Leading an ethics based business

Dr. Kiriwandeniya is Chairman of the Sanasa Development Bank which has around 500,000 shareholders. He was instrumental in revitalizing thrift and credit cooperative societies in Sri Lanka, turning an idea that was at the time already 72 years old into a vibrant and successful movement that has brought tangible benefits to millions of people. Today, thanks in no small measure to Dr. Kiriwandeniya’s vision, drive and commitment, the name ‘SANASA’ is widely recognised as being associated with an innovative, successful, sustainable and comprehensive development thrust that is well equipped to meet and overcome the challenges of the 21st Century.


What is our BIG Issue?

Our biggest issue is one of creating a new vision and moving towards new horizons. Take the private sector for example. Most of the key players are only concerned about the short-term gains defined in terms of ‘bottom-lines’ and profitability. They pusy a ‘marketing culture’ that is at odds with our indigenous culture and the ways in which our communities derive meaning in their lives. Our culture does not say no to profit or profit making but such exercises are tempered by a greater commitment to the collective and the common good. This is what is being undermined and in the process we are in danger of losing our sense of identity, not to mention the fact that this uncritical ‘marketism’ and the culture and practices associated with it has failed the world over and brought the entire earth to the brink of destruction. This is why I say that we need fresh thinking and we need to develop a better sense of where we want to be in the future.

We also find that politicians and politics invading all spheres of life, including businesses. We find the distinction between politician and business personality blurring. This is not good. There was a time when what convinced people to take to politics was the desire to serve the country. When your self-interest gets in the way, then the country is short-changed. We need young people with a different kind of commitment and vision than we seeing in politicians now. We need to step forward and take on this challenge. We need to think about educational facilities for aspiring politicians, where they can learn about the relevant theories and the practicalities. Such institutions would generate a better class of politicians in Sri Lanka, I feel.

Do you support the ‘Buy Sri Lanka’ measures?

Yes. I think this is one way of unshackling ourselves from dependency and asserting our sovereignty. This is not enough though. We have to understand that people have their own tastes and preferences and they will look at different products before selecting one. They will also look at quality. People would buy Sri Lankan if the product is superior. Then there is the issue of social utility. There can be products that are ‘Sri Lankan made’ that are harmful to society, for example. There can be Sri Lankan services that go against the grain of our cultural ethos. We can’t simply be Sri Lanka consumers purchasing Sri Lankan goods and services that are inferior in quality and/or harmful to our society.

We should also understand that we should not be self-absorbed. We should learn to think regionally and improve regional cooperation. India for instance can be a powerful partner if we adapt a strategy that will give us reciprocal benefits.

What are the ethics of Sanasa?

Our core principal is about exercising personal financial discipline and cultivating the ethics pertaining to saving and thrift. We promote personal savings before investment. Before borrowing, one should consider one’s capacity to save. This principal needs to be reflected at all levels so that our national savings grows to healthy levels.

Do you draw inspiration from any particular source like the Grameen Bank?

Not at all. Sanasa is based on a cooperative system that promotes the sharing of resources. In the Sri Lankan culture, the concept of sharing is central and we find that every time one plucks a jack-fruit; it is shared amongst the neighbours. Likewise, water is shared between many households be it from a well, reservoir or river. Our concept of a cooperative draws its inspiration from our very own rural culture that dates back many thousands of years. It is not based on or something necessitated by the issue of poverty.

If you visit any village in Sri Lanka, you will find a high degree of cooperation in all agricultural activities like sowing, ploughing and harvesting. This enables people to respond to seasonality. Sanasa is based on this principal of team before individual, the sharing of knowledge and a long – term commitment towards working with the people.

What is the need of the hour?

We need to learn to innovate and not simply imitate. For example, we can dry fruits during the dry season as in this country we have a two-season climate. We can do many things with our agricultural produce. Look at Thailand where there are so many different recipes incorporating rice in snacks and savouries. In Sri Lanka we only boil the rice and eat it as our main course.

Any message for our readers?

Be committed to sound principles and act on them. We can choose different pathways to achieve success and wealth. Working with people is not always easy and takes commitment and integrity over a long period of time. There should be no distinction regarding identity. In Sanasa we see people. We don’t see distinctions such as caste, ethnicity or religious faith. We recognise and work with commonalities. We recognise similar problems and have faith in the collective approach. We are grounded in the cooperative ethics that are so much a part of our cultures. We recognise that a community is larger than the sum of the individuals that make it. That is something people can find inspiration in.

Over the years I have figured out that one learns most through working and that one has to learn in order to be more productive in one’s work. Education is an important and lifelong human activity. So too is work. They go together.

Do you have anyone you look up to?

Yes, there are many silent heroes that I respect. There are many teachers and scholars who spread knowledge in the world. Mr. W.M Karunaratne, former principal of Ananda College, for example, is someone who took up the challenge of translating scientific and medical text into Sinhala at a time when people said that these disciplines can only be learned in English. His work has resulted in many rural people becoming doctors and scientists. We have all learned from our teachers. We learn from each other and through our experiences. We learn from history, we learn from the books we read and the philosophies we encounter. Our ability to learn is directly related to our ability to reflect on our experiences and our readings. This is something I’ve learn from the teachings of Lord Buddha and especially the Kalama Sutra, the Charter on Free Inquiry that the Enlightened One bequeathed us as part of the great corpus of the dhamma.