Centre For Change

(Values and Visions: Western Culture and Humanity's Future, Address by Richard Eckersley)

Responses

There are two ways of looking at the results of the ASTEC study and the other evidence I have cited. They can be seen as an indictment of modern western society, evidence of its growing failure to deliver what people need and want. Or they can be viewed, more positively, as opening the way for an emerging new order, a new ethic, the 'whole-system change' I have spoken of.

Willis Harman writes in his paper that: "The most powerful force for social change has always been withdrawal of legitimacy from the old order." I believe we are now at this point.

I want to make a couple of general points about how we manage this transition, and then several specific points relating to the political system, the mass media and the education system.

First the general points. One of the most questionable, yet largely unquestioned, assumptions of our times is that people and societies can adapt to the pace and extent of change taking place, and the accompanying uncertainty and insecurity:
· One way we can cope better, given the inevitability of the changes, is by building 'zones of stability' into our lives: spiritual beliefs and family life are two crucial areas.
· Another way is to develop a clear vision of where we want to go as a society, so that we manage change better towards realising that vision, and not feel we are at the mercy of changes that are beyond our control and that are not in our interests. I hope the ASTEC study and a few other projects involving young people that I am aware of will contribute to this process, nationally and globally.

Now the specifics. These are not minor changes in the processes or roles of government, media and education. If what I say sounds unlikely or far-fetched, let me point out that all of them are being discussed at various levels; but they need to be pushed higher up the agenda of public debate and political action.

Government: The processes of government, in the broadest sense, need to be reformed so that they are more flexible and responsive to major shifts in community values and priorities. Existing processes were never designed for 'whole-system change'. Changes should aim to influence the behaviour of voters, as well as politicians and bureaucrats.

The need to find a 'new way' and the rigidity of the current political system mean that people expect far more of government than it can possibly deliver. The result is a profound lack of confidence in the process, clearly demonstrated by a recent Bulletin Morgan poll which showed a majority of Australians have lost faith in the (Federal) political system (56%) and believe that neither side of politics has the courage to make the tough decisions required for the long-term good of the country (66%).

Changes to the voting system such as proportional representation, reducing the voting age, citizen-initiated referendums, and more systematic mapping of public opinion are among the changes that are suggested.

The media: Never before have ordinary citizens had to confront and take responsibility for so many major issues, national and global, or been exposed to so much information about these issues. This situation imposes a tremendous responsibility upon the news media, one which they are profoundly failing to acknowledge. Their perspective is too limited, often trivial and frequently negative, with too much emphasis on conflict and calamity. They are probably up to a decade behind public opinion in awareness of the need to broaden the parameters of public debate to embrace fundamental change.

The media needs to look closely at the sort of evidence I have cited and its implications of their culpability. Perhaps more than anything else, we need the news media to take on a more positive and constructive role if we are to meet the challenges of the next century. The same applies, but in different ways, to the entertainment media.

The mass media have become the most powerful force in modern culture, and as such have a major influence on our ability to articulate and attain a preferred future.

Education: More must be done in schools to instil in young people a greater sense of optimism about the future, a conviction that the future is theirs to shape, and the faith in themselves needed to tackle this task. This surely should be a fundamental task of education today, and it is what futures education is all about.

If children lack these qualities, everything else in education - whether it is providing basic literacy and numeracy, instilling a love of learning or developing vocational or life skills - becomes devalued and harder to achieve.

The thing that most delighted and encouraged those of us who ran the ASTEC workshops was the energy and enthusiasm of most (but by no means all) of the young people who participated, and the idealism and altruism that shone through when they had the opportunity to discuss their preferred futures. They became more aware of what could be changed, and of their responsibility to play a part in making this happen.

Conclusion

In emphasising the importance of building on this capacity, let me quote the words of the Prime Minister, Mr Keating, in a message to a New Leaders Forum last December:
"One of the great challenges we face as a nation is to generate a deep sense of optimism within our young people. We need to do that because without optimism, without a sense that we do have the wherewithal to build a better future, we will find no reason to build that future."

(Values and Visions: Western Culture and Humanity's Future, Address by Richard Eckersley)