The opening premise of this ASL session was that any examination of the concept of responsible citizenship must first focus on the value system that underpins the relationship between citizens and their leaders. At the heart of this relationship (often perceived as dichotomous in nature) is a paradigm now challenged by growing grassroots demand for proof of legitimacy. Rising to such demands is a clear priority for leaders capable of steering and shaping the course of events.
The participants remarked on the existence today of a clear crisis of representation, stemming from the indiscriminate distribution of resources as a primary means of legitimization. The resulting scourge of public debt was considered a telling sign of a breach in the implied covenant between generations, whereby once growth had slowed down, older generations offloaded the cost of their now unsustainable standard of living on their younger successors. In light of this, there were calls for a renewed sense of responsibility for preserving the common good, and a renewed appreciation of the wonder inherent in fostering and reinstilling a zest and hope for the future. These would act as powerful incentives for the creation of a new civic sense, embodied primarily in community. Indeed, while increasing voter abstention is a reality, so too is the clear indication being given simultaneously to leaders by the citizenry, namely, that grassroots voluntary organizations and interest groups – those truly invaluable agents of change – need to be recognized and encouraged.
It was further suggested that the phenomenon of online forums (offering virtual citizenry) should also be examined from the perspective of their level of transparency, their underlying value system, and the new forms of community they engender. Having instant access to an arena of ideas, control and mobilization was seen as not necessarily representing a saving grace in itself, since the internet mirrors the moral limits of any social relationship, ranging from the potential for mobilization and empowerment through to social manipulation. It was highlighted that putting these online social networks at the service of fostering increasingly responsible citizenship poses both a difficult and fascinating challenge. Substantiating transparency and guarding against its use to generate a false sense of security entails protecting citizens from the mere illusion of participation, and saving them from being caught up in virtual environments that are only seemingly open forums.
The fruitful relationship between citizens and their leaders was thus seen as calling for a strong sense of mutual responsibility, which must be informed and spurred by a sense of justice and solidarity. Responsible citizenship is built through constant education, which results in community members being informed, knowledgeable, and capable of forming their own opinion of the world around them. It was stressed that values such as meritocracy and interculturalism, in addition to dedicated educational programs in schools, would help to facilitate the emergence of models of citizenship apt to foster the virtuous dynamics of social tolerance.
The advent of a more careful, selective and informed “prosumer” generation was deemed to call for a paradigm shift in the management of businesses, with environmental impact and stakeholder engagement being crucial factors for any firm seeking to improve its corporate reputation. In response to persistent popular demand, leaders, on the other hand, are called on to deepen their engagement with responsibility by adopting a longer-term vision, developing strong leadership skills, avoiding overreliance on opinion polls, relearning how to give an account of themselves, and demonstrating by example the ethical superiority of serving the common good over self-interest. These – it was observed in conclusion – are the defining attributes of leaders seeking to govern a country while pointing to an achievable dream that makes hopes for a brighter future worthwhile.