Paradise missing.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, has spoken of his fear that Britain has become a society `in which unbelief has become the norm'. `We are in danger of becoming a shallow society,' he warns.

Politicians, he told The Independent, seem to think that what essentially matters is economic order and prosperity and consumerism, but, while he was all for wealth creation, `the real fabric of society is the spiritual and moral fabric, and this is the kind of currency that makes civilizations function'.

Dr Carey is right. In a happy society people need a sense of shared values, the ability to discern between good and evil, and a sense of shame about where they fall short, as well as enough material wealth.

It is sometimes forgotten that people also need a challenging purpose in life. Recently multi-millionaire Dave Stewart, co-founder of the Eighties pop group Eurythmics, maintained that he was suffering from Paradise Syndrome--a mental disorder that strikes those whose immense wealth provides them with everything they want. They cannot cope with such a perfect life and find ways of making it worse. Surely the answer for these unfortunates lies in finding a bigger goal?

Few would trade their lot for Aung San Suu Kyi's--years of house-arrest, constant intimidation by the military regime, separation from her spouse. Yet she has a burning purpose--to restore democracy to her country, Burma--and a fearlessness which shines through all her media interviews. Powerless as she is, in political terms, it seems that she is the one in the driving seat. All the regime's pressure has failed to silence her or thousands of her supporters. She has had far more impact on the world than her armed opponents. How many Burmese generals can you name?

Every country needs people committed to tackling social injustices, raising standards of public behaviour and holding out the hope of a better future. Only by turning to the moral and spiritual riches which Dr Carey advocates will any of us have the quality of living needed to take on such a task effectively.