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Keynote Address, International Korczak Conference, Aug. 6, 2010, Tokyo Japan
To be here today, of course I had to ask permission from all our children in our Janusz Korczak School in the Klong Toey slums of Bangkok, especially the ones in their early teens, both boys and girls; because in many ways, they are more fragile and vulnerable, and bruise more easily than the smallest and youngest. The younger ones hurt for the moment, the older ones hurt for a lifetime.
I come before you from Bangkok with a nearly impossible task.
To imagine that Dr. Janusz Korczak is sitting here in the front row, listening to what all of us are saying.
And of course, he is here in spirit.
I am here to give you a message from our children: the Janusz Korczak children of the Klong Toey slums of Bangkok.
And if my message rings true and clear – and you can hear the voices of our children - then I know Dr. Janusz approves, and more important, our children approve. And if our children approve, then the children of the whole world approve.
Our Children: (slide show)
These are our children, formerly street kids, used and abused thow-aways who live with us as family.
Our children have several messages:
First, they wish to say, “We the Janusz Korczak children of Klong Toey are okay. Not perfect. Not 100%, but doing okay – and we hope that you are okay.” And from the younger ones… they ask, “Do you know how to play ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’ and how many times can you skip rope without missing a step?”
And so the children ask you, do your children do this?
I do not come bringing a magical formula for protecting children – only a message from our children. But maybe it is magic:
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