Even as the West rolls out (and claims for itself) the first batches of Covid-19 vaccines, Sri Lanka has been preoccupied with several traditional remedies, the effectiveness of which is yet to be proven. While the centuries-old traditions of “hela vedakama” certainly have efficacy over many illnesses, any antidote for a global pandemic must carry with it more regulation, evidence, and ultimately, more responsibility on the parts of those promoting it.
Instead, we had on our hands the spectacle of individuals claiming miracle cures and a predictable stampede by the masses to get their hands on the purported Covid-19 remedy. It is worthy to note here that the masses included politicians and other noteworthy men and women who chose to publicly rest their faith in the syrups thus proffered. The lack of condemnation from the Government of these untested miracle cures and its proponents tells a story in itself. It begs the question whether the Government desires an intelligent, enlightened population or seeks uninformed, gullible citizens who will dance to their tune without a shred of dissent.
The institutions in charge of regulating indigenous medicine have launched their own studies into local interventions, the results of which are not yet known. But the denouement of the “Dammika Peniya” spectacle at least, should be a sobering reminder of our very limited collective intelligence. Even more sobering is the realisation that our future progress rests on a human capital that can so easily become a woefully backward, mindless horde. As Albert Einstein once said: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
There’s a reason why human input into an economy is considered a resource or a capital – it is a pivotal factor in economic development and progress, or otherwise. The mental capacity of a country’s human resource is a determinant of its ability to exploit resources with ingenuity to add value across the economy. Intelligent human capital has greater capacity to reason and make sense of things; to solve problems and comprehend complex issues; to question and make judgment. It is the repository that helps generate new ideas and inventions, and innovative ways of doing things.
If current events were anything to go by, our intelligence trajectory is currently on a downward spiral helped in no small measure by far from ideal role models, an outdated education system that focuses purely on academic skills and neglects to instil lifelong learning or nurture curiosity, and a lack of institutions that can convert intelligent creativity to solving complex problems. Our economy continues to rest on agriculture and blue collar work, whereas neighbouring economies are reaping the rewards of their high-value human capital through value-added exports such as software and electronics.
The rather important task of raising our collective intelligence must become a priority of policymakers, who themselves may lack intelligent resources downstream that can implement and make change. Bridging the intelligence gap will take political will and a sustained shake-up of the way things are, but it is an imperative if the economy is to progress and if we are to create competitive businesses in a future modelled on intelligence – both human and artificial.
Fundamental change must take place in how policymakers nurture capital through education and training; in how business intervenes to identify and create the skills of the future; in how we reap modern technology to create smarter opportunities; and even in how the fourth estate chooses to wield its power to demand a higher level of intellect. It has to be a holistic exercise that broadly impacts every Sri Lankan with the end goal of raising our collective intelligence and sophistication as a people.
Raising collective intelligence would certainly require increased investments but those frameworks, once institutionalised, pay back far better for far longer with far wider impact.
National Intelligence is a harbinger of economic progress and we must reverse the poor show we are putting on, which will otherwise result in decades of lost opportunities.
Instead, we had on our hands the spectacle of individuals claiming miracle cures and a predictable stampede by the masses to get their hands on the purported Covid-19 remedy. It is worthy to note here that the masses included politicians and other noteworthy men and women who chose to publicly rest their faith in the syrups thus proffered. The lack of condemnation from the Government of these untested miracle cures and its proponents tells a story in itself. It begs the question whether the Government desires an intelligent, enlightened population or seeks uninformed, gullible citizens who will dance to their tune without a shred of dissent.
The institutions in charge of regulating indigenous medicine have launched their own studies into local interventions, the results of which are not yet known. But the denouement of the “Dammika Peniya” spectacle at least, should be a sobering reminder of our very limited collective intelligence. Even more sobering is the realisation that our future progress rests on a human capital that can so easily become a woefully backward, mindless horde. As Albert Einstein once said: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
There’s a reason why human input into an economy is considered a resource or a capital – it is a pivotal factor in economic development and progress, or otherwise. The mental capacity of a country’s human resource is a determinant of its ability to exploit resources with ingenuity to add value across the economy. Intelligent human capital has greater capacity to reason and make sense of things; to solve problems and comprehend complex issues; to question and make judgment. It is the repository that helps generate new ideas and inventions, and innovative ways of doing things.
If current events were anything to go by, our intelligence trajectory is currently on a downward spiral helped in no small measure by far from ideal role models, an outdated education system that focuses purely on academic skills and neglects to instil lifelong learning or nurture curiosity, and a lack of institutions that can convert intelligent creativity to solving complex problems. Our economy continues to rest on agriculture and blue collar work, whereas neighbouring economies are reaping the rewards of their high-value human capital through value-added exports such as software and electronics.
The rather important task of raising our collective intelligence must become a priority of policymakers, who themselves may lack intelligent resources downstream that can implement and make change. Bridging the intelligence gap will take political will and a sustained shake-up of the way things are, but it is an imperative if the economy is to progress and if we are to create competitive businesses in a future modelled on intelligence – both human and artificial.
Fundamental change must take place in how policymakers nurture capital through education and training; in how business intervenes to identify and create the skills of the future; in how we reap modern technology to create smarter opportunities; and even in how the fourth estate chooses to wield its power to demand a higher level of intellect. It has to be a holistic exercise that broadly impacts every Sri Lankan with the end goal of raising our collective intelligence and sophistication as a people.
Raising collective intelligence would certainly require increased investments but those frameworks, once institutionalised, pay back far better for far longer with far wider impact.
National Intelligence is a harbinger of economic progress and we must reverse the poor show we are putting on, which will otherwise result in decades of lost opportunities.