SDGs_My Values, Your Values, Our Values Count!

Our Value System can impede the attainment of the SDGs 

     

A personal value influences the family value and as the unit of the communities where we come from the family values sway the communal values. This in turn has a linkage with the state and national values but where a nation’s values are not in sync with its peoples’ then that nation is in a deep valley of perpetual underdevelopment.

How does this apply? You may ask.

To start with let‘s get a clear understanding of the SDGs. 

The SDGs means the sustainable development goals, a set of global aspirations for transforming our world.  It is made up of 17 goals put together by the United Nations with global consultations with civil societies and adopted by member states for the alleviation of poverty for the poorest of the poor; reduce gender inequalities and promote environmental justice among others. While we understand goals as what we want to achieve, sustainable development can be defined as the ability of the present generation to meet their need without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their need.

To understand how our values relate to development, we must first of all know what a value is.

A value is a principle or standard of behavior, they are important because they affect our perceptions and attitude to issues including development concerns. What is our standard of behavior as Africans and as Nigerians? While we have a few who may be excused as being upright and not corrupt in their outlook in life due to their religious orientation, a majority of citizens have imbibed the culture of corruption, moral decadence, quick money syndrome among others.

As Nigerians/Africans we need to do a value assessment and tell ourselves some home truths.

Value Checking…..

1.  Accountability - How often do you face your responsibilities and can be held responsible for your actions?

2.  Obedience- How often do you follow direction or obey the law?

3. Power- How often do you crave power and become super villains? That’s not the best use of power

4. Reputation- Some of us no longer protect and uphold our reputation as long as we have money no matter how it is earned.

5.  Diversity- How have you learnt from those who differ from you in culture, race, or beliefs and tried to exposure yourself to accommodate those diverse experiences and perceptions?

6. Objectivity- How logical are you without letting personal emotions influence your views to? life or how we treat others?

7. Collaboration- Difficult tasks are easiest to accomplish when you work with others.

8. Professionalism- Acting professionally can help you be more polite, courteous, and dependable… isn’t it worth it?

9. Experience- How often do you value experience and see it as an opportunity for growth?

10. Politeness- What first impressions do you make? as politeness is often overlooked.

11. Education- According to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Do you know of a girl child out of school and as a policy maker close your eyes to this reality?

12. Sincerity: How often have you spoken your mind and acted on it especially when it concerns the good of others?

13. Justice- How often have you strived for liberty and fairness and deal compassionately with others?

14. Punctuality- How often do you practice the African time? It makes you undependable.

15. Community- How often have you given back to the place that made you who you are?

16. Creativity- How often do you think outside the box or challenge the normal way of doing things to solve development problems

17. Consideration- How often do you treat others with consideration and respect?

Values listed above culled from- https://www.mantelligence.com/how-to-define-your-list-of-personal-values/

"A personal value influences the family value and as the unit of the communities where we come from the family values sway the communal values. This in turn has a linkage with the state and national values but where a nation’s values are not in sync with its peoples’ then that nation is in a deep valley of perpetual underdevelopment."

According to Collins online dictionary, “The value system of a group of people is the set of beliefs and attitudes that they all share” Our individual attitude and behavior are collectively reflected in the ways we view our community and country as a whole. Whether we are security agencies, community leaders, students, lecturers, parents, guardians, government representatives and religious leaders; where we lack a certain personal value such as integrity we are far from being sincere and honest, we cannot give what we don’t have.

Relating this to development,

· If we lack integrity and honesty then we display traits of corruption,

·    If we lack compassion, truth and fairness, injustice thrives even at law enforcement processes

·   If we lack sincerity, accountability, objectivity, diversity and abuse power our democracy is a sham

·  If we as a people disregard obedience and respect for the law we cannot have an orderly society; we need

   orderliness and proper organizing for development to 

   thrive

Development thrives in a society blessed with the values of sincerity, compassion, integrity, obedience, discipline, and this is the root of patriotism…funny… we have nowhere else to call homeland.

Now to the SDGs, in considering some few goals such as “No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well Being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions etc” let’s create a linkage with values and the attainment of the SDGs. If our leaders have good personal values namely- honesty, integrity, discipline, compassion…, such translate to influence service delivery to the masses. Good service delivery opens up accessibility to basic amenities, social services and good infrastructure for the benefit of the masses. Where our leaders exhibit poor values, the masses experience poor service delivery and suffer gross deprivation. Leaders being corrupt and inconsiderate to the plight of the masses affect the development of legislations and policies that drive the attainment of the SDGs. Personal values that promote corruption in leaders, and followers who connive to prevent the accurate implementation/distribution of poverty alleviation strategies, agricultural subsidies and grants for genuine farmers, women’s economic empowerment opportunities that promote small and medium scale enterprises, quality education under the Universal Basic Education Scheme, stable electric power supply to facilitate industries, needed health care and medical supplies to save the lives of the poor and vulnerable, etc. In whatever way, these services are required for the attainment of the SDGs and the well-being of mankind.

Think of your personal value and how these collectively affect your family, community and nation. 

Individually it may seem inconsequential but collectively it forms the social fabric upon which the nation is knitted. Whatever national values we have on paper is meaningless and dumb where our action says otherwise.

The SDGs are breakthrough road-map to transform our world if we are sincere about them,  making them REAL is everyone’s responsibility.