2012年10月19日 星期五

Trust and Building Social Capital


Asymmetric Nature of TrustTrust is fundamental: erosion of trust causes chaos. It may take years to build trust and seconds to lose it. Yet, how does one rebuild it?
What are your thoughts, observations and views? Please join the Socratic dialogue on ATCA 5000 at https://www.yammer.com/atca. We look forward to hearing from you! The ATCA Research & Analysis Wing and the mi2g Intelligence Unit can furnish further details upon request at the ATCA roundtable.
  • Trust is the foundation of social capital. Without trust the community cannot stand together. To build trust we need to identify common core values and act consistently to uphold them.  If people share common values, then we will expect others to act consistently to uphold those values. We may not know what people would exactly do, but we trust that what they do nevertheless will be consistent with those values. However, if we have too specific expectations about what people should do, then we may not really trust them. Expectation is often the seed for blaming. Why you did not do something--you deserve blame. Trust is different. You might not do as I expect, but I trust that what you do is well intended.

A religion in Life

George Bernard Shaw said that people without a religion are cowards. But religion can come to mean something to believe in. Without a strong belief, or without strong values, people cannot be courageous. But a strong belief in Life is much more important than a strong affiliation with a religious denomination.
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2012年10月14日 星期日

堅持核心價值 關心中國發展





有關德育及國民教育的爭議聚焦在洗腦這個偽議題,筆者認為十分可惜。作為教育工作者,我固然認為培養學生的獨立思考十分重要。但是在資訊自由、中西文化滙聚的香港進行洗腦,真是匪夷所思。但培養學生的獨立思考真的不容易,不自覺地以有色眼鏡看國情世情亦真的十分普遍。是以有無國民教育也好,培養學生的獨立思考是極具挑戰的教育使命!

對於反對國民教育陣營的很多論點筆者其實十分認同。首先,筆者向來以世界公民自居。幾十年來掛在家中大廳的一幅字,是我七十年留學加國時代一封家書內的短句:「廣濶的天地就是我的家,自由自在就是我的理想。」我在加拿大生活的時候關心當地政经發展,全身投入加拿大社會,關心華人社區,做過報章雜誌編輯、為老人家派過餐、又為當地孩子教過中文班,全都是義務工作;回到香港,我又變回香港人,同樣關心香港、中國,也同樣關心世界。

我預科時讀過歷史,知道狹隘民族主義如何可怕,因此十分認同國民教育不能宣揚狹隘民族主義,我甚至不認同孫中山三民主義中的民族主義。我参觀過南京的萬人坑,我唱黃水謠「自從鬼子來百姓遭了殃」一段時真的十分難過。但我卻寫過一首「不必」的詩,其中一段提出:

大和子孫,
你不必為先人的罪孽開脫,
也不必因你是他們後人不悅。
能否頂天立地只須看你自己,
坦蕩生平全憑你的努力!

最後一段我是這樣寫的:

不必,因為善惡從來不分種族,
賢愚從來只繫於一念。
惡行永遠是人類的詛咒拜祭亦不能改變,
善行卻才是亡靈真正的慰藉:
古往今來,可曾變易!

我深信四海之內皆兄弟,廣濶的天地隨處都可以為家,但我亦始终惦念著中國的發展,惦念著過去一世纪的中國人的苦難。鴉片战爭、甲午战爭、八國聯軍在中國「分肥肉」、辛亥革命後又要北伐討袁、幾十年的國共內戰、抗日战爭、乃至解放後的政治爭鬥、大躍進、文革,苦難好像停不了。我想到辛亥革命後中國人的苦難,不得不質疑孫中山搞革命是否錯誤,我開始想到康梁的保皇派搞君主立憲是否對中國人民會更好。

我對於新中國的很多事情亦十分質疑。七十年代中仍在加拿大修讀博士時我参加了一個三十天的交流團。那時候正值批林批孔運動,國內不停嚷着千萬不要忘記階級鬥爭的口號。連無標題音樂都被指為有階級性,一切藝術都要為政治服務。國內官方媒體是一言堂,政治運動都鮮會出現異見。這些情况我都覺得詫異和難以接受,我不停地跟隨團的新華社幹部提出自己的看法。

可幸自從四人幫下台後中國出現了可喜的新發展。鄧小平三落三起全面掌政後,決定不再搞大型政治運動,全力務實地發展經濟,休養生息下民生得以大幅改善。芸芸國家中,中國滅貧成就最為突出舉世公認,且一躍而成為全球第二大經濟体。可惜中國在法治和人權方面的發展仍然落後,貪污腐敗亦十分嚴重。這些情况中央政府也明白。開明的共產黨人都明白改革和反貪腐的重要性。前幾天中央就剛發表了司法改革白皮書,顯示中央政府对法律改革的認知和決心。

反國民教育大聯盟反对一味唱好的所謂國民教育,得到很多市民支持。但是國民教育也可以具批判性,而且長遠而言還可以推動國家進步。反對者如果連具批判性、建設性的國民教育也容不下、連關心中國發展也容不下,就等同為反對而反對,筆者不能接受。

中國要進步,要向文明邁進,就需要國人團结一心。如果有人否定國民的身份,認為中國的發展與自己毫無關係,我無話可說。如果我們教導下一代否定國民的身份,教他們對國事漠不關心,我會認為是背棄作為老師作為家長的責任。

有人說自己認同中華但不認同中共,這點我可以理解。但我要指出這思路可能有誤會之處。

有人認為共產黨腐敗和做過很多錯事。三反五反、文革、乃至趙連海高耀潔陳光誠等維權人士被逼害,所以難以接受。

但是指共產黨腐敗和做過很多錯事纯屬誤會。因為始终做錯事和腐敗的是人;一個政黨自己不會做事。鄧小平自己就是被逼害的人;劉少奇胡耀邦趙紫陽都当然是共產黨人,卻也是被逼害的人。是以與其反對共產黨逼害良民,不如反對濫權的某些共產黨人逼害良民。

