Ethical Markets Interview with Dr. Monica Sharma

Early Life and Influences

Monica Sharma was born in Shillong, India, in 1950. Her parents significantly shaped her values and perspectives.

  • Mother's Influence:
    • Instilled a love for nature, emphasizing appreciation for every living being.
    • Celebrated the beauty of every faith, promoting inclusivity and breaking divisive patterns based on religion.
    • Exposed Monica to various spiritual teachings, including the Gita and Jiddu Krishnamurti's talks.
  • Father's Influence:
    • Imparted a sense of justice and integrity through his work as a senior government officer.
    • Developed the first pension scheme for plantation workers in post-independent India.
    • Advocated for equality by welcoming children from different communities and castes, including Dalits (the oppressed).

The Caste System and Untouchability

The caste system in India, originating around three thousand years ago, divided society into hierarchical classes based on occupation and social status.

  • Historical Context:
    • The system was formalized by Manu, who outlined specific roles for different groups (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, etc.).
    • It led to the concept of "untouchability," where certain groups (Dalits) were considered impure and faced severe discrimination.
  • Modern Relevance:
    • Despite legal reforms, untouchability persists in India, with a significant percentage of the population still believing in it.
    • Dalit means "the oppressed."
  • Personal Experience:
    • Monica Sharma shared an emotional experience of working with sewage union members, where one person realized their power as a human being, transcending their identity as an untouchable.

Journey to Becoming a Doctor

Inspired by Albert Schweitzer's life, Monica Sharma decided to become a doctor.

  • Education and Early Career:
    • Trained in medicine and practiced clinically, working with a surgeon named Dr. Rodge on a tuberculosis project.
    • Shifted focus to community health and epidemiology.
  • Accidental Entry into the UN:
    • Joined the UN after a student submitted her resume for a job opening.
    • The UN's mission and vision, particularly its emphasis on equity, fairness, justice, and every human being's dignity, attracted her.

Experiences at the UN

Working at the UN, Monica Sharma encountered both the organization's strengths and challenges.

  • Positive Aspects:
    • The UN brings together people from different sectors (business, government, NGOs, academia) to address global issues.
    • It promotes universal values based on equity, fairness, and justice.
  • Challenges:
    • Bureaucracy and the presence of egos among staff members.
    • The need to advocate for values and principles in a patriarchal workspace, often facing comments about being "emotional."
    • Learned to stand firm and emphasize the importance of higher consciousness and universal connectivity.

Challenging Conventional Thinking

Monica Sharma discussed several issues related to economics, artificial intelligence, and leadership.

  • Critique of Economics and the Money System:

    • Economics and the money system are often used as tools of control, creating fear, scarcity, and competition.
    • The focus on GDP growth as the sole measure of progress is flawed and ignores other important values.

  • Human Trained Machine Intelligence (HTMI) vs. Artificial Intelligence (AI):

    • She proposes reframing the term "artificial intelligence" as "human trained machine intelligence" (HTMI) to highlight the human labor involved in training machines.
    • The current system often leads to the exploitation and displacement of human workers, which needs to change.

    HTMIHTMI

  • Redefining Leadership:

    • Leadership is not about hierarchical structures but about everyday leadership for everyone.
    • It involves creating new futures and shifting beyond efficiency to manifest sustainable development goals.
    • Metrics should measure the processes that lead to shifting and making the rules of the game visible for change.

  • Efficiency for Whom?:

    • Asking questions like, "Efficiency for whom?" and "At what system level?" helps define efficiency and its impact.

Conclusion

Monica Sharma emphasized the importance of values, strategic thinking, and sustainable changes to achieve well-being and impact.