As many of you are aware, I am passionate about economic development in 3rd world countries. In particular I have taken strong personal interest in Nepal. Following the philosophies of Unitus, I believe that enabling free enterprise in developing countries is one of the key factors in helping individuals get out of poverty.
Feeble minded decisions of a king with a distorted alter ego, the counterproductive methods of the Maoists that are so fruitless and destructive, and the corruption of the government have all come to an ugly head. How can this beautiful small country be saved? What should the USA's role be in this situation?
This week I have watched in horror as news flowed from Nepal. I feel a bit as if I am watching Humpty Dumpy fall off the wall:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
This past October I spent the month trekking with my family in the Everest region. As we left my dear Sherpa friends at the airport, I had to choke tears back as an overwhelming feeling of gloom and despair washed over me regarding their future.
In hind site these premonitions are eerie. I wish I had been wrong........ Following are a few of the events in Nepal from the last week:Feeble minded decisions of a king with a distorted alter ego, the counterproductive methods of the Maoists that are so fruitless and destructive, and the corruption of the government have all come to an ugly head. How can this beautiful small country be saved? What should the USA's role be in this situation?
I have two individuals from Nepal that are very close to me in my life. 1 is Nawang a young Sherpa girl that I am raising as my daughter. 2nd a dear friend and wonderful engineer that works on my team. As we look in each others eyes we want to believe that there is a way out of this mess, but it is beyond our ability to even comprehend a solution. As we greet each other, I see the same heaviness in their eyes that I feel in my heart.
There are no easy answers or solutions to Nepal's situation. Even within my close network of friends and family, there is strong and heated debate about fundamental actions that need to take place. As I have reflected on this impossible situation it has caused several strong thoughts to come to me. They are as follows in no particular order:
- I am so grateful for the freedoms and opportunities we have here in America. It is not perfect, but it is really really good. As a matter of fact, I would take it one step further and say it is GREAT. As I hear individuals degrade the USA and make comments such as "I can't hardly stand being a USA citizen", I think to myself. I know about 27,000,000 people in Nepal that would love to trade places with you in 5 seconds or less. I don't recall being beaten or put in prison for making a negative comment about my local senator, do you?
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The king has not yet realized that imposing a "Media Fiat" is useless. There is this little thing called the web and blogs that will not allow him to suppress information dissemination.
- Some times things have to be turned upside down and inside out before they can be fixed. No question very painful, but some times the best way to fix a problem is to let all the pieces fall on the floor before putting them back together again. I just hope that Humpty and Nepal are not broken beyond repair.
- I never would have guessed that the Berlin wall would fall as quickly as it did. Some times we can't imagine the forces at play and the potential good outcomes. I hope this is the case for Nepal.
- I am not sure I am going to be climbing in the Khumbu any time in the next few years. It is one of my favorite places to visit and it makes my heart heavy and sad to see these beautiful people in such a crisis.
In the mean time, my wishes, thoughts and prayers are with the people in Nepal. I hope the King returns to sanity and allows a viable democracy to flourish. I hope the villagers have the fortitude to think on their own accord and not be negatively influenced by misaligned parities. And I hope that the citizens of the country find some level of prosperity and peace.
May Nepal as well as Humpty Dumpty be turned rightside and put back together again.
Posted by: Easton Ellsworth | April 18, 2006 11:16 PM | Permalink to Comment