Teaching Children Empathy

Japans Answer to teaching children empathy

 

This clip was passed to me yesterday and I was so deeply moved by it, I felt it important to pass it on. ‘Children Full of Life’  is a short documentry (separated into 5  x 10 mins clips on you tube) on a teacher in japan who is teaching his grade 4 students to develop empathy.

The depth of the little kids emotions and the ability they develop with this teacher to share them  was deeply touching. I was moved to tears a few times, proud of them, proud of their courage.  These little people are learning perhaps one of the most important human skills  – empathy.  

If  schools around  the globe, begin including  in their ciriculum, lessons in empathy, compassion, remorse and forgiveness we may in the next generations,  experience a whole new level at which humanity communicates. 

I was inspired and so very proud of these boys and girls.

You saying Im the Govt’s bitch.. Obligatory Viewing

The ‘war on drugs’ is being funded by tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies.. Why??? 

Barney Frank’s comment ‘This notion that we somehow have to approve or criminalize all human activities is a great misunderstanding of Governments’   really turned flicked the switch for me.. 

I feel like I’ve been living in a cloudy haze and have just walked into the clear clean air.. I never thought about life from this perspective before.  

I certainly don’t need the govt to define all my activities into good  bad/ right wrong/ approve  criminalize  categories.  I’m a decent person and I can think for myself.  I can make my own judgements.

If we are not hurting other people or our planet, then it is our god given right to live love and laugh in whatever way we feel like it! 

Who do governments think they are, putting their noses so deeply into everyones business. They don’t own us, we are free people.

The role of government is to be our representatives not our masters!

PEACE – How to teach this to our children.

Peace Day - A story Book For Children

How does one begin to teach children about Peace ?  It is a word so frequently heard in conversations these days, yet how do we explain its concept to children?

Its a little bit like saying ‘do as i say not as i do’ rather than leading by example, because we,  the adults of our world are not really showing our children a concept of PEACE.

If we have the courage to be really honest with ourselves and take responsibility for our actions (or non action) it is difficult not to admit that actually far from knowing peace and living in peace, we are in fact doing quite the opposite.

We have created war, poverty and hunger. We have created corporations that do not consider the individual important and the consequences of this have had a terrible effect on the balance of our global community.

We have allowed the media corporations to become so powerful they control all the global news we read and see.

We have allowed them to create the vision of our world and this vision we now have, frightens us so much, we live in fear, deep fear of almost everything.

We lock our doors, we dont talk to strangers, we dont get involved in community injustices for fear of our own safety. We are afraid of our world, afraid of the reality we have created.

So how do we teach our children about Peace?  How do we prepare and educate our beloved children to know what peace is and how to achieve it for themselves?

I recently read that ‘we as humanity have lost our of vision of Peace’  

We no longer have a clear concept of what Peace looks like. And before we can live in Peace, we must first be able to Imagine Peace. We must first take the time to create a strong, clear image of what we  want Peace to be.

Its been written that ‘Peace is not the absence of conflict, but rather the ability to cope with it, to open our hearts to listening, giving respect to each side in an attempt to understand the conflict and hence, find a resolution that is good for both’

If this is peace, where are we showing our children examples of this?

Every news channel is showing non stop visions of war, terror, destruction and endless sadness, many childrens games are centred on war and fighting in some way or another, where the goal is to WIN, to beat the other, there seems no education in these games in skills of compromise or tolerance….and very few global examples of this either. 

So how does one teach Peace to a child?

This question hangs heavily on my heart. How can we nuture a new generation not to think and behave like we have done?  how do we teach them a new way?

Perhaps its by helping them to create their own vision/image of Peace. To help them to create a clear image of what Peace is for them.

Perhaps it is also about us, the adults becoming more creative in our peace efforts, thinking with a new mind, rather than the mind that created the reality we live now in. Perhaps as families we need to get more actively involved  thus leading by example on the path towards Peace.

While searching the net for ways to do all of these things, I came across a delightful little childrens book created for World Peace Day on Sept 21st  and thought it was really worth sharing it you.

The Peace Day Book is available to read Free online in 14 different languages.  Have a read, tell your friends and if you think it gets the message across to children consider donating one to your child’s school.

Read The Peace Day book:

http://www.peacedaybook.com    http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/story/

This is a subject close ot my heart, if you have suggestions on how to teach children about Peace please share them by adding a comment below.

What is Peace to you?  Here’s some other peoples ideas of PEACE.

Until next time

love and laughter

Mysticmiss

Use the incredible power of your signature!!

 

Now, right from your computer desk, you can be part of the new wave of people who are making great things happen. 

Your signature is an incredibly powerful tool you can use to make change happen.

You CAN make a huge difference .

Does the state of our world make you feel sick in the stomach? Does it make you afraid, does the terrible injustice happening all around our globe make you angry?

Do you see whats going on in your world and hate it, yet feel a deep sense of helplessness…a sense that there is nothing you can really do to make a difference?  Think again folks! 

I have for some time now really felt very bad with what is happening on my planet and in my global community. Governments not taking care of the little people and persercuting those people who do, corporations stepping on whoever they choose to achieve their goals and ruining our beautiful planet along the way.

I felt bad, but helpless at the same time. How can I help? What can I do that will make the slightest bit of difference?

I have to admit, I am just not one of those people who will give up everything and go fight these guys head on.  Its just not who i am.  Did that make me a coward, did it make me someone who didnt really care enough?

No I recently realised, this is certainly not the case at all !! We can all help. There is a way for everyone to help, and it only takes a few mintues of your time and costs nothing. 

I have discovered online activism. With the modern technology of computers and internets we can all get involved in the wellbeing of our world.  We simply find a cause that is close to our hearts and go online and sign petitions.

Its simple, easy, takes a few minutes  and REALLY makes a difference.

It is the most amazing feeling to be apart of the change, to be one of the people voicing their opinions as a mass group through petitions demanding change to governments and corporations.

To see how powerful our signatures can be, to realise that governments and corporations do listen when enough people demand change. It is very satisfying to feel I am making a difference.

If like me you feel you want to be apart of change in our world, then please consider becoming an onlone activist. it doesnt take much of your time. If yo have 5 mintues great, if you have 20 even better.

You really can make a difference, your signature is very very  valuable.. and your support is greatly appreciated by those who are fighting for human rights, for animal welfare, for environmental issues, for child protection, for freedom of speech, for care for the aged, for those suffering domestic violence and many many other worthy causes.

I will as often as i can, write posts on issues close to my heart and put links to sites where your signatures will be greatly appreciated. 

Todays links are for two wonderful groups. One lobbies for human righs around the globe and the other lobbies to save our planet. Click on the link and scroll down the page and see if there is a cause that is close to your heart and use that powerful tool you have.. your signature. 

until next time

mysticmiss

Amnesty International      http://www.amnesty.org/en/how-you-can-help

“Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all.

Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world – so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.

We have more than 2.2 million members and subscribers in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.”

   Greenpeace          http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/getinvolved

“It was a group of thoughtful, committed citizens that came together in 1971 to create Greenpeace.  Since that time, Greenpeace has indeed changed the world, and we continue to make the world a better place. Our committed activists and supporters have come together to ban commercial whaling, convince the world’s leaders to stop nuclear testing, protect Antarctica, and so much more. Today, we have grown into an international organization with offices in more than 30 countries, though our spirit and our mission remain the same.

Our fight to save the planet has grown more serious – the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster loom large. Greenpeace is actively working to address these and other threats. “