We are the three Grade 5 students of Pathways School, Gurgaon - Aanya, Krisha and Sana. We are concerned about loss of culture and values in society, today. The ‘Nirbhaya’ incident, the senseless suicide bombing in Pulwama, the inhumane killing in New Zealand…are some recent examples of why we have been made to think that way.

In order to find out how people around us think and feel, we conducted a survey of about 150 people. It told us that people rate culture and the interpersonal relationships and value aspect of culture as highly important. It also showed that 90% of people feel culture is changing rapidly and faster than ever in the past. This change is not intentional but driven to a large extent by exposure to TV, Social media and other information over the internet. Also, we are exposed to cultures from all over the world and hence it is easier for us to lose sense of our own culture. Our survey also indicated that while some of the changes are positive (progressive) – greater respect for individual freedom, greater empowerment for women; there are many negative (regressive) changes or instances of loss of culture – weaker family ties, reduced importance of interpersonal interactions and relationships, lower respect and tolerance, loss of traditions and lack of understanding of festivals and religious/spiritual concepts.

We feel not enough thought and importance is consciously given to this matter, but its impact is irreversible and very damaging. There is a need for action to preserve key elements of culture and be more mindful of our values, as studies have shown that societies that have stronger cultural grounding, see far lower rates of teenage crime than other societies with weaker culture groundings.

We feel that each of us, have a strong influence (recognized or unrecognized) on the changes that our culture and values undergo and we must play a more active role in fighting the ongoing loss of certain key aspects of our culture and value system.

This is what has motivated us- Aanya, Krisha and Sana, to take up this issue for the PYP Exhibition. We have tried to draw up a list of Do’s and Don’ts that can help preserve positive aspects of our culture and value system – both at the individual/family level and for people in authority.

We request you to sign this Petition and Pledge Support for our cause and our recommended actions.

Here are some recommended Do’s and Don’ts at the individual and family level: -

Do’s:

• Give quality time to your family.
• Explain your family culture, to your family members (especially children) in depth – use family trees, stories about your family, etc.
• Teach your child his/her their mother tongue (learn it yourself if you feel you could do with some help too)
• Discuss your country’s and your region’s history with your family (especially with children, you may need to read up to be able to do this)
• Provide more exposure to your family to your country’s traditional arts and architecture– music, dance, paintings, monuments, during family vacations
• Share within your family about your religious/spiritual beliefs, especially with children (be open/tolerant if people do not share your beliefs)
• Help your child understand the universal cultural values - respect for others, tolerance, etc.
• Teach (and practice) tolerance in your family and in your broader dealings with others
• Help your child make a conscious choice about the values that he/she would like to follow (this can change as they grow) and guide/support them in living their chosen values
• Provide your children a role model, by living your own values
• Avoid using gadgets during family time.
• Don’t show your child inappropriate movies and TV shows.
• Choose content that you watch on social media, more consciously too.
• Avoid reacting with anger in haste in public.
• Don’t express your anger through violence.
• Do not accept the ‘wrong’ in the society with a shrug and a thought ‘it is ok’

Don’ts

• Avoid using gadgets during family time.
• Don’t show your child inappropriate movies and TV shows.
• Choose content that you watch on social media, more consciously too.
• Avoid reacting with anger in haste in public.
• Don’t express your anger through violence.
• Do not accept the ‘wrong’ in the society with a shrug and a thought ‘it is ok’

Pledge

I pledge to follow and pass on the universal values of my culture to people associated with me.