Parviz Karami

All the governments have got some tasks which they are required to do. It is also stipulated in law that health, education and the nation’s administration are by the government but this doesn’t mean that the nation is exempt from any burden. Division of duties is a discussion and responsibility is another, meaning that we cannot blame the government for underdevelopment and backwardness while neglecting the nation’s delinquency.

The notion of ‘everybody has got to carry the burden of a responsibility’ is that anyone’s responsibility depends on the scale of his/her wisdom, affluence and free will. In victory and failure, in success and letdown, in honor and shame, these are the people who are praised or blamed. It is true that the governments devise the plan of development and progress and determine the micro and macro policies but actually these are the people who fulfil these plans. An active, intelligent and skilled government doesn’t have the chance of advancement and the same is also true in the opposite condition when an active, energetic and wise nation is run by an inefficient and incompetent government. However, an intelligent, active and wise nation is less probable to fail and collapse and experience has proved that hardworking, faithful and committed people are capable of compensating for their governments’ weakness and fatigue and correcting the wrong paths. Nations and governments are not independent from each other.

Governments cover the expenses through people and people count on the governments’ abilities. This is the rule and the more coordination, cooperation and unity of the state and nation will lead to the more success, well-being and prosperity. Nevertheless, it’s essential to constantly remind this point that the government and people are all in the same boat and their fates are all bound together and interdependent. It’s due to this interdependence that the people can’t escape from their responsibilities. It means that we can’t wait for our governments to move the wheel of advance and development. Prior to the government, it’s us who should move the train of prosperity. Before I continue my discussion, let me tell you about one of my observations from a trip to Japan as an example.

Just a few months ago when I had gone to the country of the Rising Sun in the company of some colleagues, I became aware that there is no such thing as a sweeper and the municipality doesn’t have the duty of cleaning the city, sweeping and garbage removing- like what we do in  Iran / Tehran. One of our most serious urban problems is related to the elimination of domestic and nondomestic waste. To this end we both spend too much money and employ lots of labor forces. Annually a number of the cleaners who sweep the streets and highway margins have accidents and are seriously damaged, some of them even lose their lives. Shops, restaurants, companies and organizations give their waste to the municipality so that they take it outside the city with the help of manpower and mechanized system. This doesn’t mean that because the garbage is out of sight, it has been disposed and is no longer a problem. In fact, the main problem here relates to the afterwards when it is assembled in the depot form in the edge of the city, and builds mountains of garbage. Toxic and harmful lake of leachate waste is also a problem that can have irretrievable effects on the ecosystem and the environment. Municipality does all this job using the nation’s account. But the story is fundamentally different in Japan. First, the volume of waste produced by a Japanese citizen is not comparable with an Iranian.

The garbage separation and recycling is serious in Japan. The motto ‘Our city, our home’, which is common among Iranians, is called ‘Full and complete fulfilment’ in Japan and the citizens try to keep their alleys, streets and city clean just as their houses. All those who have traveled to Tokyo, Kyoto and other cities in Japan most often happen to see men and women who sweep the front of their homes and shops. This is a minimum amount of contributions that will lead to social and economic development, entrepreneurship and knowledge if it extends to other areas. We cannot talk about the peoples participation in science and technology while we haven’t still experienced responsibility and participation in elementary and obvious issues. Unfortunately, the concept of government in our country is accompanied with taking any sense of responsibility from the citizens and there exists this general perception that "they deserve it" and should do their duties and obligations.

Which duty? Let me give another example. The number of our road accidents is high and every year more than twenty thousand accidents lead to death. A part of this statistics relates to the technical and engineering problems of the cars and the other part goes back to the shortcomings and defects of the roads. The government is obliged to modify and rebuild the roads, eradicate the problems of engineering and the quality of the cars. But here an important and effective reason has been ignored which is the drivers’ incompetence, adventure, carelessness and inexperience. If they give the responsibility of just the same cars and roads to accountable, experienced, competent and cautious drivers, the number of the accidents would decrease to one-tenth. We expect the government to fulfil its commitments, but unfortunately we ourselves do and say nothing as we are supposed to.

Our country is in an especial situation. On the one hand there has been a delay in our development and progress and lots of the country’s serious work is undone and on the other hand, the political-diplomatic discussions are hot and serious. Geography is also changing and signifies climate changes. The knowledge-based economy is also being discussed with regard to our political occasions with the world. But we all expect and wait for the government to take action and advance the resilient economy. However, the resilient economy is actually a way which is related to our life style, job, economic and social occasions.

As long as we carry on life by ignoring the scientific changes and resilient economy and don’t apply prudence, parsimony, contrivance and accommodation in our lives, the resilient economy will not go beyond slogans and logos. If were sitting and waiting for the government to solve all the major and minor problems of the country, we should make sure that we won’t reach anywhere and do anything. According to Dr. Sattari, the government is not the genie to grant all our wishes with the oil money and it cannot eliminate the problems of unemployment, inflation and backwardness by itself and at the same time place the knowledge-based, resilient economy and fund production in its agenda. It is here that we have to take action and share part of the burden. By the way, the knowledge-based economy is exactly where the nation must be involved in to show itself completely and strongly.

It is just from here that we can generate wealth for the country and resolve the problems of inflation and unemployment with the help of the knowledge-based economy. Our share of developing country as its people could be just this that by being included in the knowledge-based economy and new businesses. We can provide the condition of its development and progress. Therefore, in order to make a country which deserves its graceful name as ‘Iran’, we should get rid of our laziness and numbness, pay off our debts to our beloved country enthusiastically and don’t leave it alone when encountering its hard and difficult tasks.

Media Advisor to the Vice-President of Science and Technology