Dimapur, April 27 (MExN): The consolidation of values require Nagas to take ownership of life-giving values that will nurture the growth of a holistic society, students and participants at the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union 16th general conference was reminded. The conference, commenced April 25 at Dimapur Town Hall, drew to a close today, chaired by Dr Jamedi, Lecturer, Dimapur Government College.
Addressing the gathering on the theme ‘Consolidation of values’ Managing Director of The Morung Express, Aküm Longchari, drew a metaphor: “…A Navajo (a native American tribesmen) grandfather was talking to his grandchildren about how he felt about the 911 tragedy and he said
Longchari challenged the gathering: “…which wolf are we feeding? Which wolf are the Nagas feeding? Which values are we pursuing and nurturing? Are we feeding and nurturing the forces that will consolidate a humanity of respect, dignity, justice, freedom and hope. Or are we only fueling the forces of prejudice, hatred, oppression and the ‘isms’ that destroys human dreams and hopes? When have we ceased to learn that one cannot begin building a future founded on ‘fear’ ‘hate’ and ‘exclusivity?’ This reality can not be ignored. It must be confronted.”
The Managing Director observed that the last century is perhaps the most violent in human history, devastated by countless conflicts, untold suffering, and unimaginable crimes. “Time after time, a group or a nation inflicted extreme violence on another, often driven by irrational hatred and suspicion, or unbounded arrogance of power and monopoly over resources; only to realize that after the bloodbath, the only way to resolve differences was for them to sit across the table and engage in dialogue” he opined with a wish if only the bloodbath had been avoided. “Can we therefore consolidate values that will empower us to realize the futility of a bloodbath and to acknowledge that humanity indeed is indivisible?” he challenged.
“Today, we are in need of values - the ethos - that understands that human diversity is both the reality that makes dialogue necessary, and the very basis for that dialogue” he said with the thought that the respect and dignity of each individual is essential to its common humanity.
“It is in the process of self-criticism that we must create and develop participatory solutions to the problems of structural legitimacy and structural relevance; not by ignoring or bypassing them” Longchari said.
He further asserted that as a people Nagas have the right to take fulfillment and ownership in their particular faith, heritage and destinies, and yet they must learn to love what they are, without hating what and who they are not. “We need values that can enable us to prosper in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings” he said.
“For us to together participate in the consolidation of values, we must decide without fear, without reproach, without cynicism, without hatred and without assumptions; but with confidence, conviction and a hopeful imagination let us decisively choose to feed the wolf which is loving, compassionate and just; because that is the basis on which we can create and consolidate a shared humanity” he said adding that the Naga child being born somewhere today must be raised to learn and live the inclusive values of a shared humanity.
Earlier in the programme, Gaidim Kamei, Pastor of Rongmei Baptist Church, Dimapur said the invocation while the Conference Choir treated the gathering to music.
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