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Ethical Engagement
Over the years, I've developed a philosophy on how I want to engage with the world in an ethical
and constructive way., keeping hold of my ideals while at the same time being realistic about the
nature of society and what is possible to achieve at any time in history. My approach is to:
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1. Act consistently with the vision of the world in which we want to live.
If we want a world where every man, woman and child can participate in decisions affecting them, overcome hardships and live well, we have to act in harmony with that model. We should make our political principles an integral part of daily life rather than see them as a separate field of activity.
2. Be a part of the communities we seek to influence.
When we are really part of a community, we become integrally involved with the hopes, aspirations and problems of the people, and we demonstrate that we care about what happens in the community.
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3. Support diverse struggles within the communities.
The needs of the people take different forms, and any struggle may spark a chain reaction. At the same time, we should prioritize our personal resources to assist those we are most able and to help others put their efforts into context.
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4. Encourage broad coalitions and alliances.
Important objectives cannot be achieved in isolation. There are countless areas where seemingly different interests overlap. Collective action advances the goal of promoting friendship, peace and reconciliation among individuals, families, communities and nations, which is essential to a sound world vision.
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5. Act with integrity and compassion.
We should be generous, honest and open to the insights of others, speak truthfully and constructively, speak out about injustice even when there is personal risk, respect the rights of others to be different in conduct or beliefs, work to end fanaticism and intolerance in all its forms, and make genuine efforts to resolve conflicts in which we are involved.
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6. Educate ourselves and the community.
Democracy benefits when people understand the real facts and relationships of matters that affect their lives and future well-being.
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7. Provide leadership and build new capacity.
Organizations and government need the skills and insights of capable and caring people to achieve their legitimate objectives. If we are capable, we should be prepared to take leadership where appropriate, but not keep hold of it as an end in itself. The process of continually developing new, organic leadership is key to retaining democratic ideals.
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8. Work towards a people-oriented political party.
Governing democratically is extremely complex. We respect the will of the majority, provided that it does not overwhelm the legitimate interests of minority populations. While special interests can be destructive, there are national, cultural and identity groups that enrich our society and have a special status due to their history or treatment. A political party will only act correctly if it truly embraces democratic principles and does not seek power to advance parochial interests. We can work in existing organizations that are mostly beneficial, knowing that external pressure from the community is always needed to build them into true democratic instruments.
