KidSpirit

Dignity and Equality

Human DignityGlobal Beat

Sometimes in communities there are conflicts. Small conflicts happen often between my friends, usually because of a misunderstanding that causes hurt feelings. Rarely do my friends try to hurt anyone on purpose. Yet conflict can result in the loss of dignity because negative behavior hurts others.

Sometimes stubbornness, pride, and fear lead to a fight. It is good to walk away from a fight because if you don't, you may say things and do things that you later regret. If you don't walk away and choose to say words in anger, your words will have a negative effect.

Sometimes my community takes sides when there is a conflict between two classmates. This explosion of the conflict between two kids results in even more conflict throughout the school community. Gossiping about an event or retelling misleading interpretations of it create further troubles.

In some instances, the community excludes the person they side against. This exclusion is hurtful because it isolates someone from the community. Racism is a form of exclusion and is used as a way to oppress people. No one should be treated this way. It is hard to maintain your self-worth when you are excluded.

Respect for dignity can be grown by treating everyone the same, regardless of appearance or age. Differences should be celebrated. If someone makes a mistake, do not judge. Do not gossip. Do not take sides. It is important to respect one another under all circumstances.

When there is conflict in my community, I think that the thing to do is to hear the story from both friends and respect what each is saying. Feelings should be acknowledged and they should be treated gently and with respect, so as not to harm my friend's sense of self-worth. When I am involved in a conflict, I explain my feelings, then I listen to my friend. I try hard to understand what my friend is telling me. This is being respectful. Being respectful builds trust. Acknowledging another's opinion promotes equality. Respecting people and treating them equally creates an environment where dignity is honored.

I try to treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. I try not to incite anger. I give my friends space and time to feel their feelings. If I had a wish, I would wish that the world had less conflict, and that everyone in the world were treated equally well, so that all felt their dignity.

Daniel Goetz is 12 years old and lives in Brooklyn, New York. He attends The Berkeley Carroll Middle School. He loves to play video games, make animation projects, and spend time with his family.

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn