There is an urgent need for the establishment of a hu-man dignity programme as an integral part of Government's People's Empowerment Agenda.One of the first issues on its agenda should be the hosting of a human values conference, as there continues to be a deterioration in the social, moral, ethical and spiritual environment in our society.This deterioration has its genesis in the consummation of drugs, corruption at all levels of society, crime in the forms of murder, thefts, assaults and child abuse, among others.This decay has had negative effects on productivity and economic growth and development in our nation. Because of this situation, there is general breakdown in discipline, in the reverence for life, in the total respect by man for his fellow man, and there seems to be no immediate relief, unless new directions and the appropriate mechanisms are put into place to give effect to positive remedial actions.This human dignity programme is suggested with the view of wresting our nation from any further decadence, and attempting to reverse this trend.This assignment requires a serious philosophical initiative. We must embark upon it with swiftness. We must also bear in mind that such an undertaking would not be easily achieved.It must become an integral and substantive part of the national reconstruction and development process. It must, like other socio-economic issues, be installed on our national agenda. We must have in the forefront of our minds the development and sustenance of a new culture of work ethic. If we fail to respond to this call, then all of our basic institutions and conventions would soon dissipate.
If this ideal is fully implemented, it would be able to complement our independence and republican status, and could become stabilising and catalystic forces for growth, peace, and development.More than that, it would foster a spirit of oneness and universality, the knitting of family ties. We now have to take a more stringent approach to the restoration of our human values as it has become evident that psychological and moral suasion approaches are not responding as quickly and positively as we would like, hence the appeal for a more formal or governmental approach.This human values conference must incorporate all sections of the population, and the expressions and thoughts emanating from this parley could be used to give the programme its psychological and legislative directions.As we move from the chronological transition of Well's world society to McLuhan's global village, the temper of the time requires resolute, determined and far-reaching options, not only for us here in T&T, but all of humanity.This must be our next level as we move towards the half-century mark of our independence.
Paras Ramoutar
Via e-mail