Young Ethical Explorers invites children’s voices into global visions… along with an international project called “Sing2G7.”

You may enjoy taking a little time to contribute creatively to an Ethical video song for the G7 conference… to keep our leaders on track! Read on, and chime in.

Young Ethical Explorers recently took ETHICAL THINKING to a global level to learn about G7. Coinciding with current events, YEE is learning about the global organizing summit called G7 — A Group of Seven countries’ presidents who are gathering to talk about world wide concerns.

YEE-GEE-SEVEN PLAN: We’re taking inspiration from a song to express values to world leaders about what is crucial and central when contemplating worldly concerns. The song, “GEE SEVEN”, made by lyricist Sir Tim Rice with a team of artists and a children’s choir, invites world-wide children’s ethical voices into a global quest for world well-being –each step of the way, supporting the COVAX fundraiser for world immunity.

Give the song a listen, and if you want, dive even deeper… Here are some links for a deep dive into the song learning process!

https://www.sing2g7.org/song

Please visit this page and scroll down for the singing-lessons of the song! And if you play an instrument, scroll down for the sheet music!

Sir Tim Rice, Lyricist

“GEE SEVEN”.

it’s lyrics,

and its meaning… a breakdown of the meaning in each line!

YEE began to learn the song on zoom together — now, we can each work independently to sing it, illustrate it, and even create our own Ethical verses of this song. It could be fun to pool our efforts into making a video to contribute to the #sing2G7 movement!

So, to People of all ages, Families, Adults, Children….

SEVEN wonders of creation

Video yourselves and your families and friends singing a verse with images you choose!

You may post them on social media independently with #ethicalculture #sing2G7 and #YoungEthicalExplorers.

BUT ALSO, send them to YoungEthicalExplorers@gmail.com for inclusion in our ETHICAL SING2G7 VIDEO… which program director Audrey Kindred, hopes to assemble.

Here’s a verse that two YEE participants, Olina and Marifer, with group leader Audrey, came up with just by thinking of this question: “What is important for world leaders to keep thinking about while they have important talks together?”

Make more! Sing them! Record and share them!

OUR ETHICAL LENS ~ MAKING WAVES!

As we began listening to the Sing2G7 video/song, our Young Ethical Explorers noticed what they grooved with, in this song and video, as well as what they did not quite groove with. One interesting observation was that the children found it hard to believe it was modern, given the style and context of the church choir singing it. It felt very old fashioned to them. They did love listening and watching over and over!

But we do have some deep critiques to offer! And from them, we may invent our own verses and visions — and be the change we wish to see! Our YEE lens has been honed from the bias awareness training and anti-bully work, that we have done as Young Ethical Explorers. Thus, we are developing some deep standards for the world! And may, as the Y7 (youth of G7) mission suggests, MAKE SOME WAVES!

One thoughtful participant, Katie a meditative intellectual 9 year old, took a strong stand, with some important insights. She noticed that the video of Sing2G7 did not represent a diverse range of human beings, which seemed contradictory to the progressive messaging of the song, and felt sad to see. After a season of racial justice studies with YEE, such an astute observation of embedded white bias must be treated as gold. This observation gave us a moment to deeply appreciate, as we often do at YEE, the parts of our city, our world, (and our media) that are actively and visibly integrated! YEE are indeed Bias Adjusters at work!

Another critique from the ethical lens of young Katie addressed the negative tone in the final phrase of the song, “we’ll run you out of town.” YEE discussed the meaning of this line as it applies to leaders who don’t do their job respecting the values of the people they represent. Yet, this 9 year old’s sensitized critique to exclusionary verbiage cannot be dismissed, when our YEE lessons are imbued with the value of kindness and respect! As she said, “You can hear how mean that is when you imagine saying it to someone. Why should it be ok to talk to anyone that way?” Stepping back to reexamine this, we were able to feel the bully-ing tone in the language. Children, uncynical and earnest, may be “the canaries in the coal mine” showing us the violence of our own choices. Children do not want to be “run out of town” for their failings. Nor do they want to oust their authority figures (which for kids, are their parents!) when they are disappointed or angered by them. A society that “runs its failures out of town” is not a reassuring world, from a child’s view, but a frightening one.

So, how can this last line of this lovely song not be that of bullying or ousting, but rather a statement of democratic empowerment? Have a look….

HOW ABOUT:

“We will VOTE you out of power!”

Here are the last three verses:

PLANNING AHEAD FOR JUNE 6th:

And finally, as we think about G7, and people who are busy solving current global problems, AKA “leaders and innovators and helpers” of our times:

WHO does your family look up to and admire, and why? Please plan to teach us all about a global leader you think is helping the world “build back better” in the face of deep current issues (like world health in the Covid19 pandemic, climate justice, and humane fairness in the face of race & gender equity). Research and share at the FIRST SUNDAYS EVENT of JUNE: