Humans of Hawthorne

 We could close our eyes, keep breathing poison air, witness the extinction of our relatives and continue to measure our worth by how much we take.

Robin Wall Kimmerer

     My daughter, Caroline, is the Office Administrator at Hawthorne Public School in Ottawa, a very special school indeed. This is a a place where the bulk of the students are immigrants, frequently refugees, who have had experiences and have seen horrors we can barely imagine. Yet they are durable, sensitive, wonderful kids who have made Canada their home and will leave us all grateful that their parents chose to come here. Thank goodness we live in a country where all are welcome, where we do not try to seal our borders, where we recognize the inherent worth of all human beings and we cherish and respect differences.

     The far-sighted principal of the school, Kristin Kopra, initiated the project Humans of Hawthorne to celebrate the experiences of the Hawthorne community, staff and student alike. It is founded on the assertion of indigenous writer, Thomas King: "The truth about stories is that that's all we are. You can't understand the world without telling a story."

Principal extraordinaire, Kristin Kopra

     During a visit to Caroline and her family this past weekend she introduced me Humans of Hawthorne and I was very moved by it, and could not help but be struck by the number of students who voiced concern over the state of the environment, and what their future might be in a world of devastating fires, catastrophic floods, food shortages and other calamities yet unknown.

     Since I do not have the permission of the children's parents to use their names, I will not show them here, but read if you will the pleas of these young people who are inheriting the mess we have created for them, and continue to do so without an appreciable end to it, or even the resolve to do better.

Dear humanity...

I want to warn you

From the sky to the ocean

Covered in pollution and waste

We have failed to protect the world we were given

So much so that the earth is trying to get rid of us

From the tsunamis to tornadoes and even thunderstorms

This is to tell you that if we don't act now we'll lose this home

This planet is our home and if we don't protect it

We'll lose it

(Student - Grade 8)

Dear Humanity

Please stop polluting the Earth.

The Earth is slowly rotting and everybody can see it.

I strongly disagree with littering and if you are littering you are adding to the cause.

The littering is ruining our earth.

In April it's supposed to be spring and it's snowing like it's Christmas.

We are hurting our own planet and killing it.

In our school there is so much waste in the yard like masks, bottles, and paper.

If we don't stop littering we won't be able to breathe in non-polluted air. 

We'll have to wear plague masks.

It's not too late to make a change! 

Start cleaning up our waste. 

We NEED to do better as humans.

(Student - Grade 7)

     Let me remind you that these words come from young people who have had to deal with inconceivable grief, misery and horror, yet their concern is for the planet - the only home we and they will ever have, yet we continue to poison the soil, the water and the very air that we breathe.

Dear Humanity...

Dear Humanity, listen to me.

You're doing bad.

Here is why you have to listen to me saying you're wasting food.

We need equal rights.

You have started a civil war in these countries.

You have polluted our oceans by throwing plastics.

We have to make our beloved Earth a better home for use.

You have to make better choices.

( Student - Grade 8)

Dear Humanity

Dear humanity, you have been doing bad and good things to the Earth.

Warning:

You've been throwing plastic in the ocean.

A lot of poverty, people are homeless, hungry, dying.

Garbage is being thrown away everywhere.

Food is being wasted.

We need equal education. 

Thanking humanity:

For donating.

For those who welcome and help refugees - to those who help my family.

Safe places from war created.

To those who keep our Earth clean.

Fighting and protesting.

(Student - Grade 8)

Dear Humanity...

Dear Humanity.

I warn you about the world

What you're doing to the Earth is not right, 

Causing worldwide pollution and high levels of carbon dioxide.

I want people to cut down on the use of gas.

If you listen to this letter then a lot will change

cleaner air

and climate change won't last.

(Student - Grade 7)

Dear Humanity

I think it's a bad thing to pollute the Earth; please refrain.

Stop littering in the ocean.

We are hurting the earth and the animals.

Stop using plastics and start recycling and reusing.

Start farming/planting and eating more vegetables instead of meat.

Stop burning trash, leaves and other materials.

Use bikes instead of cars

unless you're going somewhere really far.

Turn off the lights when you're not using them.

Think about switching to an electric vehicle,

It can be expensive but will save you money in the long run.

And it also causes less pollution to the environment.

WE SHOULD DO BETTER AS HUMAN BEINGS!!!

(Student - Grade 8)

     There is much more. A united voice of anguish from young people facing a very hostile future.

     Do we bequeath them this:

     ..... or this?

     This.....

     ..... or this?

     The choice is ours to make, and each one of us can do our part. No one is going to become an environmental saint overnight but there are countless small things that can be done. Refuse to accept plastic straws and lids, plastic cutlery, never buy bottled water, drive less, buy only the food you can eat and don't throw food away, never litter...and...and - you fill in the blanks. You know what they are. 

     We owe no less to all the young people of the world. Or is it already too late?