By Alek Phan Trúc

1. Values Sheet

Top Value: Freedom and Creativity

The two core values guiding my life are freedom and creativity. For me, freedom transcends physical constraints; it’s an internal state of boundless exploration. Even when I went through lockdown during Covid in a small room, my mind is free to wander, my body free from sickness, and my mentality free from burdens. True freedom extends beyond the ability to travel; it lies in the capacity to create and think.

Commitment in relationships, for instance, amplifies my sense of freedom. Choosing a life companion who supports my well-being enables me to thrive in various aspects of life, from adopting healthier habits to embracing a fulfilling journey. This perspective underlines my belief that freedom is not solely about personal space but extends to the liberation of one’s thoughts and creativity.

In my artistic journey, I approach education as a facilitator, providing a safe space for individuals to express themselves freely. At my art studio, the 10AM Studio, people are encouraged to transcend the typical workshop time frame. They can linger, nourish themselves, or even take a nap—all within the studio’s operating hours. This reflects my commitment to fostering an environment where creative expression flourishes without constraints.

Considered Values:

• Boldness
• Beauty
• Stability
• Challenge
• Fairness
• Inner-Harmony

2. Ethical Decision Making Sheet

Unconscious Thoughts

• There isn’t always a universally “correct” way to interpret or appreciate art.
• Not everyone shares the same understanding and appreciation for art as I do, just as I may not find others’ preferences as appealing. It’s a reminder that we all have unique perspectives.
• People form their judgments based on their personal experiences and backgrounds, which underscores the diversity of human perception.

Unthinking Custom and Practice

• Cultural norms: There is a misconception that creative work is not as demanding or legitimate leads to a lack of recognition and appreciation for their unique skills and contributions.
• Industry norms: The system favors STEM sectors, and Eurocentric standards persist in interpreting artworks within the education system.
• There is a pressure to produce tangible results quickly or adhere to rigid schedules.

Default Settings

• Cultivating politeness & openness
• Avoiding the perception of being a naysayer

Reflective Practice

In my exploration of community art and cultural democracy, I’m likely practicing a blend of personal ethics influenced by your upbringing and cultural background, as well as ethical principles derived from the communities you engage with, both in your homeland and in Canada. Reflect on how these ethics align with broader ethical frameworks and principles of fairness, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity.
My upbringing in a country with a different political and cultural system might create blind spots in understanding the nuances of community art and democratic processes in Canada. Reflect on how my past experiences and perspectives might limit my understanding of certain aspects of community art and cultural democracy, and how I consider seeking feedback or education to address these blind spots.
I emphasize active listening, empathy, and a willingness to consider diverse viewpoints without judgment + encourage collaborative problem-solving and consensus-building, where everyone’s voices are heard and valued. 

3. Ethical Decision Making Flow-chart

4. Reflection on Experience

When a team of art managers, curators, artists, and photographers poured their hearts and souls into creating an exhibition that embodied the spirit of our community in six months, they received an announcement to have it immediately removed by the Ministry of Public Security. In the grand opening, an undercover agent from the cultural police under the Ministry of Public Security flagged one of the photographs in the exhibition as depicting criminal activity, citing censorship laws. However, the content of the project received approval from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, marking its official recognition as a cultural event.

Lurking beneath this censorship mandate was a subtle attempt at bribery, which the art team refused to entertain. This whole ordeal forces people in the art and creative industry to confront some tough questions about the ethics and consequences of art censorship.

While censorship might sometimes be warranted to protect public morals or security, its imposition without any prior discussion stifles artistic expression and undermines freedom of speech. The fact that there were no red flags raised during the planning stages only adds insult to injury for the organizers.

Despite the obvious flaws and injustices in the system, artists need to arm themselves with knowledge, establish open lines of communication with relevant authorities, and build a strong community of support amongst themselves. Our response must reflect a firm stand against arbitrary suppression. Given my background and experiences, I would seek consultation from a diverse range of individuals and communities, including artists, educators, activists, and policymakers, both from Vietnam and from Canada to gain different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and broaden my understanding of community art and ethical leadership in diverse contexts.

5. Reading list on 5-7 articles/ books on the subjects of ethics

Ethical Violence by Carlo Bordoni

In some circumstances, violence itself can be regarded as ethical – for example, when it is used by states claiming to act in self-defence. I wonder what happens when violence becomes ethical that we must begin to fear for our future. During the pandemic, we witnessed the growing prevalence of aggression and emotionality in social and political life. We could see clearly more than ever how we live in an increasingly impatient and insecure society.

Ethics for Psychologists: A Commentary on the APA Ethics Code by Mathilda B.Canter

I like lively discussion questions to help students grapple with complex ethical dilemmas in this book, covering topics such as confidentiality; privileged communications; research with humans and animals; assessing the risk of violence and the duty to protect; competency in academic, forensic assessment, therapeutic, and supervisory roles; and the business of being a psychologist.

Ethical Silence: Kierkegaard on Communication, Education, and Humility by Sergia Hay

This book examines the ethical value of silence. Starting with an overview of Kierkegaard’s ideas concerning ethics and communication, Hay builds a case for a Kierkegaardian notion of ethical silence by showing how silence contributes to the fulfillment of ethical imperatives by halting chatter, setting the “fundamental tone” for ethical activity, curbing excessive self-love, and providing another mode for educating and expressing love. 

Avoiding ethical blindness by Simon Longstaff
This article dicussed the risk of inappropriate, unethical or unlawful behaviour on the part of an organisation’s management or employees

What’s the Matter with Business Ethics? by Andrew Stark

This article discusses how the field of business ethics is largely irrelevant for most managers. The problem is that the discipline of business ethics has yet to provide much concrete help to managers in difficult gray-area situations (the kind that Harvard Business School Lecturer Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr. has described as “not issues of right versus wrong,” but “conflicts of right versus right”), and even business ethicists sense it.
https://hbr.org/1993/05/whats-the-matter-with-business-ethics

Defining ‘Business Ethics’: Like Nailing Jello to a Wall by Phillip V. Lewis

This article focuses on contemporary definitions of business ethics by business writers and professionals and on possible areas of agreement among the available definitions. Then a definition is synthesized that is broad enough to cover the field of management in a sense as full as most managers might conceive of it.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25071521