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26/01/2015

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"Theworldneedsanewworkculture,notjustjobs"|DownToEarth

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/worldneedsnewworkculturenotjustjobs

"Theworldneedsanewworkculture,notjustjobs"
AustrianbornFrithjofBergmann,aprofessorofphilosophyattheUniversityofMichigan,USA,foundedthe
CenterforNewWorkin1984tohelpworkersdealwiththe"dysfunctionaljobsystem".Hisphilosophylater
cametobecalledthe6months6monthsproposal.Bergmannhasworkedwithindividualsandcommunities
acrosstheworldandisplanningtoopenacentreinIndiasoon.HetalkstoVaniManochaabouthow
followingone'scallingandgettinginvolvedincommunityworkcanreduceunemploymentinIndia.Edited
excerpts
Whatistheinspirationbehindyourfoundation?
Today,thewholeworldisworriedaboutincreasingdependenceonmachinesandshrinkingjobs.Butthis
couldalsobeanopportunitytogetawayfromworkthatcanonlyfetchusmoneyanddothingsthatwe
actuallycarefor.
TheideaofNewWorkNewCulture(alsocalledNewWork)wasbornwhenItravelledtoEastEuropean
countrieslikeUkraineandHungaryinthe1970sand1980s.Isawpeopleinthesecommunistcountries
devastatedafterindustrialisationhadtakenover.ItwasthenthatIdecidedtoinventaculturethatwould
neitherbecommunistnorcapitalist.Later,Iformulatedthe6months6monthsproposal.Accordingtothis,
forsixmonthspeoplecouldengageintheirregularjobsandearnmoneyandintheremainingsixmonthsof
theyear,theycouldvolunteerforcommunityjobsliketeachingorfarming.Althoughthissoundedabit
unrealistic,Iwassurprisedtoknowthatpeopleactuallywantedtobeinvolvedinsuchkindofjobs.This
discovery,nearly30yearsago,wascentraltotheideaofNewWorkNewCulture.
Butthesituationinmoderntimesisdifferentandthe6months6monthsculturemaynotbesorelevant
now.Today,technologyandcommunityeffortsshouldnotonlybeusedtospeedupworkandbuildmore
machinesbutalsoleadtoinnovationswheremachinesdotheboring,repetitiveworkandhumansdoall
creativeworksothatmaximumpeoplecanbeemployed.NewWorkNewCulture,therefore,isanattemptto
allowpeople,foratleastsometime,todosomethingtheypassionatelywanttodo.
Whatdidtheideaof6months6monthsmeanandhasitbeenpracticallyapplicable?
Intheearly1980s,GeneralMotors(GM)announcedthatitwouldautomateinanextraordinarilythorough
fashionitsplantinFlint,acityintheUSstateofMichigan.Thismeantthatnearlyhalfofthepeoplefromthe
city,employedwithGM,wouldbelaidoffintheprocess.ThisiswhenweopenedtheCenterforNewWork
therein1984,andproposedthatinsteadofsplittingFlinthalfofitbecomingunemployedandtheotherhalf
workingovertimewhynotletalltheemployeesworkinthefactoryforsixmonthseach.Andduringthe
othersixmonths,makeitpossibleforthemtodowhattheypassionatelywantedtodo.Later,wespoketo
thousandsofpeopleintheUSonthenewworkphilosophysomestartedsmallbusinessessomewent
backtoschool,whilesomedecidedtospendmoretimewiththeirchildren.
Theideawasthatifpeoplecanbeencouraged,empoweredandtrainedinskillstodothingstheywishto,
theywouldleaveapositiveimpactonsocietyandcultureandwouldactuallybeabletocallthemselvesfree.
Thepeoplewhofollowedthiswerealsoabletogetinvolvedincommunitywork.
YouareplanningtoopenacentreinIndiasoon.Whichproblemswilldriveyourworkhere?
UnemploymentisaseriousissueinIndia.Foracountrywithapopulationofover1.2billion,itmightneverbe
possibletocreateequalnumberofjobs.Hence,anewworkculturenotonlyjobsbutworkcouldbethe
solution.Forexample,Indiahasapoolofadvancetechnologiesanddedicatedengineers.Together,theycan
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26/01/2015

"Theworldneedsanewworkculture,notjustjobs"|DownToEarth

generateelectricityforthemselvesinsmallcommunities.Tobecomeselfsustainable,peoplecangrowfood
intheirhouses.Growingfoodclosertoaconsumerwillnotonlymakeitpesticidefreebutalsoeasily
available.Ibelievetheonlywaynottofeelthreatenedaboutlosingjobsandscarcityofresourcesisto
realisethatifneedbe,youcanproducethingsonyourown.ThoughNewWorkhasalongwaytogo,ideas
fromtheyouthinIndiahavereallyencouragedus.
WhatarethechallengesyouanticipateinIndia?
Ihavespentaconsiderabletimeinthiscountryandhavebeenabletointeractwithstudentsaswellas
professionalswiththesupportofmyfriendAnilSaldanha,asocialentrepreneurinMaharashtra.My
experienceandnetworkinginIndiashowthatthereisalotofdespairanddiscouragementhere.Thereare
peoplewhodonothavejobs,buttheyhaveideas.Theywishtobeselfsufficientandgetinvolvedin
communityeffortsbutsocietalpressuresrestrainthem.
However,IseeastrongsimilaritybetweenthephilosophyofNewWorkandpeoplesdesireforselfreliance
andsustainability.ThiscouldbeourstrengthinIndia.Saldanhahasinitiatedsmallcommunityenterprisesin
thestate.Forexample,sugarcanejuicevendingmachinesthatusepeddlerinsteadofdieselengineare
beingencouragedtosavetheenvironmentalongwithgeneratingworkopportunities.
HowfeasiblewillitbetoturnthephilosophyofNewWorkintoreality?
Inafewyearsfromnow,theworldwillonlyneedhalfofitspopulationtoproducewhateveritneeds.Thatis
whenmoreandmorelayoffsandeconomicrecessionsarelikelytohappen.Companiesandunionswillthen
havetoinvestmoneytomakenewworkpossibleforallthosewholosetheirjobs.Itisthenthatfinancially
profitableNewWorkenterpriseswouldbecomethenorm.Asfarasfinancingisconcerned,strategieslike
crowdfundingwillplayamajorrole.
MyfriendandaNewWorkerJamalMustafaSiyajstronglybelievesthatacrosstheworld,therearemany
peoplewhoworkfor1618hoursmeanwhile,thereareseveralotherswhodonothaveanyworkatall.
Sharingthisworkloadandcreatingabalancecouldbringineconomicsustainabilityinfuture.Heproposes
thepracticeofpeoplebeingengagedinjobsfor11monthsandcommunityworkforonemonth,gradually
makingitjobsfor10monthsandotherworkfortwomonthsandsoon.
Thisidea,however,willtaketimetomaterialise.Also,organisationswillhavetoplayacrucialrolehereand
practisemoresocialresponsibility.Technologycanbeputtoitsbestusetoachievesuchasociety.For
example,onecouldgenerateelectricityonarooftoptorunonescar,thusreducingdependencyonexternal
resources.
Moreover,byinvolvingmorepeopleandcommunityservices,wecouldgetjobsdonemuchcheaper.

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