We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future
Oct 08, 2010
“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future”, George Bernard Shaw
Today, it is my privilege, on behalf of the Divine Word University's Community, to welcome to our campus our special guests:
H.E. Mr. Ian Kemish, Australian High Commissioner
Hon. Sir Arnold Amet, Governor of Madang
Your Grace, Archbishop William Kurtz, Archbishop of Madang
Dr. William Tagis, Director-General of Office of Higher Education
Members of the University Council, distinguished guests, parents and guardians, fellow staff members, students, ladies and gentlemen:
Thank you for accepting the invitation to be with us for this important occasion. I would like to sincerely welcome you all to the 2nd Missioning celebration. Today, on behalf of the University Council and our Academic Community, with confidence I declare that these young people have passed the line between childhood to adulthood and they are ready to take responsibility for their own lives and the lives of others. They were in the ‘banis’ for 4 years; they have become wiser, have acquired professional academic qualification and sound philosophy of life. They are ready to take the responsibility for their future and the future of this country.
Dear students, I choose the words ladies and gentlemen deliberately because I hope that, whatever you become in life, you will always be just that. They are old-fashioned titles of course. They do not seem to have any connection with our new, brave and very democratic world. Yet the values they represent are the values I would wish for you.
The real ladies and gentlemen are not afraid to take responsibility and never let anyone feel uncomfortable in their presence whatever their rank or status is. Ladies and gentlemen know that good manners are the oil used to smooth daily living. Ladies and gentlemen may seem a bit old fashioned but fashion is always temporary while hardcore values you imbibed at DWU will endure.
Think of the person you admire most. If you are honest you will find that it is usually a person who has real integrity, whose word is their bond. In past times real gentlemen never needed a lawyer; their word and a handshake was good enough for them. Where have all those good guys gone? Is our world a better place when we need legal contracts to protect ourselves from those with whom we do business? We must ask ourselves whether it a reflection on this brave New World that trust has been lost.
This is not to say of course that you should shut yourself away from new ideas, new developments. Welcome these, explore them thoroughly but don't throw away experience, common sense and the philosophy of life you have developed at DWU. Don’t confuse age with the past tense.
Terri Guillemets once said: “I don't see the point of being a human being if you're not going to be responsible to your fellow human beings. Selfishness thefts away the human and reduces you to just a being”.
Thus, it is worth remembering that responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity, authority and values. Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more yourself and become a great person. Mr.Winston Churchill said: “Responsibility is the price of greatness”.
In time you will settle down and pass on to your children the values you have. Someday your children too will graduate. What sort of world will they inhabit? What sort of standards will they have? What sort of people will they be? A lot of it depends on genes of course but a lot has to do with the environment you will create. If you always say "Yes" to yourself will you be able to say "No" to your children? Sometimes, for their good, for their safety, you will have to say "No". Practice this on yourself first.
We come into this world alone and we leave it alone. Those we love, though, make the journey through life, happier. Amongst those are often our college friends. Don't forget them in the days and years to come. It is good to keep in touch.
You will, you see, have a lot in common. You will have certain ideals and certain ideas that are the product of your education here at Divine Word University.
Some day in the future you may be doing business and be very glad to find someone who understands what you are thinking simply because you shared a common education, a common ethos. I hope you will always be proud to say "I attended Divine Word University”.
All of us have different ideas and sound philosophy of life. Always try to live up to the moral standards and try to develop your ideas. Life is very often exactly what you make it. I hope for all of you that it will be as exciting and as action-packed as your University years have been. I hope too that one day you will be delighted to be described as a real lady or a real gentleman and please remember: God has entrusted you with yourself.
Thank you & God bless you all.
DWU President Fr Jan Czuba
