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"What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good" – Aristotle
The shutdown of the American government that has affected the life and welfare of most Americans, has now began to have global implications as President Barack Obama cancells plans to attend economic summit meetings in Asia so that he could focus on trying to end the increasingly fractious budget stand-off at home.
To my mind, this act of folly- The US Shutdown- is very much an example of what can happen, what can go so wrong, when no one, or no group cares about the common good. When its all about “me”, “me” and “I”, “I” culture.
Whilst reflecting on this matter, I came across a short article by Jim Wallis* writing in April 2013, addressing different issues and calling for the “Common Good” to build a better and fairer America. His words and sentiments as valid today about the “Shutdown” as they were in April about the welfare, immigration, gun violence and economic issues. I wish to share his wise and timely words with you, very relevant to my long-held thesis about the “Common Good”:
“There is an ancient idea that we have lost, but can and should find again. It’s called simply the common good. It goes back many centuries, but the need for a new dialogue about what it means and what its practice would require of us has never seemed more critical. Our politics have become so polarized and increasingly volatile; and our political institutions have lost the public trust. Few Americans today would suggest their political leaders are serving the common good.
The common good has origins in the beginnings of Christianity. An early church father, John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), once wrote: “This is the rule of most perfect Christianity, its most exact definition, its highest point, namely, the seeking of the common good . . . for nothing can so make a person an imitator of Christ as caring for his neighbors.” Of course, all our religious traditions say that we are indeed our neighbor’s keeper, but today people of every faith don’t often actually say and do the things that their faith says and stands for.
The notion of the common good has both religious and secular roots going back to Catholic social teaching, the Protestant social gospel, Judaism, Islam, and in the American Constitution itself, which says that government should promote “the general welfare.” It is our fundamental political inclination: don’t go right, don’t go left; go deeper. But we’ve lost touch with that moral compass in Washington D.C., where it has been replaced by both ideology and money.
A commitment to the common good could bring us together and solve the deepest problems this country and the world now face: How do we work together? How do we treat each other, especially the poorest and most vulnerable? How do we take care of not just ourselves but also one another?
The common good is also the best way to find common ground with other people—even with those who don’t agree with us or share our politics. Both liberals and conservatives could affirm the moral standard of the common good. And that commitment is especially attractive to young people, who are among the fastest-growing group in surveys who eschew specific religious affiliation.
The common good should impact all the decisions we make in our personal, family, vocational, financial, congregational, communal, and yes, public lives. It is those individual and communal choices—from how we raise our own children, to how we engage with our local communities, to what we are willing to bring to our elected officials—that will ultimately create the cultural shifts and social movements that really do change politics in the long run. The nation will soon be deciding on immigration reform, new efforts to prevent gun violence, and how to find a path to fiscal sustainability that reflects our nation’s soul. Only by inspiring a spiritual and practical commitment to the common good can we help make our common life better.”
* Jim Wallis is president and CEO of Sojourners.
See the original article:
Whatever Happened to the “Common Good”?
Recommitting ourselves to the general welfare could solve the deepest problems this country and the world now face
http://ideas.time.com/2013/04/04/whatever-happened-to-the-common-good/#ixzz2gp7bO3Kw
For further reading please see:
For the Common Good: Unleashing the Power of Passion & Purpose:
Living the Dream: Pursuing the Common Good
Mr. Obama, Did you see “Requiem for Detroit”?
http://www.gcgi.info/news/463-mr-obama-did-you-see-requiem-for-detroit
Why Love, Trust, Respect and Gratitude Trumps Economics: Together for the Common Good
http://www.gcgi.info/news/338-the-story-of-the-gcgi
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GCGI to Co-organise a major international Conference in Belgium
BUSINESS FOR PEACE – STRATEGIES FOR HOPE
Commemorating the centennial of the First World War (1914-1918)
A joint venture of the European SPES Forum, VKW, Philosophie & Management and Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative
Annual Conference of the European SPES Forum
in Flanders Fields, Ieper (Ypres), Belgium
April 9-12, 2014
Flanders Fields
Photo: hinesofoxford.com
“For four long years Flanders Fields was the scene of the First World War. Homes and fields were turned into a battlefield in 1914. European and wider international interests were fought over here. A million soldiers were wounded, missing or killed in action. Some tens of thousands of citizens became refugees. Entire cities and villages were destroyed.
