“And a Child Shall Lead Them”
A young girl from
the Scandinavian countries has voiced loudly her concerns for environmental
changes; another young girl from Africa faced violence for standing up for
women’s rights and education; a pre-school, African-American girl in the U.S.,
fearing for her life at encountering marching troops passing by, queried a
policeman if they were here to kill them (the policeman wisely diffused the
situation by assuring her they weren’t); and there are many more like them,
oppressed and ignored, who have broadcast loudly the need for change.
But these
observations, and many other situations like them, show the depth of concern
(and rightfully so) of Young People, as to the Future they will inherit from
us. And not such a rosy one, either, as
continuing strife, intolerance and ignorance indicates. And so, we are faced with the dilemma, how do
we improve the future for all living beings?!
Open your eyes, ears
and hearts to the Possibilities and educate a Public as to these, and proclaim
loudly, “Not On My Watch!” An avenue for
this is the Arts, which builds character, and that just may be the secret
ingredient to quell the rising storm. This
is my field of expertise. I have seen/experienced/taught
young people over the years in the Performing Arts.
In the Arts, young
people are in a safe environment to explore different cultures, viewpoints,
time periods, customs, and their own feelings about matters, past and present, etc.,
through plays and exercises, so that their own, evolving views are broadened to
be all-inclusive of the people/characters that inhabit these realms. And so, during this exploration, they cannot
help but be influenced, and applaud these changes that are evolving within
them, so that they will bring forward into an ever-changing landscape…a “brave,
new world,” in which we may live…hopefully…ever after!
We have many fine
theatre-schools in the Portland area, including Northwest Children’s Theatre
(NWCT), Eastside Theatre Company, Portland Musical Theater Company, Staged! and,
especially, Oregon Children’s Theatre (OCT) and Dani Baldwin’s, Young
Professionals (Y/P). I have witnessed
lives changed for the better because of these young folks’ involvements with the
Arts. I encourage you to investigate in
these possibilities…as the Future is in their hands!
And so then, it may
be truly said, if an incident involving intolerance or hatred raises its ugly
head, either on a small scale, or universally one, they will stand firm for
Right over Might and Justice for All, because of their exposure to a wider
range of philosophies. And let us not
forget, a young girl, who wanted to become a writer, scribing in her diary
before she died in a concentration camp, that, despite all the horrors she had
witnessed, said, “I still believe people are basically good.” Are they?
We can only Hope she was right.
Time will tell…!
Invest in our
Future…our Youth…as our very lives just may depend on it!
--DJS