This book outlines a comprehensive approach to education, nurturing ethical individuals and relationships, responsible businesses, effective governance and engaged global citizens.
The values education and personal development program presented in this book cultivates lifelong values and skills that empower you to effectively manage yourself, your relationships and your interactions with your environment. It equips young people and adults with a moral framework to navigate and understand the world around them. The program also involves character education, which helps individuals become not just academically capable ('smart') but also morally sound and virtuous ('good)'.
This program is intended for senior high school students (ages 15-18), university students, adults looking to enhance personal development and relationships, and civil society, government and business organisations aiming to foster a moral, thriving and sustainable society through value-based programs.
Pillar One: Managing Ourselves and Self-Actualisation
We explored how meaning and purpose, conscious living, personal responsibility and understanding mind-body relations shape wellbeing. We emphasised the importance of knowing oneself, managing one's inner life through mindfulness and emotional intelligence, and recognising the cultural influences that support or constrain self-actualisation and self-development.
Pillar Two: Managing Our relationships and Self-actualisation
We examined love as the central value of life, and the family as the foundational school of love and values. We discussed how shared values, reflective listening and living for the sake of others nurture harmonious relationships. We highlighted the four spheres of love within families - conjugal, parental, sibling and filial - and their importance in healthy development and social stability. We also addressed the impact of popular culture on relationships and affirmed the importance of lifelong, comprehensive sexuality education.
Pillar Three: Managing our Natural Environment and Sustainable Development
We considered the interconnectedness of human and natural systems, and how human activities shape ecosystems. We examined the consequences of resource use, waste generation and environmental degradation, and advocated for balancing economic development with the preservation of natural systems. We highlighted the need for transdisciplinary research, government commitment, circular economic models and individual sustainable practices.
This book and program advocates for a values-based approach to life - one that emphasises self-management, fosters positive relationships rooted in love and communication, and promotes sustainable practices for our natural environment. It argues that true happiness and a peaceful future arise when we align our lives with meaningful purpose, genuine connection, and responsible action towards ourselves, others and the planet.
Three Pillars Framework: a comprehensive approach to education, nurturing ethical individuals and relationships, responsible businesses, effective governance and engaged global citizens.
Bellavance, John: - Dr John Bellavance is a distinguished academic and community leader with extensive experience in international peacebuilding and education. He currently serves as a Global Vice-President at Sun Moon University, South Korea and is the Oceania Coordinator for the International Association of Academicians for Peace (IAAP). Additionally, he holds the position of Vice-President of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Australia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Monash University, Australia in values education and the use of Information and Communication Technology and has been teaching Information Technology in high schools for 20 years.
Naz, Rafia: - Dr Rafia Naz is a notable academic and has local, regional and international experience in Management and Public Administration. She is presently Professor and Head of MBA at the University of Fiji. She has been an active member of Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and Oceania International Association of Academicians for Peace (IAAP) and has been a Consultant at the Graduate School of Business, the University of the South Pacific. Dr Naz has held the position of the Dean for the Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship (FoBE) and the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the National University of Samoa. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji in Management and Public Administration.
Phan, Tuong Thi: - Dr Tuong Thi Phan (PhD) has been working in the higher education sector in Sydney University and New Zealand over the past 35 years. Her PhD was on Western-Based Approaches to Assessing Psychiatric Symptoms in Vietnamese. By invitation, she has engaged in teaching, supervising and curriculum development at several other overseas universities as a visiting professor. Her academic achievement has been centred on preventing and enhancing health and diagnosing mental illness, particularly among underprivileged groups and communities. She developed a culturally sensitive instrument to identify four major scopes of mental health, which has been widely utilised in Australia and abroad. She is a Member of the Oceania International Association of Academicians for Peace (IAAP) and Ambassador for Peace Universal Peace Federation (UPF).
