Globalization Meets Localization

Before the onrush of globalization, Ladakh on the western Himalayan Plateau was a harmonious Shangri-La of happy people, according to linguist Helena Norbert-Hodge who began her work there in the 1970’s. She says that even though the climatic extremes are harsh, people were well housed, fed, and nurtured by each other. Old and young respected and worked together bringing up new generations and singing as they performed tasks without machines. Their unhurried and joyous lives were integrated with nature and the seasons.

Helena Norbert-Hodge, author of “Ancient Futures,” saw the tranquil Ladakhi culture transformed by the incursion of globalization with its automobiles, consumer culture, competitiveness, and media images into urban blight with homelessness on the streets, unemployment, and abandonment of the Ladakhi way of living. Ladakhis began to see themselves as poor and inferior. They apologized for their roasted barley dishes. Young men sported bluejeans and dark sunglasses to look more western. Their role models were media idols more than family members and elders. Competition reigned over cooperation and cultural tolerance weakened.

Economic globalization is often more advantageous to developed than to developing countries by undercutting local food production with highly subsidized food from outside. In many instances local farmers no longer have markets and leave for city slums or try to emigrate. The resultant low-cost labor pool is then ripe for exploitation by multi-national interests. The end result is a compromised cultural fabric, environmental degradation, and lowered resilience of the developing country to economic, resource, and climatic shocks.

For decades happiness studies have shown that material wealth beyond a modest level does not increase happiness, as shown by the peaking of happiness in the United States in 1956 despite subsequent GDP increases. But happiness is also a function of the quality of friendships and personal relationships, environmental quality, health, good governance, and access to education and culture. In poorer countries people are more content when income is more equitable, according to the PEW Research Center.

For Ladakhis happiness is localization, retaining traditional cultural values. For over 30 years Helena Norbert-Hodge has worked to rebuild cultural pride among Ladakhis, who have shown new interest in traditional methods of agriculture and healing. Farmers are now more aware of the issues with chemical agriculture and genetically modified crops. In addition, she has encouraged the use of solar energy, small hydro energy, solar ovens and greenhouses. 

People around the world are waking up to the value if not the imperative of localization by participating in the Transition movement, Resilience Circles and Simplicity Circles. Like the Ladakhis some in the corporate-dominated industrialized world see community self-reliance and resilience slipping away as they lose touch with neighbors and with nature. These are the very values we need to deal with energy descent, resource depletion, and global warming. As the limits to growth become more apparent. as fuel and food prices soar, as climatic crises begin to shatter expectations, and as economies and governments falter, we will begin to understand the value of working together in our communities to provide some relief and to plan for a better future.

Helena Norbert-Hodge says it well: “As the price of energy escalates and as the global economy becomes even more destabilized, we will have no choice but to turn to each other. If we start now, instead of waiting for further collapse, we will have a better chance of building up more diversified and thriving local economies, and we will be happier for it."