Hriti Foundation organized Let’s Speak on ‘Liberalism and Nepal” alongside “An Introduction to Economic Inequality”

Hriti Foundation successfully conducted a Let’s Speak discussion session hosting fifteen participants on 13th March, 2024 in Birendranagar. The session aimed at thought provoking deliberation on the themes of Liberalism and its relevance in the context of Nepal. Participants were provided with the reading material comprising two articles and a book beforehand to facilitate the interaction. The two articles assigned were ‘What is Liberalism’ and ‘Economic Liberalization in Nepal’ while the assigned book was a translation version of a book titled ‘An Introduction to Economic Inequality’ by Eamon Butler. 

The first two articles cover the basics of Liberalism and its relevance in the context of Nepal, while the book attempts to debunk the myth of economic inequality and criticizes the concept of collectivism. The discussion centered around examining the concept of inequality through liberal perspectives, leading to vibrant discussion and interaction among the participants.

 

 

The participants found the book extremely thought provoking, with some even admitting that they questioned their existing beliefs and contemplated on their conviction. One of the participants pointed out that inaccurate measurement of inequality and the statistics showing higher levels of equality in the developed countries made him question if redistribution policies actually bring in any substantial results and what if focusing on equality derails the focus from the actual problem of rising poverty.

While some participants continued to defend the significance and objectives of redistribution policies, the discussion then shifted to focus on addressing one particular question: ‘What are these policies actually trying to achieve in reality? Is it poverty reduction or inequality reduction?’ The discussion then proceeded to further explore the relevance of such policies in the real world, dividing the participants into two camps of ‘Equal Opportunity vs Equal Income’ and ‘Poverty Alleviation vs Inequality Alleviation’.