Human Rights Day - 2022

              One week ago, precisely on 10th of December, the world celebrated the human rights. We must always remember that there is not democracy without human rights and there is not human rights without democracy. We should not be afraid to fight for our human rights including our political rights. This year the U.N. is recognizing the importance of dignity, freedom and justice to the realization of human rights.   This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day. The second was published at https://www.outlookindia.com/national/world-human-rights-day-2022-history-significance-theme-all-you-need-to-know-news-243790. The third was published at  https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/12/10/global-human-rights-day-2022-time-to-reiterate-our-commitment/

             "It is absolutely clear that we need to regain the universality of human rights, the indivisibility of human rights, and we need to find a new energy that motivates young people around the world," said the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December - the day U.N. General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.The theme 2022: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for all. This year's Human rights Day, we will launch a year-long campaign to showcase the UDHR by focusing on its legacy, relevance and activism. In the decades since the adoption of the UDHR in 1948, human rights have become more recognised and more guaranteed across the globe. It has since served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants. However, the promise of the UDHR, of dignity and equality inj rights, has been under a sustained assault in recent years. As the world faces challenges new and ongoing - pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, climate change - the values, and rights enshrined in the UDHR rpovide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind. The year-long campaign seeks to shift the needle of understanding and action towards greater knowledge of the universality of the UDHR and the activism associated with it. The UDHR has inspired many struggles for stronger human rights protection and helped them to be more recognized. Whenever and wherever humanity's values are abandoned, we all are at greater risk. The solutions to today's greatest crises are rooted in human rights. We need to renew the social contract between government and their people and within societies, so as to rebuild trust and embrace a shared and comprehensive vision of human rights on the road to a just development.                                                                                                                                                                                                          In a bid to ensure the fundamental rights of every human being, irrespective of their gender, race, religion, nationality, the U.N. adopted the UDHR. Since then, December 10 has been an important day to remind humanity of the rights they deserve, and the rights they violate. This day is widely recognised to raise awareness about people's social and political rights. The darkest chapters of human history brought together the need to protect the rights of people from various walks of life, against the inhumane abuses of governments and rulers. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) pronounces the international law that tells a government the way its citizens must be treated. Currently, the principles of the UDHR have been incorporated into the constitution of most member countries of the U.N. To celebrate this year a campaign will be launched emphasising the theme, Dignity, Freedom and Justice for all."                                                                                                                                                                                                              On 10th December, the world celebrates the Human Rights Day. This year the theme of the event is "Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All." Democratic backsliding has become visible in the 21st Century. Liberal values are losing appeal worldwide, and majoritarian politics is further hurting our society. As democracy is experiencing backslides, the human rights situation is deteriorating worldwide. In the Global South is deteriorating due to growing authoritarianism, internal conflict, political violence, poor labor condition, violence, and weak institutions. The Ukraine conflict have further exacerbated the scenario, initiating an energy and food crisis. Biden Government is centering his foreign policy on human rights and democracy, such politics is affecting the human rights situation worldwide. The U.N. is an idealist institution that promotes multilateralism. Going beyond the bloc politics and great power rivalry, the U.N. tries to address the problem of bringing its member together. The U.N. has identified that dignity and freedom have been threatened recently, and justice is becoming scarce worldwide. So, the theme for this year is to remind us of our rightful dignity, freedom, and justice. As all the U.N. members have adopted UDHR, we must uphold the global human rights situation. Weak institutions and decaying democratic values are assaulting our dignity, justice and freedom. The day should serve as a 'wake up' call for the world. Upholding human rights is a continuous process. It requires time and effort, and the global community should come together. In the 21st Century, the universality and the 'one size of human rights' conception have also emerged as a new debate. Addressing the current global issues requires cooperation. But for that, we must reduce the gap between us, initiate dialogue and create a path for reconciliation. We must promote plurality and multilateralism. 

