Global Integrity—15

Integrity Needs External Referents
Moral wholeness for a whole world

"Please don't go, please don't leave me alone.
A mirror is so much harder to hold." Jon Foreman (click here for song and lyrics)

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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Integrity needs external referents. Why? Because of the human propensity to self-justify and self-deceive. Integrity cannot just be based on only an inner sense of congruence—the sense of having aligned one’s values with one’s actions. Why? Because one’s values may not be entirely moral, and one’s perception of inner congruence may not be entirely accurate. So, trust yourself but do not completely trust yourself. We need external moral and accountability referents to hold up the mirror, to help us appraise our levels of integrity. See also the entry from 25 February 2016, Facing Ourselves.

We define integrity as living consistently in moral wholeness (an ideal). Practically, though,  it involves endeavoring to live consistently in moral wholeness (the day in and day out reality). Here are three additional areas to further strengthen living consistently in integrity.

Self-awareness

--I am aware that I am not always aware how I distort and bias my moral self-appraisals

--I do my best to admit mistakes and wrongdoing

External Morals

--I can clearly clarify the main external referents that guide my moral values and ethical principles

--I am committed to internalize and follow these moral values and ethical principles

External Accountability

--I entrust myself to specific people and processes for scrutiny and accountability

--I use resources to help me grow in integrity

Applications

--Which of the three areas above are you strongest in or weakest?

--How would you adjust or add to the items above? 

Global Integrators--11

First Love

Values that Guide and Goad GI

We think that the time is coming for a diversity of colleagues to come together intentionally, visibly, and practically on behalf of global integration (GI). GI put simply is how we skillfully integrate our lives and values on behalf of the issues facing humanity. Likewise we think that the time is coming for colleagues to carefully reflect and act on what it means to be good global learners-practitioners--to seriously consider what it means to be what we are calling global integrators (GI-People).

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This entry is definitely a work in progress...

GI at its core involves values. Core values. Not just good actions or recognized codes of practice or even human rights standards. But rather the underlying, deeply help moral convictions that motivate action, foster commitment, and priortize goals. Values that guide us and which goad us as Global Integrators. Values that reflect both desire and duty--and delight!  

I like to think of the core of the core of these values as our First Love. It is our highest good and our core existential belief which shapes and supports us, our work, and our world. GI would never be the same without core values. And core values would never be the same without our First Love.

Listed below are five of my core of the core values--First Love--that guide me and goad me as a growing Global Integrator who is a committed Christian. It is helpful to make them explicit as they are deeply ingrained with who I am, my identity. They also are a reflection of the "faith-based" influence on personal and organizational involvement in the secularized humanitarian/development sectors.

 1. Shema+. Love the one Lord God with everything that you are (Deuteronomy 6:4,5)

2. Agape. Love never ceases (I Corinthians 13:8)

3. LTP. Loving truth and peace at all levels of relationship (Zechariah 8:19).

4. GloballeluYHWH (Global-alleluia-Yahweh).That God may be known and loved, and praised by all peoples. 

5. TBA...something like personal transformation as well as public transformation as a core component of well-being for all people and the planet...something like character and virtue...something like the necessity to explicitly consider moral measures, moral motivations, moral means, etc. as per the example of the current papal encyclical on climate change...

Note though that values--my values--often get mixed up with other, well, lesser values (motives/commitments/goals--mocogo) which I don't usually like to admit or show to others and which I am sure are often under the radar of my own self-surveillance. Some of these less noble examples: self-interest (what's in it for me?), convenience (could it interfere with my lifestyle?), fear (what would people say or think?), getting attention and getting people to like me (am I really special and important?) etc.  

So, staying in tune with such a "mocogo mix" is a good idea as Global Integrators seek to let their First Love shape and support their GI involvement. And making one's First Love explicit is also a good idea, knowing that there are a variety of world views whose pathways can lead to similar core values and core of the core values.

GP2: Good Practice by Good Practitioners

GP2: Going and Growing

Morality must match with capacity.

David Bornstein, How to Change the World, 2004

Capacity must match with morality.

CORE/MCA, Growing as Good Practitioners, 2009 :-)

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So let's think about what is needed for GP2:

in light of the diversity of member care providers around the world

in light of the diversity of challenges and opportunities everywhere.

1. In GP2: We go broadly to humans in need.

Going is about "crossing" into different types of areas.

Practitioners in this field must increasingly cross into multiple cultures, sectors, and disciplines.

For some, they actively integrate some of these areas.

Others primairly just try to stay informed by some of these areas.

But the interconnections and growth from "crossing" are essential.

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2. In GP2: We grow deeply as humans in need.

Growing is about our character and competence.

Practitioners in this field must continue to develop personal virtues and professional skills.

It is about being stretched, taking risks, getting more training, lifelong learning commitments, iron sharpening iron, and being refined by life's challenges and opportunities.

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Reflection and Discussion

1. I think GP2,

in the Christian faith-based sectors,

is ultimately intertwined

with laying down our lives,

as pierced pratitioners,

in order to follow

the Pierced Practitioner.

What do you think?

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2. "Crossing" leads us into new areas

(cultures, sectors, disciplines)

and it also leads us into dying daily

(sacrifice, struggles, service).

There are two types of "crossing".

What do you think?