Act Locally, Think Globally
Reach out. Outreach. Hold out a hand. Someone will grasp it. Kindly, one hopes. Worth a try, though. Fact is, most people live in a busy, confusing world. There is so much information coming at us at any one time. We are directed by our material needs to work long hours - and then there are family needs. Who has time to do much other than look to our own needs? Yet of course we're distracted and made distraught by news of events happening around us which have the potential of upsetting the world we live in beyond repair. Or so it seems.We're fairly good, as human beings, at overlooking the very simple fact that we are actually one single race of beings. Yes, there are differences; ethnic, cultural, traditional, historical, national, geographical. But the fact is as human beings we share more likenesses than we do differences. That's the truth, but there's another truth as well, that of differing identities being forced upon us by our affiliations. It's also a human trait to belong to specific groups and to take comfort in the company of others who espouse the same creed, religion, values, culture.
This is fairly effective at encouraging us to believe that those whose affiliation is other than ours - in religion, upbringing, culture, traditions have little to nothing much in common with us. This perceived lack of commonality allows us to distrust others, to harbour suspicions about them and their intentions, to want to remain separate and apart.
But get children when they're young enough, open enough, trusting enough and they can be taught that surface and cultural differences can be bridged. They can learn and appreciate that people really are just like one another. Their needs are similar, their fears are too. If groups from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures and religions are brought together in a common culture shared in an in-gathering country the opportunity is ready-made to expose children to one another's common human traits so they are able to understand the functionality of pluralism and tolerance.
Yes, well-meaning and open-minded adults will forge bonds of understanding. Deliberately making an effort to come together to bridge misconceptions and suspicions. Alas, in a busy world like ours, too few take the opportunity let alone take the time to think how helpful such a coming-together for the purpose of living amicably and trustfully together would be. But children, in a public school environment, when their teachers bring them together for such a purpose - tailor made for melding a future society.
In Ottawa two grade 6 classes representing different ethnic derivations and religious affiliations were brought together for a week. The goal: to help children to realize shared interests. In this particular instance, taking place at the Charles H. Hulse Public school, consisting predominately of Muslim students, meeting with children from the parochial Hillel Academy, the children began their tentative friendship as pen pals for a three-month initiation.
"After the first set of letters, my kids were coming to me saying "they're Jewish, but they like basketball just like we do" said one teacher. "They all of a sudden began to realize all these similarities despite their different backgrounds." Last year this teacher invited the Hillel students to join his class of Muslim students, listening to a Holocaust survivor speak about racism and hatred between people.
Patrick Mascoe of the Charles H. Hulse Public School's focus is to expose his students to others, to teach that "if you can be tolerant to a group of people generally not your friends, then you should be able to show respect and tolerance to people from any religious or cultural background". When Mr. Mascoe suggested to his students they might wish to visit the Hillel school the Muslim children worried how their parents would react.
But as it happened, their teacher received signed permission forms from every child's parent so the visit could proceed. Bravo!
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, December 03, 2006
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