‘Instead, I advocate for the fullness of integrity, compassion, kindness, honesty, peace, love and a host of other values to be manifested in our actions – as many and as often as possible.’
By Caron Asgarali
WE walk this path of life together, regardless of who or where we are. The actions of one affect the other.
For example, the trickle effects of US-gun policies, manufacturing and ownership are manifested in an influx of illegal guns and drugs on our tiny island. That leads to high murder rates and high rates of missing people, crime and violence generally.
On the flip side, we experience great benefits when foreign medical personnel share their skills and expertise with our doctors and patients.
Good, as well as bad, exists. Various religious bodies proclaim victory of light over darkness, good over evil and so on. These dualities are inescapable, and their existence means we have the ability to make choices.
As human beings, we consider ourselves a few rungs higher than other animals along the intelligence ladder. But, when faced with choices, it would appear that something more than intelligence is at play.
The call to prevent professional divers from attempting to rescue their trapped colleagues in the recent Paria tragedy is one example of intelligence – and respect for life – being overruled by insensitivity and a lack of compassion.
The provision of tents, water, food and moral support by average citizens to the families of the trapped divers, is an example of the virtues of compassion and kindness outdoing intelligence.
Snatching someone’s hardworking child in the dead of night, with the intention of murder, showcased the baseness of human nature. Envy, revenge, hatred and violence saturated “intelligent” minds to collectively devise a scheme that effectively eluded surveillance cameras, security and protective services.
But, others work assiduously to edify, not destroy. Recently, one of our citizens received a National Award for her work to promote awareness of lupus and to provide support to many patients through a non-governmental organisation – The Voice of Lupus. She is not alone, thankfully.
What makes the difference? What factors determine our choices?
The intelligence quotient has its place but when it comes to nurturing relationships, building families and creating safe, healthy and informed communities to provide a proper foundation for society, values such as love and compassion are critical.
The qualities that help develop or adjust our character positively are our values. A good values system is intended to build and uplift self and society. Horace Mann in the 1840s advocated for good character education in US schools, claiming that it was equal to academic education. Historically and culturally, we Trinbagonians used to pay great attention to values.
However, with greater external influences over the years, including transnational crime, narcotrafficking, the proliferation of drug cartels and illegal weapons as well as human trafficking, our values have been greatly compromised.
According to a 2016 IDB report by Dr Randy Seepersad, “Crime is one of the leading social problems in Trinidad and Tobago and one of the most important threats to public safety.” The report goes on to indicate an upswing in crime and violence, more so since the 2000s.
Not only have our crime and murder rates increased over the years, but our corruption levels have increased with a simultaneous decrease in our perceived integrity. We were told in no uncertain terms that our local petroleum company, then called Petrotrin, was not in danger of being closed. Several months later, many long-standing employees as well as contract workers found themselves without a secure source of income.
The attorneys among us say that “justice must not only be served but must appear to be served.” I am not arguing with those who choose to justify the wisdom behind preventing the rescue of the four abandoned divers, or the loss of the life of a son whose decomposing body was recovered one month after his disappearance or even the closure of our national oil company and all that came after.
Instead, I advocate for the fullness of integrity, compassion, kindness, honesty, peace, love and a host of other values to be manifested in our actions – as many and as often as possible.
The choices of one individual impact many others. This begs the question, how can our people make valued choices if proper values are not deliberately inculcated?
Paying Attention to Values
‘Instead, I advocate for the fullness of integrity, compassion, kindness, honesty, peace, love and a host of other values to be manifested in our actions – as many and as often as possible.’
By Caron Asgarali
WE walk this path of life together, regardless of who or where we are. The actions of one affect the other.
For example, the trickle effects of US-gun policies, manufacturing and ownership are manifested in an influx of illegal guns and drugs on our tiny island. That leads to high murder rates and high rates of missing people, crime and violence generally.
On the flip side, we experience great benefits when foreign medical personnel share their skills and expertise with our doctors and patients.
Good, as well as bad, exists. Various religious bodies proclaim victory of light over darkness, good over evil and so on. These dualities are inescapable, and their existence means we have the ability to make choices.
As human beings, we consider ourselves a few rungs higher than other animals along the intelligence ladder. But, when faced with choices, it would appear that something more than intelligence is at play.
The call to prevent professional divers from attempting to rescue their trapped colleagues in the recent Paria tragedy is one example of intelligence – and respect for life – being overruled by insensitivity and a lack of compassion.
The provision of tents, water, food and moral support by average citizens to the families of the trapped divers, is an example of the virtues of compassion and kindness outdoing intelligence.
Snatching someone’s hardworking child in the dead of night, with the intention of murder, showcased the baseness of human nature. Envy, revenge, hatred and violence saturated “intelligent” minds to collectively devise a scheme that effectively eluded surveillance cameras, security and protective services.
But, others work assiduously to edify, not destroy. Recently, one of our citizens received a National Award for her work to promote awareness of lupus and to provide support to many patients through a non-governmental organisation – The Voice of Lupus. She is not alone, thankfully.
What makes the difference? What factors determine our choices?
The intelligence quotient has its place but when it comes to nurturing relationships, building families and creating safe, healthy and informed communities to provide a proper foundation for society, values such as love and compassion are critical.
The qualities that help develop or adjust our character positively are our values. A good values system is intended to build and uplift self and society. Horace Mann in the 1840s advocated for good character education in US schools, claiming that it was equal to academic education. Historically and culturally, we Trinbagonians used to pay great attention to values.
However, with greater external influences over the years, including transnational crime, narcotrafficking, the proliferation of drug cartels and illegal weapons as well as human trafficking, our values have been greatly compromised.
According to a 2016 IDB report by Dr Randy Seepersad, “Crime is one of the leading social problems in Trinidad and Tobago and one of the most important threats to public safety.” The report goes on to indicate an upswing in crime and violence, more so since the 2000s.
Not only have our crime and murder rates increased over the years, but our corruption levels have increased with a simultaneous decrease in our perceived integrity. We were told in no uncertain terms that our local petroleum company, then called Petrotrin, was not in danger of being closed. Several months later, many long-standing employees as well as contract workers found themselves without a secure source of income.
The attorneys among us say that “justice must not only be served but must appear to be served.” I am not arguing with those who choose to justify the wisdom behind preventing the rescue of the four abandoned divers, or the loss of the life of a son whose decomposing body was recovered one month after his disappearance or even the closure of our national oil company and all that came after.
Instead, I advocate for the fullness of integrity, compassion, kindness, honesty, peace, love and a host of other values to be manifested in our actions – as many and as often as possible.
The choices of one individual impact many others. This begs the question, how can our people make valued choices if proper values are not deliberately inculcated?