He who loves his country puts his heart in his job and does it to the best of his ability. A good citizen puts his country before self. A good citizen stays away from anti-social activities like corruption and tribalism which is nowadays common slogan for some major parts of our society. It is a man’s everyday behaviour and his everyday virtues which count and contribute to his character. A good citizen is one whose behaviour is consistent with the canons of self-respect and social justice and he should be reliable both in peace and war.
The first and foremost quality asked of a good citizen is patriotism. He should have a genuine love for his country and should have a sense of involvement in its day to day affairs, in its economic policies and its international relationships. All this cannot be achieved overnight: it is the product of a good training and a good heritage and various other factors contribute towards patriotic feelings. The first among these is the right kind of upbringing. If a child hears only stories of betrayal and listens to a discussion of the various methods of making easy money, he is unlikely to take in any good qualities. The hand that rocks the cradle shapes the world. Honesty, integrity and self-respect are the qualities that can only be nurtured at home. These form the foundation of good citizenship.
A home and a family are a miniature group. If a person gets his values and priorities correct while living in it, he/she will make a good citizen. A good citizen must put the interest of his country before his own personal interest and he should not enter into any contract which may prove harmful to the interest of his country and he must do his share of the work and share due responsibilities. These are the qualities which add up to strength and character. Good citizenship lies mostly in the recognition that members of a community must work together to improve their lives and enhance their relationship with one another. Essential factors toward achieving this include doing volunteer work, initiating community programs, and participating in economic affairs. Some countries recognize the importance of knowing and understanding what good citizenship requires and have created citizenship education programs. Education promotes good judgment, thus it is considered an essential factor for good citizenship.
There is not a day that goes by that a person of esteem, of status, of privilege doesn’t fall from grace. Each person’s self-centeredness quickly affects others. When people live for themselves, focusing on their own best interest with little concern for how their actions affect others, the resulting moral decay contaminates the entire nation. In the case of Somaliland, there is not a single day that goes by that we see or hear unfounded and endless accusations and blame towards each other which increasingly distracts our attention from the real job. There is not a single day that goes by that we see individuals that have become associated with mendacious TV appearance and fabrication of uncivilized articles. This kind of behaviour not only creates mistrust, discontent and disagreement among our citizens but it also consumes much of time and energy of many Somalilanders at home and in abroad. This kind of behaviour not only hurt our Democratic Values but it also harms our country’s global interests dreadfully!! It is during hard times that Somaliland people come to know one’s true loyalty and patriotism towards their country and people.
In the case of Somaliland, the real moral dilemma of a large number of Somaliland politicians is the fact that they change very often the clan and political colour by turn. Somaliland politicians must grow from tribal slogans and speak the shared national interest that binds our society together. Somaliland’s politicians (both ruling and opposition parties) have to present a practical and socially and economically viable political solution that will lift up the hopes and expectations of Somaliland citizens. They should come up with a well considered and more constructive debates that can be part of the general cause for our nation and may contribute to the advancement of our people and country’s ever growing challenges.
In conclusion, the true nature, power, ability to resolve potential crisis, quality and moral fibre of the people of Somaliland manifests when we are united and when we stand together- not when we are a splintered, quarrelling and polarized nation. After all, when it comes to the existence and sovereignty of our country and the aspirations and self determination of the people of Somaliland, we all know it’s the simple and only thing that counts among many other things that we may hold a different view.
May God Bless and Protect this Great Nation (The Republic of Somali land)
By: Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh |Hussein Deyr| |Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland|