(EN) In this engaging exchange, Heli Saari and Pratyush Bhardwaj explore the Sustainable Development Goal of “Decent Work and Economic Growth,” (sdg 8) sharing their unique perspectives from Finland and India. Heli reflects on the challenges of maintaining work-life balance amid economic pressures, while Pratyush highlights the need for sustainable practices in India’s rapidly growing economy. Together, their correspondence sheds light on the global quest for meaningful work and economic stability within the framework of environmental sustainability.
Letter 1
Hi Pratyush!
I hope this letter reaches you at a convenient time, allowing you to read it in peace. I am happy to write again – in the past few years I have realized that writing is one of the best ways for me to express myself and having things written down also puts them in perspective in this world where we live constantly with huge expectations from ourselves but also from others. When big things are written down, they don’t seem so big after all, and it feels like you can tackle all obstacles in your way.
My name is Heli, and I am 28 years old. I am currently on my Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Antwerp and taking courses in the master’s program of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, which will be included in my master’s studies at the University of Eastern Finland, where I study pharmacy. So, I am a Finn and will be speaking from that point of view, although we have many things in common with the Dutch. My dog Vinha is here with me and she fills up most of my free time. Her name is a Finnish word which does not have a straight translation to English, but it means “swift, fun, fast, cunning” – all those things combined into one word! We hike, run and go to dog training sessions often, but I also enjoy crafts and going to the gym in my free time when possible. My life is at its best when I am walking in the forest with my dog and my partner, but I also enjoy cold weather and a warm cup of tea at home when fall arrives.
When I first tried to think about what I wanted to do with my time on this planet, I thought I wanted to help people – and don’t get me wrong, I still do – but now I have started to realise that most of us are doing quite fine as it is, and the planet is the one needing help from us. I want to speak up for the ones who don’t have the voice or power to do so, whether it is a person, animal, or the environment. I am not, however, naive and I know the world where we live, but I hope that I can be a part of making it a better place for everyone now and in the future. So, happiness for me comes from actions taken towards helping others – even if it is something small or big, I try to help someone every day. What makes you happy in this world?
For the topic chosen for us “decent work and economic growth” I have so many observations even from Belgium, where I have spent only two and a half months. One of the reasons I chose this subject was that I am currently seeing my colleagues – students and pharmacists – who are exhausted and who are still expected to do more. There are a lot of issues with the idea of economic growth – I don’t feel like it can be achieved endlessly since we live in an ecosystem, which does not grow along with the economy. I hope that we can be happy with less and not always aim for something more. Please share your thoughts on this matter, as I feel it is such a huge topic I don’t want to go into detail too much to give space for your ideas as well.
Decent work can mean so many things to different people, so I feel it could be beneficial to introduce you to the way I see decent work:
1. it is something you can do 8 hours a day,
2. get enough money to provide for yourself and your family and have some extra to use in your free time and
3. where you can come home and still have the energy to pursue your life ambitions like hobbies or volunteer work.
I feel like work should not be your life, but work is something that makes your life better. Do you share these thoughts or what kind of mindset do you have about decent work?
When digging deeper into the Sustainable Development Goal of “Decent work and economic growth” I would like to bring up how different my perspective might be from yours – we have a saying that we live in a “linnunkoto” in Finland – we live in a bird’s nest which is cosy and warm, far away from many difficulties which people face around the world. We do have our difficulties, but on any occasion, I do not want to imply I know how things should be done because of where I live, and I hope I can get my ideas out in the open without them being too much. I am just really interested and happy to learn more, so I hope we will find common ground to work on.
“Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms” – this is one of the goals and what a goal it is. My knowledge of human trafficking is quite slim – some cases arise in Finland now and then about using cheap workforce from around the world and I hope they are all caught, but I know it is not so. This happens in the summer and fall time when berries are picked from the forest. In Finland, anyone can go to any forest and pick up berries, which is wonderful, but it also causes people who want to benefit to go and recruit cheap workforce from all around the world. This is truly a problem.
Child labour is something we do not have to worry about in Finland as much as in many other countries, where children working can be a way for the family to survive. We just had a new law coming into order, and children have to go to school also after they finish middle school (in Finland this happens when you are around 15 years old). So, they need to continue to higher education, either high school or vocational school, before heading to work.
I am always searching for ethical choices from the markets and not choosing brands that are connected to child labour or bad working conditions. I also try to avoid shopping in general – I really do not need much to have a great life. It is, however, hard to find all the knowledge about the history of certain goods and I think that could be something for governments to act on – with proper knowledge people can make better decisions when shopping.
With my letter ending and still having so much to say, I hope you pick the subjects you find most interesting and address them the way you feel is natural for you. With the Belgium spring giving its best with a ray of sunshine, I think I will be heading out for a run with Vinha before it starts raining again.
Cheers,
Heli Saari
Letter 2
Dear Heli,
Hope this letter finds you well!
Thank you for your thoughts and engaging letter! I appreciate you taking your time and sharing your perspectives and experiences. It’s great to hear from you and to learn more about your Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Antwerp. It sounds like you are really enjoying your time there and making the most out of your studies and free time with your dog Vinha. It’s nice to know that you find happiness in simple pleasures like walking in the forest and spending time with loved ones.