Latin America Economic Outlook 2022 - Towards a Green and Just Transition

                   This post is a summary of the book published in 2022 at https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/latin-american-economic-outlook-2022_3d5554fc-en#page53

 Latin America (LA) countries are at a critical juncture. Just as the region was looking forward to a rebound in growth path after the pandemic, the current inflationary pressures and stark geopolitical tensions are throwing spanners in the region recovery works. In parallel, LA faces the challenge of implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the climate emergency, while at the same time accelerating the pace of social, economic and institutional progress, all within narrowing fiscal space. We need to act now. This agenda must protect and value the region's unique natural and renewable energy capital. A green and just transition should strengthen social protection systems and promote job formalisation. Active labour market policies are essential to provide people with the necessary skills and help them transition to better jobs. A legitimate and politically viable transition requires a broad consensus on its objectives. This is important in a region where support for green policies is high, but where trust in public institutions has seen a sharp erosion. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated social challenges in the region, leading to increased levels of poverty. These are projected to increase in 2022, due mainly to the economic slowdown and rising inflation, especially in food prices. Looking ahead, LA countries producing eletricity from renewables, given their abundance of low-cost renewable energy can position themselves as green hydrogen industrial hubs. The region also has a strategic position to supply key minerals for the energy transition. In 2017, 61% of global lithium reserves, 39% of global copper, and 32% of global nickel and silver reserves were in LA. Renewed industrial policies are needed to encourage and attract investments in green innovation. So far, the region's GDP expenditure in research and development has been only 0.3% of GDP and remains highly government-driven (56.5% of the total). The LA region faces the challenge of financing the green transition under a tight fiscal space. Financial strategies will have to enhance private and public sector resource mobilisation, inpart by engaging key actors. The public sector will have to create the necessary incentives to redirect these investments towards sustainable projects. In many ways, LA's fragmented voice in climate negotiations constitutes a missed opportunity, especially considering that the region hosts 50% of the planet's biodiversity. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are the main causes of climate change. Global carbon dioxide emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021. Given its share in global GHG emisssions compared to countries with similar development levels, LA is usually associated with better environmental performance. The regional shares of total world GHG emissions are disproportionately distributed, as East Asia and the Pacific had the highest emissions, contributing with 37.5%, while Europe and Central Asia 14.4%, North America 13.2%, South Asia 8.4% and the LA region 8.1%. The structure of emissions in LA countries differs from that of the OECD countries. Although the energy sector remains the most emission-intensive for the two regions, each one has its particularities. South America's high emitting sectors are agriculture (28.5%), land-use change (23.8%), and transport (13.4%). The infrastructure of many cities in LA prioritises mobility by car, making it the transport mode that provides higher access to oportunities compared to other transport modes such as public transport. Induced demand refers to the phenomenon by which public investment in roads for car use ends up causing more, rather than less, traffic congestion. These dynamics lead to territories in which most people need to travel long distances daily and private or motorcycles are the most attractive options. Understanding the dynamics above allows policy makers to see that this "choice" is not really an individual preference but the result of the systems design. Applying a diet analogy, "unhealthy" transport systems are those in which most poeple use motorised vehicles for most of their trips. "Healthy" transport systems are those in which people can access places by walking, cycling, and using micro-or shared modes, such that they are the most convenient and people choose them most often. LA countries need to focus efforts on policies that can transform their transport systems away from car dependency. Those LA countries whose power generation largely comes from hydropower should also envisage other renewable energy sources. An over-dependence from hydro can have negative economic impacts in times of drought. Over the last two decades, many LA countries have made substantial progress in building renewable energy markets and diversifying their energy mix. In 2020, 33% of total energy supply in LA was generated by renewables compared with 13% at the global level. However, significant variations exist across the region. For instance, Brazil generates 84% of its electric power from renewables, including 6.9% from solar, 10.9% from wind and 65% from hydropower. Investments in hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels, including biofuels will be necessary to support decarbonisation in heavy industries and transportation. Some LA countries have either published or are currently preparing national hydrogen strategies. Examples of national hydrogen development strategies underway: Chile - launched a hydrogen strategy in 2020. It aims to establish 25 GW by 2030, as well as to produce the world's cheapest hydrogen and become one of the world's top three hydrogen exporters by 2040. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Paraguay are preparing national hydrogen plans. The transformation of the global energy mix from fossil fuels to renewable energy is necessary to meet the Paris Agreement goals. However, fossil fuel use will continue and will also remain part of the mix even after the world has transitioned to a low-carbon economy. By 2050, fossil fuels are still expected to represent 20% of the global energy supply. Several LA countries have significant oil and gas production. Key producers in the region are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. In terms of global crude oil reserves, LA has the second-highest with 19.1%, behind only to the Middle East with 48.3%. Five key actions could help LA countries advance towards decarbonisation: 1) reducing methane emissions. 2) maximising potential of associated gas. 3) electrification of the oil and gas industry. 4) advancing carbon capture utilisation and storage; 5) phasing out fossil fuel-fired thermal generation. The green transition offers an opportunity to address one of the region's greatest challenges: the production structure. Productivity has remained stagnant in recent decades, with the productive structure biased towards activities that have high intensity for materials and natural resouces, plunging the region into a productivity trap that reinforces the environmental trap. Currently, 75% of the region's total exports are primary products and natural resource-based manufactures.

