REGENERATING MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES IN OUR SOCIETY

By Vernon Khelawan

So a Government initiative which was conceived to assist many of our vulnerable young people has been given its last rites. What does this say? It tells us that in our country unbridled greed has seemingly displaced the God-given moral and spiritual values.

The report laid in Parliament last week is enough to make any honest person sick to the stomach. The sad thing about this entire matter is that, judging from so many instances in the past, people will not likely be convicted and fined or jailed for their malfeasance.

As if it was divine intervention, however, at the same time the public was digesting the contents of the “Lifesport Report”, word came that a group of civil society organisations, including religious bodies and led by Archbishop Joseph Harris, put out a document encouraging the political parties to buy into a “Code of Ethical Political Conduct”.

Space does not permit me to delve into the details of that document but the code shows that an effort is being made to get our politics back on track by calling our politicians to a higher standard of behaviour. If followed, the Code can lead to rebuilding of the moral and spiritual values so desperately needed in the society.

If the parties were to agree to accept and observe the Code, a more uplifting debate and dialogue between opposing parties would follow, which would ultimately have a positive effect on the entire social environment.

That so many organisations were involved in the production of this “Code of Ethical Political Conduct”, reveals the deep-seated and widespread desire in our nation to see fulfilled the promise of just over 50 years ago. Acceptance of the code by our country’s politicians will bring some measure of hope to our nation and put us on the right path to the regeneration of moral and spiritual values, for which we all long.