How a China-inspired democratic model is strengthening Sri Lanka's local communities

Democracy loses its meaning when people only engage during elections and become passive afterward; when they hear election promises but have no voice after the election; when they vie for votes but are ignored after the election. A true democracy must empower its citizens continuously, not just during election season.

In Sri Lanka, candidates are doing their best to present a promising future ahead of the presidential elections, but the people of this beautiful island are aware of the challenges they have faced in recent years. Democracy should not be limited to election periods; its true strength lies in the continuous participation of the people in national discussions and decisions whenever the situation requires it, and not just in the electoral calendar.

Groundbreaking empowerment initiative

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Women, Children Affairs and Social Empowerment in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office is launching a groundbreaking initiative called Temple-based People's Empowerment System (TEPES). This system is Population Empowerment Centre (PEC) across the country, utilising the extensive network of Buddhist and Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques. These centres are designed not only to empower local communities through active participation in discussions and implementation of solutions to local problems, but also to serve as innovative and inclusive platforms that provide equal development opportunities to all Sri Lankans regardless of their religious background. By embedding these opportunities in their spiritual centres, TEPES and PEC promote a sense of unity and common goals between different faiths and ensure that socio-economic empowerment is both cross-faith and sustainable.

Sri Lanka aspires to extend this inclusive and sustainable socio-economic empowerment mechanism beyond its borders and share the model with other parts of the world as a testament to the power of intercultural cooperation in achieving equitable development for all.

Economic development is the cornerstone of improving the quality of life of our people. Therefore, the PECs will focus on delivering skills development, vocational training, innovation and entrepreneurship programs to prepare our citizens for a successful future. By embedding these processes in TEPES, Sri Lanka aims to ensure that democracy is a living, sustainable practice rather than a periodic, election-bound awakening.

Chinese concept of democracy

On November 2, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a visit to a grassroots consultation center in Shanghai, formulated the concept of “people’s democracy as a holistic process” and emphasized that legislation and decision-making must be subject to thorough procedures and democratic deliberations.

“If the government cannot provide a better life for its people, then what is the basis of democracy?” he asked, adding, “If people are awakened only by voting and fall into a deep sleep after voting, if they only listen to slogans during the election and have no say after the election, if they are only given preference in collecting votes and are ignored after the election, then what is the point of this kind of democracy?”

Sri Lanka's TEPES and PEC have many similarities with China's holistic democracy. Both countries work closely together to share experiences and cooperate in implementing these systems in Sri Lanka. The Chinese government in Chongqing has established long-term scholarship programs for Sri Lankan students and short-term exchange programs for officials visiting Liang Jia He village and Yan'an city in China.

The proposal for TEPES and PEC was jointly developed by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women, Children Affairs and Social Empowerment and the Prime Minister's Office. Minister of State Anupa Pasqual further adapted these empowerment programmes to focus on women and people with disabilities, supported by international collaboration with UNDP, ILO and other government agencies.

(The author is China's head of the Global Initiative Implementation Alliance and advisor to the Sri Lankan Minister for Women, Children Affairs and Social Empowerment. His views are personal.)