Task of building a secure and confident society

Text of speech by Justice and Law Reform Minister Milinda Moragoda at the graduation ceremony of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the Incorporated Council of Legal Education held on November 17. The first part appeared yesterday

Today, we must seek to build a society which is free of envy, where people can pursue their ideas and speak freely even when others disagree, a secure and confident nation, which fully engages with the world and seeks trading and investment partners while maintaining our identity and protecting our nation’s interests. In short, we must transform our angry society into a compassionate society, at peace with itself and tolerant of others. Where all communities have respect for each other, where violence and hatred are a thing of the past.

To quote from the Dhammapada, “Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee”.

Social values

If we follow the teachings of the Buddha, or those of any of our other great religions - Hinduism, Islam and Christianity - we can collectively help create a more compassionate, peaceful and prosperous nation.

Together, we must all advocate and advance the ethical and social values. It would enable our great nation to reach its full potential as: A nation where political parties refuse to tolerate aggressive rivalry that finds expression in slander, violence and revenge, and have chosen to follow instead a path of compassion, respect and goodwill toward all; a path that leads inevitably to harmony and progress.

Strengthening nation

A nation of peoples of different cultural traditions, each free to practise and develop those traditions, thereby enriching and strengthening the nation as a whole, and where women, no less than men, are enabled to make their full contribution and reach their full potential.

A market-oriented economy through which our resourceful peoples may once more ensure steady economic growth, while making provision for assisting those who, for one reason or another, are not able to succeed in their endeavours.

A confident nation open to the world, encouraging investment, and seeking to broaden the range of its trading partners.

A nation that derives strength from its age-old traditions as well as its inherent capacity to adapt and to innovate while taking what is of value from the world at large.

To achieve this, every one of us has to play our part.

Today we live in an era of empowerment. Communications have opened us up to the world whether we like it or not. The Sri Lankan diaspora is spread out in many countries, the US, Canada, the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, Australia, and of course the Middle East. We cannot avoid interaction with the world.

Equally, telecommunications and the internet have linked us much more closely to each other, to trade, to debate, to information. Young and old are adept at using Skype and other internet technologies, while some of our youth spend their time on the internet, reading or writing blogs, or checking their pages on social networks such as Facebook.

Impact on media

These changes have had a dramatic impact on our media as well. The internet now threatens written media and even television, and is up-ending the established order of media and journalism. The instantaneity of on-line news sites has caused a large number of newspapers to close shop. News is now 24/7 and interactive. Citizen journalism and blogs now compete with televised news and on-line newspapers. The recent political crisis in Iran demonstrated how a technology such as Twitter was able to get the story out faster than traditional media and could even bypass political authorities. In Sri Lanka, too, internet technologies are catching on, not only in English but in Sinhala and Tamil as well. We should harness these technologies to use them in constructive ways to achieve the earlier said objectives.

But even with such tools, we need an informed society. The soul of any nation resides in its history and this collective memory forms the basis of a national identity, and hence a secure society.

For example, every Indian is knowledgeable about their struggle for Independence from colonial rule, the freedom fighters and the framers of their constitution such as Gandhi, Nehru and B.R. Ambedkar. In the US, any child of school age is familiar with the philosophical tenets of the American Constitution and the debates that surrounded the founding of their political system. In the UK, schoolchildren are taught about the Magna Carta, King John, Cromwell and parliamentary democracy.

In Sri Lanka we seem to have forgotten the importance of understanding our history and the fundamental experience that have led us to where we are today. For three decades we have allowed our anger to blind us from the things that should matter to a society at peace with itself.

Well-positioned

With technology and communications, you, as opinion leaders working within our legal community, are well-positioned to facilitate this change. Hence, I urge you to seize this opportunity to make a difference. You can be the catalyst for change.

We need you to question every old concept and every new idea. Do not be rigid. Take time to consider ideas of others as there is more than one side to an issue. Have respect for others, however humble he or she may be, because in a democracy, each has a right to their opinion. But continue to challenge and constructively question everything until the correct path is found.

Transforming society

Be true to the people, because ultimately they are whom you and I both serve. Remember that each person deserves one hundred percent of your effort.

And lead, because it is through you that we can expect to transform our society. You as lawyers enjoy a privileged and influential position in our society and people look up to you. Hence, you as a one group hold a big responsibility and can make a great contribution towards change. Concluded