Children come into this world as a gift from the great mystery we call life. They have arrived from the place of all knowing and we call them our elders. They are messengers of hope and renewal. They arrive with the blueprint of our ancestor’s wisdom. It matters not the condition of their sex or body for all children are made of love and come to love you. We work for the benefit to give our children what was hardship in our experience to make life better for them. This is the unconditional reflex built into the heart of us parents. For those not able to understand what the needs of children are we must look inward to our inner child. The voice of the child is a surviving voice and often a starving voice. Some say it is the higher voice or the still small voice within. The child’s voice is barely audible today but it is there. It is often found in the wilderness and in nature. When I was a child I pressed my face to the grass and became a worker ant. I breathed into the earth and her body was my mother. I could trust the stability of a tree trunk as I climbed to have the vision from a bird eye view. When I tasted the fruit of our backyard apricot tree I thanked her. For this was easier then asking for money and going to the store. I was a lucky child unlike those children who hang from their mother’s arms with half glazed eyes upon a fruitless landscape. I have seen runny nosed children jumping for a peso strumming a tiny guitar and what about those mother and fatherless children finding a way through the heaven’s gate we call Earth desperate for loving arms. Did you not know they are our wisdom keepers our society's salvation?

When I was a child I did not know that children were abducted sexually, abused and even sold as slaves. I did not know that children used drugs such as glue and homemade chemicals. Today children know not to talk to strangers for fear of this evil. Today there is less hugging and more frisking. Today children of privilege escape into videos instead of nature. Today children still are without lawful rights and lack protection and if you are of culture born in a 3rd world country you might not escape slavery, prostitution, malnutrition, disease and death. Today children know more about the needs of other children who are not so fortunate.

On June 25th 2007 children from all over the world will come to a festival in Washington D.C. Mall to honor their art. This is unlike any other event because these children will be honored as the seed carriers of our future. In order to survive our species children must be honored. An international community of children who create beauty and messages of peacemaking in art will be the drumming voice for the safe keeping of all children being born. I have in my prayers all those children who are passing from our world which worships the weapons and celebrates the military to hear me, we have found our voice we are drumming our hearts for you.

We are living during a time when children are parenting children. The most vulnerable choice we can make is peace. The time of unloving must be resolved and together make this a time for loving.

Let the children drum. Run or fly come and Drum Dance and Dream with us. Create a drum circle for the children. Give a drum to a child to have their voice drum for the unheard child to be reborn within you and me. Together we will honor and respect all children of the world and give thanks to life. Let there be peace.

Carol Petersen
Rainbow Medicine Blanket
http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org/drumming/index.htm
Carol Petersen email: tlamco@hotmail.com