I’m almost 70 years old – and I go to school again. There I support children to solve their disputes. I work like many others for the German organization Seniorpartner in School which trains people of generation 55+ as voluntary mediators in schools.
We have already 70 locations in 12 German federal states. We have neither an educational mandate nor a curriculum but focus on the kids. In the so-called „room of the good solution“, they tell us about their worries and needs and solve their quarrels on their own.
Our main job is to ask and to listen. That’s not always easy, but we trust the children to find their own solutions. Helping young people to develop their personalities, learn how to treat each other respectfully, and to deal with conflicts in a constructive way – this is our honorary contribution to a future that won’t be our own anymore. This knowledge widens our own time horizon. Our payment? It’s a very special cryptocurrency: it is called „purpose“.
Originally published on March 11, 2021.
