Honour, a critical ingredient in Ghana’s development trajectory
The Hebrew word for Honour is “kavod”, which means give it the right weight. We need to give the right weight to other people, decisions etc. Honour governs the way we interact with each other. Difference between Honour and Respect.
Respect is giving reverence to someone because he/she meets your standards. Honour is giving reverence to someone whether he/she meets your standards you continue to revere that person.
Honour is an abstract concept inseparable from human society and human civilization. For most societies, we tend to believe that having good laws, which are efficiently policed and an efficient market is all we need to thrive. In Edward Gibbon’s book The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it is aptly captured that the gradual loss of civic virtues made the decline possible.
Taking a critical look at Chinese history, one will find that during the Qin Dynasty founded by Qin Shi Huang marked the end of the warring states, when various states used to battle for dominance. He managed to unify China, and laid the foundation for China’s future dynasty. He adopted legalism as the guiding philosophy, emphasizing strict laws and harsh punishment to maintain order.
However, this period was short-lived and it collapsed in 206 BCE. The Han dynasty founded by Liu Bang (later Emperor Gaozu) followed the Qin dynasty. Historians attribute this period to the golden age of Chinese civilization. The Han dynasty was based on civic virtues (Confucius principles) combined with some elements of legalism. This was the period the Chinese territory expanded, and the silk trade routes developed. These routes could go as far as India, and the Roman Empire. This period lasted far longer than the Han dynasty. Today the Chinese people refer to themselves as the “Han ethnicity”, underscoring the dynasty’s lasting influence.
Clearly, in a nation’s development, history has shown that civic virtues are what can ensure the growth and sustainability of the nation. Where are we in Ghana? From the 2024 Afrobarometer report, trust in key state institutions and officials has seen a major drop. It also indicates a troubling erosion of public trust in critical institutions including the judiciary, tax authorities, the presidency, and parliament with heightened skepticism towards officials perceived as corrupt.
I had a conversation with a group of tertiary students and asked the question: What is the Ghanaian dream? The whole class shouted to leave the country. Clearly, some of our young people are disillusioned with the current trajectory of our nation. We have placed a heavy emphasis on our constitution as our social contract. We are all seeing the current happenings in parliament. Despite the ruling of the Supreme Court, the parties involved still have reservations.
Clearly trust seems to have been broken somewhere. In China today, the law is subservient to the rules of proper behaviour (Confucius principles). Whenever, they have issues in China with the law, the law gives way to the rules of proper behaviour.
What are our national values in Ghana? We have different ethnicities with values across the board. However, we have not codified our national values. This is something the National House of Chiefs and the Council of State need to be concerned about. We need a codified national value that should guide us as a nation.
As I stated in the beginning of this write-up, the fall of the Roman Empire was due to a decline in civic virtues. We need to prevent a fall in Ghana. We need a conscious effort to uphold our national values now or never. An Honour movement will be critical to our national survival. As was said by Pope Francis: Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. We can all move on and become saints with time.
Let us always remember these Spanish words: “Vale la Pena”, meaning it is worthwhile. It is always worthwhile to do a little good.
Written by Dr Emmanuel Odame, Chairman Honour Ghana
Email: joeankra@yahoo.com