We have arrived in the digital age, but we have forgotten the human factor in our daily life. The cultural integration of a country demands from its citizens a shared civic spirit and common criteria in the moral sphere that can only be instilled by value education. Education limited to the subject- teaching and learning do not result in responsible citizens as they would not be able to take on the great challenges of society.

Modern societies are marked by their social complexity, often expressed in the multiplicity of interests. Hence, consolidating and empowering a culture involves unifying and providing common sense to the entire social body in a way of being in which we all feel reflected. What we have experienced in this crisis has made us think of a just, inclusive and intercultural world. So educating in values has become imperative. There are many issues that can be addressed from the educational field, namely: egalitarian values, rejection of discriminatory attitudes, health promotion, and responsible sexuality. Moreover, respect to the environment, healthy consumer decisions and habits, the acquisition of civic behavior guidelines, the value towards the environment, the positive assessment of democracy, the value and responsibility involved in managing public affairs, and a long list of many issues can also be addressed in this matter.

Nonetheless, the dehumanization we are witnessing throughout the world has to do with the lack of compassion and mercy towards our fellow men. The proclamation that there is life from conception and that we are all created equal in the image of God categorically defies all attempts at discrimination, annihilation, contempt, and indifference. A machine, no matter how perfect, always depends logically on its creator. Life tests your empathy, the ability to feel with others, and the ability to feel from the perspective of others. However, we see people who enjoy the misfortunes of others, such as the breakdown of a celebrity’s career, the imprisonment of a dangerous criminal in particular, or the defeat of a rival sports team. This dehumanization of another person or group makes you feel happy about the failure of the same person or group. Many people try to change themselves according to others because they think that if they were like what they see, they would eventually be happy.

We often define kindness to be the mental state of looking at other people. Like humans, fellow earthly friends who are equal and have something in common, such as the desire for others to be free from suffering, feel dedicated, responsible, and respectful of others, not being violent or aggressive, not hurting, and not clinging to the feeling that when we love someone, we must be loved in return or the feeling that you want to control someone to do what you please.

Re-humanization, on the other hand, through education in values must be an educational policy of the first order, given its importance not only in the face of a misfortune such as the one we are going through at the present time but also for the public health of a country. The probity, integrity, and brotherhood of citizens must be instilled in our informal education systems. These positive qualities in a population ensure coexistence, peace, and, above all, the survival of society as we have witnessed during the dark moments of the pandemic. Mercy should not only be the goal of our work- it should be an attitude in life. ‘See, Move and Act’ should be the keywords on which we should base our lives as then only, we will have compassion among ourselves. This is the only way to fix the destroyed morality, corrupted humanity.

Deepak Raj Joshi.jpg

Deepak Raj Joshi

(The author is a lecturer and IT, consultant. He also writes fiction under the name of Kapeed Joshi. He can be reached by email at [email protected].)