Dear readers,
Below you may find a text that I wrote recently for the Unesco about the radicalization of Youth.
When I was invited by the Director-General of UNESCO (…) I felt a great deal of responsibility and, I will not hide it, grief.
(…)
Even before sitting at my desk to write this text, sad images started to crowd my mind. I could see an army of children, bare foot, walking down a dusty path that would lead them to their certain death. I could see some of them actually smiling, holding carelessly their light AK-47s, and heading towards war.
(…)
I keep on seeing these images and the feeling of powerlessness grips me. What can one do against a rising number of children soldiers? Of children slaves?
(…)
To read the integrality of this discourse : please go here
many thanks for your help.
I appreciate it.
:)
Dear Paulo,
I believe a simple plan like introducing a self-esteem in schools might be a way to start for the Western countries.
Stopping pouring money onto wars might be another one.
What are your thoughts on that please Paulo?
Thank you
Love
Marie-Christine-
Dear Paulo,
…..”Meeting on Youth at the Crossroads.”
we are truly at the Crossroads N O W.
Can we add our voice about this problem through Unesco as responsible citizens of this world? I don't believe that we need to have people in positions assigned to this task only, I believe each one of us must look into their conscience and act.
Love
Marie-Christine
Dear Wanbliska, enjoyed the fact that your question got through on blogtalkradio last night… and good to see you back amongst your soul mates more regularly again… I get scared when people/you too go quiet ;)
It is a vicious or wonderful circle… it’s up to us… those poor children who have never known life without conflict, weapons, poverty, hunger, maybe blissfully ignorant, but they learn what they know from their parents, from teachers, from the state and they have no possibility to learn otherwise… or maybe they do…? It’s rather like CERN (Alexandra) if we don’t try the experiment (try going the other way) we’ll never know! I think the wheel can be turned… Paulo has already started a bush fire and it’s up to us to keep it spreading… the flame of love… keep it burning…
Good night, Love Paul xxx
I am really amazed why mighty nations has founds for all dangerous experiments,now I give no name but all can guess,and not enough resources for helping poor childrens.If they are far away,they are almost forgotten.Who saled the guns to these countries?Retorical question.I am near to children because I work in their formation,being teacher.I see how dramatic are the results even if in one country there is no war,only not enough money form government.I think nothing must be spared to raise a child properly,Paul has right in his wise comment.
Thank you all and thank you, my friend Paul from Austria. I definitely agree with you.
One thing that puzzles me is that people make children- become parents- without realizing the enormous responsibilities. Sometimes people lack the love towards their baby, that animals have in abundance. I read recently a story in the newspaper: A girl gave birth and threw the baby in the garbage. A dog-mother found it and carried it to her ‘home’and put it with her puppies, where her master found it and took it to the hospital.
I think that it depends on the States to offer knowledge and condoms. I have read that millions of children and people die from Aids, just because of ignorance how to protect themselves. And then we all know, about ‘adults’ making tourist- trips to under-developing countries, in order to satisfy their sick tastes with unprotected children.. Those adults who may be ‘decent’ parents and live a ‘decent’life.. Who is going to stop them? And what can we do about giving drugs to children in order to have the SYSTEM working?
I believe, my dearest Paulo Coelho, knowledge is the only way. Sometimes, I have read, in America, it was not allowed to Black people to learn read and write. Even in Europe, the girls were meant to stay at home and it was thought that the less she knew the better…wife she would be!! In Mediaeval times knowledge was in the hands of the Kings and the Priests. Revolution came with the printing of books.
Now it is the time of our Revolution, the Internet!
LOVE,
THELMA
I’m sorry, wrong location….
If we would change the word witch into something less shocking, the fear would disappear together with the association.
WARNING! If you are offended and feel this is a personal attack, then you have good reason to feel guilty. I doubt however, that (m)any “PCB souls” here, will.
There will never come a better time than the present… if not now… then when…? Wenn nicht jetzt… dann Wann…?
Everyone is always saying “one day”! Could this not be today? Now?
Wake up all of you parents out there, I challenge every single one of you, to start loving your children with all your heart, body & soul, and start putting them before yourselves…. NOW! TODAY!
