You’ve probably heard me talk before about the Six Pillars of Character, the core ethical values central to the CHARACTER COUNTS! movement. But where did this list come from?

In 1992, the Joseph & Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics invited 30 leading educators and representatives from religious and secular youth-serving organizations to a conclave in Aspen, Colorado, to develop a strategy to overcome resistance to teaching values. What resulted was an eight-sentence proclamation called the Aspen Declaration:

1. The next generation will be the stewards of our communities, nation, and planet in extraordinarily critical times.
2. In such times, the well-being of our society requires an involved, caring citizenry with good moral character.
3. People do not automatically develop good moral character; therefore, conscientious efforts must be made to instruct young people in the values and abilities necessary for moral decision-making and conduct.
4. Effective character education is based on core ethical values rooted in a democratic society; in particular, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness, justice, civic virtue, and citizenship.
5. These core ethical values transcend cultural, religious, and socioeconomic differences.
6. Character education is, first and foremost, an obligation of families and faith communities, but schools and youth-service organizations also have a responsibility to help develop the character of young people.
7. These responsibilities are best achieved when these groups work in concert.
8. The character and conduct of our youth reflect the character and conduct of society; therefore, every adult has the responsibility to teach and model core ethical values, and every social institution has the responsibility to promote the development of good character.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.