The Roots of Participative Democracy : Children

We cannot have an effective and efficient democracy unless the children experience the reality of mutual responsibility and accountability.

Democracy goes wrong when people are trained by schooling to not have a direct participation on the decisions that are made that most affect their lives....... schooling is a 12 year conditioning process that instrumentalises the child's mind and body to obedience, to a dependency on the approval of others, to negating his or her unique insights, and innate right to pursue those insights, to such degree that it becomes a hard wired neurological and physiological response...

A response that they later defend in a visceral and almost feral manner....

That said the intentional process of 'compulsory' schooling is not 'perfect' : some do escape, intact, many more partially intact.. - hence the constant faux 'reforms' imposed by Central Government.... and their denial of the benefits of a truly libertarian education where children are self directing inner motivated learners facilitated by supportive and empathic adults.
It's also the case for me at least, that as I began to honestly appraise my OWN abusive and manipulative behaviour, I began to UNDERSTAND that of those who abuse.. and gain insight into political behaviours of all kinds.... the key is not just in 'being good' but also in understanding, empathically, the behaviour of those who are oppressive...
Which is another reason for activists to REALLY go deep within themselves and find that understanding all the better to help make the wider societal changes, and to provide pathways for others to free themselves of their need to oppress.

This is what Paolo Freire wrote about in Pedagogy of The Oppressed...


And what Alice Miller wrote about in "For your Own Good: The roots of violence in child rearing"


Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe



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1 comment:

Evan Ravitz said...

Here in the US we have Sudbury Schools, where they practise true democracy and freedom. I took my Congressman to visit one and he was quite impressed, as I was, with the maturity of the kids. They claim that every student gets into their first choice of college. I guess that's because, after years of doing what they want, they know exactly what they want to study and are totally prepared: http://sudval.org