Learn from human misery for our children<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower, Executive Principal High\/Scope Indonesia,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The images of war have been many and terrible. Middle East
\nterror and the continuing conflict in Aceh have closely followed
\nthe war in Iraq. With the world's media now so abundant, there
\nseems to be a flood of awful images. We have been inundated by
\nthe images of war and the suffering it brings and it is hard not
\nto be overwhelmed by them. The prevalence of war, conflict and
\nstrife means that the supply of these images is almost without
\nend.<\/p>\n
From the sorrowful images of schools being destroyed in Aceh
\nto images that seem surreal as they portray war as it happens,
\nlive; television screens, newspapers and computer monitors
\nstreaming internet news updates have been awash with the pain and
\nanguish of war and conflict.<\/p>\n
There can though be no more painful and appalling images than
\nthose of children caught up in the horrors of war. The heart
\nwrenching images of children crying out in mental and physical
\npain should be a lesson to us all. But do we really learn this
\nawful and horrible lesson? Do we see what has been done and what
\nwe have allowed to happen? Do we teach so that we might limit the
\nchances of it continuing to happen?<\/p>\n
We must surely learn and pass on that learning. It may not be
\na comfortable or easy task to deal with these difficult images
\nand seek out answers from them or for them but we must take up
\nthe difficult challenge that they present us.<\/p>\n
Teachers in schools can engender debate and serious thought
\nabout the consequences of war. Parents can show their sympathy
\nand encourage empathy by spending time with their children
\ngenuinely facing and talking about the harsh realities of war. By
\nputting young people now through the challenge of seriously and
\nmaturely exploring the often-grim reality of our world we may
\nengender within them a desire not to permit similar things to
\nhappen.<\/p>\n
Too often it is too easy for young people to avoid the hard
\nrealities of our world. Too often young people are left to be
\ncaught up in a shallow existence of pop songs, pop culture and
\nmaterialism that leaves them inadequate and powerless to respond
\nto real difficulties that may be faced in life.<\/p>\n
Adults and adolescents need to be actively engaging their
\nminds in the real world problems that we face. It is not enough
\nor appropriate to be passive consumers of the imagery of our
\nworld. We have to engage with our world and similarly be
\nencouraging of engagement from others and in particular young
\npeople. Schools can obviously play a central role in engaging
\nyoung people with the world.<\/p>\n
Schools present anopportunity for such active and peremptory
\nengagement. The mere fact that a classroom full of people is a
\nperfect arena for human engagement clearly creates an ideal forum
\nfor discussion, exploration and hopefully learning. If we are
\ncomplacent, if we see no need to focus our minds and those of
\nyoung people on the troubles of our world, then surely we are
\ndoomed to repeat and exacerbate the troubles and pains of recent
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
It is said that through adversity we come to know ourselves
\nand through suffering we may achieve some modicum of wisdom. How
\nthen are we to know ourselves and gain wisdom if we are not
\nprepared to face adversity or respond to suffering?<\/p>\n
The cynic might say that there are troubles all around us,
\nthat is the nature of our world, but we can only deal with our
\nown troubles and feel our own pain. But this would seem to reduce
\nus to a lowly and base survivalistic existence. We are human
\nbeings and we must surely aspire to higher humane values. We are
\nsurely above and beyond the mere survival instinct.<\/p>\n
Our ability to deeply educate our children not just
\nacademically but also morally is undoubtedly one of our greatest
\nhuman aspects and assets. But we have to teach not only of
\nsurvival and the gathering of the essentials of food and shelter
\nand even increasing personal wealth. We must also teach of love,
\nof caring for each other and being able to help our fellow human
\nbeings.<\/p>\n
Our social capacity is what can make us strong. It is the
\ndevelopment of that social capacity and the stimulation of social
\nconscience that schools must be critical players in. Evidently
\nthe images of war present a stern challenge to us all. But we
\ncannot, in good conscience, shy away from them or try to ignore
\nthem. For some it may be that they can respond directly to the
\npain and the needs of those caught up in war.<\/p>\n
Hospitals and rehabilitation centers will do much to help the
\npoor children who have suffered loss of limbs, loss of loved ones
\nor mental damage from war. But indirectly we must all do
\nsomething to help. Even though we may be far from the war and
\nhave no direct link or contact with the area of conflict, we must
\nall try to learn from it.<\/p>\n
The poor boy that has had his arms blown off by a bombing or a
\nmissile launched from miles away. The poor girl that is battered
\nand bruised by the falling debris from his destroyed home. The
\npoor children that have been made orphans and homeless by the
\nbrutality of war; they are all suffering terribly.<\/p>\n
We cannot know the depth of their suffering but we cannot
\nignore it and we must feel for them. And we must learn and try to
\npass on our learning to our children so that they may have
\ncompassion and care. And we may hope that they will not suffer
\nsimilar horrors too nor be complicit in the creation of similar
\nhorrors in the future.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/learn-from-human-misery-for-our-children-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}