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Following is an outline of the presentation given by Cheryl Ferreira.
A: All of us gathered here from so may different lands — different cultures — are bound together by one single thread — our interest in Education • Lasting Change —> via education • Interest in Montessori • Dr Montessori is a classic example for us of just how much difference ONE PERSON can make • Aid to Life or • Help offered to the Human Being in course of development. What does this really mean? Development continues life-long • All I beings are both pupil and teacher • Our every word every action is in effect an opportunity to cause change. “Our inner strengths, experiences, and truths cannot be lost, destroyed, or taken away. Every person has an inborn worth and can contribute to the human community. We all can treat one another with dignity and respect, provide opportunities to grow toward our fullest lives and help one another discover and develop our unique gifts. We each deserve this and we all can extend it to others.” Anonymous • Irritation • Anger • Frustration • What can I do etc • Dr Montanaro has told us the tremendous significance of the home and family environment • Can we be charitable to those in our own family? • Friends circle? • Neighbourhood? What do we mean by charity? • Involves giving • What are we to give? • Money? • Food? • Cancelling world debt? “It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.” Mother Teresa “There is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness; and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much.” Mother Teresa “Spread Love everywhere you go. Things are changing so quickly that we need to be doing something now — or it may be too late 1. can we go back to the past? 2. must we live in the future? 3. The reality is NOW and HERE I do not believe that this is so We were/ are put here for a specific purpose. Perhaps we chose to be here??? “I believe that all of us who are living at this time chose to be here to be a part of these changes, to bring about change, and to transform the world from the old way of life to a more loving and peaceful existence.” Louise L Hay: The Power is Within You I am convinced that each of us — own circumstances — special unique reason Let us consider what that reason could be. Let me remind you of some Childhood Quotes — now out of date • Who made you? - God made Me • Why did God Make you? - - - To Know him, - - - To Love Him - - - To serve Him God made this world and ALL things in it and I find myself yet again quoting Louise Hay when she says “the power that created this incredible universe has often been referred to as love. God is love. Love is the binding agent that holds the whole Universe together.” Louise L I-lay: The Power is Within You I believe that they can Dr Montessori said: “When I was very young, I was told as small children are told, that God was everywhere. Although I could not see Him, he would always protect me. He was always at work, and knew all that was happening around me. When I was of reasoning age I did not believe this, and I started studying it along scientific lines. They say that study along scientific lines will destroy religion, because what religion says is scientifically untrue. However when I understood religion for the first time, I understood the truth of it.” Maria Montessori Creative Development in the Child Vol 2, p 156. -> Cosmic education -> God who has no hands “God has many machines working for Him These are of three kinds-some are inanimate some are animate and others are intelligent.” - Creative Development in the Child Volume 2. What does Conscious mean (give dictionary meanings) “Being aware of one’s past history and place in the world, one’s future intents and goals, one’s sense of agency and of the culture and social formations within one lives.” Steven Rose - 21st Century Brain Lost control Ethical issues pose challenges Need to grow in consciousness — Help human being to develop personality — “Education for this new world must aim, first of all, at bringing help to the consciousness of humanity so that it may adapt itself to the present conditions which have been created through the progress of civilization.” From Dr Montessori’s “A New World and Education” AMI Website Based on...... understanding human psychic development Freedom Independence Inner discipline Child becomes what he lives Environment and its role “Our goal is not so much the imparting of knowledge as the unveiling of spiritual energy.” Maria Montessori — The Child in the Family p.63 “We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit of the child.” Education for a New World p.69 • We touch the lives of children — directly/ indirectly • Do we believe in a better world through the child? • Do we really stand for PEACE — If we do then we need to STAND UP FOR THE PRINCIPLES WE BELIEVE IN! LIVE WHAT WE BELIEVE Give Examples — G8 Summit I am not afraid — website YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Mahatma Gandhi Mother Teresa “Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it.” Mahatma Gandhi "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop" - Mother Teresa And have they made a difference?? I specifically chose to mention these 2 great people because, like Montessori they realized that it is the child, the young child and the family environment in which we must place our hope "If we teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children." - Mahatma Ghandi “Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments, greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world." - Mother Teresa The sense in which I am using the term child CHILD = those human beings who have not yet arrived at adulthood - - who are still in the process of fundamental development What environment are we thinking about here??? Home? - School ?? “Childhood constructs from what it finds, if this is poor, the construction is also poor.” Communiqué on 8th International Montessori Congress AMI Website - Do we mean just the physical aspects of the environment? Perhaps physical and intellectual? “The human personality is shaped by continuous experiences; thus from early childhood on, human beings must have practical experience of what association is, and only then gradually fathom the secrets of the technical evolution of this society” Education and Peace p.32 18. “Man cannot be understood as an individual. It is only in a community that he becomes human and that his potentialities can be realised.” Mario M. Montessori, Jnr. Education for Human Development. p.38. “The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction.” Education and Peace p.58 • Living from day to day • In touch with reality Making choices Facing consequences Reasoning Danger DO we encourage our children to really get involved in Life??? “Man comes into the world and develops not as an individual, but as a member of a group.” Maria Montessori, Creative Development in the Child Vol. 2, p289 In conclusion: Can we help our children develop into • Thoughtful • Responsible • Caring • Giving • LOVING Human beings? If we can then... We have sown the seeds and we must have faith and hope to see the plants grow and fruit before our very eyes And so the change begins A short story to end with. (family mum dad 3 children) 5 to 7 children out there — each doing for another child / children what was done for them the beginning of a chain - more links adding themselves as the years go by — as each one passes on the help to another the links getting stronger with time One Person Did she make a difference? And so can each one of you — you can make a difference Each of you has a little lamp, a lamp lit by faith in the child - As you journey through life hold your lamp aloft LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE © Cheryl Ferreira, 2005 |
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