ENGLISH (Pa papiamentu skrol bai mas abou)
“The quality of any house is mainly determined by the quality of its foundation” (a famous saying).
In our last edition, we elaborated on existing worldviews. A worldview can be defined as a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape how an individual interprets and interacts with the world. In this edition, we will explore the worldview LWI adheres to substantiate the proposition of using this worldview as a foundation stone for an effective integrity policy.
As stated in our last edition, LWI believes in the Creator of all things, which is not just a choice out of many possibilities but based on verifiable facts. Let's examine historical facts to exclude all emotional or religious bias.
Have you ever wondered where our present scientific and technological level of development came from? The birth of science in the 16th and 17th centuries took place in Europe. But why precisely in Europe? Why not in China or Egypt? After all, the Chinese invented gunpowder in the preceding centuries, and Egypt constructed pyramids with such ingenuity that we still stand in awe of.
First, we must differentiate between building great engineering works and doing science. The distinguishing mark is that science seeks to discover the laws of nature to predict future developments (for instance, predict hurricanes, prevent diseases, etc.)
So, the next question is then: why did Europeans, and not other civilizations, discover the laws of nature?
Because 16th-century believers in Jesus, also called Christians, like Galileo, Newton, and Kepler, reasoned that if the Creator is rational and law-abiding, His creation must definitely reflect that. So, they concluded the universe must be governed by laws. It didn’t dawn on other civilizations that a Supreme Being might impose laws on non-human entities because of their worldview. So, European creationists started researching and discovered laws such as the law of gravity and the laws of motion upon which they could build science. To this logic, we owe our present scientific and technological stage, which we all enjoy.
Another historical fact is that when the printing press was invented in the 15th century, the Bible was the first major book printed and read on a large scale. Those who read the Bible put into practice what they read and practiced virtues like teamwork to contribute to their country's welfare. In other words, they laid the foundation for labor ethics, reflected later in one of the founding principles of the USA: “If anyone does not work, neither let him eat.”
To conclude this analysis, we encourage you to evaluate the merits of this particular worldview that brought us to our present scientific, technological, and civilized level. These same foundational stones will be useful in building an integrity policy that can tackle integrity breaches effectively.
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PAPIAMENTU
“Kalidat di kualke kas ta keda determiná pa kalidat di su fundeshi” (un dicho famoso).
Den nos último edishon, nos a elaborá riba ‘worldview’-nan eksistente. Nos por definí un ‘worldview’ komo un sèt di kreensia, balornan i suposishonnan ku ta forma e manera ku un persona ta interpretá i interaktá ku mundu. Den e edishon aki, nos lo eksplorá e ‘worldview’ ku LWI ta partidario di dje pa supstansiá e proposishon pa usa e ‘worldview’ aki komo un piedra di fundeshi pa un maneho efektivo di integridat.
Manera nos a bisa den nos último edishon, LWI ta kere den e Kreador di tur kos loke no ta djis un eskoho fo’i hopi otro posibilidat sino fundá riba echonan verifikabel. Laga nos wak algun echos históriko pa ekskluí tur tendensia emoshonal òf religioso partidista.
B’a yega di puntra bo mes di unda nos nivel di desaroyo sientífiko i teknológiko a bin? Nasementu di siensia den siglo 16 i 17 a tuma lugá na Europa. Pero di kon nèt na Europa? Di kon no na China òf Egipto? Al fin al kabo, Chinesnan a inventá polvo eksplosivo den siglonan anterior i Egipto a konstruí piramitnan ku asina tantu ingeniosidat ku te ainda ta asombrá nos.
Promé, nos tin ku hasi diferensia entre traha obranan tremendo di ingenieria i praktiká siensia. E diferensia ta ku siensia ta buska pa deskubrí leinan di naturalesa pa asina por pronostiká desaroyonan den futuro (por ehèmpel, pronostiká orkan, prevení malesa etc.).
Pues, e siguiente pregunta ta: di kon ta Europeanonan a deskubrí e leinan di naturalesa i no otro sivilisashonnan?
Wèl, pasobra kreyentenan den Hesus di siglo 16, yamá Kristiannan, manera Galileo, Newton i Kepler a rasoná ku si e Kreador ta rashonal i tene Su mes na lei, Su kreashon tambe mester reflehá esei. Pues, nan a konkluí ku universo mester ta wòrdu goberná dor di leinan. Otro sivilisashonnan no a kai ariba ku un Ser Supremo lo pone lei pa entidatnan no-humano pa motibu di nan ‘worldview’. Pues kreashonistanan Europeo a kuminsá hasi investigashon i a deskubrí leinan manera lei di gravedat i leinan di moveshon riba kua nan por a funda siensia. Ta debí na e lógika aki, nos a yega na e etapa sientífiko i teknológiko aktual loke nos tur ta gosa di dje.
Un otro echo históriko ta ku dia nan a inventá drùkmentu di buki den siglo 15, Beibel tabata e promé buki ku a wòrdu di-drùk i lesá na gran eskala. Esnan ku a lesa Beibel a pone den práktika loke nan a lesa i tabata praktiká birtutnan manera traha komo tim pa kontribuí na adelanto di nan pais. Ku otro palabra, nan a pone e fundeshi pa étika laboral loke a keda reflehá despues den un dje prinsipionan ku nan a funda Merka riba dje: “Si un hende no ke traha, no lag’e kome tampoko”.
Pa konkluí e análisis aki, nos ta enkurashá bo pa evaluá e méritonan di e ‘worldview’ aki ku a hiba nos na e nivel sientífiko, teknológiko i sivilisá aktual. Mésun piedranan aki di fundeshi lo ta útil pa traha un maneho di integridat ku por dil efektivamente ku infrakshonnan di integridat.