Business:What do we do?

There was a very valid ‘plea’ from a business leader at a business forum on peace this week: “We want to do something, but what do we do? Where do we start?” It is becoming increasingly clear that business – as much as the rest of civil society -- wants to play a role in the peace process, ensure law and order and make Sri Lanka a safe place for investment and for generations to live in.

The question is what kind of involvement is there for business? The discussion referred to was organised by Sri Lanka First, the business-peace organisation that was launched in the 2001– crisis year and meant to trigger a business perspective vis-à-vis the peace proposals submitted by Minister Tissa Vitharana as Chairman of the All-Party Representatives Committee (APRC).

But perhaps the biggest issue as stated earlier is everything related to peace, law and order, conflict and constitution-making; is there a role for the business community?

Neela Marikkar, Chairperson Sri Lanka First and a founder member of this group, referred to the South African experience – which is well known – and the role of the business community as a powerful facilitator of the peace process.

Constitution-making, as one participant pointed out, is the role of Parliament and its representatives and not the business community. Yet, if the people’s representatives are not doing their job and the country continues to go down the drain, should civil society including professionals and academia, turn a blind eye and allow the situation to worsen?

Another participant raised a very valid point: “When I talk of peace to my employees, they say ‘Sir you want to give the country to the Tigers.” The point he was making is that the word peace itself has become so emotive, and like other sensitive words like ‘unitary state’, ‘federalism’, ‘decentralisation’ and so on, any talk of peace to a middle class audience will immediately trigger hostility. Thus civil society and other academic circles involved in the peace discourse must come up with a more acceptable word to reflect peace and ensure that the message is to all parties to stop the fighting, not only the government.

The same participant said that it was necessary to make sure that any effort by the business community to launch an initiative on peace, constitution-making or law and order is not demonized – even before it takes off. “This is the sad situation in Sri Lanka. The moment business gets involved there are all kinds of labels given, because of this negative view, the effort ends even before it starts,” he said.

There is also a perception that peace is the responsibility of the government alone and not the LTTE and civil society and all communities. “Why should the government – whichever administration – be held responsible for the violence and conflict? Why shouldn’t business and civil society also talk and persuade those outside government to stop fighting?” the CEO of a big group told this newspaper.

Good point. Overall however, there appears to be a need to assess what role business can do and how this should be done. In this context, it is imperative that the chamber movement via JBIZ, Sri Lanka First and other like minded business-peace organisations like the Business for Peace Alliance come together and prepare a common vision as to the role of the business community.

Without a common vision – endorsed by as many business professionals – there is little that small group decisions by business leaders on different issues relating to the conflict and law and order would do. Such discussions are fragmented, without any proper direction and don’t serve its intended purpose.