有人又會指是共產黨一黨專政,制度上縱容掌權人濫權。制度上縱容掌權人濫權當然是大問題須要改正,是以探討如何改革制度正是國民教育的重大議題。但是,结束一黨專政是否就可防濫權,大家可看一看印度。印度是全球最多人口、政黨最多的民主國家。政黨卻都很腐敗。最近一位以卡通譏諷政府腐敗的人就被控以叛國罪;印度不少維權人士惨遭殺害;印度的腐敗程度按Transparency International的數據比中國更為嚴重。推翻了腐敗的滿清不等同就推翻了腐敗。我個人的看法是聚焦和監督一個黨、防止任何人濫權的成功機會,比要監督多個黨的成功機會更大,又可避免黨爭做成內耗。如果大家都以政黨為手段,各以自己私利為先,「上下交征利」,國家福祉必危危乎。如果大家都以謀國民福祉為目的,路線盡管不同,我們可不需要多個政黨!大家應虛心求証,放下黨爭而以團结為重,以公眾利益為重。這不是說私利不重要,這只是說每個人的私利都同等重要。公眾利益即眾人的利益,要以易地而處去思考政策,不要只從自已利益角度去思考政策。

是以筆者認為我們必須團结探討如何在「防範濫權」方面為中國建設更好的制度。作為小市民小國民我們固然無權無勢難以直接参與,但我們可以關心,可以討論,可以提出意見。我們不要誤信只要達成政黨輪替就萬事大吉。與其奢想政黨輪替就可以萬事大吉,倒不如全力關注現時的執政黨如何可以建立更民主的自我完善機制。

筆者知道這些想法不是人人都會認同。但這不要緊。如果大家樂見一個富強的中國、文明的中國、幸福的中國,大家就應開心見誠,以求真務實的態度探討中國國情。要中國更進步更文明、要孩子更獨立更懂得明辨是非,我們要以身作則。维護我們孩子的福祉、為國家為世界建設更美好的將來才是我們最重要的核心價值。即使我們未能為新中國建立完善的體制,只要我們真誠地堅持這些價值!下一代或再下一代总會成功。

最後,為防國教科變成宣傳機噐,我們可以要求有家長和有公信力的人士有實質参與落實德育及國民教育的機制,確保國教科循理性討論和人文關懷的大方向發展。只要我們堅持理性討論、明辨是非的大原則,我們便可培育更文明更尊重其他國家民族的國民。大國崛起的「大」,應是大同的大而非自大的大。國家向文明推進一小步,世界朝大同的理想就跨前了一大步。

2012年10月4日 星期四

A Charter for Inter-Religious Understanding and Spiritual Development

I drafted the following “Charter for Inter-Religious Understanding and Spiritual Development” (CIRUSD) I do fervently hope that one day the leaders of the nations of the world will support and sign it:
 

All religions must take as their mission the promotion of peace, including inner peace and peace between nations, races, and different cultures; 

All religious leaders accept that the different theologies of the different religions owe their origins to their different historical and cultural backgrounds. Such different theologies do not affect the commonality of their teachings in terms of spiritual practice.

Spiritual practice requires an abstention from killing and other violent acts and a respect for life. 

Different religions offer different routes to the same destination, which may be considered as adaptations to suit different peoples in different cultures.  Substance is important, not labels. Regardless of the label, all religious practices that liberate the mind from the enslavement of greed, lust, anger, hatred, ill will, and unforgivingness are true and laudable spiritual practices. 

Spiritual practice constitutes the essential teachings of all religions, not the theology of religions or that of religious sects. The theologies of religions may differ, and may conflict with science as we know it today, but theologies are like the parables that Jesus and the Buddha used to guide people to spiritual practice. It is the spiritual messages behind the parables that really matter, not the literal meanings.

A Conversation on Great Ideas and Great Minds

CriticismWhy criticise? Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people! - Eleanor Roosevelt.
What are your thoughts, observations and views? Please join the Socratic dialogue on ATCA 5000 at https://www.yammer.com/atca. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • My sense is that all religions miss the mark of the prophets of God (their general message). Prophets reveal the reality of a Higher Intelligence by their words and prophecies. For example: Muhammad received his revelation from the 'spiritual' realm and then others followed after discerning the message and its meaning. Yeshua (also called Jesus by English speaking persons) demonstrated the reality of the 'spiritual' realm by his behavior and actions. Others sensed his message and the actions as directly from a Higher Intelligence (his message was the Kingdom of God for this planet). Thomas Jefferson displayed his inner revelations when he wrote the Declaration of Independence during a critical period of American history. He recognized that our liberties and sovereign rights derived from a Creator God (not from human Government...as a non-spiritual person might desire ). Americans discerned this message an created a new destiny for themselves and the World (1776 - 2012). All these prophets and teachings imply that human beings are 'at effect' and under the control of this 'spiritual' realm (my assumption). Many of us sense that this 'dualism' is our core reality going forward.
  • Human institutions are always flawed. But some human institutions are better than others, and none of us can escape from the constraints of human institutions. That is why spiritual people understand that we need to improve our human institutions so that people can have a better chance to live in peace. One of the keys to improving human institutions is to build in mechanisms to prevent the abuse of power: political power, policy making power, discretionary powers of bureaucrats, the power of speech, the power of physical force, the power of science and technology, etc. etc. The spiritual realm lies within the mind. The institutional realm lies within the domain of worldly governments and community groups. We must not forget the importance of the institutional realm, even though it sounds mundane.