Christ’s recognition and invitation of children to his company is very significant. He commanded, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (Matthew 19:14). This was a communication that affirmed the importance of children in society. Why did Christ choose to have an encounter with children? There is no doubt that Christ knew the importance of embracing children. Thus,how we choose to treat children influences their relationship with us.
However, the mistreatment of children in the modern society has exposed them to manipulation through disinformation. Think of a child given access to internet to give free time to parents, who takes responsibility for what happens? Why is this preferred as away of engaging children? What alternatives could we have of engaging children?Letting children keep wrong companies even if online, is costly.
CALISCO aims at reintroducing the communal aspect to the nurturing of children with a precaution taken to protect children against disinformation and misinformation (Maria Rossa, Noble prizewinner). In a communal system, if parents are busy, they can have support from either extended or neighboring families. This requires communities to be creative and innovative to come up with ways of engaging and teaching the truth, especially to the children. In addition, priority should be given of allowing children to stay in our company so that they can learn from us. Also, their presence challenges parents to act responsibly. Thus,together we shape the future desires of the children.