You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Ask for a stout heart that has no fear of death,
and deems length of days the least of Nature's gifts
that can endure any kind of toil,
that knows neither wrath nor desire and thinks
that woes and hard labors of Hercules better than
the loves and banquets and downy cushions of Sardanapalus.
What I commend to you, you can give to yourself;
for assuredly, the only road to a life of peace is virtue.
The work above is attributed to a poet by the name of Juvenal. He lived in the Roman Empire and wrote in the late first and early second century AD. I choose to use it because I have taken inspiration from it for as long as I can remember. Despite its age, I believe the poem is still a culture changer because members of contemporary society look to the past, specifically to ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, for wisdom to guide future action. The poem expresses sage advice that health, bravery, and diligence are the only "road to a life of peace," as opposed to material pleasures like the "downy cushions of Sardanapalus" (Sardanapalus was an ancient Assyrian king who caused the demise of Assyria and was infamous for his lavish and indolent lifestyle).
The poem emphasizes the importance of virtuous action. To me, doing morally and ethically correct work for the good of all members of society is what lies at the core of the High Road Fellowship. The program aims to demonstrate that the most successful economic development will be achieved using an equitable strategy. The poem also stresses the importance of "hard labor." I believe work is crucially important for one's self-respect and dignity. Everybody deserves the ability to be self-sufficient and not dependent on any other person or institution to provide them with the means to get by. The High Road, as an extension of the ILR School, shares this mission to "advance the world of work." I dream of a society where there is no structural unemployment, where nobody is unemployed because they lack the necessary skills to get a job. The High Road tackles this crippling issue through labor and education organizations. The poem begins by advising that the reader should "pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body." One can not be healthy if he or she works in an in industry or lives in a house that poisons him or her (i.e. lead). In a more macro sense, you can not dream of enjoying good health if the planet is diseased and, in turn, diseases you.
I believe the High Road is committed to helping people better themselves - body, mind, and spirit. It demonstrates through its programs that it wants to help people work - which will lead to wealth creation and a sense of self-worth. It seeks to help people educate themselves. It seeks to help people develop a better relationship with nature. Although, we talk a lot about structural or systematic problems that need to be changed, unfortunately I can not offer any advice on how to change the global structure. But I can offer advice on how to better yourself so you can live a more responsible, productive, fulfilling, and peaceful life. Heed the wisdom in the poem above which encourages the reader to take the High Road. Imagine what the world would be like if we were all committed to helping each other improve. Because that's really what the High Road boils down to. How do we help people who want to make their lives better?