The Role of Children in Peace Building

I talked previously about the role of Ancestors and directly linked to them are the children and our descendants, of course. There are many ways I see that children are essential in the process of peace building both in terms of them being there and participating themselves; but also as archetypal reminders of the very reason we would seek to strengthen Peace in the first place.

It takes a very mentally unwell adult to not, at least, try their very best to be their best selves when children are present. There is something about the presence of a child that asks of all of us to be a good example. Moreover, children have the ability to look through inauthentic behaviour in adults and see truth and I would love to live in a world where the truth of children was more valued. They are often very sage judges of character and have an in-dwelling sense of justice.

So we will talk more in due course about how to hold space and allow the very mentally unwell to be there. The point I am making here is that children bring out the best in a space because of their innate innocence.

Since Peacebuilding is about storytelling and deep listening, of shared mourning and celebration, for children to be present is for them to drink deep from the well of community, diversity and difference. This is a brilliant opportunity for children to really see that human beings can come at a singular fact from many different versions of the truth. When we see children processing this, so the child within us also processes this. There is no truth, but Truth.

In this respect then the Peace Building is an intergenerational act, there is eldership at work as well as mentorship to and by the children.

Children also require things to be simplified. Don't we all, it is a useful prop to ask that any complex or difficult to understand concepts be explained "as if" to a child so everyone has the opportunity to grasp it.

I imagine that the reason that some people might consider Peace Building a grown-up affair is that there may be issues arising in conversation that are deemed inappropriate for children to hear, and I guess it is down to the adults responsible for those children to discern what they should hear or not but I am personally of the opinion that children can handle the truth better than being kept in the dark, within reason.

Moreover it is possible to have a main circle where events that need more discretion can be referred to but discussed in a side circle of trusted and selected members if needed.

I also believe wholeheartedly in Consent. So the process of discerning the rightness or otherwise of the presence of children is going to need to be at the contracting stage and the children themselves need to consent to being there; side activities may be needed to give them the dignity of having the choice to come and go.

I like to remember, when there are children present in community spaces that they also reflect and mirror our inner children too; so if something is a lot for children to take in, or if they are bored and uncomfortable; then maybe we are too. Take a cue from them for some play, space and laughter.