By Lincoln G. Peters
President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has admonished graduates of the United Methodist University (UMU) to remember that their mindset informs their behaviors which in turn shapes the society.
Boakai delivered the keynote at UMU’s 19th commencement under the theme: “Transforming the Mindset for Societal Change.”
He urged the graduates to embrace change and shift in paradigm, noting that to build a better society, they must begin holding conversations that will lead to a positive mindset shift now.
President Boakai charged the graduates to transform their mindset for societal change, noting that Liberians spend more time bringing each other down and missing the opportunity to upgrade themselves.
“My dear graduates, I would like to speak to you briefly about a topic very dear to my heart, one of a mindset shift that is critical to the way we view our country, society, and each other: “Transforming the Mindset for Societal change,” said President Boakai.
He further indicated that it should not be about harmful individualism that leads to greed and corruption but about societal change for the common good.
“We are aware that years of war and violence have had a social impact on our country, but we must also acknowledge that we have had many years of peace, stability, and opportunities to reshape society, in ways that should allow us to frown on behaviours that eat the very fabric of society,” he pointed out.
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Mr. Boakai lamented that the decline in good moral standards is of great concern to him.
He said it is becoming increasingly evident that until they address bad public behaviour in society, generations will come to believe norms that are inimical to society.
According to him, the lack of respect and love for each other is demonstrated daily in many ways across society in the way they think and talk and use media channels including the radio to tear each other apart for greed and selfish reasons.
‘’Citizens, it seems now, are prepared to undermine each other, and lie to protect their jobs, even if it is detrimental to the public good,” he said.
“It is disheartening that very few people now subscribe to values and principles. These vices are becoming pervasive in society with young people feeding on them as the new normal,’’ Amb. Boakai urged.
He further recommended that citizens must start challenging these predominant norms that have overtaken society and negatively impacted behaviour.
“We need a mindset shift to break the recurring challenges of underdevelopment in our country; we must see things differently, treat others with mutual respect, and view service from a more compassionate lens than individualism and greed, which fuels the scourge of corruption so prevalent in our country.”
