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Time for character building
- By Sobhanund Seeparsad
- Published 1st May, 2008
- Interview
- Unrated
Sobhanund Seeparsad
Editor of News On Sunday. Did university studies in the UK and India. Holds an MA , BA (Hons), BCom, PGCE, PCCGE, Diploma in Journalism (IPI-Zurich). Worked in Nairobi and Mumbai. Was chief Sub Editor Indian Express Group of Papers in 70s. Author: Effective Notes on Milton Paradise Lost BK IX (1963); Granper Rakont Nu Enn Zistwar (1998). Also acted in many short and feature films, including popular TV serial C'est La Vie. Tells a folk story in Bhojpuri on MBC radio daily.
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Dr Dev Ramnauth categorises the ills affecting society into two distinct groups--Individual ills and Social ills. He believes these two are the root causes that often disrupt a country's progress, prosperity and peace.
“Individual ills,” he says “ are to be found on the personal levels. They are selfishness, greediness, crookedness, wickedness and restlessness, which actually spoil one's character. These individual ills eventually breed social ills. They can be classified as the 3Vs: Vol (robbery), Viol (rape) and Violence; 3 Isms: Communalism, Racism and Alcoholism; and 3Tions: Corruption, Pollution and Drug Addiction.
In spite of the existence of these negative forces at work, people are living in a 'Great Age' of science and technology, where ICT is playing a vital role in modernizing the standards of living. Then, isn't Dr Ramnauth being too alarmist or pessimistic?
“No, I'm not,” he says. “Agreed there's scientific progress, but 'modernizing' does not mean 'humanizing'. Science and technology, with their knowledge and skills, are morally and spiritually neutral; they can be used either for good or bad purposes.
It's the misuse and abuse of technological devices that breed strikes, wars and crimes, and reduce our 'Great Age' to a 'garbage'. Science and technology have taken people far away on the 'moon' but failed to build “human relationship” to enable us to reach one another's heart.”
The task ahead
Dr Ramnauth thinks there is a great task to be accomplished by the education authorities . They have to synthesize ICT with TCT (Transformation
Communication Therapy) through an elaborate programe in EHV ( Education in Human Values) to empower the people's character first and, in the second instance, to transform them into worthy citizens so that they learn:
• To earn living Rightfully
• To live Lovefully
• To let live Peacefully
• To unlearn what is wrong Respectfully
• To relearn what is right Truthfully
“I am convinced that if the character of each and every individual is well formed by five main human values-- Righteousness, Lovefulness, Peacefulness, Respectfulness and Truthfulness-- that cut across all the main religions and cultures which constitute the rich Mauritian heritage, our nation will flourish because national unity does not depend on technical devices but on spiritual values, acceptable to all.
Human values
Why does he mention only 'Five Human Values' and nothing more?
“These five main human values are fundamental values that develop the five main aspects of our 'Whole Life' to form a full-fledged virtuous character. Righteousness for the physical or behavioural self; lovefulness for the physical or energetic self; Peacefulness for the affective or emotional self; Respectfulness for the spiritual or moral self; and Truthfulness for the cognitive or intellectual self. In the long run, if the character of each individual is assured, society will be better off.
Well, what about 'living values'? “ In that, our teachers and several workers should be guided by a meaningful programme to show them how to drain out (Educere) the five main human values from within us for individual reconstruction, which ultimately 'lead forth' (Educare) to LIVING VALUES for social reconstruction,” Dr Ramnauth says.
“Individual ills,” he says “ are to be found on the personal levels. They are selfishness, greediness, crookedness, wickedness and restlessness, which actually spoil one's character. These individual ills eventually breed social ills. They can be classified as the 3Vs: Vol (robbery), Viol (rape) and Violence; 3 Isms: Communalism, Racism and Alcoholism; and 3Tions: Corruption, Pollution and Drug Addiction.
In spite of the existence of these negative forces at work, people are living in a 'Great Age' of science and technology, where ICT is playing a vital role in modernizing the standards of living. Then, isn't Dr Ramnauth being too alarmist or pessimistic?
“No, I'm not,” he says. “Agreed there's scientific progress, but 'modernizing' does not mean 'humanizing'. Science and technology, with their knowledge and skills, are morally and spiritually neutral; they can be used either for good or bad purposes.
It's the misuse and abuse of technological devices that breed strikes, wars and crimes, and reduce our 'Great Age' to a 'garbage'. Science and technology have taken people far away on the 'moon' but failed to build “human relationship” to enable us to reach one another's heart.”
The task ahead
Dr Ramnauth thinks there is a great task to be accomplished by the education authorities . They have to synthesize ICT with TCT (Transformation
• To earn living Rightfully
• To live Lovefully
• To let live Peacefully
• To unlearn what is wrong Respectfully
• To relearn what is right Truthfully
“I am convinced that if the character of each and every individual is well formed by five main human values-- Righteousness, Lovefulness, Peacefulness, Respectfulness and Truthfulness-- that cut across all the main religions and cultures which constitute the rich Mauritian heritage, our nation will flourish because national unity does not depend on technical devices but on spiritual values, acceptable to all.
Human values
Why does he mention only 'Five Human Values' and nothing more?
“These five main human values are fundamental values that develop the five main aspects of our 'Whole Life' to form a full-fledged virtuous character. Righteousness for the physical or behavioural self; lovefulness for the physical or energetic self; Peacefulness for the affective or emotional self; Respectfulness for the spiritual or moral self; and Truthfulness for the cognitive or intellectual self. In the long run, if the character of each individual is assured, society will be better off.
Well, what about 'living values'? “ In that, our teachers and several workers should be guided by a meaningful programme to show them how to drain out (Educere) the five main human values from within us for individual reconstruction, which ultimately 'lead forth' (Educare) to LIVING VALUES for social reconstruction,” Dr Ramnauth says.
