Globalisation and the future of culture in the Himalayas

TO GO WITH Nepal-film-poverty-Himalaya,FEATURE by Frankie TaggartThis handout photograph released by www.thegreathimalayatrail.org on September 27, 2012 shows a yak caravan navigating the remote, harsh terrain of Upper Dolpa, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) northwest of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on September 6, 2012. Oscar-nominated Himalaya opened up the remote, pristine villages of the worlds tallest mountain range to the West and made a household name of its French director. But while Eric Valli has gone on to win acclaim for a string of lucrative films and books, the movies ageing star is penniless and struggling to survive in one of the poorest and harshest landscapes on earth. AFP PHOTO/SAMIR JUNG THAPA/www.thegreathimalayatrail.org----EDITORS NOTE - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP PHOTO/SAMIR JUNG THAPA/www.thegreathimalayatrail.org - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS NO ARCHIVES

GLOBALISATION is like boarding a flight. Once you board it, you cannot get off until you reach the designated destination. The only difference is that, when we board the flight, we know where we are headed. In the case of globalisation, we do not know the destination, its climate, its features, or its surroundings.

This is where the uncertainty and fear of globalisation stem from, and this is why it is an issue of debate in the world now. For us – the people of the Himalayas – the journey towards globalisation is replete with uncertainty and vulnerability.