Education at a Glance 2022

                This post is a summary of the book with the title above, published in 2022 at  https://www.oecdilibrary.org/docserver/3197152expires=1668108151&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=F52BBCD6E19D0AC509D7732D08CD37B

                 In the past two decades, the share of young adults with advanced qualifications has risen sharply across OECD countries: 48% of 24-34 year-olds had a tertiary degree in 2021, compared to just 27% in 2000. This is due to the growing need for advanced skills in labour markets and has profound implications for our societies and the future of education. The first half of 2022 was marked by a gradual return to normality thanks to widespread vaccinations. As the focus shifted from crisis management to recovery, evaluating the impact of the pandemic and remediating its consequences became a priority. The pandemic forced countries to adopt solutions for digital teaching and learning to compensate for periods when in-person lessons were limited or not possible at all. Although many of these solutions were implemented as emergency measures, they have proved valuable beyond periods of remote learning. Tertiary attainment is already becoming the norm among young adults in many OECD countries. In 14 OECD countries, more than half of all 25-34 year-olds have a tertiary degree, rising to at least two-thirds in Canada and Korea. The increase in tertiary education has been a nearly universal trend. Countries that started with low tertiary attainment levels in 2000 have experienced strong growth. The share of tertiary-educated 25-34 year-olds quadrupled in Turkey, from 9% in 2000 to 40% in 2021. From 13% to 47% in Portugal and from 11% to 39% in the Slovak Republic. And from 13% in 2011 to 23% in 2021 in Brazil. Young people who did not complete secondary education face a high risk of finding themselves neither employed, nor in formal education. Brazil, Greece and South Africa have the highest share of young people suffering long-term unemployment, at around 5% of more of all 18-24 year-olds. In Argentina, Slovak Republic and Spain the figure is also high, at around 3%. Modern economies depend on a supply of high skilled workers and these workers in turn reap labour-market benefits. Education systems need to respond to the labour-market challenges of today and prepare students for the labour markets of the future. Pathways through education can be diverse, both across countries and within the same country. Compulsory education is usually relatively homogeneous as students progress through primary and secondary education. Periods of compulsory education vary across OECD countries. In some countries, early childhood education and care is compulsory, as early as the age of three. In other countries, education becomes compulsory only from primary education onwards. When compulsory education was first introduced during the late 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, it was often limited to short periods of primary education. Since then, the duration of compulsory education has increased gradually, a trend that has continued up to today. France introduced compulsory pre-primary education starting at 3 years-old in 2019. In 2015, the U.K. raised its school leaving age to 18. Higher education is a core enabler of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. By having a significant impact on students' awareness and contribution to a prosperous society, tertiary education is viewed as a change agent. The share of tertiary students enrolled in private institutions varies dramatically across countries. It is 100% in the U.K., but virtually 0% in Canada, Denmark, and Greece. While a few countries have large majorities of tertiary students in private institutions, the share is between 10% and 30% in most OECD countries. There are important differences between private tertiary institutions. In some countries with high share of students in private institutions, most of private institutions are government dependent. Even though they are organised as private entities,they obtain large shares of their funding through regular government contributions. This is the case in Belgium, Finaland, Israel, and the U.K. Policy makers are increasingly aware of the key role that early childhood education plays in children's cognitive and emotional development, learning and well-being. Teachers play a central role during children's early years, helping them develop in many aspects of their lives: cognitively, socially and emotionally. Women tend to dominate the teaching profession in most levels of education, and the over-representation of women in the workforce is particularly marked in the earlier years of schooling with women making up 96% of teaching staff. The share of women shrinks with each successive level of education, to 83% at primary level, 63% at secondary level and 44% at tertiary level. Parents' needs and expectations regarding accessibility, cost, programme, staff and accountability are all important in assessing the expansion of pre-education programmes. When parents' needs for quality, availability, or affordability are not met by public institutions, some parents may be more inclined to send their children to private institutions. Educational expenditure indicators help to show what, how and where financial resources are directed to education. The investments are made with the well-established idea that expenditure on education enhances labour productivity by improving the skills of the workforce, which might affect economic growth and social development. Students are more likely to cross borders to pursue their studies are they reach more advanced levels of education. Internationally mobile students account for only 5% of bachelor's students, but 14% of master's students and 24% of doctoral students on average in OECD countries. English is the lingua franca of the globalised world, with one in four people using it worldwide. Not surprisingly, English-speaking countries are the most attractive student destinations overall. The top five destination countries are Australia, Canada, Germany, the U.K., the U.S.A. Students from Asia form the largest group of international students enrolled in tertiary education programmes at all levels, totalling 58% of all mobile students in 2020. The number of students in non-tertiary education remained fairly stable on average OECD countries between 2012 and 2019. Most OECd countries spent more per student in 2019 than they did in 2012, with the exception of Greece, Mexico, and Slovenia. Expenditure per student on non-tertiary education increased by at least 4% per year in Colombia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Turkey. Countries invest in education to help foster economic growth, enhance productivity, contribute to personal and social development, and reduce social inequality, among other reasons. In 2019, total public expenditure on primary to tertiary education as a percentage of total government expenditure for all services averaged 10.6% in OECD countries. However, this share varies across countries, ranging from around 7% in Greece and Italy to over 17% in Chile.

