Have you ever been told to “Respect your elders”? Nowhere does this advice apply more aptly than with this group of phenomenal role models. The Elders is an international non-governmental organization of public figures. The members of the group are former politicians, peace activists, human rights advocates and world leaders. They all have one thing in common; they are all elders. The group was first founded by former South African President and renowned human rights activist Nelson Mandela. According to Mandela, the mission of the group was to provide solutions for the problems encompassing the world.
Originally, The Elders consisted of twelve elders led by Mandela himself. Many of these elders had been changemakers in their own countries. Now they would work in solidarity to bring about global change. The members of the group have changed over time. Some original members stepped down to pursue other goals and new members took their places. In 2011, The Elders founded a program called Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage. This program brings together organizations around the world to tackle the problem of child marriage.
The Elders is a large international organization, but some elders are just as influential in their own communities. Since Ron Schlegel was a child, he had an affinity for the wisdom of his elders. He regularly volunteered to help the elders at the nursing home his parents owned. After his duties, he would do his homework while the residents told him stories. This was an auspicious sign of his later career. He later worked as a caregiver for the elderly. He wanted to provide a more permanent solution against the problem of ageism. He ended up founding Schlegel Villages to provide long-term care and retirement facilities in Ontario.
In addition to caring for the elderly, Schlegel understands the importance about learning from their wisdom. The #ElderWisdom campaign aims to remind community members of this during Senior's Month in June. During the month, Schlegel Villages installs a green bench in popular parts of the community. Members of the public are encouraged to sit and chat with an elderly person at the bench!
David Suzuki is another elder who continues to work for the benefit of others. In fact, he is one of the Earth's most dedicated custodians! Despite his age, he clearly has a vested interest in the future health of the planet. He has been working for over half a century to increase consciousness about environmental problems. Despite the work of Suzuki and others, multiple threats to the environment linger. He has opined that governments and corporations are not doing enough to reduce the damage on the environment.
The Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre hosts regular roundtable discussions. The goal is to connect educators and Elders from First Nations communities in the province. The roundtable discussions focus on life long learning. The wisdom of these Elders shows a value in intergenerational exchange. According to the Elders, “If you respect a child, that child will listen. Love a child and that child will listen.”
These Manitoba First Nations Elders hold certain teachings for a good life. Amongst these teachings is that learning is cyclical. It involves looking, learning, and living what is taught. In order to live a good life, we should reciprocate what we've gained. So living what we've learned involves teaching it to others.
Another teaching expects everyone to help one another. We've seen plenty of models of elders who have helped those around them. We can learn from their example. Respecting our elders doesn't only have to mean helping them. We can take advantage of opportunities to learn from them. We all have things to learn from the collective wisdom of our global elders. We should treat them with reverence.