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Holistic, expert reform

Aug 27,2022 - Last updated at Aug 27,2022

We have been talking about reform for quite some time now, and little has materialised. Aspirations and primary goals to this effect have been at a standstill and only minor results and achievements have been realised.

One hastens to say at the outset, of course, that the desire for reform and the will to achieve it are in and of themselves positive and crucial in our pursuit to pull our society out of the state of apathy and incompetence to that of progression and advancement. Without such desire and will, the consequences would be unthinkable.

And reform does begin with the will and willingness to do so.

At the same time, we know that specific requirements and demands do not happen by pure wishes or good intentions, that partial visions can never yield the results we hope for, and that disorganised, unprofessional pursuits never get us where we want to be.

The latter two points in particular are crucial, and this is why we wish to pose the following two questions so that those in charge of reform take them into account when thinking about precisely what to do to deliver the results we have been expecting for a while now.

Regarding the vision, it has to be formulated very carefully and characterised with succinctness, depth, and suitability to our context. The question to raise in this very context then is: When we thought of reform, have those in charge come up with the best, most relevant, and holistic vision?

The vision is the stepping stone for reform, and if this stone is not placed carefully and correctly, how can the rest of the building blocks fit and stand firm?

So far, we have learned that the reform will be addressed on three fronts: The political, the administrative, and the economic. Are these three domains sufficient?

The answer is clearly: No.

There is the social domain, with its cultural and moral dimensions. No meaningful reform can happen if we do not reform attitudes, values and the necessary sense of responsibility accompanying them.

There are, in fact, many global examples of countries rising primarily as a result of milestone societal and cultural changes, and this is what our “programme” for reform seems to be lacking. We have no clue as to why this particular domain has been forgotten or bypassed.

The second question pertains to the order and professionalism of the reform efforts. Are those in charge of implementing reforms qualified for the task, and are they working on the basis of meticulous plans?

From what one has seen so far, the reforms being implemented seem to be executed without meticulous action plans and crystal-clear indicators and steps of implementation.

Lessons can be learned from sports, which have become formidable industries in today’s world, attracting billions of devoted viewers all over the world. No team hopes to win, if the coach is not chosen carefully, if the players do not have the necessary training and fitness, and if the teams do not play according to impeccable schemes and plans.

Amateur coaches and unfit players do not win games.

In short, if our plans for reform are to succeed, they must have the right vision, and they must also have competent, qualified teams to carry them out.

If such requirements are not met, we will continue to do what we have been doing for some time now: Going around in circles and drowning in promises, words and fruitless acts.

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