Richard CrampRaising Global Citizens: Five Noble Truths
June 20th 2008 12:53
Whatever you are, be a good one!
~Abraham Lincoln~
~Abraham Lincoln~
Children are our future
There is little doubt that the ready accessibility of information and communication technologies (ICTs) from a very early age is diminishing the innocence of childhood. An equally obvious consequence of this is that our children are taking up the mantle lof citizenship not just on a local scale but on a national and international level from an equally early age. They are, in effect, assuming the new role of 'global citizen'.
All you have to do is read the paper or listen to the news and you hear daily of the challenges we face in the business world, in the political world, in the environment, and in the global community – conflicts of interest on the part of our elected leaders, failures of trust and of ethics as well as crises of character and of leadership. They occur not just as single, obvious events, but often as a result of small decisions and incremental acts that ultimately lead people in the wrong direction. And in large ways and small, our children will face similar crises and challenges throughout their life.
We will need …
good scientists to address the environmental issues facing our world;
good economists to manage fairly and justly the wealth of the world;
good politicians and diplomats to pursue world peace and harmony;
we will need courageous, compassionate people who care for all.
good economists to manage fairly and justly the wealth of the world;
good politicians and diplomats to pursue world peace and harmony;
we will need courageous, compassionate people who care for all.
We will need their creativity, their enthusiasm, their energy, their fresh ideas, and their commitment to a better future for all of us.
Education is a powerful tool. And whether you recognise it, or not, our children's education has the potential to put them in a position to inspire and lead others in our community — for better or for worse. Education is also a privilege, and with privilege comes responsibility. How they meet that responsibility will determine whether and how they are successful, and whether and how they can make this world a better place.
Five Noble Truths
We live in a time in which great emphasis is put on practical outcome, and while this is important so is the manner in which those practical outcomes are achieved.
So, how do we prepare and equip our children to meet these challenges as well as maintain high personal standards, and ambition? Well, the answer lies within the sense of community and belonging that we all share. Woven into the fabric that gives us our sense of community are five noble truths.
The first of the Noble Truths is Integrity:
An important point that needs to be made here is that it is not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity. Integrity is about consistently doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching, across time, moods, and other factors.
In so doing, we need to teach our children to ...
be diligent, embrace hard work and persevere;
be honest, truthful and sincere in their dealings with others, and in reflecting upon themselves;
be responsible, and not abstain from their sense duty;
be simultaneously dependable, reliable, and trustworthy without compromising their core values; and
be fair.
be honest, truthful and sincere in their dealings with others, and in reflecting upon themselves;
be responsible, and not abstain from their sense duty;
be simultaneously dependable, reliable, and trustworthy without compromising their core values; and
be fair.
Integrity is one of the most difficult core human qualities to develop and maintain, yet when practiced consistently is the most satisfying because it is the essence success.
The second truth is Wisdom:
Wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence; it is also about exercising the ability to make morally correct judgements and decisions. We cultivate our wisdom by treating learning as a life-long endeavour, and take the time to reflect meta-cognitively on our experiences and learnings, both formal and informal. It is also that quality which enables each of us to look at a decision, a thought, or an act, in all of its pertinent relationships and know the best goal to aim for, and the most effective way to achieve it.
In assisting our children to develop the capacity to act with wisdom we need to encourage them to …
use their intellect to avoid the allure of mediocrity and perform at an outstanding personal level;
recognise relevant, practical and challenging experiences as having inherent value in their pursuit of learning;
use the power of knowledge to draw upon a confident understanding of what they have learnt, along with the ability to use it for a specific purpose;
be prudent and make sound and cautious judgements in practical affairs;
show temperance in exercising self-control and modesty when making and taking decisions;
be just and moderate between selfishness and selflessness, and treat others equally;
show fortitude in acting in a consistently moral and ethical manner.
recognise relevant, practical and challenging experiences as having inherent value in their pursuit of learning;
use the power of knowledge to draw upon a confident understanding of what they have learnt, along with the ability to use it for a specific purpose;
be prudent and make sound and cautious judgements in practical affairs;
show temperance in exercising self-control and modesty when making and taking decisions;
be just and moderate between selfishness and selflessness, and treat others equally;
show fortitude in acting in a consistently moral and ethical manner.