390th Birthday of John Locke - Part II

                  This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at   https://afribary.com/works/the-notion-of-human-rights-in-the-philosophy-of-john-locke. The second was published at https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-rights/Natural-law-transformed-into-natural-rights. The third was published at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.12987/9780300129182-009/pdf. The fourth was published at http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/6/john-locke-and-the-second-treatise-on-government

                 Going through the pages of history, one will note that the rights of man have been bastardized and their rights trample in the mud. Thus, denying human rights is in no little means denying man his humanity and dignity, and by so doing doubting his existence. Thus, the issue of human rights is one of the major problems bothering the human person in the 21st century. The continuous neglect of the rights of man by most often countries has dehumanized man's humanity from being a 'person' to an 'it'. The continuous infringement into one's right is in the increase in our world today thereby denying man his very essence and dignity. This is because the human person is being dehumanized, oppressed and bastardized against the fundamental values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. John Locke emerged with a political history that created space for what he called "a state of nature" where the respect for the individual's right is seen as a motivation for the common good and social progress. For Locke, the fundamental precepts of any system of human rights are life, health, liberty and prosperity. It is to secure this rights that governments are formed among men. Government always remains only an agent of society. It is not society itself. It is always an instrument of the people for the protection and promotion of their rights. Experience tell us that, in a society where injustice is not being upheld, where man's dignity is being dragged to the mud, where the liberty of man is not only comprehensively curtailed, but trampled upon; the idea of human rights becomes not only a mirage but also an illusion.                                                                                                                                                The intellectual and especially the scientific achievements of the 17th century (including the materialism of Hobbes, the rationalism of Descartes, the pantheism of Spinoza, and the empiricism of Bacon and Locke) encouraged a distinctly modern belief in natural law and universal order and, during the 18th century, the so-called Age of Enlightenment, inspired by growing confidence in human reason. Particularly important were the writings of Locke, arguably the most important theorist of modern times. Locke argued in detail, that certain rights self-evidently pertain to individuals as human beings, among them are the right to life, liberty (freedom from arbitrary rule) and property. This liberal intellectual ferment exerted a profound influence in the Western world of the 18th and early 19th centuries. In sum, the idea of natural rights, forebear to the contemporary notion of human rights, played a key role in late 18th and early 19th centuries struggles against political absolutism. Although the heyday of natural rights proved short, the idea of rights nonetheless endured. The abolition of slavery, the implementation of factory legislation, the rise of popular education and trade unionism, the universal suffrage movement, these and other examples of reformist impulses afford ample evidence that the idea was not to be extinguished. But it was not until the rise and fall of Nazi Germany that the idea of human rights truly came into its own. Many of the gruesome atrocities committed by the Nazi regime, convinced many that law and morality can't be grounded in any purely idealist or utilitarian doctrine. Certain actions, are absolutely wrong, no matter what the circumstances.                                                         Locke's democratic theory had dimensions ranging over accounts of the moral equality of persons, what we might today describe as a political rather than a metaphysical approach to moral and political disagreement, and a strong defense of majority rule as the wellspring of institutional legitimacy. Locke is typically portrayed as a theorist of individual rights rather than of democracy. In the debate over the ideological origins of the American Revolution, for instance, the Lockcan view is contrasted, as a rights-centric one, with a civic republican interpretation of the Founders' self-understanding.                                                                                                                                                                   In 1688, King James II was overthrown by a group of Parliamentarians. This was the result of what is known as the Glorious Revolution. Naturalist and political philosopher John Locke was present to witness these events and was so compelled by them, he wrote what is known as the Second Treatise on Government. In this, Locke would attempt to explain why King James II was justifiably overthrown, and why William III ascended him. He would define for us the "legitimate role of civil government". The best way to figure this out, was to imagine a state in which no government existed. Then by seeing that state, determine where necessary laws and governing bodies are needed. Locke described the role of civil government like this: "Political power, then being a right of making laws for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community, in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the common-wealth from foreign injury, and all this only for the public good." To Locke, a government existed, among other things, to promote public good, and to protect the life, liberty and property of its people. And the society must hold the power to instate a new government when necessary. 

