child honouring

Some quotes (as approximate or accurate as my memory and hand-written scrawls could make them) from Raffi's "song and word presentation on Child Honouring" that we attended last week:

- Maslow (of "Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs") decided to study people who are well. What a novel idea! He said: "Healthy individuation requires resisting unhealthy enculturation."

- Mr. Mustard (co-author of "Early Years Sudy: Reversing the Real Brain Drain") said to me: "you've got to write a song about the early years with which to influence policy makers." So I did - "It Takes a Village." I had occasion to sing that song at the World Bank, and a man came up to me and said: "Thanks for singing to us. Nobody ever does."

- What a silly system. We count the money every year and call it economic growth... I thought - now there's a songwriting challenge! So I wrote a song for children about the GDP... and a better way to measure economic health and well-being...

- Imagine! If we could re-design society for the benefit of the youngest of us! Remember the old curbs on all our streets... and then, back in the 80s, they were flattened out at every corner for wheelchair accessibility... an act of compassion... it can be done!

- "What can I do?" Well, what can't you do? There are so many ways to help... whatever your gifts are... Have a look at these 9 principles and choose 1 (or more) to work with in your life...

- buy chlorine-free paper, and see the slight change in price as your investment in a healthy world... in quality breast milk for the planet...

- why should only physicians say "first, do no harm"...? Imagine if this was the new mantra... if nonviolence became trendy once again...

- 15 billion dollars is spent advertising directly to children... children are "branded" before they can imprint on nature... no religious tradition in the world would accept this... why is it legal? Quebec has a law that you cannot advertise to children under 13... why isn't this standard everywhere?

- support renewable energies, focus on the local in your purchasing power, use organic foods and fibres as you can afford it... all of these are child-honouring decisions...

- I like to write to the solution, not to the problem.

(You can download two of Raffi's songs for peace, free, here).