30th Sep - 7th Oct 2007

At the start of a new term and academic year, a thought about education:

"Education has for a chief object the formation of character."
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903, philosopher, social theorist and sociologist; from "Social Statics", 1892).

Additional Thought
"It is in the national interest for the higher education process to develop the whole person…The role of higher education was:
• to inspire and enable individuals to develop their capabilities to the highest potential levels throughout life...
• to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural wellbeing of individuals and of society;
• to increase knowledge and understanding for their own sake...
• and to shape a democratic, civilised, inclusive society."
Church of England Board of Education (General Synod Paper GS1567)
The Paper criticised the Government's White Paper 'The Future of Higher Education' (January 2003) for being too narrow. I have only quoted some of the roles of higher eduction above.

23rd - 30th Sep 2007

Friday 21st was marked as International Day of Peace

"Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace."
14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).

Additional Thought
"So instead of loving what you think is peace,
love other men and love God above all.
And instead of hating the people you think are warmongers,
hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul,
which are the causes of war.
If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed
— but hate these things in yourself, not in another."
Thomas Merton (1915-1968; Trappist monk, author, student of Zen; from Passion for Peace: Reflections on War and Nonviolence.