390th Birthday of John Locke

                   Almost two months ago, precisely on 29th August, the British writer John Locke would complete 390 years old. So this post is a tribute to him. He was a pioneer in the defense of human rights, education and democracy.    This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke. The second was published at     https://learn.saylor.org/mod/page/view.phid=36461&forceview=1#:~:text=Locke%20wrote%20that%20people%20form,that%20protects%20their%20human%20rights. The third was published at  https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-political/. The fourth was published at   https://ethics.org.au/big-thinker-john-locke/

                 John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". Considered one of the first British empiricists, Locke is equally important to social contract theory. His work greatly affected the development of political philosophy. His contributions to republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Internationally, Locke's political-legal principles continue to have a profound influence on the theory and practice of limited representative government and the protection of basic rights and freedoms under the rule of law. Locke's Theory of Mind is often cited as the origin of modern conceptions of identity and the self, figuring prominently in the work of later philosophers such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant. Locke was born near Bristol, both of his parents were Puritans. In 1647, Locke was sent to Westminster School in London under the sponsorship of Alexander Popham, a member of Parliament. After he was admitted to Oxford at the age of 20. He obtained a bachelor of medicine in 1675, having studied the subject extensively during his time at Oxford. Locke's medical knowledge was put to the test when Ashley Cooper undergo surgery to remove a cyst in the liver. Ashley survived and credited Locke with saving his life. Ashley, as a founder of the Whig movement, exerted great influence on Locke's political ideas. Locke became involved in politics when Ashley became Lord Chancellor in 1672. Although Locke was associated with the influential Whigs, his ideas about natural rights and government are today considered revolutionary for that period in English history . Locke went to Netherlands in 1683, during his 5 years in Holland, Locke chose his friends from among the same freethinking members of dissenting groups. Locke's strong empiricist tendencies would have disinclined him to read a grandly work such as Spinoza's Ethics, he was deeply receptive to Spinoza ideas, most particularly the argument for political and religious tolerance and the necessity of the separation of church and state. Unlike Thomas Hobbes, Locke believed that human nature is characterised by reason and tolerance. Like Hobbes, Locke assumed that the sole right to defend in the state of nature was not enough, so people established a civil society to resolve conflicts in a civil way with help from government in a state of society. Locke was an assiduous book collector. By his death, locke had amassed a library of more than 3,000 books, a significant number in the 17th century.                                                                                                                                                                                 Traditionally, all groups of humans, from forest dwellers to urban, have had notions of justice, fairness, dignity, and respect. However, the notion that all human beings, simply because they are humans, have certain inalienable rights they may use to protect themselves against society and its rulers was a minority view in the era before the 1500s. Many pre-modern societies believed that rulers had an obligation to govern wisely and for everyone's benefit. However, this obligation was believed to come from divine commandment or from tradition. It did not rest on a concept of personal human rights that ordinary people could call on to defend themselves against unjust rulers. The first person credited with developing a comprehensive theory of human rights was the British philosopher John Locke. Locke wrote that people from societies, and societies establish governments, in order to assure the enjoyment of "natural" rights. Locke defined government as a "social contract" between rulers and ruled. Citizens, he believed, are obliged to give allegiance only to a government that protects their human rights. Many of the great political struggles of the past two centuries have revolved around expanding the range of protected rights. Across the globe, regimes that denied basic human rights to their citizens have lacked long-term stability. The lesson of the recent past is that, wherever people are given the chance to choose, they choose internationally recognized human rights. And despite shortcomings, we live in a world in which fewer governments dare to deny their people that free choice.                                                                                                                                                                         Locke's epistemological positions in the Essay Concerning Human Understanding lead him to take education to be extremely important. His attack on innate ideas increases the importance of giving children the right sort of education to help them get the right sort of ideas. Locke's main educational writing is Some Thoughts Concerning Education. The book was extremely popular and went through numerous editions after its publication. Locke hopes for children who have internalized strong powers of self-denial and a work ethic that will make them compliant in an emerging modern economy. Locke's education is designed to give children the ability, when they are older, to evaluate critically, and possibly reject, prevailing norms. Locke also assumes that the isolation of early childhood will end and that adolescent will normally think differently from their parents.                                                                                                                                                     He was known for his liberal, anti-authoritarian Theory of the State, his empirical theory of knowledge and his advocacy of religious toleration. Much of Locke's work is characterised by an opposition to authoritarianism, both at the level of the individual and within institutions such as government and church. Locke's argument also places limits on the proper use of power by authorities. Due to his emphasis on liberty, Locke defended a distinction between a public and a private realm. The public realm is that of politics and the individual's role in the community as a part of the state. The private realm is that of domesticity where power is parental. For Locke, government should not interfere in the private realm. Locke asked us to use reason in order to seek the truth, rather than simply accept the opinion of those in positions of power or be swayed by superstition. We see Locke's legacy in the 1776 U.S. Declaration of Independence, which was founded on his natural rights and theory of government. Following on from his theory of human rights, we also see Locke's legacy in the U.D.H.R., which was adopted by the U.N.in 1948. Locke's lasting legacy is the argument that society ought to be ruled democratically in such a way as to protected the liberty and rights of its citizens. And the government should never over-step its boundaries.

