A New Year’s Message to Inspire
This week I received the new year’s message from Avaaz, an organisation I support and greatly admire. Their message could have come straight out of Values and Visions. Ricken Patel says, “Powerful forces are moving in our world. It feels like much is waiting to be born, both great and terrible.” He goes on to describe how Avaaz embodies the spirit of humanity, “That we are one people, and stewards of each other and all life.”
In Values and Visions, we talk about the world being volatile and unpredictable. Much is spoken about the skills young people require for the future. Little is said about attitudes. Values and Visions is about developing and nurturing a mindful attitude and a growth mindset. It is about developing in young people the inner strength they need to embrace the future and all it brings, both positive and negative. It is about recognising the oneness of humanity.
Patel calls for us to, “form a great fellowship of humanity,” to “,Build the world that is waiting to be born not from fear and anger at the ‘other’, but from hope and love of us all.”
V&V offers many activities which allow students to explore the concept of interdependence and interconnectedness. The reflective tool of LISTENING engenders mindful listening, with the heart and eyes as well as the ears which brings about connectedness and empathy, while ENCOUNTER enables them to be open to the ‘other’ and to learn from their encounters. COMMUNITY helps us to build community both in school, in the locality and, as Patel wishes for, in the wider world.
In short, Values and Visions is doing what Patel is calling for: educating young people to embrace the world they live in, to protect it and to love and care for the planet and each other. Avaaz is asking for us to share our stories of what we are doing in 2019 to achieve this goal. We have shared our story. Why not share yours?