Slide 1 Conflict Between inner and outer aspects of life Mismatch between finer inner qualities and outside

de world Family values (sharing) and business values (exploitation) In order for those qualities to express their full potential the external barriers as well as the internal barriers must be removed Unique quality of Sarkar is that he gave a detailed socio-economic theory which would enable humanitys finest sentiments to be fully expressed. Slide 2 He called this theory Prout He first wrote about Prout in 1959 and predicted the imminent downfall of Communism He also predicted that Capitalism would collapse not long after So far Prout is the only comprehensive alternative to these two theories Slide 3 Progressive and visionary thinkers of the age such as Noam Chomsky, Hazel Henderson and others have recognized the importance of Prout Slide 4 Prouts view of the universe is based on Yoga The flow of all life towards consciousness is considered Dharma or Tao. That which supports Dharma will flourish, that which opposes Dharma will perish. Therefore for society to flourish it must support the flow of all forms of life towards consciousness. It must not stand in the way of anyones progress. Slide 5 A great society is based on a great vision of life Without vision there is mediocrity and confusion or worse In perhaps the simplest ethical philosophy ever defined Sarkar provides both the goal and the approach to attaining it. He called it Neo-Ethics Neo-Ethics lays the foundations, personally and socially, for a life which is both deeply spiritual and materially progressive. Slide 6 The wealth of the world is abundant One of the reasons we dont enjoy abundance is because the way we distribute our wealth is based on greed not on Dharma Sarkar gave guidelines for an ethical and equitable way to distribute wealth based which looks for a fair balance between individual needs and collective needs These are the accepted principles of family economics. Sarkar merely extends them into the larger society Slide 7

When one man receives 30,000 times what another receives whatever it is it is not based on justice. Where there is no justice other problems are sure to follow.

Slide 8 Explain the graph Similarly when economics is in harmony with Dharma the society will flourish If the gap between minimum income and maximum income is neither too big nor too small there will be social cohesion, a productive economy and a dynamic and happy culture. Prouts approach to wealth distribution eliminates both poverty and excessive wealth leaving encough income variation to provide the incentive to excel Possible rations: 3:1 10:1. Slide 9 The second important factor in properly utilizing our abundant resources is the system of production The debate between private ownership and state ownership still swings back and forth with no satisfactory resolution Sarkar proposes a three tier system which is aimed at keeping economic power decentralized in the hands of the local people and which creates ideal conditions for spiritual growth and sustainable material prosperity. Slide 10 Small Scale Private Business High Motivation Efficient and adaptable management No threat to society Slide 11 Medium Scale Cooperative Enterprises Worker owned and managed Democratic environment for healthy personal growth Security of employment Benevolent use of technology reduces working hours Promote social and economic equality through decentralization of economic power Today more than 100 million people are employed by cooperatives Slide 12 Large Industries run by local government o Only local governments can decentralize industry o Brings work to the people (instead of people to work) o Provide essential infrastructure - no profit-no loss o Can adapt quickly to local needs and conditions o Keeps economy and vital resources in hands of local people

o Environmentally responsible o Prevents concentration of economic power (state or private) Slide 13 When planning, consideration should be given to the balanced integration of key industries, cooperatives and private enterprises. For example, factories that produce nylon thread and cotton thread might well be organised as public utilities. In this case textile cooperatives should be encouraged to set up around the public utilities and artists and fashion designers might set up around the textile cooperatives. Slide 14 The combination of Prouts Rational Distribution System and The Three Tier System of Industrial Production effectively decentralizes economic capacity and control into the hands of the people. Sarkar calls this Economic Democracy. It is economic democracy and not political democracy, says Sarkar, which can ensure the maximum all round welfare of the people. Slide 15 Slide 16 There are two kinds of globalization happening side by side one is negative, the other is positive Slide 17 Slide 18 Slide 19 This is similar to the diagram in the presentation on "The economy as a living system" except that now we use the terminology of economics. Economic planning attempts to maintain an internal balance in the form of constant supply of essential goods and services at constant prices, despite an external fluctuating global economy. Slide 20 No less an economist than Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the 2001 Nobel prize in economics, has acknowledged the defects of free trade and the free market economy. His best selling and controversial book "Globalisation and its discontents" argues that globalisation as it is currently practiced is not in the best interests of developing countries. The above quotes are from an article he wrote for the Guardian newspaper, London. Slide 21 Slide 22

Slide 23 Slide 24 Slide 25 One of the most important concepts in Prout is the idea of the separation of economic power from political power. This is similar to the notion of the separation of powers in a political democracy. Prout achieves this separation by striving for economic decentralisation at the same time as political centralisation. Perhaps a good analogy is that of a football match. The referee, like the politician, is responsible for setting the rules and making sure that the rules are followed. However it is the players who decide on their strategies and who play the game. Economic decentralisation is Prout's strategy to achieve full employment and to remove poverty. This is in stark contrast to the highly centralised economies of the modern capitalist world and of communism. One defect of centralised planning is that allows unscrupulous persons to divert wealth into their own pockets. Another is that the planners are seldom sitting in the localities for which they are planning. Slide 26 Slide 27 Slide 28 Slide 29 Sarkar does not suggest that we need to wait for Sadvipras before Prout can begin. Rather he says, The establishment of Sadvipra leadership will require the systematic and rational application of PROUT by the collective effort of many highly intelligent people. Sadvipra rule cannot be established by blind physical force or idle intellectual extravaganza. Sarkar makes it clear that this is the government of the future. The Yodas have not yet appeared or united. But when they do they will be recognized by their actions and they will be a strong force. Slide 30 Slide 31 Conclusion A disciple once called Sarkar a genius. Sarkar declined the compliment and replied, I merely have an uncommonly developed common sense. Prout is an approach to our social problems which combines common sense, fearless honesty and a powerful spirit of universal fraternity. We know how to treat each other kindly but we have allowed a set of self-serving dogmas to persuade us to behave otherwise. No human being can be comfortable with the fact that our way of life causes suffering and destruction across the planet. We are all uneasy and yet somehow we continue, carried on by inertia and the

lack of a vision for change. Prout gives us the vision and reminds us of the importance and greatness of being human. Remember, says Sarkar, humanity's very existence is based on morality; when morality leads human beings to the fullest expression of their finer human qualities, then alone is its practical value fully realized.[1] As stated in the beginning, there is a conflict today between the inner and outer aspects of life. The reason is simply that our outer life fails to express our finer human qualities. There is only one remedy for this to create a world based on finer human sentiments. This, in a word, is PROUT. [1] P.R. Sarkar, Human Society Pt. 1, Moralism p.7