Many of us live a life of cramped existence. We allow our environment to determine our thoughts and destiny, and so become caged in our circumstances. We won't permit ourselves to transcend what surrounds us, even though evidence exists concerning another way we can live our lives that is more rewarding. Rather, we allow unfounded fear to direct our paths, even though there is a way out of the circle we have allowed to entrap us, if we allow ourselves to think and see differently.
It is like the philosopher, Plato's, cave, where people are confined, so they know no other existence. When a member of the group sees a reflection of the sun penetrating the cave causing shadows, he decides to explore further by moving toward the light, and finds a world he never dreamed existed. He returned to tell his mates of this other existence, but they cannot understand, because the cave is all they know. When he further tries to convince them to come with him and see what they are missing, they refuse, and he ends up being put away by them. These cave dwellers refused, through fear, to take charge of their lives and navigate toward a higher existence. Fear handcuffed them, preventing a qualitative change of experience.
Even in Caribbean society today, fear stagnates our progress, although the few manage to conquer it and move on to a better life. But fear does not exist, and has no basis. It is a mere notion, a figment of our upbringing. Fear comes from perceived or real threats, although what threatens us is also fearful of us.
Society has baked fear into us as a means of control, because we are wary of the consequences. The plantation created a fear of the whip, which was transferred to our schools in the form of harsh rules for both students and teachers, so none could help to liberate the other, although some aspects changed over time, only to be replaced by new tools of fear.
We fear losing our jobs, so we carry news and undermine each other. We fear we won't get a scholarship unless we cultivate the political authorities. But in the process we become diminished, unless we take charge of our destiny, and navigate our own lives to our chosen shores. It is easy. Just think differently, and the courage to act comes to the forefront to show us the way.
When we see injustice in our society, we will realize we are not helpless to confront it, when we summon our true nature, take charge of the situation, and navigate our lives using our wisdom and insight to mobilize fellow citizens to contest unjust acts. If we allow them to go unchallenged, then even the freedoms and rights we think we enjoy will be further nibbled at, until our society becomes something we no longer recognize.
The point is to act to take charge of ourselves, and navigate and direct our lives to influence others through raising their consciousness, by presenting them with the vision of a better life, and a more wholesome society.
In our Caribbean society, moral values in many instances seem to be on the retreat. We read of top leaders allowing themselves to become the victims of ignoble circumstances, either created by them, or fostered by others to tempt them. Corruption results, the political system is smeared and the country's image defaced.
We hear of incentives being given to foreign corporations to attract investment, which some say is more than the benefits received, although political officialdom will insist this is not the case. But what about our moral obligation to protect the patrimony of the people? If we give greater opportunities to outside others, won't the more powerful prevail, and what results is a diminished sovereignty?
Should not the political directorate in each country, in concert with consenting citizens, exercise its authority and take full charge of any situation, by mobilizing and navigating the country's intellectual capital to challenge attempts to threaten its independence, and so direct their lives to what is essential to a decent existence? Should not a national and moral ethic take precedence over dubious economic gains?
And what about the way we educate ourselves to take charge, direct and navigate our own lives? Does our education system consider these things? What does education in the Caribbean really do, and what is it for? What are the results that education produces? Can they be measured? What does education lead to? Is Caribbean society really served by the kind and quality of education it offers its citizens at the various levels?
For me, if education is to produce citizens who can take charge and navigate their own lives, including society to achieve what's best for it, then it should be education for development, transformation and innovation.
Development entails equipping clients with the knowledge to take society to a higher, new and more qualitative level, where values and ethics pervade public life.
Transformation involves a fundamental change in our development philosophy and practice to produce a fair, equal and trustworthy society which achieves the economic and social goals we set.
Innovation ensures continuous change in what we do, how we think, and create, to bring new processes and possibilities into effect to impact society positively.
But the prerequisite of all this is taking charge of, and navigating and directing our lives along the paths that lead to the success we envision.
o Oliver Mills is a former lecturer in education at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. He holds an M.Ed degree from Dalhousie University in Canada, an MA from the University of London and a post-graduate diploma in HRM and training, University of Leicester. He is a past permanent secretary in education with the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Published with the permission of Caribbean News Now.
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