BASIC PRINCIPLES ON VITAL TOPICS:
As we go along with our life under a democratic form of government, its but proper for us to know further and remember some basic principles concerning certain subjects as follows:
01) Democratic Process: Power and Authority, Rights and Responsibilities:
In our various levels of our education (when required), students study how the key values have been, and can be, defined and debated, both in abstract terms and real context's in a range of places, past and present.
The key value of democratic process is based on the belief in the integrity and rights of all people and promotes ideals of equal participation and access for individuals and groups, civil and political rights, citizenship and democratic decision making in all aspects of life, including public and private life.
Democratic process applies to the ways in which people relate to each other, how decisions are made in our institutions. How democratic rights are protected and the responsibilities and obligations to others that these imply.
This key high value highlights the balance of certain rights such as choice, equitable opportunity and appeal to law and due process, with reciprocal obligations including respect for others and willingness to participate in democratic processes.
02) Social Justice: Social and Procedural Justice, Anti-Racism, Equity and Equality:
Students appreciate the different perspectives people have of values and value issues, and how cultural and other differences can influence these perspectives.
The key value of social justice involves promoting a just society by challenging justice and valuing diversity. It is based on the belief that all people share a common humanity and therefore have a right to equitable treatment, support for their human rights and a fair allocation of community resources.
Social justice also implies that people must not be discriminated against, nor their welfare and well-being constrained or prejudiced on the basis of gender, sexuality, religion, political affiliations, age, race, belief, disability, location, social class, socio-economic circumstances or other characteristic of background or group membership. Social justice seeks to challenge the inequalities inherent in social institutions and structures and to deconstruct dominant views of society.
03) Ecological and Economic Sustainability: Sustainability, Scarcity, Biological Diversity, Heritage, etc:
To learn how to live graciously together would make us worthy of this unique beautiful planet that evolved in its present splendor ove some billions of years, a planet that we should give over to our children with the assurance that this great community of the living will lavish upon them the care that it has bestowed to abundantly upon ourselves.
The key value of ecological and economic sustainability is based on the inter-relationship between ecological systems and economies. It is based on a belief in the integrity of natural environments, their importance as the basic source of life support, and the wise, equitable and sustainable use of resources.
Ecological and economic sustainability emphasizes the promotion and attainment of ecological sustainable development; and the need to protect environments for their intrinsic value, for their heritage value and as a resource to sustain life in the present and for future generations.
Ecological and economic sustainability involves acting ethically towards the environment by establishing and maintaining social, political and economic structures that are focused on finding quality of life in a world of limits. This key learning area views environments as natural, social and built.
04) Peace: Cooperation, Empathy, Reconciliation Hope and Optimism:
Students also learn how certain values have been concerns for people across cultures, space and time and will remain important issues in teir own futures.
The key value of peace is based on the belief that to promote life is to promote positive relations with others and with the environment. This implies the need to foster, maintain and develop hope, sipirituality and optimism, a sense of belonging in local, national and global communities, cooperative and peaceful relations with others and a sense of shared destiny and stewardship of the Earth.
Peace applies to relationships between people and environments that have a regard for the spiritual dimension of life. In sopcial and Environment studies, students value honesty and sensitivity and develop emphaty to promote peaceful environment.They apply the value of peace by cooperating and interacting to resolve conflicts and practising concensus decision making. Students undetstad how the processes of negotiation, arbitration, mediation and reconciliation operate in a range of contexts.
TONY R. MONTERAS (malaking ibon)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 18 April 2009 / 22 Rabi'II 1430 H
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