The Importance Of Kids’ Understanding Of Religious Freedom
Children are not being tolerant of certain beliefs. However, if we change that view point at a young age we won't have to worry about it influencing our future. Sometimes it seems that children already have certain biases and hatred towards people unlike themselves. This is due to influences from people they look up to.
Hardwired Global is an organization Tina Ramirez founded five years ago which helped to counter extremism in kids. Hardwired Global trains teachers to help kids understand religious freedom, hoping it will give us a more peaceful future. The organization helped more than 1,100 students and taught them to learn to respond to religious difference in positive ways. Educators play a significant role in preparing youth for a diverse and pluralistic world. Hardwired trains teachers to create group activities that show the value of mutual respect for anyone (authors name and year it was published). They want kids to understand and embrace religious freedom. The goal is for students to see their classmates differently and to understand that religious differences shouldn't be seen as a threat. This is a diverse world and they need to know how to interact with people who are different.
The religious freedom of numerous people are persecuted every day. However, with a program like Hardwared we could learn something from each other and by learning to get along could save lives. Students want to talk about religion respectfully. The organization focused on creating better citizens and neighbors, not debating theology and politics. The program 'doesn't change students' religion. It just helps change how they see each other,' Ramirez said. Students could put themselves in other people's shoes to try to understand what other people go through. Moreover, the organization will continue to be guided by the belief that teaching young people to embrace religious freedom will create a less violent world, Ramirez said. 'If we don't get to the hearts and minds of young people in societies that hold deep-seated biases, how are we going to create real change?' she said.
In conclusion, educators play a crucial role in influencing young lives. Changing people's negative views and biases of others into positive ones can increase understanding of one another. There doesn't need to be a huge change in the world in order to reach people's hearts and minds to change their negative view, even teaching one by one could make a difference. Children are important because they will be the leaders of our country one day.
