Which human values?

Human Values

1. Accept, respect, appreciate:

Accept, respect, appreciate the other, all other human beings, as different as they may be, and also ourselves.

(as opposed to ignoring, rejecting, belittling,  disparaging, denigrating, insulting or simply "tolerating")

2. Knowing how to listen, developing warm relations, and favouring empathy

Lend an ear, support, offer good care, affection, your touch, personal commitment.

(as opposed to being unavailable, neutral, insensitive, cold, not genuine, afraid of commitment)

3. Taking Care

Taking care of others, including in situations of distress or tension, rushing to the rescue.

(as opposed to ignoring, avoiding, running away)

4. Sharing and passing on one’s human values.  Sharing one’s values with others, and one’s personal limits, consciously chosen, as well as questionings and ethical dilemmas.

Passing on one’s values and limits to young people as explicitly and regularly as possible, favouring  moments spent talking about this subject.

(as opposed to relying on one’s own example (a way of avoiding dialogue with children), or thinking that there is no possible discussion on the theme of human values with people of differing cultures (to avoid the subject, avoid meeting each other or be afraid of having a constructive confrontation).

5. Favour reconciliation by knowing how to excuse oneself and how to say sorry

Go beyond one’s resentment, one’s hate, or negative sentiments in order to be freed from them

(as opposed to trapping oneself into such feelings, by harbouring them)

6. Contributing to peace on a personal level, to peace relations, and more generally,  to a climate of peace.

Getting involved in peace on a personal level and in everyday living just as in situations of social tension and geopolitical conflicts; developing one’s peace reflexes as well as those of others by giving them more human warmth and by going beyond one’s negative feelings

(as opposed to thinking that we cant make a difference, that we are powerless as contributors to peaceful relations).