50 Actions to Becoming a More Extraordinary Leader

                    This post is a summary of the article with the title above published at   https://jimshaffergroup.com/resources/50-ways-to-becoming-an-extraordinary-leader/

                  1) Every time a leader speaks or acts, his/her words and actions should communicate the story.    2) Although large meetings can be used to communicate the story, leaders can also take advantage of daily mini meetings in various parts to connect people and their jobs to strategy and goals.   3) Avoid mixed messages from different people trying to communicate the key messages.   4) Praise the person you see or learn about who is doing work that is consistent. Then tell the other people around them.   5) Inform the person who is not acting in a way that is consistent. Encourage him/her. Track the person's progress.   6) Reward people who uncover and report on problems.   8) Publicize and celebrate great responses.   7) Make simple forms of recognition, like a smile, hand shake or a high five, contagious. This is how recognition cultures are built.   8) Ask yourself every day what you have done to serve your team better. How have I helped my team grow?   9) Hold the managers accountable for using soft skills to generate results that are consistent.   10) Distribute articles describing what other companies are doing to improve. Discuss the ideas in your meetings.   11) Actively participate in orientation, training and development programs.  12) Be reliable. If your behavior is confusing, indecisive or inconsistent, others can't depend on you act in similar ways in similar conditions.    13) Always tell the truth. Honesty does not mean full disclosure.   14) When you make a mistake, apologize.    15) Use question to communicate that you want your team and its members to pursue excellence.    16) Keep your goals in perspective. Know and keep in front of you the imporatnt areas of your life such as family, etc.   17) Set aside a specific time each week for personal reflection. Ask questions, and caoture your reflections. What do I still need to focus on for next week? Have I made progress towards my long term goals? What new ideas do I have?    18) Identify the frustrating processes or systems that prevent people from achieving. Create a specific plan to make those issues go away permanently. Tell everyone what you did and why.    19) Scrutinize your working environment. Describe it as if you were visiting for it the first time. Does it bring people together or keep people apart?    20) Recognize someone in another discipline, department or area who helped your team succeed.    21) Invite hourly people to your team meetings. Ask them what the team does right and what the team does wrong. What can you do to help them get the job done right?     22) Use 25% of meetings to discuss the past; 75% to discuss the future plan and how you can improve on it.    23) Create continuous improvement teams to focus on future. Ask: What should we anticipate? Tell why it is important and what it takes.    24) Congratulate someone publicly for thinking ahead.     25) Stop rewarding or recognizing the fire fighters and start rewarding and recognizing the fire preventers.  

