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PAPERS ON ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Paper presented at the plenary IEF Symposium
Consumer Citizenship Network
Third CCN International Conference
Hedmark University College, Hamar, Norway
15-16 May 2006

VALUES UNDERLYING COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

Wendi Momen
United Kingdom

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

ABSTRACT
Motivation is driven more by the heart than the head. Any lasting commitment to sustainable lifestyles must be driven by an individual's values and world view. The sources of values include the world's religions, philosophers and humanists, and they are transmitted first in the family, then in the schools and other institutions of society. Values such as justice, solidarity, service and moderation from all these sources can help to drive responsible consumer citizenship. A sense of world citizenship also contributes to more sustainable behaviour.

PRESENTATION

Values Underlying
COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

Values and Behaviour

Consumer behaviour is influenced - perhaps even driven - by an individual's basic values and world view.
All human actions and human societies are built on values
If behaviour is inappropriate, changing the basic values and world view is important to motivate constructive changes in consumption.
People are unlikely to change inappropriate  behaviours unless their values and world view change.

Attempts to Identify Common Values

Generally unsuccessful
Focused on human rights abuses
Considered by non-western cultures as western values only
Generally centred on behaviours rather than principles
Ore useful to focus on underlying principles

Sources of Values

World’s religions
Philosophers
Humanists
Our own experience

What Does Not Work

Throwing money at problems
Extreme wealth
Materialism

What Does Work

A shift to more ‘spiritual’ values
Individuals knowing their true identity and operating according to its dictates
Society reorienting itself to its own reality

Useful ‘Spiritual’ Values

A cluster of practical virtues and values born out of a vision and understanding of the purpose for humanity that underpins our relationships with each other at every level - personal, family, community, national and global. 

Justice, trustworthiness, honesty, courtesy, patience, love, selflessness, etc. 

Spiritual principles are in use all the time - we just rarely identify them as such.

Moving towards Sustainable Consumer Behaviour
 understanding of the essentially spiritual nature of the human being 
a recognition of the inter-penetration between the physical and the spiritual 
development of a new work ethic 
stewardship of the earth’s resources 
ethical practices in government and business a consciousness of the concept of unity in diversity
new forms of governance need to be developed 
fostering the advancement of women 
the development of the spirit of service and voluntarism
the extension of virtues-based education the development of conflict avoidance and resolution through consultation
the promotion of the family as the basic unit of the community
purposeful living

Living Values
 
Individuals endeavouring to change behaviours need to be supported by enabling legal and political environments

We are no longer powerless as human beings to shape our future

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Last updated 23 May 2006