Prosperity with a Nepali soul: Why development must not lose what makes it Nepali
Summary
Nepal’s development should raise incomes without eroding culture, local identity, or the livelihoods of artists and artisans. The piece argues for broader measures of progress, fair support for cultural workers, and technology that helps preserve living heritage.
Key Points
- Economic growth should be a means to improve people's lives, not the only goal of development.
- The article warns that Nepal risks losing cultural knowledge, participation, and confidence as imported lifestyles and imitation grow.
- It calls for wider measures of progress that include health, environment, social ties, and cultural participation alongside income.
- Artists, artisans, and indigenous cultural knowledge should be fairly paid, branded, and supported so Nepali heritage can compete on value, not just price.
