Encouraging
character formation
by: Maurice L Bonamigo, August 2005
Corporations like Enron and WorldCom and a string of other corporate crashes
were caused by lacks of individual integrity and are evidence that something
is amiss in the way we are educating our business leaders.
By achieving an understanding
and practice of the Judeo-Christian basis of faith and life, one can help
the formation of positive character. It is important that one develops
a clear understanding of the nature of God and the gifts he has given
each individual to affect this world positively.
It is important to
encourage professionals to engage in public service and positively influence
their world. I believe that learning and character formation can be assessed
and indeed must be in order to provide a basis of constant improvement.
I personally find
troubling that this country’s best and brightest are opting out
of public service. It is important to send the message that you can be
yourself as a public servant and most importantly, a great asset to your
family and your company.
Public service is
about participation, engaging, and giving of yourself. Being a participant
is part of being an American. It is easy to become complacent in a country
were everything is free, where you can do almost anything in excess. One
must be rock solid in his faith, tolerant, be willing to engage to make
this world a better place.
In order to have democracy,
a community has to have people participate in public service. For democracy
to crumble, it is only necessary for the best people to do nothing.
One can stay true
to his core values and principles.You need not sell out and trade your
character to suit whatever a minority of people is saying or doing at
that time. One has to be straightforward about his principles and what
they stand for; one must let the public decide whether you to represent
them.
We must also remember
that part of one’s faith is not just learning about faith matters,
it is the understanding of what others are reading and saying, and examining
how your faith compares to the climate. Understanding how other people
think about your faith helps you have better answers to their questions.
That experience is valuable when your faith is challenged.
We can admire President
Reagan who governed with a sense of optimism at a time when America was
hungry for a sense of patriotic pride. This President committed our country
to restoring our belief in ourselves as a nation, our worth, our place
in the world, and our leadership.
