Book holds promise for sustainability
Prof Duara explaining the interconnectedness of histories at the launch of his new book titled The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future
Global modernity and human activity founded on a paradigm of national modernisation has resulted in disastrous and almost irreversible consequences for our planet, threatening the sustainability of life itself. We would benefit by looking to Asia for alternative, collective histories rich in previously sidelined resources and approaches that could possibly hold the answer to the global crisis of environmental sustainability. This is the argument put forth by Professor Prasenjit Duara from the Department of History at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, who is also Director of the Asia Research Institute (ARI), in his new book titled The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future.
Prof Duara, one of the world's leading historians, was speaking at the launch of his major new study on 30 January, presented by ARI and the Research Division at FASS. His most recent book sees him expand his theoretical framework to include circulatory, transnational histories'particularly of China and India'due to the inherent flaws of linear national histories which have obscured actual narratives that shaped past and present societies. Asian traditions, said Prof Duara, offer different ways of understanding the relationship between the personal, ecological and universal and rightfully bringing these histories to the forefront could mean the difference for our collective goal of physical salvation of the world.
Prof Duara sought to explore in his book the accounts of other organisations, networks and communities in Asia and across the globe such as NGOs, scientists, religious groups, and other activists who are making an effort to bring the issues of climate change and resource conservation to global awareness. "It takes traditions that can get you away from the self-centered, self-determination framework to know what is to be done, added Visiting Professor of Social Sciences, John Kelly from Yale-NUS College, during the panel discussion.
In addition, the book puts forth the idea of a ‘sustainable modernity' as an alternative to modernisation theory. It stresses a set of values that could shape research agendas in the humanities and social sciences and also entails collaboration with scientists in the pursuit of sustainability.
Finally, Prof Duara highlighted the need for nations to share sovereignty on environmental issues in order to realise universal sustainability above protecting national interests. He reiterated that history is shared heritage; connecting in multiple ways to other histories and hence complicating prevailing notions of national sovereignty.
As summed up by Professor Ted Hopf from the NUS Department of Political Science: "We shouldn't essentialise or nationalise origins. Ideas aren't anyone's particular property and they change in usage and context. In other words, history belongs to us all.
