Over the last few weeks, as I have read the course materials and heard the stories of my fellow learners, my awareness and understanding of the personal side of bias, prejudice, and oppression.  I now have more resources to help raise awareness in others in my sphere of influence.  

Hopes

I hope for a world in which children can experience life surrounded by care-givers and peers who work to enact the Children's Covenant of Honor and head the "Nine Principles of Child Honoring" (The Covenant, 2019):

 

Raffi's Covenant for Honouring Children

We find these joys to be self-evident: That all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect. The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own song. Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to a loving “village.” And to pursue a life of purpose.

We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young, to honour their caring ideals as the heart of being human. To recognize the early years as the foundation of life, and to cherish the contribution of young children to human evolution.

We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep from harm or neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens. As guardians of their prosperity we honour the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains us. Thus we pledge our love for generations to come (The Covenant, 2019).

Goals

My goals going forward are to-

1.     Lead staff and children in my school through diversity appreciation and bias awareness exercises;

2.      Set up weekly assemblies in which children learn about individuals who have taken affirmative action to improve the lives of others facing oppression, bias and inequity; and,

3.     Encourage and support students to take action to do what they can themselves to relieve the oppression and inequity in the world.

Thanks

Many thanks to my professor and fellow learners who have been so transparent in sharing their stories, their experience, their questions, and their wisdom. They have all encouraged me to reflect more deeply on my own thoughts and understandings and helped me grow so much.

 

References

The Covenant. (2019, February 06). Retrieved August 17, 2020, from https://raffifoundation.org/child/the-covenant/