Friday, May 25, 2018

Harvard Business School:Lecture on Humility


The author of this article is Clayton M.Christensen  who is a Professor at Harvard Business School. This is a very thought -provoking essay where he reminds the students that their success in life is not to be measured by their wealth or power but by the opportunity they have provided  others to grow and develop.
"What provides happiness in our careers is not money; it is the opportunity to learn , grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements."
"More and more MBA students come to school thinking that a career in business means buying,selling, and investing in companies. That is unfortunate. Doing deals does not yield the deep rewards that come from building up people."
Many felt unhappy in their lives after years of work in their companies. That is because,"they did not keep the purpose of their lives front and center as they decided how to spend their time, talents and energy."
"My purpose grew out of my religious faith."Intimate and loving relationships with their families are the most powerful and enduring source of happiness."
Creating a culture---
Power tools are coercion, threats, punishment etc.
Instead of that, we have to create a culture...
"Families have cultures, just as companies do.Those cultures can be built consciously or evolve inadvertently."
The need to stick to one's principles and values in life:
"You have got to define for yourself what you stand for and draw the line in a safe place."
Teaching a class on humility at Harvard college;
According to the students, humble people"had a high level of self-esteem. They knew who they were, and they felt good about who they were. We also decided that humility was defined not by self-deprecating behavior or attitudes but by the esteem with which you regard others. Good behavior flows naturally from that kind of humility."
When we see people acting in an abusive, arrogant or demeaning manner toward others, their behavior is a symptom of their lack of self-esteem."
I have concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life is not dollars but the individual people whose lives I have touched."
Don't worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved: worry about the individuals you have helped become better people...think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Laudato Si,praise be to you


                                     Laudato Si (  Praise be to You)

#38
The ecosystems of the tropical forests  possess an an enormously complex biodiversity …A delicate balance has to be maintained when speaking about these places, for we cannot overlook huge global economic interests which, under the guise of protecting them,can undermine sovereignty of individual nations.
39
The replacement of virgin forest with plantations of trees usually mono cultures, is rarely adequately analyzed.yet this can seriously compromise a biodiversity which the new species  being introduced does not accommodate.
(Destruction of mangroves and coral reefs affect the lives of various marine species.41
This is due to pollution in the sea”as the result of the deforestation,agricultural mono cultures, industrial waste  and destructive fishing methods…”
42
Because all creatures are connected , each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.
52
We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one sigle human family.there are no frontiers or barriers, political or social , behind which we can hide
53
Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years.
61
We need only take a look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair.
Creation
Gen,1:28- Dominion over the earth
Does not mean unbridled exploitation.
67
The biblical texts are to be rad in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tel us  to ‘ till and keep” the garden of the world.Tilling  refers to cultivating, ploughing or working while keeping means  caring,protecting and preserving.This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.
68
The bible has no place for tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures.
70Everything is is interconnected and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity , justice and faithfulness to others.
The Mystery of the Universe
76
In the Judaeo-Chrsitian tradition, the word"creation” has a broader meaning than nature, for it has to do with God’s loving plan in which every creature has its own value and significance.
Nature is usually seen as a system which can be studied, understood and controlled, whereas creation can only be understood as a gift from the outstretched hand of the Father of all.
77
Creation is of the order of love.God;s love is the fundamental moving force  in all created things…. Every creature is the object of the Father’s tenderness.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Turning Point


                                              The Turning Point
                                               (Fritjof Capra)

p.238
As Henderson writes,”They tell us about the sparkling dishes and clothes, but forget to mention the loss of those sparkling rivers and lakes.”
Private profits are being made increasingly at public costs in the deterioration of the environment and the genral quality of life.
P.239
American system of agriculture exerts its inflationary impact on the economy at many levels.Production is achieved with the help of energy intensive machines and by means of heavy doses of oil-based pesticides and fertilizers.these methods not only destroy theorganic balance in th soil and produce poisonous chemical substance in our food but are also yielding ever diminishing returns.
The same is true of animal farming. Most of the grain is eaten by the livestock and then they are eaten by men which lead to obesity and sicknesses.

