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Child Honoring: How to Turn This World Around

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"At this critical point in the history of humankind, the irreducible needs of all children can offer a unifying ethic by which the cultures of our interdependent world might reorder their priorities. Child Honoring is a vision, an organizing principle, and a way of life--a revolution in values that calls for a profound redesign of every sphere of society." --Raffi

With this book, all adults, from parents and teachers to politicians, policy makers, business leaders and scientists, can be inspired to "turn this world around." Psychology professor Sharna Olfman joins children's champion Raffi Cavoukian (known to millions as the troubadour Raffi) to introduce his original philosophy "Child Honoring," a children-first paradigm for creating humane and sustainable cultures. With a foreword by the Dalai Lama, Child Honoring outlines the unprecedented threats to young life that abound at this moment in history--and offers a systemic remedy for societal transformation based on honoring our youngest and "most valuable players."

"Child Honoring" is a corrective lens helping us question everything--from the way we measure economic progress to our stewardship of the planet; from our physical treatment of children, to corporate impact on their minds and bodies; from factory schooling to rampant consumerism. It offers a proactive developmental approach to creating sustainable societies.
As a creed that crosses all faiths and cultures, Child Honoring can become a potent remedy for the most challenging issues of our time. This reader-friendly book brings attention to the need to detoxify our world, safeguard fetal and infant development, ban corporal punishment, create family-friendly policies in business and employment, curb corporate advertising to children, and recognize the importance of protecting biodiversity. This book will inspire thought--and provoke action--by all who read it.

Raffi's brilliant introduction to the book also includes
A COVENANT FOR HONORING CHILDREN:
"We find these joys to be self-evident:
That all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect.
The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own song.
Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream, and to belong to a loving "village."
And to pursue a life of purpose.
We affirm our duty to nourish and nurture the young, to honor their caring ideals as the heart of being human.
To recognize the early years as the foundation of life, and to cherish the contribution of young children to human evolution.
We commit ourselves to peaceful ways and vow to keep from harm or neglect these, our most vulnerable citizens.
As guardians of their prosperity we honor the bountiful Earth whose diversity sustains us.
Thus we pledge our love for generations to come."

Contributors to this anthology include Penelope Leach, Lloyd Axworthy, Riane Eisler, Barbara Kingsolver, ecological economist Ron Colman, indigenous educator Lorna Williams, Matthew Fox, author of The Corporation Joel Bakan, and physicist Fritjof Capra.

"Child Honoring, the book and the project, can bring us back to life. No initiative I know carries more galvanizing power of truth. It breaks open the heart and lets the light shine through, to ignite our deepest passions." --Joanna Macy, author of World As Lover, World As Self

My wife and I are intent upon creating a commercial free childhood for our sons, who are now 4 and 6. We thought we were well versed on the subject; she has a PhD. in literature and reads a lot, but after reading some chapters of this important book, we both learned some very helpful lessons. Highly recommended for parents who believe another world is possible, and who take modelling such a world seriously.

I continue to be blown away by the depth and fullness of the vision within the pages of this anthology. Raffi Cavoukian and the diverse and distinguished contributors brilliantly cover the multiple facets touching children, families, and society--economic, ecological, spiritual, and cultural. Child Honouring beckons us to share our greatest humanity and to "turn this world around, for the children." This book masterfully weaves the complexity and offers hope and inspiration. Reading it is mind and heart expanding.

~Tammy Dewar, co-author of Raising the Village: How Individuals And Communities Can Work Together To Give Our Children A Stronger Start In Life.~

Pick up this book. Browse it and listen its simple message: honor children, feed them well, protect the unborn, keep our children safe from harm, call on our corporations to respect the sanctity of childhood, and more. Do these things and watch the "child effect" unfold, watch as its ripple effects are felt and seen through villages, towns and cities around the world.

Slow down, read this book, and remember what it truly means to honor our children in the 21st century.

"If you agree that societies are measured by how they treat their children; if you worry that ours is falling calamitously short of the mark; if you yearn for new ideas and a clear vision of how to reshape `a world fit for children', by all means read this sobering, salutary and inspirational book."

This is a book that could make a real difference in the world. Its chapters are written by a dazzling collection of experts in the field of child development, and It's interesting, readable and informative. Highly recommended!

"Raffi Cavoukian's vision is a stunning wake-up call for all who care about the world our grandchildren will inherit. This book's exciting new approach to sustainability is an inspiration, for which we owe editors Cavoukian and Olfman great thanks."

This groundbreaking volume is the result of a unique editorial collaboration between two highly dedicated child advocates: acclaimed family musician Raffi Cavoukian and author/scholar Sharna Olfman. Bringing together an outstanding team of experts from diverse disciplines, the editors have created a moving account of the dire political, economic, ecological, and psychological state of the world's children. Through convincing statistics, insightful research evidence, and empathetic prose, the chapters not only clarify the many profound challenges facing children but also offer workable solutions to their ever-growing problems. An indispensable resource for parents, educators, and mental health professionals, and one with a compelling, unified voice strong enough to induce policy makers to start `turning this world around'.