If you are considering the foundation a family, having children, then first think of the CONSEQUENCES, think very long and hard, and if you do not feel responsible enough or ready, THEN DON’T DO IT!! THERE SHOULD BE NO SUCH THING AS AN UNWANTED CHILD IN THIS WORLD! So don’t give life to children if you are incapable of loving… or feeding them, for this, I believe, is the worst crime/sin of all!
This is the only way to change the situation in this A-Social World! I think you are all scared to love, scared of the consequences, scared that it might be returned… what then? OMG!
Believe me when I tell you that the “unconditional” love that you give your children will return to you a thousand fold… and this in turn, perhaps slowly at first, will change the whole world.
Yes love is scary, but it is real and it the only force that can carry us all forward. Like a bush fire, it only takes one spark to set it off… but think of the wonderful consequences when we relate this to unconditional love… it would change the face of the earth forever…
So I’ll say my favorite sentence once more;
“The world of tomorrow, depends entirely upon how we treat the children of today!”
Love, your children, Paul
Paulo !
u highlighted the problem well ! but is it too much to expect from you to suggest some concreate measures, some takable steps. many realise now thanks to efforts since ages, that one needs to transcend greed, carelessness etc, but the question is how ?, would it note have been better had u suggested some measures too, throw the debate open !
love
aditya
i think only one person hardly should change world,but if everybody get involved ,than we must help .I think no child should work or fight ,they are so pure ,its evil using children like in some parts of the world.Here we see that development is ilusion,till things like this happens,I dont know what world is that.
Maybe ask Big brother to sign a law that prohibit weapons, even for children that grew up.
Seriously, I have no answer for this. It is the result of disturbed minds. The solutios we get left, are to tell and pray. If laws of rights and respects towards human beings, have been written and written, without real care…
Thank you Paulo to expose this absurd.
With love.
Thank you for reminding us that children are the Future of this world.. and we are responsible for the world we are handing to them..we should try to make this place a friendly plave to live..
where dreams will quench all thirst..and the skies will not be just walls..
Hope in not lost…but
If not we, then who will????
Love and Graditude
Annie
(AVE MARIA-Noa)
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=RRPrhuzm6N4&feature=related
Ave Maria
Where have you been hiding?
Don’t you know we need you!
Things are looking pretty bad down here.
I know that there is beauty
Gentleness, and laughter
These are things you always stood for
Help us find them too.
Hey, there, Maria!
Santa Maria…Maria.
May I take a liberty
And say that it’s a shame to me
Not to live in harmony
Were all just hoping
Someone will step forward singing…
Amen, Amen
Ave Maria
Where have you been hiding?
Don’t you know we need you!
Things are looking pretty bad down here.
I know you hear the fighting
See the torch we’re lighting
On our quest for peace and freedom
Help us see this through
Hey, there, Maria!
Santa Maria…Maria.
May I take a liberty
And say that it’s a shame to me
Not to live in harmony
We’re all just hoping
Someone will step forward singing…
Amen
Dear Heart, I could read through your comments that you are really a special person.Reading now what your job is, I just would like to express to you my admiration.THANK you. Children are the Hope of the world.
LOVE,
THELMA
Thank you Paula, Annie and everybody, but most of all I thank you once again, Paulo Coelho for being there, for existing and for fighting with your gift, your “Sword” and Soul to make a better World. I feel so lucky and proud to be a part of your BLOG.
LOVE,
Thelma
I admire you for addressing your concern towards the weakest group among us, many who don’t have a voice, who cannot speak their mind. Violent radicalization is a threat to the entire society, and mostly to those poor souls, caught up in it. As pointed out by so many experts on the problem of homeless children, children growing up without adult supervision and love, risk severe damage to their mentality.
When reading how you decided to help a whole street of families in your neighborhood, I was very touched. We all can do a little bit, if we just start with what is close. Even in rich USA, I see many out of control children, who hunger for attention, and for somebody to care for them.