246
Attitude to work
High status is granted to all administrative work connected with high technology , however dull it may be….the hierarchy of work is exactly opposite in spiritual traditions. There high-entropy work is highly valued and plays a significant role in the daily ritual spiritual practice…Doing work that has to be done over and over again  helps us to recognize the natural cycles of growth and decay , of birth and death , and thus become aware of the dynamic order of the universe. Ordinary work , as the root meaning of the term indicates , is work that is in harmony with the order of the universe. Such ecological awareness is lost in our culture. What we need therefore is to revise the concept and practice of work in such a way that it becomes meaningful and fulfilling for the individual worker.. and part of the harmonious order of the ecosystem.
The new model is likely to involve a systems approach  that will integrate biology, psychology etc..into a broad ecological framework.
The Dark Side of Growth
p.270
A fertile soil is a living soil containing billions of living organisms in every cubic centimeter. Carbon and nitrogen are two basic chemical elements that go through these ecological cycles. Solar energy is the natural fuel that drives the soil cycles
Bacteria carry out various chemical transformations, such as the process of nitrogen fixation which makes nutrients accessible to plants ; deep rooted- weeds bring trace minerals  to the soil surface where crops can make use of them; earthworms break up the soil and loosen  its texture; and all these activities are interdependent  and combine harmoniously  to provide the nourishment that sustains all lif eon earth.
271
The age old practice of ecological farming changed drastically about three decades ago  when farmers switched from organic to synthetic products which opened up vast markets for the oil companies.
The new era of chemical farming was hailed as the Green Revolution. Soon the dark side of the new technology became apparent. The Green Revolution  has helped neither the farmers nor the land nor the starving millions. The only ones to gain from it were the petrochemical corporations.
Encouraged the practice of planting large fields with a single highly profitable crop.
The results of this single crop-monocultures were great losses of genetic variety in thefields. Monocultures also affected the health of the people who were no longer able to obtain a balanced diet from locally grown foods…
p.274
The massive uses of chemical fertilizers  has seriously affected the natural process of nitrogen fixation by damaging soil bacteria involved in the process.
275
This ecological imbalance caused by monocropping and by excessive use of chemical fertilizers results in enormous increases in pests and cop diseases
276
Disastrous consequences of the Green Revolution—great quantities of toxic chemicals seeping through the soil contaminating the water table and showing up in food.
One of the principal justifications of Green Revolution –feeding the world’s hungry…
The problem of world hunger is not at all a technical problem; it is social and political.
p.278
World hunger can be overcome  only by transforming social relations..the primary problem is not the redistribution of food but the redistribution of control over agricultural resources.




Wednesday, May 2, 2018

The Universities and their Commitment to the Good of the Planet


           The Universities and their Commitment to the Good of the Planet
                                                    Rev.Fr. George Madathiparampil Ph.D.
                                                    Secretary Higher Education, Syro-Malabar Church                      
                                                     Former President, St. Berchmans’ College
                                                     Kerala, India
In this paper, I am going to deal with the green house effect in India and especially in the State of Kerala and the remedial measures that could be taken by Catholic colleges in the State.
Role of Universities in the Transformation of the Society
As the universities are the intellectual hubs of a society, it would be a great tragedy if the students and the faculty exhibit a severe lack of understanding of the importance of the preservation of the environment. If the university education does not enable the students and the faculty in preserving the planet, the billions of dollars spent in higher education become a waste of resources. Referring to this wastage of human potential in higher education, David Orr remarks: “The problem of education as opposed to the problem in education can be attributed in large part to the fact that all too often schools, colleges and universities have been uncritically accepting of  and sometimes beholden to larger economic and political forces.” He further points out that the “imperative is that we must pay full and close attention to the ecological conditions and prerequisites by which we live.”According to Orr, “we seldom know how human actions affect ecosystems or the biosphere gives us every reason to act with informed precaution.”(Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human  Prospect, Island Press,Washington,P.3)
The need of the hour is to change the perspectives of the people in their relationship with the environment. Instead of trying to dominate the planet, we have to enable the educated to build up relationships with all levels of existence. Fritjof Capra offers a  new world view from his study of modern physics that emphasizes “interconnectedness, relationship, dynamic patterns, continual change and transformation.”(Uncommon Wisdom,Flamingo,London, p.225)Capra wants a new perspective with regard to the Universe: “To change this situation is now absolutely vital for our well-being and survival, and change will only be possible, as a society, to shift to a new holistic and ecological vision of reality.”(Uncommon Wisdom,  p.190).
Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Pope Francis comes out strongly in favor of protecting the environments through his various address, talks and encyclical letters. Some of his statements are given below:
“There is a moment in which man goes too far in this task of subduing the earth; he gets overly zealous and loses respect for nature.Then ecological problems arise, like global warming, which are new forms of non-culture” (On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century, p. 5).
In his address to the president of Ecuador, the Holy Father further elaborates this aspect again: “Take good care of creation. St. Francis wanted that. People occasionally forgive but nature never does. If we don’t take care of the environment, there is no way of getting around  it.” (Meeting with the President of Ecuador, April 22, 2013)

