Debt Crisis and Popular Social Protest in Sri Lanka: Citizenship, Development and Democracy Within Global North-South Dynamics

Debt Crisis and Popular Social Protest in Sri Lanka chronicles the 2022 popular uprising that forced the country's autocratic president to flee, exploring how it relates to deeper problems of democracy, civil war, and development. Janaka Biyanwila challenges misunderstandings about the protests and uncovers how global financial markets and platform economies contributed to the upheaval. He outlines how market-driven economic growth strategies restrain public involvement in decision-making and assert ethno-centric collective identities and hypermasculine cultures. Chapters foreground the role of democratic social movements that encourage artistic engagement and collective learning as central for renewing citizenship and democracy. Biyanwila concludes by shifting his narrative to a broader focus on the Global South and South Asia.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 17 October 2023
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

Debt Crisis and Popular Social Protest in Sri Lanka is a groundbreaking account in English of an unprecedented moment in Sri Lanka's history. It chronicles the 2022 popular uprising, triggered by a debt crisis, that forced the country's autocratic president to flee. Janaka Biyanwila, in this book, delves into the deeper issues of democracy, civil war, and development, challenging misconceptions about the protests and uncovering how global financial markets and platform economies contributed to the upheaval.

Locating the crisis within the dynamics of the Global North and South, Biyanwila explores how market-driven economic growth strategies limit public involvement in decision-making while asserting ethno-centric collective identities and hypermasculine cultures. He frames citizenship and justice in terms of cultural recognition, economic redistribution, and political representation. Chapters emphasize the role of democratic social movements that encourage artistic engagement and collective learning as essential for renewing citizenship and democracy.

By reimagining development that embeds Global Production Networks within local communities and rethinking democracy across multiple tiers of governance, Biyanwila offers a transformative perspective on the crisis. He shifts his narrative to a broader focus on the Global South, particularly South Asia, highlighting the international interdependence and the potential for global ripple effects.

Debt Crisis and Popular Social Protest in Sri Lanka is a vital contribution to understanding the complex dynamics of contemporary society. It sheds light on the intersection of debt, politics, and social movements, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities facing countries in the Global South. Through its comprehensive analysis and forward-thinking approach, this book empowers readers to engage with the world on a deeper level and work towards a more just and equitable future.

Weight: 476g
Dimension: 160 x 238 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781837970230