~This is the duty of our generation as we enter the twenty-first century -- solidarity with the weak, the persecuted, the lonely, the sick, and those in despair. It is expressed by the desire to give a noble and humanizing meaning to a community in which all members will define themselves not by their own identity but by that of others.~
-Elie Wiesel
~"Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots"~
-The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him)
~"Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots"~
-The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Salam!
Tonight I watched two very interesting documentaries done for “Knowledge Network” which is a Canadian based channel. Anyway the two documentaries are part of a series known as
Both documentaries were very interesting and both equally got my thinking cap going.
The first one was about a school which was well known for it’s violent reputation. It documented the journey of around 6 students, and 4 teaching staff, as they worked to change the school around. Basically it suffered from severe bullying issues.
The second one was called “Angry Girls” and it documented five girls, living either in the ghetto of Toronto or serving time in a juvenile detention center for various crimes. It followed the five young women as they discussed why they are so angry and therefore turn to violent, or drastic measures in order to get by and deal. As well it documented their growth, as they began to come to grips with what they were/are doing.
Both stories were very different but they both had one very important component which helped these youth move towards a more positive light. That glue, so to speak, is the simple fact that there were a few people who cared enough to make a difference. A few people that decided to put up with all the crap and fight for these people’s future.
In the first documentary, the reason that the students were so wild, and disrespectful was generally due to the pressures they either deal with at home, or from school, by bottling up their emotions they begin to show them in different ways. For example, by fighting other students, teasing, bad mouthing the teachers…etc.
What they did to solve this was they devised a team of “mediators” which were students and teachers that volunteered their time in order to mediating between students in an argument. They taught the mediators how to get to the bottom of people arguments with out actually interfering, (i.e. breaking up a fist fight). They would schedule a meeting and sit the two or more students down, and then they would speak to them, and let them speak to each other. It worked out rather good, let’s also keep in mind that this is a junior high/elementary school.
Another way of solving the problem was by letting the teachers concentrate on the students working together as teams. By talking to the students about respecting each other, and if they didn’t they got in trouble.
The school had a tough new principle who enforced the law and didn’t discriminate. However, though she was tough she was also very outgoing with the students. After months of working on disciplinary problems they began organizing school activities that would keep the students working as one. They did fun activities to reward them for their good behaviour.
If a student got out of hand, that student was removed from the school with a suspension, and if they committed an offence again they were expelled. This actually helped quite a bit, because with those students gone, the others didn’t feel so intimidated which helped relax the environment a little.
As the documentary progressed you got to see students who initially were troublesome become more involved and friendly. It was actually very nice. However, what also happened half way through was that the provincial government was threatening the educational budget by downsizing it with a twenty million dollar budget cut. This was very pivotal for the story because with this some of the teachers jobs were threatened, and for the most part those teachers were the ones that were helping make a difference. The principle and staff then had to start putting about 75% of their time and energy in to working understaffed, and with less money.
During this time the students began to recoil back to their old ways, because they couldn’t understand why the teachers suddenly lost interest in them. In the end all worked out, and many of the students documented have gone on to do very good in high school. Alhamduillah. But what this story showed me is that the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is really fundamental, in raising the youth of tomorrow.
What many people seem to forget is that those delinquents are their future, and if they don’t have any structure, or moral up bringing then what do expect will happen to you? So perhaps instead of everyone always worrying about number one, we should just take a few moments to think about why the youth is how they are. One can not entirely blame them, they only do what they know after all.
The second documentary was actually very sad to watch. The girls documented were basically around the ages of 15-17 so they were still quite young, but the things they have gone through and the attitudes formed from such is just crazy.
They all live beneath the poverty line, and they all live in tough neighborhoods where survival of the fittest is key. For many of them, they don’t have any one to turn to but themselves, so they start doing what their “boys” do to stay alive. (i.e. Selling drugs, joining a gang etc.)
They beat up girls, they harass their parents, they take drugs, they are lost, but tough as nails. I tell you, seeing what they live in and such is just crazy, I couldn’t even imagine. Alhamduillah is all I can say, ALHAMDUILLAH!
However, through it all there are a few people who want to help. For example, there is a woman who volunteers time (she’s a peer councilour) to help them deal with their anger. She hold anger management groups, and there the girls talk about the fact that they deal with so much, they bottle it all up, and so when they explode they take it out drastically. They help each other out. There’s another woman who has a group of girls in which they get together and simply talk. They do activities together in order to stay off the street. For example, they took a road trip to Chicago where they met up with the girls group of another development and there they walked around the neighbourhoods to see how they live, and what they can do to stay on the right path.
In the end because of these outlets they stayed and still struggle to stay on that path. Because they have those people there for them, they feel better, they view the world a little differently. They see how what they are doing has no substance, and that to dwell on the pass only drags you down, what one must dwell on is what they will make of themselves.
Looking at these documentaries it really makes me see how out of touch lots of society is. We’ve in definition, become very greedy, very…selfish. We all have our struggles, both internally and externally but maybe the result of some of our external struggles is do to our “me me me” factor? We can see that simply by looking at the destruction of what once was a community.
True there are a lot of sick people out there, but does that mean we should just stand by and watch? No, our youth… that’s who we should start concentrating on, and that all starts in the home.
This documentary is also one of those things that really makes you appreciate all that you have, and I mean everything!
Do you ever wonder why we aren’t more thankful? Or why we need to see others suffer to realize what we’ve got? Don’t you ever find that sad?
I do, I find it sad that in order to feel grateful we have to see what others don’t have. But sometimes maybe we should look beyond the material aspect of “lucky” and more on aspects that aren’t so…in your face. For example, waking up in the morning, and being able to see the sun rise, or the clouds in the sky. To be able to see the colours around us, as the season’s change, or after a storm and a rainbow comes out. To hear the sweet melodies of the birds on a spring morning? To be able to breath without difficulty the cool air on a winter’s day. Are you ever thinking about the fact that you get to enjoy those glorious things, and that many would die to be able too.
It’s so hard sometimes to really see our blessings. Life is difficult, and it is filled with daily challenges and tests, but taking a moment to see what truly counts and what Allah has blessed us with, now that helps us get on with our day.
So before you go to bed, just take a few seconds to look back on everything that day. Were happy at all? Is there anything you are thankful for? If you can’t think of the obvious try and think of something less obvious…like getting the chance to wake up the next morning and have a chance to improve yourself, or do something good.
Whatever it is, say Alhamduillah (Praise be to Allah) or if you aren’t Muslim just say Thank you!
May you all have better days, and may you all find the time to smile and make a difference to those around you!
Take care.
~Pink Gerbera~
