A world where children come first
Published: Sun, 02/28/21
The responsibility for a child should also force grownups to reassess how they see the world. Every parent soon realises that children are small, dependent, easily frightened, impressionable, and in need of constant care to keep them warm, fed, clean, happy, and safe. Children are also affectionate, curious, ingenious and have a great sense of fun. I have been rediscovering the pleasure in a cuddle, a silly game, just seeing what we can find on a walk, reading a simple book, and just sharing the experience of discovering the world for the first time, as through the eyes of a child. Yes, parenthood certainly has its challenges too and requires a lot of sacrifices, but a smile and a hug from your little child and any cost is repaid many times over.
Perhaps the most forceful lesson for me is simply the question of what kind of world are our children growing up in? What are the implications of our actions and policies on the well being of children? My parents born in the 1920s and were in their teens during the second world war. My father was brought up in London and lived through the blitz when the capital city and many other conurbations were severely bombed. My father lost a girl cousin who was killed in a bombing raid, I am not sure how old she was but I believe quite young. My mother lived in the small Lancashire town of Darwen which was never bombed during the conflict. However, my grandparents came from the Liverpool area and had many friends and relations there. From the hill behind the town the port and city of Liverpool could be seen burning and apparently there were regular visits from those seeking a respite from the nightly terror. A huge number of children were
evacuated from the cities and became ‘evacuees’ living with strangers in the countryside and small towns. My grandfather, as the local education officer, did his best to find accommodation for the youngsters who were sent to his town. My grandparents also took in a young boy and my mother told me that she became very fond of him. However, it was not long before his mother came and took him back to the city with her as she was missing him so badly. (Apparently he did survive the war and visited Darwen a few years later.) Children were separated from their fathers for long periods during the war while the men were on active service. Many never saw the parent again if he were killed, others had to live with a father who was permanently disabled or mentally disturbed as a result of his experiences.
Germany was subjected to a massive and sustained bombing campaign which was concentrated on centres of population. The bombing of Dresden on the 13th to 15th of February 1945 is estimated to have killed between 25,000 and 30,000 people, most of whom were women, children, or the elderly. Exact figures for the number of children killed or injured in conflicts such as Vietnam war, invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the disruption of Syria, the occupation of the Palestine, and the ongoing war in Yemen, for which British companies are supplying weapons and munitions, are hard to determine. However, the numbers are huge and do not include children who are orphaned, hungry, diseased and simply living in fear, squalor, and poverty with little or no education and very uncertain futures.
How do we build a better world? When I look at my little daughter it seems pretty straightforward. If any action will likely cause a child harm and suffering in any way, don’t do it. If there is any way that a child can be kept safe, healthy, well fed, and have every chance of realising his or her potential in life then do it. And I don’t mean massive geo political interference by powerful corporations looking to maximize profits and control. I just mean protecting and supporting communities all over the globe so that all children have enough to eat, basic health care, participation in their own culture, appropriate education, the chance to play their part in society, and the means and security to make a family and have children of their own when they grow up.
I do realise that providing my daughter with what she needs to be happy and fulfilled means a lot of effort, focus, and a willingness to sacrifice a lot of one’s own convenience, at least for a good few years. However, it isn’t complicated, just make loving the child the number one priority. What would a world be like where all decisions were made for the well being of our children?
Regards
Graham
PS I seem to be looking back into the past a lot at the moment. Partly because it is instructive to see how previous generations survived difficult periods such as the wars of the 20th century. Partly because looking to the future is not easy at present and it almost seems reckless to make any plans for the future. Perhaps the most important thing about any experience is what you learn from it, current circumstances included. What are you learning today?