Policies may shape systems, but families shape people, says environmentalist

 Dr Michael David, the Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has called for strong family values to shape individuals and societies.

David made the call in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

According to him, Policies may shape systems, but families shape people and people ultimately shape the society.

The environmentalist said that he drew inspiration from the message Rev. Fr. Raymond Nor, Priest in Charge of Blessed Tansi Catholic Church Pyakasa, Abuja, delivered on the Feast of the Holy Family.

He said the message by Nor was on “Strong Families, Healthy Societies”.

“His message was simple yet profound: society is a direct product of the family.

“What we see in our communities, institutions and leadership structures is often a mirror of what is happening in our homes.

“The family is the first school of life. It is where values are learned, character is formed, and attitudes toward responsibility, love, and community are shaped. When families are healthy, society benefits,” David said.

Ge said that when families were broken or dysfunctional, society inevitably reflected that brokenness.

According to him, a society marked by violence, intolerance, corruption, and irresponsibility did not emerge overnight.

“It is often the outcome of families where love was absent, unity was fragile, forgiveness was withheld, and responsibility was never taught or modelled.

“Bad families produce a sad society, and decaying families give rise to a decaying social order.

“Where there is no love in the home, it is unrealistic to expect compassion in public life.

“Where forgiveness is not practised within families, resentment and division thrive in the society,” he said.

David said that when children grow up without learning accountability, discipline, and service to others, irresponsibility becomes normalised in governance, business and civic life.

“The opposite is also true. Families built on love, mutual respect, forgiveness, and shared responsibility produce individuals who carry these values into society.

“Children raised to understand duty, empathy, and consequences grow into adults who respect laws, value human dignity, and work for the common good.

“A family that teaches responsibility raises citizens who are accountable, not only to themselves, but to their communities and future generations,” he said.

He said that the Holy Family offered a timeless model of commitment, sacrifice, and mutual respect, adding that their example reminds us that strong families intentionally choose unity over division and responsibility over neglect.

“In a time when social decay is often blamed solely on politics, economics, or institutions, we must return to a more uncomfortable but honest truth: the rebuilding of society begins at home.

“If we desire a society characterised by justice, peace, compassion, and responsibility, then investing in strong families is not optional; it is essential.

“The future of our society is already being formed today in our living rooms, dining tables and everyday interactions within the family,” he said.

He said that he Cleric’s homily was a wake-up call that to heal society, we must first heal the family.