The Sarvodaya Social Movement Offers a Viable Populist Solution to Governmental Dysfunction in the US

By MATTHEW H. GENDLE

Although the United States’ federal government is idealized as being “of the people, by the people, for the people,” reality tells a different tale.

Current political affairs demonstrate that the federal government primarily advances the interests of the wealthy rather than acting in support of the majority of individual citizens. From Supreme Court rulings, such as Citizens United vs. FEC, to massive Congressional expenditures that favor businesses over individuals, to executive overreach and a disregard of the Emoluments Clause by the President himself, it is clear that all three federal branches function only to benefit a select few.

Federal powers have expanded considerably over the past century, and many now view the executive branch as critical in the coordination of responses to non-wartime threats. However, the Trump administration has abdicated this role during the COVID-19 pandemic. With states and local communities increasingly left to act on their own, or organize into cooperative blocs (such as the Western States Pact) to coordinate COVID-19 response efforts, we may be witnessing a renewed interest in local self-organization and self-governance.

Sri Lanka’s Sarvodaya movement has proven to be one of the most successful models of local self-governance ever deployed. It is my belief that US citizens should carefully study and apply this organization’s methods to create a framework of effective local populist self-government within the United States. Dr. Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne founded Sarvodaya in 1958, during a time when Sri Lanka was still emerging from a period of extended European colonial dominion. The Sarvodaya movement is rooted in Ariyaratne’s belief of creating a poverty, affluence, and conflict free society and welfare for all through local community mobilization. Sarvodaya is now the largest non-governmental organization in Sri Lanka, and facilitates the country’s primary economic, political, and social development networks. Sarvodaya centers operate in each of the country’s 25 administrative districts, and these centers collectively coordinate the efforts of over 3,000 legally independent village societies.

Despite its size, Sarvodaya has maintained its organizational effectiveness by promoting local self-development and autonomy in decision-making. Through mechanisms that foster inclusive participatory democracy, community members initiate Sarvodaya enterprises by articulating the advancements needed to eliminate local poverty and creating strategies to address these needs within hyper-local contexts. This community self-reliance is one of the hallmarks of Sarvodaya initiatives — nearly one third of the districts supported by Sarvodaya are entirely self-sustained and receive no support from outside funding agencies.

In his writing, Ariyaratne completely rejects macroeconomic theories of poverty alleviation and eradication, because, in his view, the application of these theories are the root cause of global poverty. Yet, Ariyaratne’s philosophy is not an anti-capitalist one because he supports wealth-generation under conditions that are just for all. He advocates that the primary outcome from wealth generation should be the elimination of poverty across the entire society, which is markedly different from Marxism’s forced economic equality or free-market capitalism’s preoccupation with personal enrichment.

The political situation in Sri Lanka that spurred Sarvodaya’s founding is quite similar to what is now occurring in the US. In both cases, the countries’ governments harbored little concern for the struggles of everyday citizens, and multiple political, economic, and cultural divides hindered meaningful collective action from the general populace. Following the success of Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka, perhaps it is time for US citizens to peacefully begin to self-organize against governmental and fiscal interests that are counter to the common good.

Ariyaratne speaks plainly about his radical intentions, and frequently refers to the Sarvodaya movement as promoting a “total non-violent revolution in Sri Lanka.” In recent years, Ariyaratne’s work has turned toward “Deshodaya”-a path to national awaking. The principle objectives of this awakening include a decentralization of political power toward community-level institutions that favor participatory democracy, and a restructuring of the Sri Lankan market economy to promote the elimination of poverty and affluence.

If the US is to flourish as a nation, I believe that citizens must begin to actualize their own “Deshodaya”, beginning with a sober recognition of our current situation. Is an economy “great” if it is unable to survive a short period of significant productivity declines without facing existential collapse? Is a federal government “great” if it refuses to lead effective nationwide efforts against a public health threat? Is a society “great” if, despite enormous financial wealth, it is unwilling to care for its most vulnerable members? Is a republic “great” if the top priority of elected representatives is to weaponize positions of power for their own enrichment? Through Sarvodaya, Ariyaratne has provided an effective and successful organizational model for populist local self-government. It remains unknown if the citizens of the US are willing and able to muster the courage needed to transform our system of governance in a way that is more just and inclusive for all.

Dr. Mathew H. Gendle is Director of Project Pericles and Professor of Psychology at Elon University, Elon, N.C.

From The Progressive Populist, February 1, 2021

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