Philosophy
Abandoned by the brokenness of systems, institutions
and measures promised to function for the purpose of
their nurturance and development, children are forced
to look within themselves to guide their continued existence.
Choices are made to seek safety and acceptance.
The starting point for the development of THE DOORWAY
approach is in the acknowledgement of the realities experienced
by many children in our society. It has been said often,
but ‘really heard’ less often, that as adults and elders
of our society, we must act in human responsibility to
offer safety and nurture to all children. In essence,
as Einstein stated, “If mankind is to survive, we shall
require a substantially new manner of thinking.”
Young people must be respected,
valued, consulted, included and enjoyed. They are / can
be responsible, active learners, and capable of setting
and achieving goals; and as we give them the tools to think
about their own situation, they are able to define themselves
and grow, and make choices to take themselves forward.
All adults are elders and
are critical to the growth and nurture of all children.
Our acceptance and learning of the individual starting
points of our children and young people are the foundation
upon which our support is offered. Children need to be
able to rely on this support by their elders in their growth
and development– right through their transition to their
full participation as adults in our society.
When traditional mechanisms
fail children, the role of communities is to be their village;
to listen, to hear and to impart this message: You can
do it. Can we help?
THE DOORWAY offers a community village
to young people who have experienced the brokenness of
our society, and whose birthright has been taken from them.
Our operative perspective is that the
‘street’ is understood as a distinct culture and therefore
the process of leaving the streets is cross-cultural work
toward integration back into society.
Community people offer the cultural perspectives
of mainstream society to young people seeking to fit.
What young people teach us can be applied
to our collective social imagination. Young people offer
critical starting points for us in seeing our community
and imagining ways we can personally contribute to make
a difference. |
