Celebrating me, Celebrating You
On October 16, 2022, Global Dignity Day 2022 brought together hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, inspiring them to recognize their own self-worth and dignity in others and to use these valuable insights to create positive change.
Dignity is simply how we feel, think, and act when it comes to how we value ourselves and others. To treat others with dignity, we must first consider who we are and what we believe in, which influences our behaviour and attitude toward others. If we take a moment to consider the possible consequences or reactions to situations in which our own or another person’s dignity is violated, we will realise the extent to which it has a negative impact on our physical, social, behavioural, and psychological well-being.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF DIGNITY IN OUR LIVES?
Building dignified behaviours at all societal levels is vital for each of us as an individual unit. Such honourable practises can be picked up from the classroom, classmates, neighbourhood, and family, which is the initial place where beliefs about oneself, other people, and the environment are established. Additionally, it’s critical to realise how the media shapes our beliefs and messages through their language, song lyrics, portrayals of human interaction, advertising, etc.
CELEBRATING DIGNITY
In order to celebrate and instil the idea of dignity in our lives, the third Wednesday of October has been designated as Global Dignity Day on many continents throughout the world. On the occasion of Global Dignity Day, it is crucial to emphasise the value of incorporating dignity into every aspect of our life. The purpose of this programme is to engage the young people of different countries in a dialogue about dignity in order to help them comprehend the meaning of the word and feel empowered by their ownership of it. Most significantly, their comprehension of dignity can give them the strength to be able to recognise typical situations where dignity is violated, such as bullying, unhealthy comparisons, stereotyping, bystander apathy, etc
STUDENT-LED CONFERENCE ON GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY
This year, as an essential step towards bringing a change and aligning it with the Leader In Me Programme, students of Class V at the Beaconhouse Primary IV Campus participated in a Student-Led Conference where ideas about respecting each other and realising that everyone has dignity were presented by the students through interactive activities. This is an important step towards bringing about change as young minds are able to acknowledge their own values, define and respect boundaries, and learn to be assertive while also practising self-compassion.
In order to bring about change in society as a whole, we must all work together on this endeavour. Recognizing the need of upholding dignity is not enough; we must also take action on a personal level. As a result, we must accept our own set of values, be more open to different viewpoints, and be conscious of both our own and other people’s boundaries and rights.
As a society, we must learn to relate to the experiences of others and to get a personal viewpoint while restraining ourselves from passing judgement. It is our job to restore dignity inside ourselves as well as toward others. Let’s end on a positive note by pledging to embrace who we are, value who we are, and feel free since, without self-compassion, we cannot gain the respect of others and, consequently, cannot be compassionate and respectful of others. Keep in mind to value your uniqueness and acknowledge your own potential!
Activity initiated by:
Ms. Sadia Hasan
Ms. Afsheen Imran
Ms. Ummulwara Siddiqui
Post by:
Ms. Ummulwara Siddiqui
Teacher/Instructional Coach