What Makes a Good Politician? Part III

              Next Sunday the people of Brazil will be voting. It is very important that you think well about who deserve your vote. Remember who defend more transparency for governments, who defend more education for all, more sustainable development, respect to human rights, including political and social rights. Remember who has almost twenty years of activism online. The two parts with the same title were published in September 2016, now is the third part. This post is a summary of three article. The first with the title above was published in 2021 at   https://rightforeducation.org/2021/01/26/what-makes-a-good-politician/. The second was published in 2020 at    https://corg.iu.edu/programs/hamiltonviews/commentscongress/What%20Makes%20a%20Successful%20Politician.html. The third was published at https://bpac.in/what-defines-good-politicalleadership/

             A politician is a person who is professionally involved in politics. Either holding or seeking an office in government. When in office, they help to produce the policies which govern a country. Otherwise, they may engage in party politics. Also, campaign for particular issues and debate with fellow politicians. Why do politicians matter? Politicians matter for the same reasons that politics matters. We care about how we are governed and how power is shared in society. We should also care about who govern us and who wields the power. If we want to protect democracy, for example, we must ensure that politicians introduce laws. Laws according to the will of the citizens and remain accountable to the people. It is important to know what makes a good politician. So that we can evaluate our own leaders as well as being in the best position to enter the world of politics ourselves. Politicians need to be able to effectively represent the people. They should be able to listen to voters and determine what they want. Politicians should also be honest and follow through with their promises. They should be willing to compromise in a system where there are a variety of views to reach consensus. Politicians should be compassionate, confident and able to lead. These characteristics will help politicians work out the most beneficial course of action and secure high public approval.                                                                                                               A lifetime in politics has given me a sense of what makes a good politician. One of the ironies of our system is that the skills and attributes that put someone in office are usually not the skills needed for success once they are there. Yet as a nation we depend on politicians' abilities in office to move us forward. For starters, I think the most successful politicians have integrity. When you are interacting with many others to deal with complex and difficult public policy issues, it is hugely important that you can trust someone's word. For the same reason, they tend to be skillful at working with all sorts of people. Sizing others up accurately, not just whether they are trustworthy, but the skills and strengths they might bring to a given policy or organizing effort is vital. So is not rushing to amke quick judments, but instead letting others show through their actions what they can accomplish. I've been impressed over the years by the energy and drive to get things done that good politicians bring to their work. Serving in office all-consuming, especially if you are a politician who wants to accomplish change. At the same time, accomplished politicians know how to rein in their enthusiasm and zeal. They practice patience and perseverance and prepare for the haul, because they understand that controversial things don't get easily done in our system. They believe that facts matter, because they are the starting point for any productive negotiation. And they are very good at managing their time efficiently. Good politicians are able to put aside partisan differences when necessary and work for the common good. They do not see someone they disagree with as the enemy.                                                                                                                  Political leaders are vital, they determine the allocation of power and money through governmental policies, establish partnerships with other stakeholders, and make decisions that can have a major effect on a nation's well-being and its citizen. Political leadership requires a leader to focus on a country's long-term betterment, above and beyond any short-term personal gains. Strong political leadership requires a mixture of charm and honesty, and the capacity to evaluate a circumstance and make a judgment based on what will be better for the majority. Above all, leadership needs statesmanship, as compared to just becoming a 'politician', which implies possessing the honesty and ability to stand up for what is fair, even though it means resigning a government. Let's look at some of the skills required to be successful in political leadership.  1) Good Communicator - If you can't effectively communicate your message, you can never be a good leader. Words can get people motivated.  2) Honesty and Integrity - Are two main elements that make for a strong leader. How do you demand integrity from your supporters if you neglect such qualities? Leaders excel because they hold to their basic principles, and that won't be possible without ethics.  3) Decision Maker - A leader should be capable of making the right decision at the right time.  4) Must Be Able to Inspire Other - Perhaps the toughest thing a leader to do is convince people to follow them. This will only be done by providing a clear example and encouraging your followers.  5) Must Delegate Tasks Effectively - Different duties should be delegate and see how they perform. Provide them with all the tools and help they need to attain the target and allow them to bear responsibilities.  6) Man With a Vision and Purpose - Influential leaders have intent and vision. Not only can they imagine the future, but they also express their dreams with their supporters. A political leader should have a global perspective.