Religion and social sustainability in Mauritius: Exploring the relationships

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship between religion and social sustainability by taking Mauritius as a case study. Mauritius is not only a melting pot of cultures but also several religions including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism among others. Hinduism is the predominant religion. Mauritius is not only an example in the region in terms of economic growth and development but also in terms of engagement with social sustainability. This paper investigates whether core Hindu values such as avoiding harm, harmony, morality, tolerance, and unity are present in legislation and whether these core values can be used to explain the promotion of social sustainability in Mauritius. The methodology rests on the study of government documents including primary legislation, the Mauritius constitution, and program/administrative documents to identify and then examine social sustainability policies and programs in Mauritius. The results indicate some evidence of Hindu values in social sustainability policies- but not enough to confirm if Hindu values have directly driven or influenced social sustainability efforts implemented in the small island economy. These results are in line with theoretical considerations discussed in recent literature about the mediating influence of liberal religious regimes. This research also finds some gaps in the island nation’s coverage of vulnerable populations.