Now to give a brief introduction about myself my name is Pratyush Bhardwaj, and I am currently pursuing my PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) in Rural Management from Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. I have spent most of my life till now exploring Rural India, and this is the place where I belong to. I find peace in the Rural part of India away from the crowds of city life. This way of living always refreshes me and helps me to stay focused and it eventually helps me tackle all the problems in my life. Talking about my other likings apart from these I like playing Video games on my laptop in my free time.
You have asked me one question i.e. what makes me happy in this world? The Answer is every small and big thing which gives me peace and a sense of satisfaction makes me happy as I am not a person who finds happiness in materialistic things, the thing which makes me happy can be spending time with my family, helping my dad in the farms in cultivating crops, helping the poor who needs help and cannot help themselves, etc. there is no precise answer for this from my side.
I completely agree with you about the importance of helping others, whether it’s people, animals, or the environment. Making a positive impact in the world is something that brings me a lot of fulfilment as well. It’s inspiring to see your passion for advocating for those who don’t have a voice.
Regarding the topic of “decent work and economic growth”, I completely agree that economic growth cannot be sustained endlessly without considering the impact on the ecosystem. It’s crucial to find a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability. I also believe that work should enhance our lives rather than consume it entirely. Finding a job that allows us to provide for ourselves and our families while still having time and energy for our personal pursuits is indeed essential.
I appreciate your perspective on “decent work” and your focus on eradicating forced labour, Child Labour, and Human trafficking. It’s unfortunate that these issues still exist in many parts of the world even in India. The reason I chose this topic to discuss is because I have observed the work culture in my working life in one of the Big 4s consulting firms and those times were the most challenging time of my life. As you have mentioned decent work means 8 hours a day, but I have experienced a little hectic work life. While working for the organization we would work from home which I believe is a bonus but at the same time, it is a big curse for the employees who are living with their families like me. We used to work for almost 12 hours a day which I believe is very tough for people who have life outside the organization as well and if it is the working conditions of one of the big 4 consultancies then it really needs to be corrected.
Decent work gives many things to many people, as far as I understand it provides:
· Decent working hours.
· Timely vacation to help the employees to relax.
· Allows the employee to spend quality time with their loved ones.
· Helps the employee to stay motivated to work towards the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.
· Working in an environment where everyone respects each other’s opinions.
· Politics-free environment to work.
I completely agree with you on the fact that work should not be your life, but work is something that makes your life better.
Eventually, decent work and job satisfaction will lead to the economic growth of the nation because economic growth is one of the central tenets of SDG 8. In the context of India where “decent work and economic growth” is in the developmental phase, the country is growing at the rate of 7.5% per annum. However, the aim is to grow at the rate of 9-10% per annum.
I think, I should reach the end of this letter otherwise it will get very long and will become boring to read and believe me I don’t want to do that in our 1st interaction.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It’s always enlightening to hear about different perspectives and concerns from around the world on related topics. Enjoy your run with Vinha and I hope the weather stays pleasant for you. Take care!
Best regards,
Pratyush Bhardwaj
Letter 3
Hi Pratyush,
Thank you so much for your first letter, it seems like we have many things in common regarding nature, life, work-life balance and the economy. I am so sorry you have had to go through a period where you had no work-life balance at all – it must have been draining for you. I also found myself at a situation working long hours before university as a mailman, and I can still remember those long days when I came home completely exhausted. I had no idea how to make a difference in the working culture then and that is quite scary when you are working in a company and not having any means to affect your job or working environment.
You mentioned timely vacations on your list of decent work, and I could not agree more. A person who cannot have a vacation is not an efficient employee. We have vacations pre-written to our job contracts due to collective bargaining – you can’t have a job contract without having any vacations in the future, and it is also in the law, not only in the contract. Finland is somewhat known for their labour unions and organizations, which play a big role in the relationships between employees and employers. They support employees who have joined the union when there are issues regarding anything to do with work and this limits the number of illegal activities employers try to execute. So, help regarding work is relatively easy to find, but for example when foreigners come to Finland to work it might be harder, since they do not know about these resources, which can lead to the exploitation of a cheap workforce. Labor unions in Finland are recognized and have a say in collective bargaining and often the government also requests statements and asks for unions’ opinions before they make decisions in the parliament. For example, in the United States, the situation is not at all the same and employees don’t seem to recognize the benefit from labor unions. Do you have labor unions and are they visible in your country? Do you think they could play a bigger role in making work life more meaningful and decent?
I am finding it quite hard to find ways of still making economic growth happen in the future without sacrificing the ecosystem, at least with the current system we now have, which basically wants everything done cheap and fast. You said that India’s economy is growing at a 7,5% rate and the goal is 9-10% per annum. What could be the ways of making it more sustainable? In Finland, we are moving on both sides of 0% with a negative year last year, but we have mostly stayed on the positive side of growth.
