MAKING THE WORLD A

BETTER PLACETeaching our children to save the

worldBy Brooke Crandall

Children around the world are taught that the world is a scary place. They are told different reasons as to why the world around them is unsafe, but one idea remains the same……

together they can save the world.

Across the universe, children are taught that our ancestors have destroyed so many valuable resources on our planet and only our youth can reverse this damage. Children are taught the world is in their hands.

Around the world, children are told they cannot perform many tasks. Everyday, they are told they are not tall enough, smart enough, fast enough or strong enough. However, there is one task that people all around the world can agree on; together our children will rebuild our planet and make it better.

Why do educated adults around the world trust our youth to perform a task that we find ourselves incapable of completing successfully? Because children see beyond the color of skin. They see all of our world as one race. Children can open their minds and work together unlike adults.

Saving the world is not a task that can be completed by just one country, race or religion. To solve the many political, economic, religious and environmental issues on our planet we must all unite. Only our youth are capable of such an impossible concept.

This is not a concept, that teachers are required or even asked to teach. Rather a concept that adults have universally decided should be placed into the hands of our youth. A concept that connects the world.

Although this is not a universal curriculum, the message seems to be collective. This theory that our world is in a danger and that our children are the only ones capable of saving it by coming together is taught from different perspectives, in different languages and through different methods; yet the message seems to be perceived the same way in all corners of the world. Without any guidance, children seem to have the same universal image in their minds. They see people of all shapes and sizes connecting around the world by holding hands.

Adults around the world may not agree on much. But it is clear that we all teach our children that the only way to make our world better is to unite through peace. Universally, we represent peace through holding hands, rainbows, smiley faces and ying-yang symbols. Although we have yet to reach world peace, unknowingly our children learn the same image of peace and the capabilities that world peace holds.