Our values at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University are stated as follows
http://www.nmmu.ac.za/About-NMMU/Management---Identity/Mission,-Vision---Values
I share them all, abide by them and follow them in my work. I arrived here in 2012 because I liked these values and shared them. I would not work at an institute that prefers one ethnicity over the others and has quota for members of the other ethnicities. This clearly clashes with my values and I cannot work or be at an institute that practices those values that horrify me. Personally, I'd rather do all jobs, except prostitution, or organizational crimes, or selling drugs, than work at a place that does the above. Are our values - NMMU and mine - universal and absolute? What if somebody finds it hard to abide by them and has different sets of values to live by, implement and follow.
Our values are
Respect for diversity.
Excellence.
Ubuntu.
Integrity.
Respect for the natural environment.
Taking responsibility.
This means that
We value pluralism and diversity, excellent work, quality of teaching and publications, interrelationship and interconnection, integrity, commitment and ecology and ecological ethics.
What do we do if our members prefer to practice, write, preach about and teach nationalism, ethnocentrisms, giving preferential treatment to one ethnicity over the others or another, giving preferential treatment to one citizenship over the others, giving preferential treatment to one continent over the others?
Do we terminate their contract? Do we let them follow and abide according to values that are not their embodied values? How does this act of following the values of integrity, diversity and pluralism and respect, and equality.
How does mining follow respect for the natural environment and integrity?
What happens when members of staff work very hard, submit very innovative work that is being rejected by journals due to conservatism and fear of taking risks? Is it still excellence?
What happen if members of staff have several mediocre publications and submissions accepted by mediocre journals or free access that accepts anyone who can afford paying the journals? Is this still excellence?
What happens if, despite our hard work, good intention and effort, our students fail? What happen, if despite our hard work, good intention and effort, our graduate candidate do not follow our advise and fail to get their degrees? Is it still excellence?
What happens if I believe that I am because I am not because you are? Do I still follow Ubuntu or that my contract needs to be terminated immediately?
What happens if I kick a monkey out of my office at the natural reserve, or kill a snake that crawls under my feet? Do I still follow and practice respect for the environment?
What happen if I criticize the IDF in Israel in my teaching there during the Gaza crises? Do I follow pluralism or I affect the moral and hurt the students who fight there and risk their lives as IDF reservists? Do I help the enemy?
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