Keys to Good Governance,
Hope and Joy”
- by
Giovanni
Perrone*
The various and serious problems that are troubling the whole world and the various nations highlight the need to reflect on our way of educating, acting and relating to ourselves and the whole world.
Pope Francis
insistently urges us to change our lifestyle and rediscover the values of the
Gospel, but his enlightened words are often unheard or overwhelmed by people's
arrogance and the crazy whirlwind of events.
Here are some
simple reflections:
-
Educating is a journey,
with and for others; a path that enriches us more every day. It is a journey of
discovery, of reflection, of commitment to making ourselves new people. Jesus'
journey with the apostles teaches us a lot about this. Unfortunately, for many,
education is a self-referential, closed-off and arrogant path. Educating is
learning to spread your wings to fly, to conquer new horizons. We are,
therefore, invited to rethink educational paths, training paths for educators,
the relationships that each path offers to the values and necessary knowledge
and skills.
-
Leadership is the art of directing.
Direction presupposes the presence of values, the presence of a goal, the art
of knowing how to orient yourself and knowing how to orient yourself. Values,
authority, responsibility, competence, relationships, resourcefulness,
foresight and service are the cornerstones of leadership. The true leader
values and promotes, not celebrates himself. He doesn't look for medals to
enrich his CV or excel. The power-service of the free leader does not enslave!
Even in this case the Gospel has much to teach us.
-
The figure of a good
leader favors and guarantees good governance, at
the service of everyone to build the common good.
-
Good governance is the
art of building the common good. It it is,
in fact, committed to helping everyone, even the most marginalized, to live
better, with commitment and enthusiasm, to be happy. Good governance values
hope, not an illusory hope, but a hope-virtue that supports and orients, even
in difficult or complex moments. In fact, you cannot lead and educate if you
are not witnesses of true hope and full of enthusiasm.
-
“ The theme of
happiness takes us back to the heart of the Gospel , which is the
announcement of joy and the path to true happiness, peace, justice and love.
The path to happiness is not cheap well-being or a guarantee of not having
problems! On the contrary! It's a harsh word because it hurts pride and frees
us from defenses, it asks us to get involved and makes us face our fears [1].
"
- “ Joy is the sign of the Christian …It is necessarily expressed in the relationship with the world, with others, with God…. The Beatitudes lead to joy, always. They are the path to achieving joy [2]. "
- Professional associations, national and international, such as our Union, can be favorable and important environments for renewing the quality of education. However, they must have the courage to regenerate themselves to demonstrate commitment and vitality, at the service of all. They must be willing and able to bear witness to research and service; not the self-referential appear.
-
“Your task (as a
professional association), in this sense, is to help teachers keep alive the
desire to grow together with their students, to find the most effective ways to
transmit the joy of knowledge, the virtue of hope and the desire for truth….
Don't let yourselves be robbed of hope, because this strength is a grace, a
gift from God that carries us forward looking at the Sky [3].
"
-
* UMEC-WUCT
Special Advisor
