Highlights this week
The crater of civilization in Tanzania
Singing ‘We are the World’ – Michael Jackson
Save the children in Tanzania
O’Brien School for the Maasai and Montessori
President Obama – Singing enriches cultural and emotional building blocks
Montessori comes to Africa (2 of 5)
I couldn’t help but ponder the role of mankind in this seemingly flawless creation and questioned our purpose, the superior intellect of man, in this incredible existence. The extensive banana and coffee plantations now controlled by Coffee Unions, who export for profit. I also wondered what we can do to protect this environment; where is the most amount of effort needed; what is necessary to provide the next generation with the skills to rise above the problems of today and make this world a better place for living; and realised very quickly that the decisions made today are crucial to shaping our future? I wondered why humans had such difficulty accepting the diversity of others and lacked the ability to empathize, to stand in somebody else’s shoes and look at life through their eyes. I also questioned the role of education and the Montessori method, one of the longest standing and globally far reaching systems of education, with a unique ability to flourish in lands of poverty and dissention.
Arriving in the small town of Kilimanjaro at the base of the mountain climbers meticulously prepare for their 6 day climb of the largest mountain in Africa and I wondered what glorious thoughts of courage and accomplishment would fill their heads standing at the summit. I recalled President Obama’s speech calling every man to serve, to come together to meet the challenges of our new Century, and President Kennedy’s famous quote “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” – great words of action and accountability. Perhaps it is now time to extend this call to action to include all who inhabit this planet we call earth.
Daniel Pink tells us in “A Whole New Mind” that “the keys to the kingdom are changing hands”. He states the future belongs to economies and societies built on inventive, empathic, big-picture capabilities, all of which are fundamentally human abilities. He emphasises a new approach to life involving the ability to empathize with others, to understand the subtleties of human interaction –“the ability to understand what makes our fellow man and woman tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others.”
There are many issues facing all nations as we enter the new century – from children recruited for warfare to climate crisis, global economy to health care, and education to family structures, none of which most countries have not endured at some point in history. The situation of children in nations that have experienced armed conflict or natural disasters is particularly dire. We have only one choice and that is to work together to give children the best possible start in life. Ensuring they have adequate food, shelter, healthcare and education, and are free from violence, abuse and exploitation. I will not attempt to pretend to offer solutions to world peace or the climate crisis facing us globally but I would like to address the role education plays in this very big picture and venture to suggest that its importance stands alongside some of the most crucial concerns today. To create a better world and one that will survive, we need to begin with the children – help them to create a world of their own making, where walls are replaced by bridges and generational differences are replaced with peaceful solutions. To accomplish such a task we must begin with education – educating children and families from birth.
In the words of Michael Jackson’s beautiful song for peace:-
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There’s a choice were making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me
Check in next week for the first in a series of music lesson plans for classroom teachers
Covering upcoming topics –
What’s the connection between musical play and problem solving?
Why do so many special needs kids do so well in music class
Why is music the emotion of the soul?
Musical fitness for children
Communication skills improve with music participation
Give your child a self-esteem boost through musical experiences
