Responsibility

I will be a good person—even when no one is looking—and own the consequences of my actions. Being responsible is being capable of being trusted to do something or to take care of something or someone.

Every day, each of us makes choices. These choices, large and small, all have consequences—for us and for the world around us. Moral responsibility involves taking the initiative to do something that needs to be done and being accountable for its success or failure. Although we all live in a society with various cultural values, expectations, codes of conduct, and social rules, we all decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. Being a responsible person involves constant attention to what is right and accepting the blame or praise for our own actions.

Activity 1 – My responsibilities

Explain your own responsibilities and how you carry them out. These may be in your family, in your community, in your school, or other places where you are involved.

Why is it important to be able to rely on people to do their duty?

Activity 2 – Having a responsible job

In groups of 2 or 3 find someone who has a position of responsibility in your community and find out what they have to do and what motivates them to do a good job.

Some people you might talk with include: a teacher, a nurse or midwife, a community leader, a policeman or askari, a cook, a carpenter, a farmer, a mother, a father, or someone else of your choice.

Activity 3 – Taking on a new responsibility

Get together a group of students with a common interest and set up a club in your school.

Hold a meeting to decide the objectives of the club.

Choose a name for it. Plan a first meeting. Monitor how well it does.

Some clubs you might consider, if you do not already have them in your school, are:

• First Aid, Natural History, Bird watching, Gardening, Choir,
• Reading Group, Computers, Sports, Debating, World Affairs.

But you might have a much better idea…