Activating Noble Qualities--virtues--in families, schools and communities

	Watters & Associates Activate Noble Qualities--The Virtues in families, schools and communities Goodness is the only investment that never fails. Henry David Thoreau
What are virtues?

THE VIRTUES GAZETTE
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Nancy Watters

UNIVERSAL VIRTUES
"Powers of the Human Spirit"

Caring
Cleanliness
Compassion
Confidence
Consideration
Contentment
Cooperation
Courage
Courtesy
Creativity
Determination
Dignity
Diligence
Enthusiasm
Excellence
Fairness
Flexibility
Forgiveness
Friendliness
Generosity
Gentleness
Gratitude
Helpfulness
Honesty
Hopefulness
Humility
Idealism
Initiative
Integrity
Joyfulness
Justice
Kindness
Love
Loyalty
Moderation
Orderliness
Patience
Peacefulness
Perseverance
Purposefulness
Reliability
Respect
Responsibility
Reverence
Self-Control
Service
Sincerity
Tact
Thankfulness
Tolerance
Trust
Truthfulness
Trustworthiness
Understanding
Wisdom

What do you mean by Principle-Centered Community Development?

Sustainable community development must strive for more than amelioration of material conditions. It involves developing human capacity, extending the reach of human abilities and improving the quality of human relationships. By applying spiritual principles to development activities, the root causes of social ills such as disunity, prejudice and lack of moral leadership, are remedied. I teach universal virtues as the basis for sustainable prosperity for all people-- prosperity that increases human dignity, that enables people to participate in improving the quality and conditions of their own lives, that helps them define and solve their own problems, and to ultimately to become self-sufficient.

Many leaders in all fields recognize the fundamental importance of basic virtues for community development. Francis Fukuyama, for example, states in Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, "the most effective organizations are based on communities of shared ethical values," (p. 26) and "Before wealth can be created, human beings have to learn to work together..."(p. 47). Working together takes trust, which is built on ethical behaviour that puts the common good over private interest.

Best practices in sustainable community development include:
Beginning at the local level with simple self-help projects
Participatory decision making
Full and equal participation of women
Training for skill-building
Inclusion of youth

What do you believe about human nature ?
This is a really important question--one I sometimes ask participants in my workshops to discuss. How you answer this question has an impact on everything you do. Do you believe that humans are naturally good? If so, you probaby take a laissez-fair approach to parenting, teaching and leadership. Practiced in the extreme, the results are chaotic. Noone is in charge. Do you belive that humans are naturally bad? People who do usually take an authoratarian approach. They believe in strong controls and punishments so that the natural evil doesn't get out of hand. When this type of treatment is extreme, however, it can lead to people who are outwardly compliant, while secretly finding ways to circumvent the rules. You may get obedience, but not necessarily good character. A third belief is that humans are born with the potential for good or bad. Leaders, teachers and parents with this belief take an educative approach that uses firm yet loving methods. Research shows that this yields the best results in terms of developing good character--the desire to do the right thing, for the right reasons at the right time.

Many programs don't tell you what their assumptions are. I believe it is critical to know this before you choose, so I tell you up front. My programs are based on the third approach--a belief that human beings are born with the potential for nobility or for brutality. We have all the virtues present in potential at birth. As we go through life, we choose to use these gifts within us or not. We have "free will." Light within us grows stronger if we choose to use the virtues. Without them we can become more brutal than the most ferocious animals.

Life gives us many opportunities to choose. Sometimes adversity is our best teacher. It helps us develop these inner "muscles" or powers. We need stressful situations, for example, to develop patience. We need life's frustrations in order to develop self-control. We achieve inner strength by striving to overcome life's challenges.

Good character means that we do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons--even if there is no threat of punishment or "getting caught". This is something everyone can strive for, no matter what their intellectual capacity or life circumstances. Having good character is potentially the province of all. This understanding has had life-saving consequences for many youth, who discover a real sense of meaning in life when they realize that they have all the virtues within them and they were created to use them.

One of the most fascinating books I've read lately is by a brillant scientist, Lecomte du Nouy. In Human Destiny he presents a plausible, scientific case for the fact that human beings are evolving spiritually and will inevitably become kinder, more compassionate, honest, and humane. I find hope in the fact that this book was a run-away best seller when it was published.

How can we promote moral choices?
Parents, educators, leaders and society at large all have a great influence on whether moral choices are made or not. Effective methods include:

Teach clear moral standards based on universally accepted virtues
Create clear rules with fair consequences
Acknowledge moral behavior--warmly and frequently
Notice when effort is being made, even when the result is not yet perfect
Recognize difficulties as opportunities for strengthening virtues--our inner powers
Take time for reflection when mistakes are made--its an opportunity to learn
Be a good example
Avoid exposure to bad examples, especially in the media

What are the benefits of teaching the virtues?
Quality programs help communities:

Raise morally conscious children
Create peaceful schools and boost academic achievement
Give youth meaning and purpose in life
Create safe, caring neighborhoods
Enhance work-force integrity and improve employee morale
Develop leaders that serve the common good
Do your programs have a religious foundation?

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