Remember, wisdom is practiced but is never as a solely pragmatic or tactical act because it is about using our understanding of the nature of morality together with the ability to distinguish that which is right from that which is wrong.
The third truth is Compassion:
the point to be made here is that compassion is empathy, not sympathy, and is that quality in each of us which allows us to identify with, and understand, another’s situation, feelings, and motives. So, we need to teach our children to sense in others a wide range of emotions and provide supportive caring and intercessory prayer as needed.
As with each of these noble truths it is what we, ourselves, model that becomes the indelible lesson learned. So, show your compassion through the virtues of …
humility – be unpretentious and modest in your dealings with others.
tolerance – be open-minded when dealing with those who they may believe, behave or act in ways that you may not approve.
forgiveness – through your ability to cease feeling resentment or anger against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.
patience – endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, and persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.
tolerance – be open-minded when dealing with those who they may believe, behave or act in ways that you may not approve.
forgiveness – through your ability to cease feeling resentment or anger against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.
patience – endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, and persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.
Remember that compassion results in measurable outcomes, such as job satisfaction, lives enriched, communities built, living standards raised, and poverty healed.
The fourth truth is Faith:
Integrity, wisdom, and compassion define who we are, but without faith our individual character is held in limbo. This is because faith helps us to deal with ‘life out of context’ and confront those defining moments that test the depth and breadth of our character.
So, we should encourage our children to be people of profound faith; for it is when understanding fails us, and we are at the edge between the known and the unknown, that faith helps bridge the gap until our understanding has grown to the necessary point. Faith provides us with the optimism that leads to achievement, for nothing is ever fully realised without some degree of hope or confidence.
There are three forms of faith that we should encourage our children to develop …
faith in themselves. To belief in the truth and strength of their core values, trust in their integrity, and be confident in their ability to act in wisdom and with compassion.
faith in others. To embrace the belief of the oneness of all peoples which transcends cultural, economic, national and social boundaries; trust in the good character of others; and be confidence in your ability to live and relate to others in a Christ-like manner.
spiritual faith. To trust in the morality espoused through our spiritual values, and be confidence that we are part of a greater whole.
faith in others. To embrace the belief of the oneness of all peoples which transcends cultural, economic, national and social boundaries; trust in the good character of others; and be confidence in your ability to live and relate to others in a Christ-like manner.
spiritual faith. To trust in the morality espoused through our spiritual values, and be confidence that we are part of a greater whole.
Remember, all things are possible for those who are able to maintain a healthy perspective between their core and dispositional beliefs.
The fifth and final truth is that of Courage
Often politically incorrect, Groucho Marx (the American comedian, actor and singer) was renowned for his honest and at times irreverent candour. He is reported to have said to an out-spoken guest at a dinner party …
"Don't look now, but there's one too many in this room and I think it's you"
The comment, far from being offensive, was an observation made in reference to the guest’s willingness to stand up for what he believed in room full of unlike-minded people; if only such personal integrity were more common in today’s society. As we prepare our children to take on the challenges of this world encourage them to be one of the many left in the room. Dare them to be the one too many, be different, be special. To stand up for what they believe, speak out, and make a difference.
In Conclusion
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. So bear in mind, that in the end success is the result of steady accretion. It is the person who carefully advances step by step, with their mind becoming progressively wider and wider who is better able to grasp any theme or situation".
So, whatever your child becomes [and they will want to be many things during the walk of life], encourage them to be a good one. Set your standards high and they will live up to them. You may not know where you go from here, or, you may have things all planned out. It doesn’t matter so much what you choose to do, what pathway you finally follow, or whether you duck and weave around issues — what matters is that you love your children, you give them your very best, and do both with integrity, wisdom, compassion, faith, and courage.
And may these Five Noble truths continue to serve as a practical guide to you and your children in maintaining a balanced perspective between ambition and the truth about all things.
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