Circle of courage

Last week or some time a couple of weeks ago there was a documentary shown on the ABC called sticky bricks. It was the story of the people who live in a high rise apartment block in Sydney called Northcote. Just as the plan that created Northcote was a bit of a social experiment so was the plan to bring the disaffected residents together through the production of a stage show about their lives. Northcote was an example of how, although living in close proximity to one another, people can become isolated and alone and that human beings need more than four walls and a roof for shelter. The Sticky Bricks project gave many of the residents an opportunity to reach out to their neighbors and develop a sense of community which was apparently lacking.
There were many personal stories told and quotes read through the course of the performance but one that stood out to me was a speech about 'Indifference'. I don't know who first made the speech and I haven't been able to source it but it identifies indifference as the biggest threat to our society. Indifference is what changes communities into slums, indifference is the curse of an urban life.

Families are or should be made up of all age groups. Multi-generational families are a natural part of the fabric of most societies so surely a healthy society would encourage strong links between children and elders. Unfortunately in a society which favors the individual there appears to be quite a bit of apathy towards the nurturing of children and care and respect for our elders. This must create a negative feedback to our society as a whole and I'm sure this can easily be shown by the number of crimes committed by and against children today.

While reading some of my favorite blogs I came across a web site called 'Circle of Courage'. They are a New Zealand group who are cycling around New Zealand to raise awareness of young people in crisis.In their words:

The Circle of Courage is about encouraging every adult in New Zealand to build a relationship with the young people in their community; getting to know these young people by name and taking a real interest in their lives. Research has shown over and over again that it is adults taking an interest in young people that makes a difference in young lives.

The Circle of Courage model has been developed by the North American Indians. Each quadrant of the Circle of Courage invites young people, with encouragement from interested adults to:

• see themselves as belonging to a whole – "I am loved", use generosity to contribute their wisdom to their community – "I have a purpose for my life",
• draw on their inherent mastery of life to share their ideas and thoughts – "I can succeed",
• take the step forward as independent people – "I have the power to make decisions".

I thought this was a great idea and a caring way of countering indifference. The very act of acknowledging this problem must do something towards improving the situation. My wife has often commented on the importance of the adults who contributed to her learning and encouraged her as a teenager. She is now working as a tutor and truly values what her association with young people has brought to her life. I can also recall times during my own adolescence where without the attention of caring adults I would have easily become lost like so many of the kids I knew. Please check out their web site. The ride is just about over so there are plenty of interesting stories about the ride, who knows it might inspire some of us to be a little more thoughtful of the kids in our own neighborhoods.