Pope Francis highlights the importance that should be given to the preservation of the environment in his Encyclical letter, Laudato Si ,in the following words: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those  who come after us, to the children who are now growing up? What is the purpose of our world? Why are we here? What is the goal of our work and all our efforts…we need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity.”( No.160).He warns against the modern habit of “ leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations.” This issue is connected with “the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn.”In Laudato Si, the Holy Father speaks of the destruction and disintegration that are taking place in the modern society because of the indifference we show to other human beings and eco-systems .He explains the fact further: “Men and women of our post modern world run the risk of rampant individualism….and self-centered culture of instant gratification.” He sees the reflection of this fragmentation in family relationships and other social ties. According to him, “parents can be prone to impulsive and wasteful consumption which then affects their children who find it increasingly difficult to acquire a home of their own and build a family”. He wants us to “keep the poor of the future in mind “ as well as “ today’s poor whose life on earth is brief and who cannot keep on waiting.”
In such a context of bewilderment and confusion, the role of the universities in conveying healthy, wholesome and morally right values assumes great importance. Pope Benedict XVI in his address to the university teachers during his visit to Washington D.C. ,emphasizes the need to  become aware of this important role of universities in transferring moral values to the young. “Catholic identity is not dependent on statistics. Neither can it be equated simply with orthodoxy of course content. It demands and inspires much more: namely, that each and every aspect of your learning communities reverberates with the ecclesiastical life of faith. Our institutions…become places in which God’s active presence in human affairs is recognized and in which every young person discovers the joy of entering into Christ’s being for others. ” He points out further in that landmark address on university education that the “dignity of education lies in fostering the true perfection and happiness of those to be educated.”
In Caritas Veritate (No.50), he speaks about the need for safeguarding the environment: “”The problem of the environment and the safeguarding of resources and of the climate, oblige all leaders to act jointly , respecting the law and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the world.”
The meaning of “Subdue  the earth “in the Biblical account of creation:

Greenhouse gas emissions

The performance of India in preserving the environment is dismal. According to Parkash Nelliyat(Centre for Bio-Diversity Policy and Law, Chennai), “ India’s developmental activities are affecting the environment  to a considerable extent through overexploitation of natural resources and indiscriminate discharge of waste. This has been interpreted by the environmental Kuznets curve(EKC)…India is on the upward part of the EKC.”(The Hindu, May 1,2018,p.9)

“India was the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, in 2009 at 1.65 Gt per year, after China and the United States. With 17 percent of world population, India contributed some 5 percent of human-sourced carbon dioxide emission; compared to China's 24 percent share. On per capita basis, India emitted about 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide per person, in comparison to the United States’ 17 tons per person, and a world average of 5.3 tons per person.”

The landscape of Kerala

Disposal of waste materials
“Trash and garbage disposal services, responsibility of local government workers in India, are ineffective. Solid waste is routinely seen along India's streets and shopping plazas.
Trash and garbage is a common sight in urban and rural areas of India. It is a major source of pollution. Indian cities alone generate more than 100 million tons of solid waste a year. Street corners are piled with trash. Public places and sidewalks are despoiled with filth and litter, rivers and canals act as garbage dumps. In part, India's garbage crisis is from rising consumption. India's waste problem also points to a stunning failure of governance.The tourism regions in the country mainly hill stations are also facing this issue in the recent years.
In 2000, India's Supreme Court directed all Indian cities to implement a comprehensive waste-management programme that would include household collection of segregated waste, recycling and composting. These directions have simply been ignored. No major city runs a comprehensive programme of the kind envisioned by the Supreme Court.
Indeed, forget waste segregation and recycling directive of the India's Supreme Court, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that up to 40 percent of municipal waste in India remains simply uncollected. Even medical waste, theoretically controlled by stringent rules that require hospitals to operate incinerators, is routinely dumped with regular municipal garbage. A recent study found that about half of India's medical waste is improperly disposed of.”

Deforestation
“In the beginning of the 18th c, forests covered almost the entire land area of Kerala. But then more settlements of people and through cultivation, the area of forests began to dwindle. From the beginning of the 19th c, the forest area began to diminish to a great extent. The present century witnessed a large scale of cultivation of various crops in the low lands, middle lands and high lands of the State. Kerala has 44 rivers and more dams were built across the rivers with the pace of industrialization accelerating. It is estimated that between 1956 and 1973, 4187 sq KMs of forest area were delineated for various purposes. From 1960 to 1980, Kerala has been annually losing an average of forest area of about 6290 hectares.”
New Vision
Capra: “ The new paradigm may be called a holistic world view, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts. It may also be called an ecological view, if the term “ecological” is used in a much broader and deeper sense than usual. Deep ecological awareness recognizes the fundamental interdependence of all phenomena and the fact that, as individuals and societies we are all embedded in (and ultimately dependent on) the cyclical process of nature.”
Steps that can be taken by catholic colleges and Institutions of Higher education for the preservation and protection of the environment in Kerala, India: