The good governance start at oneself, honesty, integrity, accountability are important in the functioning of the public and private sector to minimize corruption we need to be honest in ourselves don’t do anything wrong, respect opinions and views. Efficient and effective methods are important, transparency in all things we do, give the right information to public. I am very interested with this topic and want to learn more. In the book of K.Athal I learn the basic meaning of good governance.
Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society[1].
Need to walk the talk, don’t wait others to do something, think about what I can do to contribute in my country.
Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand. Rule of law Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media. Responsiveness Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. Figure 2: Characteristics of good governance Consensus oriented There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community. Equity and inclusiveness – A society’s wellbeing depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their wellbeing. Effectiveness and efficiency Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders[2].
Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Conclusion From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.
“Mauritian governance needs willing and passionate men and women from all walks of life to actively and constructively participate and this means that the subject needs to be opened up and education needs to take place. It is about educating the young minds and reassuring them that their word and actions can count towards a better country. I feel strongly that this principle when looking at an ideal Mauritian model because it boils down to opening the topic up fully, particularly to the youth of the nation. We should not be treading lightly regarding this topic, we need to trail blaze and inform to encourage passionate and willing men and women to be more involved in their country’s affairs”.[3]
Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader’s Rise to Power
Chapter 7 : Good governance p222
I fully agree with Krishna Athal when he mentions that for good governance to work out we need individual involvement of both men and women. The need to change our mindset is becoming a must in order to reassure the youth who are the prospective leaders. They will certainly develop the sense of responsibility and be fully involved. Finally I thank Krishna Athal for bringing such an impactful piece of work that will certainly make readers more conscious about their responsibilities.
[1] What is good governance?, http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf, accessed on 01.12.15
[2] ibid
[3] Krishna Athal, Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader’s Rise to Power (Yougen Publishing, 2015), page 222
http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf, accessed on 01.12.15
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