My everyday job is to work to prevent child abuse and domestic violence. And because research has proved most child abuse occur before children are five years old, this is our target group. And the program I work for, believe in helping the parents, to care for their little ones, so we do home visits. This is a very preventive program, and cost effective too. Take a look at what it cost society solving the problem with youth out of control in the USA;
Out-of-home foster care $11,246/yr
Juvenile Detention $62,696/yr
Prison Incarceration $19,505/yr
Preventive home visiting program $ 3,058/yr
If you want to learn more about this program, you can visit http://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.com. Last year we did 17000 home visits in the state of Arizona, to support the families anyway we can. And one of the things we have to teach the parents is, yes, keep the guns locked away from the children!
We can´t change the world alone.
But we can do our best to help our neigbour to choose love instead of fear and hate.
Try to understand our neigbours perspective of life, what makes them do what they do.
I think some goverments for example are afraid to be attacted so they think it´s better to attack first. And also it can be a thought of not having enough,not enough food, not enough money etc.
One of the problems with aid organization is that most of the things not come to the people who needs it. I think the goverments in some countries are corrupted and keep it for themselfs. Which is so stupid. Do they feel happy and content when they go to sleep at night? We have to try to help each other, then everyone would feel happier.
We have meat mountains in west and we throw away things, clothes and food. This could be changed, it´s just a matter of wanting to help each other.
If we can share our resources and not be so afraid to not having enough, the world would be a better place.
But I want to believe that we one day can achieve this :-)
Love Jessica
Yes its when the pen is more powerful then the sword that it needs people in positions to voice these things that are so sad especially when it is the youth ,keep writting those letters Paulo ,whether its about the Pres or something else that needs attention when you draw peoples awareness to a subject it then wakes people up to what is going on in the world .I know you take it very seriously and thank God that there are people like yourself to do so ..Your doing the best thing ..”.writting ” I have said it once and I will say it again ..Your a good man Paulo
Love Tania
children..the most beautiful people in the world.. and we make them abandon everything about being a child.. so poverty, violence and unhappiness in this world..i feel it like putting a knife in my throat..
Dear Yajna, i really hope that you someday can make this difference..i hope i ll do that too…
Love to all of you.
Whenever you stop for a moment to think of all those children, whenever you read or watch what is happening around the world, you just feel so..empty, so…helpless, and so ashamed, for yourself, and for the whole world to let this happen. You may try, you may even do something, but still it’s not enough, never, because with one positive act there comes two or more so negative, so tragic, that you just cannot cope with that.
We go on living because around us we may not see this, but it’s there and it can only shows how..we became immune, that is so… sad.
There’s this sign in Aushwitz Birkenau in Poland (concentration camp from war world II):
“People prepared this fate for people”
love
Agnieszka
Yes it’s a question of power that won’t survive when we all would act with love as you did with sharing your love in the words you wrote.
Every day is a day which makes me aware of violence that kills the spontanety of a child with the gun of power, which shoots in every direction where love goes…without knowing that they kill mother earth who lives in all of us…and thus kill ourselves.
Yes we have to safe the children by loving each other and that starts indeed with love and yourself.
Love
All Ways
Hildegarde
Agora além de educarmos as crinças temos que pensar em “reeducação adulta”… porque alguns adultos estão a desaprender a ser humanos…
You know, i look around me sometimes, and i want to do is do more. i want to make the difference tht i was born to do, and truthfully i know its not possible to rid the world of violence or crime or the ideal idea of ’saving the world’ – i just want to do stuff so that atleast the people around me get help. I must admit though, it can be rather overwhelming, and well, im not in a position to do all that i want to just yet. Hopefully i will have the power and influence to do so one day :)
Lots of love
Yajna
Dearest Paulo,
I admire that you recognise that pathetic reality of the situation of millions of youths over the world. There are countless problems, and it seems that many of them just go round in circles- for example, poverty. Poverty itself leads to violence, criminal behaviour, being sold as slaves, having to work being children, which leads to lack of a proper education and well, its an endless circle of problems as you know.
My question to you though, has UNESCO identified the specific problems, in the specific areas with regard to the youth? have they got a plan in place to improve the lives of some these children? And what is their stratergy?
Thank you for being
Yajna
Dear Paulo,
I found this today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdrCalO5BDs
Beijos
Paulinha