By Grace Q. Bryant
The president of the United Methodist University, Yah Donlah Gonway-Gono, urged graduates to be the light that the UMU has prepared them to be.
She pointed out that the decision to take a break from academic activities should not lead them to the point where they are going to turn off the light that has been ignited in them as students of the university.
“I will urge you not to stop or give up because of your experiences, whatever they may be. Take the next step into the academic world and,” Dr. Gonway-Gono expressed.
She added, “As the light and our ambassadors, I want you to be present at the moment, connect to the people and experiences, and engage deeply with the knowledge and ideas you will encounter at every level of your life’s journey.”
The Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Samuel J. Quire, stated, “The beautiful thing about a servant of the Lord is that God gives him the heart of a shepherd.”
“It is a heart that leads instead of a heart that controls; it is a heart that gives instead of a heart that takes; It is a heart that serves instead of a heart that demands, it is a heart that restores instead of a heart that scatters. It is a good heart, a caring heart, a loving heart- it is the only heart the sheep will follow,” he noted.
Also, a representative of the Association of Liberian Universities has called on President Joseph Boakai to provide more support in the educational sector.
He noted that the sector is characterized by poor academic output and weak in-structure facilities, such as libraries, faculty challenges, and so on, reminding government that the National Commission on Higher Education was established by the Legislature to regulate the sector.
“We say this Commission needs your support to facilitate and build the capacity of the institutions so that we will be able to deliver what you have been emphasizing as one of your utmost priorities, which is education,” he emphasized.
He noted that the higher education is a level where ultimate production of people who actually turn the wheel of the economy takes place, “but unfortunately for the sector, we have lagged behind for long time,” he expressed.
“This is interesting to know that the MTHP which is supposed to regulate, monitor, supervise, and ensure that the institutions are doing your business, runs on an annual budget around US$300,000, which is very small,” he disclosed.
The Association of Liberian Universities representative, who spoke on behalf of the National Commission on Higher Education yesterday at the United Methodist University’s 19th commencement convocation in Doemah’s Town, which witnessed 1,163 individuals graduate in different disciplines, said, “This sector of our country needs your utmost attention and it is very important because the higher education sector is faced with series of challenges.”
He maintained that they have worked over the years to resolve, but noted, “I believe that this is one of the challenges you are now taking over.”
He therefore called on the students, stressing, “We believe that you are going out not only as graduates but most importantly, as ambassadors to represent this institution in everything you do.”
Meanwhile, President Boakai called on the 19th graduating class to transform a mindset that is critical to the societal change, noting that it is a change that starts with individuals before permeating the society.
He said Liberians must always remember that their mindset informs their behavior, which in turn shapes and builds a better society, saying, “It is important that we begin holding conversations that will lead to a positive mindset shift now. It should not be about harmful individualism that leads to greed and corruption, but about societal change for the common good.”
He observed that regrettably, Liberians spend more time bringing each other down and missing the opportunity to upgrade themselves.
The President said, “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 behaviors that eat the very fabric of society.”
He noted that the growing decline in good moral standards is of great concern to him, and it is becoming increasingly evident that until Liberians address bad public behavior in society, generations will come to believe norms that are inimical to society.
The President attributed the lack of respect and love for each other to the way the society thinks, talks, and uses the media, including radio, to tear each other apart for greed and selfish reasons.
He said some citizens think that they prepared to undermine each other, and lie to protect their jobs, even if it is detrimental to the public good noting, “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.”
“We must start challenging these predominant norms that have overtaken our society and negatively impact behavior. 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 fuel the scourge of corruption so prevalent in our country. On this note, I would like to quote Pope Francis, who poignantly said: “Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself, and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other, no matter how difficult it is. Life is good when you are happy, but much better when others are happy because of you,” The President asserted.
The Liberian leader observed that change comes when we develop the mindset to break from the past and free ourselves of such notions, undermining progress, claiming that the change the country must seek should challenge societal vices and their agency.
“A transformed mindset that opens up the space and grants everyone equal opportunity builds the foundation for an equal and compassionate society,” the President observed, adding, “The key to transformation is education, which is why as graduates and students who have been taught to think, you must challenge the current mindset and question norms that are contrary to love, a compassionate spirit, integrity, honesty, and peaceful coexistence.”
He stressed, “Your degrees should not just be about the knowledge you have acquired, but how well you are going to use it to impact the conversation and bring about collective change.”
