Farzin Davachi, M.D.,

F.A.A.P., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.A.

4201 Cathedral Ave. NW #1120W

Washington, DC 20016

Tel/Fax: 202-364-9666

Email: <fdavachi@hotmail.com>

**STATEMENT**

Doctor Davachi has visited 55 countries in the past five years to
consult with the governments about the need for the character education
of children for the prevention of social ills.

He defines character education as the acquisition of virtues such as
uprightness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, kindliness, respect,
courtesy, unity, justice, fairness, compassion, generosity, service to
others, pursuit of excellence, etc. These moral values are universal and
are acceptable to people of all traditions, cultures, religions and
nations. They are the building blocks of the character that give
children the moral force to make responsible decisions and act upon
them.

Children are endowed with physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual
capacities. Current educational systems address the physical and
intellectual development but give little or no attention to the moral
capacities. This imbalance has contributed to the current social ills,
such as alcohol and drug abuse, violence, crime, hatred, prejudice,
intolerance, injustice, poverty, AIDS, and others. Present solutions are
aimed at relieving the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.

Scientific data indicates that the best years to form the character of
an individual is in childhood. After puberty, the character is formed
and changing behavior becomes difficult. Children are like flexible,
young trees that can grow straight with a little help, but a tree, which
has grown in a bent formation is difficult to straighten. It is said
that what children learn in childhood is like carving on stone. It can
not be erased. This has profound social implications, since a person
with a good character will be a benefit to the society for a lifetime.

Although Dr. Davachi has been advising the governments since the early
80s concerning abstinence education for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, the
turning point came in 1989 when the Government of Uganda agreed to teach
abstinence to school children. This has resulted in a dramatic decline
in the HIV infection rate in 15-19 year old girls, from 38% in 1989 to
7.3% in 1997 (World Health Organization statistics).

Subsequently in the United States, legislation passed by the Congress
(Welfare Reform Law) in 1996 and put into effect in 1998 provides \$50
million in state funding for the development and implementation of
abstinence education programs. Teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted
diseases, HIV/AIDS and other social ills have decreased in areas where
these programs have been implemented. In addition, each State is now in
the process of developing and implementing character education programs
in their school systems.

In the practice of medicine, if a treatment is ineffective, it must be
changed to save the life of the patient. The fact that, to date, 70
million people have been infected with HIV/AIDS and other social ills
are on the rise is proof in itself that current preventive measures are
insufficient. Therefore, to supplement the current efforts, education to
foster a fundamental change in human behavior is required.

Human conduct is governed by internal and external forces. The internal
force is the moral force. It allows an individual to make a moral
decision and act upon it. The external force, that is the police force,
is designed to punish, not to refine the character. In certain
countries, the penalty for possession of illicit drugs is death by
hanging. Yet in these same countries, substance abuse is on the rise.
This demonstrates that punishment alone is not effective. The most
effective force for controlling one's actions is the moral force.

The development of each child's moral character is the essential
foundation for the acquisition of all other knowledge. Developing moral
capabilities is about educating children so that they think about the
welfare of the community, participate in collective enterprise, manage
their affairs with responsibility and good conduct, build unity, seek
and appreciate diversity, take initiative, persevere to overcome
obstacles and search for solutions. It awakens their consciousness about
their own nobility of character and their capacity for personal/group
decision-making and self-reliance. While the foundation of character
development is laid in childhood, refinement of the character is a life
long process. Therefore Dr. Davachi recommends that the universities
develop and implement programs of moral leadership, so that graduates
become moral leaders in their respective fields of endeavor and use
their knowledge for the welfare and well being of mankind.

Most conflicts in the world today are linked to religious intolerance,
racial and national prejudice and poverty. To address these social ills,
there is a need for a worldwide campaign to teach children the oneness
of mankind. Children must be taught from early childhood about unity in
diversity, that humanity is one family and that cultural, traditional,
religious, racial and national diversity should be celebrated and
appreciated. We cannot plant hate and animosity and harvest peace and
unity. The culture of hate must be replaced by a culture of unity. He
appeals to all those in a leadership role to promote unity so that
humanity may live in peace and security.

Dr. Davachi believes that moral education is not only the responsibility
of parents and communities, but also of governments because they aspire
to have a just and moral society. Indeed, moral education of children is
the responsibility of every member of society. No one should be
indifferent to the great suffering that the social ills have brought
upon humanity.

Farzin Davachi, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.A.

Professor of Pediatrics, New York Medical College

Medical Advisor and Consultant to United Nations Agencies