By Francis Chanthunya, economist:
Time comes when people must decide who they are going to be. There can be no development – economic or otherwise – without identity, for identity is the foundation of action. What we do is determined by who we are.
You must know who you are to know where you want to go. This is as true for individuals as it is for groups.
Group identity is informed by what we know as culture, the core beliefs, practices, and symbols that unite a people.
No great civilisation has ever emerged without a strong cultural foundation to build upon. From Ancient Rome to Modern America, great nations are formed by people with great purpose and a unified sense of identity.
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Government policy is often guided by prevailing cultural principles. What we believe in shapes our political system, judicial framework, and economic planning.
Nations that believe in individual freedoms often rank highly in ease of doing business. Nations that value the rule of law have fair court systems, which in turn provide a stable business environment as investors trust in the state when legal recourse is needed.
Conversely, bureaucracy is prevalent in cultures that favour control over freedom, and corruption prevails where morality is for sale.
Where there is excessive red tape and money is valued over morals, the risk of corruption is high. In a corrupt and bureaucratic economy, people will fear losing their time and money trying to do business, and that economy will see few investors, whether domestic or foreign. These conditions also give rise to underground economies. The more red tape, the bigger the black market.
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Whether a nation is a net producer or net consumer is also determined by culture. People who see themselves primarily as savers will save; investors will invest; consumers will consume.
We must remember that the market forces of supply and demand are influenced by wants and needs. Needs may be dictated by physiological necessity, but wants are subjective and determined by cultural desires, including the desire to achieve greatness.
If you cannot decide for yourself who you are, it will be dictated to you by somebody else. If you cannot stand firm in your beliefs, they will be trampled upon by anyone with stronger convictions than yours, including the conviction to amass wealth unfairly.
It is my belief that we grant excess power to forces beyond our control such as colonialism, racism, and geographical location as the chief reasons for poverty in Malawi. While these influences are indeed present, they have provided convenient scapegoats that allow us to continue down a path of mediocrity with little to no self-reflection.
Malawi must therefore ask herself: Who is she? What does she stand for? What is her place in this world? Is this all she is destined to be? Where does she want to go from here? Without clear answers to these questions, the country may be left to forever wander in the wilderness, never reaching the Promised Land.
In a functioning society, people are rewarded for responsibility, competence, and honesty, while negative behaviors such as negligence, incompetence, theft, and fraud are met with negative consequences, both social and legal.
Where punishments are not enforced, these undesirable behaviors are more likely to occur. A lack of a clear and consistent reward and punishment system is a symptom of a poor culture.
Weak cultures have weak belief systems. Weak belief systems lead to weak people. Weak people build weak institutions. Weak institutions are easily corrupted.
The root of corruption in Malawi is thus; those who seek power – and do so for selfish reasons – know that the people are weak in conviction and will not stand up to those who would cheat the system. As long as they can abuse power with no consequence, they will continue to do so.
There is a need for a cultural reset if there is ever going to be an economic reset. Action must be guided by principle; people must know why they do what they do.
One of the reasons Christianity has been so successful in both its reach and its endurance is its guiding principles. The tenets of Christianity contribute to a successful life and successful community when applied consistently.
Treating others as you would like to be treated creates a harmonious community. Remaining faithful to your spouse reduces the chances of conflict and the spread of disease.
While inspired by spirituality, these principles produce positive outcomes for local communities that aggregate into positive outcomes for a nation. The routines, conversations, and artefacts people participate in and interact with act as reminders of the ideals they strive towards.
This is the very reason culture exists. To remind a group of their purpose and their place in the world. A strong culture begins with strong leaders in each household. Strong men and women create strong families; strong families build strong communities; strong communities develop a strong culture; strong cultures create strong nations. Only by creating a meritocracy – a culture of excellence where honesty, hard work, and fairness are rewarded, and lying, cheating, and stealing are consistently punished – will we ever see Malawi develop as a nation. Movement follows mindset, and capital follows culture.
