The current political and institutional crisis revealed a gaping hole in our governance system – one that should have been occupied by ethics and values. This realisation should be the catalyst for a broader re-evaluation of the role that values might play in reshaping our country.
Understanding and re-evaluating our way of doing politics and also the way business interacts with the political and institutional system is an earnest need of our times. To re-establish faith and trust in the political system, we need a moral and ethical revival.
There is consensus that a reform in our governance and constitutional orders are needed. Governance is a multi-layered concept with values being at its core. Since governance is all about interactions between different actors, principles and values are needed to guide their behaviour.
A national discussion on our values and ethics needs to be undertaken with some stakeholders taking the lead in some areas.
However, values need to be lived and not merely discussed or agreed upon.
As a result, the true test of whether our values stand the test of time and are lived in daily life is our educational system.
The question we need to ask is whether we are preparing future citizens with a moral and ethical toolkit that will serve them as a guiding compass in their life.
Although I think we can agree that the educational system is failing us in this respect, we also need to look inward and see whether in our daily life as professionals and active citizens we are upholding the expected value-set and providing an example to our colleagues and younger members of society.
Values are broad and varied, however, we need to start looking at a core number that need to be at the centre of our new governing system. This short article cannot do any justice to the debate that is needed.
The debate now needs to focus on whether as a country we are after quantity or quality of growth
One such value that definitely needs to find its place at the core is sustainability. Malta’s fast economic growth over the past few years has given rise to questions on its sustainability into the future.
The debate now needs to focus on whether as a country we are after quantity or quality of growth. We have been too focused on the former with little attention being devoted towards the quality of growth. It is time to move away from headline figures of GDP growth but to look more deeply at the drivers and consequences of growth.
Efficiency in resource use is also a key value we need to have and uphold especially in the use of public funds and resources. Public procurement needs to reflect this too.
Also, people working in the civil service need to uphold the concept on efficiency in use of resources and feel responsible that they are steering public resources. Employment in the public sector also needs to be done on a needs-basis and not on a favour basis as is still commonplace in Malta.
Patience is also a value as much as a virtue. Today, society has been completely hijacked by immediacy and with people wanting quick routes to success and fortune. The current crisis that we are living is also a reflection of this.
To this end, we need to instill the value of patience in achieving success and fortune which will also preserve the work ethic the Maltese were known for.
Needless to say, in addition to the above, we have to ensure that honesty, integrity and compassion are encouraged and rewarded.
The implementation of these values cannot be just a one-sided affair. It has to be developed holistically by including society’s four pillars: its economic establishments, its faith-based organisations, its political institutions and its social sector.
We need to foster a coordinated effort among all of these stakeholders. If any one of these pillars collapses, our value base will remain an elusive reality.