**History has shown that no social organisations, regardless of how cleverly designed or implanted, work effectively unless sustained by the right attitudes.

THE growing awareness of human and democratic rights. increasing opportunities for private initiatives and the falling barriers to trade and travel have released powerful forces that are leading to the disintegration of the traditional social structure at an accelerated pace. In a number of countries inadequate policy packages have compounded the problem. The results -are -a rolling, colliding and confused mass of people in conflict with itself. The trend cannot be reversed. no matter how deeply the traditionalists deplore the loss of ancient moorings or the pacifists mourn the passing away of the age of innocence. But rather than let the forces work themselves out through devastating convulsions, every nation can decide to manage the change in a more constructive fashion.

The clamour for the government to find solutions, as has become customary in all developing countries, is clearly not going to help. Growing commitments on the one hand and limited resources on the other, have already begun to undermine the ability of public agencies to perform their traditional regulatory functions. Furthermore, the degree of openness and flexibility required to promote popular participation to resolve conflict and build compromises cannot be mastered by the government apparatus. The responsibility to manage change would fall largely on the civil society.

Governments could still have a significant role to play

in areas where the civil society interacts with public agencies, ranging from the distribution of scarce resources to the provision of public service. With a rising expectation sweeping al! segments of the society the questions of access, transparency and costs of the allocation mechanism have become highly explosive and divisive issues for all. Providers and consumers of public services must have a common ground to meet, perhaps through local committees, to analyse problems and devise solutions.

• In order to enlist the spontaneous cooperation of the people in implementing national policy and programmes the decision msiking process must be made more open, consultative and flexible. It is now widely realised that developing countries do not so much lack the forms of democracy as they do its content and spirit. The real objective of democracy is to seek the greatest good of the greatest number. Political parties can begin to address these concerns by making themselves more democratic in spirit. As they become more sensitive to popular concerns, instead of foisting their favoured ideological burden on the people, they will brighten their own chances to govern.

For many countries heading the list of worries are crimes and corruption. To prevent the sense of insecurity and outrage spiralling into violence the rule of law needs to be strictly enforced. Anti-crime vigilance committees, at local levels, with concerned civic leaders and trained volunteers, and

supported by the authorities, could go a long way in maintaining law and order without significant additional expenses. Strong anti-corruption legislation and an independent and effective enforcement system for all levels are an essential first step towards conflict resolution. It is a measure of the rage felt by the common man that the People Power has been invoked successfully in the name of fighting corruption to force government out of office.

Mixed public-private governance structures are necessary for some of the specialised regu-' latory functions such as fair trade practices, consumer protection and the preservation of the environment. As far as possible, independent statutory agencies established to regulate work in these areas should have such mixed representations from all stakeholders.

Beyond the domains of the public and mixed institutions lies the wider field for NGOs and the private interest groups. They are useful in crystallizing the social perceptions and needs and addressing them in a constructive and peaceful manner. Because participation, dialogue and consensus-building is their preferred way to meet challenges and create opportunities, these civil society institutions should be consciously encouraged and nurtured.

In countries with strong religious sentiments, the religious leaders can choose to remind the faithful of the enduring values bestowed by religion — honesty, compassion, justice, tolerance and respect for our common human dignity. Com-

munities rent apart by religious violence in historical times need to forget the follies of the past in order to together build the future. Iteligious leaders and others concerned with the spiritual basis of society should actively include a human dimension in their tasks, by creating organisations that stand by the deprived and the oppressed, help the needy, train the poor to earn a living, care for the sick and provide relief in times of disaster.

Like biological diversity on earth, linguistic and ethnic diversity should also be accommodated and indeed, preserved in recognition of the unique contribution that each community makes to enrich and sustain the environment in which we live.

For each of us there is a crucial choicq to be made on how we make use of the unprecedented stock of knowledge and power that science has made accessible Jo us. This raises questions of ethics and morality and the content of the education system, both formal and informal. that profoundly influence our thoughts anti action. History has shown that no social organisations, regardless of how cleverly designed or implanted. work effectively unless sustained by the right attitudes. We must ask ourselves whether matters such as ethics, morality. human rights, democracy and social responsibility should not from part of our academic and practical education in the new millennium. •

The author is an international civil servant based th Geneva.