is vey new to the conception
of politics in general and democracy in particular.
(3) Accepting bio-diversity would includes accepting
diversity in Man and Culture,
(4) and more importantly, with Shiva’s re-inventing the
earth as the family of man—accepting the
interconnectedness of human race democracy and
democracy for the earth.

10. LIBERTE * EGALITE OF SHIVA/PAGE 10
 Shiva’ conception of Earth Democracy (ED):
As a consequence, we are encouraged to adopt
real politics of multiculturalism whereby no
knowledge is dominating over other forms of
knowledge; no democracy is dominating other
forms of politics of democracy; and no economy is
dominating other modes of economic system.

11. SOME THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES (1)/PAGE
11
 Kymlicka (1)
“Just treatment of cultural groups for Kymlicka requires both a measure of self-
government rights, but also measures to compensate minority cultures that are
under disadvantaged by the dominant societal culture of the host community”.
(Kelly; p. 13)
 Fair Treatment (Economy & Socio-culture)→self-government rights:
Dominant—minority relationship
 Parekh (2)
“….The second strand of argument addresses the apparent ‘cultural blindness’ or
false neutrality of liberal norms of justice and inclusion. It is argued by
multiculturalist critics that the form of liberal norms of inclusion is already
culturally biased in that they prescribe ‘equality of opportunity’ in terms of
having and exercising certain primary goods. These goods are things one needs,
whatever else it is that one wants or values—such things as civil and political
rights, the minimum conditions of self-respect and some level of economic well-
being. As general headings these may well seem fair enough; who possibly could
object to civil and political rights?” (Kelly; p. 19)

12. FROM CONVENTIONAL TO NEW BASIS/PAGE 12

 More about basic needs
 Other than basic needs: Wants or values (civil
and political rights)
 Other needs: the minimum conditions of self-
respect and some level of economic well-being.
 Note : all these ideals do not base ( ) on
“deep” normative theory;
 Shiva develops diversity in Man and Culture
:Rights to let local economy lives; rights to
exercise forms of its living democracy

13. “EVERY DAY” POLICY ON MULTICULTURALISM
/PAGE 13
Policies & Practices of Multiculturalism
For examine, consider his list of multicultural policies which immigrant groups
can rightly seek:
While children should be educated to be familiar with the history and traditions of
the dominant culture of the country, they should also be educated in the culture
of their group, if their parents so desire;
 – The customs and practices of different groups, within the limits of permissible
 toleration, should be recognized;
 – The link between poverty, under-education and ethnicity should be dissolved;
 – There should be generous public support for cultural institutions (museums,
 theatre etc.);
 – Public space should accommodate all cultural groups.
Kymlicka, “Liberal Theories of Multiculturalism”
http://postfilosofie.it/archivio_numeri/anno2_numero3/anno2_numero3_KYMLIC
KA.pdf

14. Rationality: Weber & Shiva
(1)/page 14
 MAX WEBER
(PRACTICAL RATIONALITY
OPTIMUM ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE PURSUIT OF
“HAPPINES”, MATERIAL WELL-BEING)
 VALUE RATIONALITY
(OPTIMUM ACHIEVEMENT BASED ON THE VIRTUE
CALL OF RELIGION; PROTSTANT ETHIC—
WORLDLY ASCETISM)

15. SHIVA’S BIO-DIVERSITY/PAGE 15
Assumption: Liberal individualism vs. “Collectivism”
Political philosophers such as Charles Taylor, Alasdair MacIntyre and Michael Walzer
mounted a communitarian challenge to the primacy of the liberal individualism that
underpinned the theories of Rawls, Nozick and Dworkin.The communitarian
challenge takes a number of forms but all stress the primacy of what has been
called the social thesis, namely that the individual subject of liberal theories of
justice is a social creation with a distinctive history.
 Paul Kelly, “Multiculturalism Reconsidered”
http://paperroom.ipsa.org/app/webroot/papers/paper_5457.pdf
Shiva’s epistemological Stand: Social thesis (From Social Creation (culture &
history) to Bio-diversity)

16. RATIONALITY (2)/PAGE 16
 Bebas dari Pembangunan (Perempuan, Ekologi,
dan Perjuangan Hidup di India), Vandana Shiva;
1997; Yayasan Obor Indonesia; Jakarta.

17. THANK YOU
Hari Zamharir/4th International Conference on
Advances in Social Sciences, Kuala Lumpur 27-
28 December 2014/GRDS