On an individual level, I think it is a matter of wanting everything right now, as cheap as possible. Our world has made it possible for us, and we can only go up to some extent as consumers – for me it is choosing a train over a car or an Aeroplan every time possible, thinking if I truly need the things I am planning to buy and when I do buy something, I take care of it as well as I can and try to repair it or fix it if it breaks down. But not all people are as vigilant and I cannot blame them, since it is the world economy which needs changing and not the people in it.
With this, I feel like there are some ways that could be included in the system, but it really needs the voice of the many – the people, following the politicians and going all the way up to the culture of the world. The world has come so much closer to each other in the past decades – look at me now, writing a letter to a student in India – so I think we do need a culture that can consist of all of us, in order to “save the world”. Sounds quite pompous, but I do think we as a humanity have a lot in common when it comes to big questions like these. So, what then, when we have all come together with our mind set on saving the balance of the planet?
We need to realize that having everything right now as cheap as possible is not sustainable. We need to make unsustainable choices expensive while making repairing things easy and affordable. It is not fun at first when you are used to getting everything fast and your dopamine levels just plummet because of that, but I feel like these kinds of actions are necessary for the world and will also lead to the economy changing to value hard work without exploiting people. It is not a decision that we can make as individuals, but as a community and reaching out to politicians. To address the situation of people who would need to change their work due to their industry becoming less profitable, I think there should be help from the government in redirecting the workforce to new positions.
Well, those are quite big things to do as an individual. But I think we also need to stop thinking about ourselves as mere individuals – we share common goals with a lot of people, but we rarely say them out loud. That is why one of my ways of doing my part is advocating. A few days ago I got selected to be a candidate for municipal elections as a member of the Green Party of Finland and I do feel like this is a good way for me to have an impact on the world around me. I think political ways are a good way to make a difference, but I hope people will notice that they are also a part of several communities in their lives and that they can as a group raise their voices and demand better. I still would not say individuals need to do the hard work – that is for the people in charge to do. They have the means, and they also carry a bigger responsibility to the world and to the people in it.
I think I might have wandered quite far from the original subject of decent work and economic growth, but I hope you have gained some ideas on where to continue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as well even if the next letter is the last for this program, I will gladly answer to you!
As you said yourself – you also enjoy the small things in life. When you ask someone what they value the most, I think that in most cases, the answer will not be wealth, things and money. But the economy needs also to learn that, and I hope with the help of laws, regulations and supporting people on their path we will all find a decent place to work, which will be sustainable and even have a positive impact on economic growth.
Cheers,
Heli Saari
Letter 4
Dear Heli,
Thank you for your thoughtful letter. It’s heartening to hear about your experience and perspective on work-life balance, labour unions, and sustainability.
In India, the concept of work-life balance is gradually gaining recognition, especially in urban areas and certain industries but the progress is too slow. However, it’s still a work in progress, with many individuals facing challenges similar to what you described in your early career. Long working hours and a lack of proper rest can indeed take a toll on one’s well-being and productivity.
You had asked whether the labour union exist in India or not. Labour unions do exist in India, and they play a significant role in advocating for workers’ rights and better working conditions. However, their impact varies across sectors, and there’s room for improvement in terms of visibility and effectiveness, especially in informal sectors and among marginalised workers.
As we are talking about decent work and economic growth, I would like to give you a recent example of my internship which I am currently doing with an NGO. This NGO works for the betterment of farmers in India. I am not receiving any stipend for my work and if I talk about the work which I am doing it basically requires me to stay in the field and interact with the farmers. From the day I joined which is 22 April, I did not get any day off or vacation, even on Sundays I am working with the farmers of my location. I am exhausted from my continuous work. I am literally counting the days to get this internship over because it’s becoming very difficult for me to do. If this is the condition of an intern in this organisation, then think of an employee who is working with the organisation and getting paid for his/her work. But still, if you are paying a sum of money, it does not mean the employee is not entitled to get a leave and refresh his/her mind and spend some quality time with their loved ones.
I do agree that Sustainability is a pressing issue for India, given its rapid economic growth and environmental challenges. While the economy continues to expand, there’s a growing awareness of the need to pursue growth in a more sustainable manner. Initiatives such as renewable energy projects, conservation efforts, and eco-friendly practices in industries are gradually gaining momentum. However, there’s still much to be done to ensure that economic growth doesn’t come at the expense of the environment.
Individual actions, like the ones you have mentioned, can make a difference, but systemic changes are also essential. Policies and regulations that incentivize sustainability and penalize unsustainable practices are crucial. Additionally, there’s a need for greater public awareness and engagement to drive collective action towards a more sustainable future.
Your involvement in politics is a commendable step taken by you. Political participation and advocacy are powerful tools for driving change at both local and national levels. By advocating for sustainable policies and practices, you are contributing to the broader goal of creating a more equitable and environmentally conscious society.
In India, too, there’s a growing recognition of the importance of political engagement and community action in shaping the future. As more individuals like yourself become actively involved in politics and advocacy, there’s hope for meaningful progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy.
I believe this is our last interaction, it is very nice knowing you and your thoughts. It’s nice to share our thoughts and opinions. But still, I look forward to hearing from you and to meet you at some point in my life. Once again thanks for your letters and your opinions.
Wishing you all the best,
Pratyush Bhardwaj