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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1999)
(Elje ^Jortlaxtb O b se rv e r M artin L uther K ing Jr. S pecial Edition Jan. 13, 1999 (J 12 The Virtues Project gist and researcher o f sa verywhere our youth are k illin g th e m cred texts, and John Kavelin, her brother, a Disney art d i se lv e s and each other. They don’t know rector, why all met in the P rin cess Hotel one rainy a fte r they are here and what they noon. Her brother agreed to can be doing. When children who murder other children are quit his jo b , sell his house asked; why? They say, “ I and move to S altspring Is don’t know. Why not? I ’m land, B ritish Colum bia with Dan and Linda. This project bored.” This means that they began with D an’s search in have no meaning in their lives. Their lives are not carved out the w orld ’s sacred text. It soon became evident that the with a passion, a commitment virtues were the thread o f to create something good here. unity throughout all re li The Virtues Project was gions. They began com pil born out of a desire to do ing all the virtues and re something about the rising violence in and around fami lated inform ation and came up with over three hundred. lies. Three people Linda They decided to start with Popov, a psychotherapist and fifty-tw o that were clearly spiritual director for hospice, universal to all religions. Dan Popov, a child psycholo E Each o f these was then care fully and simply defined be ginning with a quote from one o f the sacred texts and ending with an affirm ation. This became the basis for the book called The Family Virtues Guide. Simple Ways to Brine Out the Best in C hil dren. They then took the best strategies from psychology re g a rd in g p a re n tin g and co m m u n icatio n com bined this with the virtues to c re ate a sim ple, straight fo r ward, dynamic training. T he V irtu e s are g ifts w ithin, the content o f our ch aracter, they are the stu ff from which self-esteem is created. When we are re sponsible, loving, honest, The Do Something Kindness and Justice Challenge B y M artin L uther K ing III performing Acts of Kind n behalf of the ness and Justice in the real King family, I world. Last year, students from want to invite more teachers and stu d en ts that 14,000 schools in across the nation to par all fifty states performed ticipate in the 1999 Do more than 500,000 acts of Something Kindness & k in d n ess and ju s tic e . Justice Challenge, an in Kariel, age 9, stopped a fight novative school-based between two of her class leadership program that en mates. Carla, age 10, vis courages students to per ited a senior citizens center form Acts of Kindness and sang songs to the resi (helping others) and Jus den ts who live there. tice (standing up for what Khadijah, age 12, stood up is right) for the two weeks for a friend who was being fo llo w in g the M artin teased by others. Every school in the na Luther King, Jr. National H oliday (Jan u ary 18- tion - kindergarten through high school - can partici 29,1999). The Kindness & Justice pate in the Do Something Challenge is being spon Kindness & Justice Chal sored by the national non lenge. Students simply write profit organization Do down the Acts of Kindness Something, which has de- and Justice they perform and v elo p ed an en g ag in g each school will post their classroom curriculum to acts on the Internet. After teach young people the im the challenge, students and portant values of respon schools that have done the sibility, compassion, gen most Acts in each state and erosity, respect, to le r in the nation will receive ance, honesty and moral recognition. Teachers can register for courage while encourag ing students to put these the 1999 Kindness & Jus lessons into practice by tic e C h allen g e on the O persistent, jo y fu l, etc., we have a solid foundation for self-esteem . T his unique Project has become so suc cessful that people are ap plying it to all m atter situ a tio n s. The P o p o v ’s have tra v e le d th ro u g h o u t th e world bringing awareness of the power o f the virtues to people o f many cu ltu res, from a m ulti-faith, m u lti cultural perspective. They have seen transform ation in the lives of individuals, cor porations, families and com munities. T he V irtu e s P ro je c t trainings are packed with in spirational knowledge and skill practice. Participants learn to remind them selves to continually honor one an o th e r by g iv in g v ir tu e ’s a c k n o w le d g e m e n t; th ey come away with a new un derstanding o f boundaries and the skill o f using virtues to establish good boundaries. And best o f all they learn to “ Education in oup encourage moral decision making by using deep listen ing, asking “cup em ptying” questions and acknow ledg ing virtues helping others find their own truth in the context o f virtues. The next training will be given by Barbara Waldron LCSW, Virtues Project Fa cilitator, on Saturday, Janu ary 30 and Sunday, January 3, from 9-4 at the Teacher’s Space. Call Barbara at 503/ 285-4663. time should aim at nothing less than the renewal of wisdom, th G PG hipth of gratitude, and the recovepg of a sense o f heautg large enough to emhpace Loth esthetics and justice. - D avid C pp In te rn e t at www.dosomething.org or by writing or calling Do Something at 423 West 55th Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10019 (Attention; Kindness & Justice Challenge) 212/ 523-1175. Each teacher who registers will receive a free Educator Guide with an age-appropriate cur riculum, instructions for keeping track of students’ Acts of Kindness and Jus tice and incentives to en courage student participa tion. If students can commit to one day of kindness and justice, they can commit to a week a kindness and justice - a week becomes a year, a year a lifetime. Like my father, I believe in the power o f young people to change the world. Through the Do Something Kindness & Justice Chal lenge, young people can put into practice the ideals to which my father devoted his life. Together, we will keep his dream of equality and justice alive. \ \ h e n e v i l men snout ugly words of hatred, good men * must commit themselves to the <t lories ot love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of ju stice.” Martin Luther king. Jr. (ìregory P. Oliveros Attorney At Law 2161 NE Broadway Portland, Oregon 97232 282-7285 ® llc ^ a r t la n b O beeruer H o n o r* T h i* S p e c ia l 1>ay o f Th e y e a r! H appy -pirthbay T>r. JAartin leather RinG He had the power o f a vision. W e honor the legacy o f Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The dreams o f courageous people have endured through generations. N o w it is our turn to make a difference for the future o f our community. Experience your power in the new millennium. S a o o - -T H E POW ER OF KATU P O R T L A N D 4
