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Non Violence

​It is often we who obstruct the child, and so become responsible for anomalies that last a lifetime.  Always must our treatment be as gentle as possible, avoiding violence, for we easily fail to realize how violent and hard we are being.” 
(131, The Absorbent Mind).

Les enfants travaillent à côté des tulipes Montessori  |  Children working alongside the Montessori tulips

What is Non-Violence in a Montessori Community?

MUCH OF WHAT MONTESSORI DISCOVERED ABOUT THE CHILD CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENT WITHIN A SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL ATMOSPHERE OF TRUE NON-VIOLENCE.   IN ORDER FOR THE PERSONALITY OF THE CHILD TO UNFOLD S/HE REQUIRES AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS FREE FROM MANY THINGS AND ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS MUST BE VIOLENCE.  VIOLENCE IS NOT ONLY PHYSICAL BUT IS REALIZED IN MANY OTHER FORMS SUCH AS ADULT PRESSURE AND THE RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT, SPEECH, SOCIALIZING, AND CHOOSING ONE'S OWN WORK.  CHILDREN MUST ALWAYS BE ALLOWED TO BE CHILDREN.  WHAT WAS NON-VIOLENCE TO DR. MARIA MONTESSORI?  IT WAS THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE THE END, THE RELEASE OF THE TRUE HUMAN BEING OF THE CHILD FULFILLING THE GOAL OF A NEW AND BETTER SOCIETY.  NON-VIOLENCE WAS/IS THE WAY TO ACHIEVE TRUE AND AUTHENTIC PEACE.

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