The landscape of the region still tells the story of the war. It contains hundreds of monuments and cemeteries which have great historical significance for the people of many nations. There are a lot of museums which explain in an interactive way all the aspects of the conflict: the battles, daily life, etc.
The daily Last Post that has taken place each day at Menin Gate (Ypres) since 1928, shows that memories don’t fade away. On the contrary, the burning desire for peace stays alive.
In 2014, a hundred years later, we wish to commemorate the victims of this war and condemn senseless war violence.”
http://www.visitflanders.co.uk/discover/flanders-fields/
Aims of the Conference
- Ø discussing the concept of peace and its spiritual, political, ecological and economic impact in today’s world
- Ø strengthening the practice of peace-building in local and global business
- Ø Visit to the battle fields of the Great War and attendance of the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ieper (Ypres).
- Ø Launch of a ‘charter of hope’ at the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the European SPES Forum
Issues to be Addressed
Business for peace:
- Business and human rights
- Leadership and peace. The role of spiritual-driven leaders.
- Is competition a war-game? The meaning of competition
- Competitive and non- competitive values in business
- Non violence as a business strategy
- The entwining of markets and politics in times of war and peace
- Peace as a condition for flourishing markets (and vice versa)
Scientific Committee
Luk Bouckaert, prof.em.Catholic University Leuven, Belgium
Henri Claude de Bettignies, prof.em.INSEAD, France
Josep M. Lozano, prof. ESADE, Spain
Kamran Mofid, prof. Founder Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative, UK
Sharda Nandram, prof. Neyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherlands
Hendrik Opdebeeck, prof. University of Antwerp, Belgium
Mike Thompson, prof. China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, China
Laszlo Zsolnai, prof. Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary
Keynote Speakers:
The Conference will feature seven keynote speakers, including:
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, “Europe as a peace project” and Mark Eyskens, ex prime Minister of Belgium, prof. of Economics, Creative Writer, Between markets and politics. Lessons from the first World War”.
(See the complete list: http://strategiesforhope.nimbu.io/#nav-speakers )
Call for Papers: http://cdn.nimbu.io/s/gdizsxn/assets/Call_for_papers_Euro-SPES-200913.pdf
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What happened to the idea that a rewarding and fulfilling job is a vocation for the common good, not a big salary and a huge bonus?
"Your life and mine should be valued not by what we take... but by what we give." -- Edgar Allen
"What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good." -- Aristotle
For me one of the biggest questions of our time is: "Why have we come to lose sight of values which are altogether more important in life?" The next big question, following on the one before is: "How have we lost the sight of significant values in life?" The answer that comes to my mind, first and foremost is: The love of “loads” of money and the worship of our own self-importance. “I am worth it! It cannot happen without me”!! Yes, me, me and me!!
See below for more reflection:
The love of money has corrupted our idea of public service
“Something peculiar has happened to the attitudes of those in public life towards money. Until quite recently, it was understood, if rarely articulated, that if you were fortunate enough to have an interesting, powerful job in a sector which did not generate huge profits, you would be less well-paid than someone in the drearier, more lucrative private sector.
Doctors, broadcasters, politicians, booksellers and teachers made choices which reflected both a personal preference and a small degree of morality. Today, there are millions of people who have made a similar decision: writers, painters, designers, or those working for charities, arts centres, citizen radio, online groups. They have concluded, rightly, that a satisfying job, even if it is ill-paid, will bring more fulfilment than a larger salary, miserably gained.
Yet for others, public service should now be rewarded at private rates. Away from depressing stories about the BBC, The Sunday Times reported that some senior doctors are claiming more that £150,000 a year for overtime in addition to their generous salaries. Senior executives on local councils behave similarly.
It is more than a question of morality. Those in public life who keep one beady eye on their own personal rewards and advantage are unlikely to be doing their job well. The problem is not, to borrow Michael Grade’s phrase, that they lack an understanding of the value of money but that they have lost sight of values which are altogether more important.”
The love of money has corrupted our idea of public service
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-love-of-money-has-corrupted-our-idea-of-public-service-8820168.html
And finally, to all those people blinded by “loads of money” culture and enslaved with too much narrow “self-interest” I offer the following. Read it and be enlightened to other possibilities. You may surprise yourself!
Why Love, Trust, Respect and Gratitude Trumps Economics: Together for the Common Good
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