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The
Mildred Gunawardena
Memorial Foundation
In
Loving Service
To
The Children Of the World
Established
April 12, 2001
In
Memory of a Beloved Mother
Who Devoted A Lifetime of Service
To Protect The Paramount Birthright of Children~
"To
Discover Their Purpose in Life
Through Loving Kindness
and the Pursuit of Knowledge
Through Value Conscious Efforts"
A
Tribute Of Love To My Mother ~ Mentor
Who Lived Ahead Of Her Time
Let
us sow the seeds of culture in our children’s hearts
from the very beginning
So
that they may grow to love, to wonder, and to marvel
at the ever unfolding story - the wisdom of humanity
Let
their love be unconditional
so it may permeate the world in its totality
Let
us inspire our children to understand and to cherish
the deeper meaning of their love -
for they are the keepers of social integrity
Let
us, hence, nourish their intellect with
Unbounded opportunity
To
appreciate the interdependent realities -
the expressions of the human spirit ~
which leave behind their
everlasting imprints called
Culture and Diversity
Author:
Nelunika Gunawardena ~ Rajapakse
The
Mildred Gunawardena
Memorial Foundation
The Mildred
Gunawardena Memorial Foundation is a non-profit entity. As the
opening statements clearly denote, it is committed to sustaining,
advocating and propagating the principles of an educator, mentor and
visionary who lived to protect the paramount birthright of children - to
discover their purpose in life - through loving kindness and the
pursuit of knowledge through value conscious efforts.
Mrs. Mildred
Gunawardena, fondly called Mrs. G, after whom the foundation has been
conceived and named, won the admiration of those whose lives she touched
for over 65 years. A foremost pedagogue and pioneer in the
Montessori approach to education, in addition to having been a Fellow of
the Trinity College of Music, London, England, in Speech training and
Dramatic Arts, she was truly ahead of her time.
She has been
the epitome of selfless love, compassion, humility and devotion towards
children of the world.
As a great
admirer once remarked with reverence
"Mrs. G is a legend".
May all
those who seek refuge in the pursuit of knowledge, be led in the path of
unconditional loving kindness which inherently nurtures all virtues of
life ~ reverence, perseverance, courage, self-respect, pride in
self-direction and motivation, humility, compassion and a profound sense
of responsibility.
The vision
of Mildred Gunawardena is being precisely and concisely presented in a
book named "Nature's Quest - In the Heart of A Seed". It is a graphic
display of philosophical wisdom in a systematic layout for those seeking
a vision to educate
~ the
children of the world
~ the youth of
the world
~ the parents of
the world
~ the educators of the world
~ the statesmen of the world.
Mildred
Gunawardena's vision may also be looked upon as the pristine path toward lasting peace in society.
The Mildred
Gunawardena Memorial Foundation finds its origin as a result of the deep
sentiments conveyed by Mrs. G's lifetime admirers who had been touched
by her in a profound way. The time of her passing, at the ripe age
of 85, on Nov. 25, 2000 was, indeed, a celebration of her loving spirit.
Scores of people who gathered to pay homage wished to express their
eulogies and gracious condolences to epitomize the spirit of their
beloved Mrs. G. The foundation's inception was a portrayal of
their eagerness to sustain the spirit of Mrs. Mildred Gunawardena and
her loving kindness, to help children help themselves to discover
their purpose in life.
As Mrs.
G reiterated time and time again,
"the future of humanity rests in the hands of the child"
The
Mission Itself and its Goal
The mission of the foundation will have a two-fold purpose. Primarily, children's lives will be enriched by providing diverse opportunities to bring out the best and fullest of their human potential.
They, in turn, will be guided to discover their purpose in life through value conscious knowledge and education imparted - deliberately and conscientiously - by means of fully lived experience. The implementation of this philosophy will take place at different levels in order to reach out to the children from all crossroads of life:
~ the
children of the world
~ the youth of the world
~ the parents of the world
~ the educators of the world
~ the statesmen of the world.
Secondarily,
the mission will seek to sustain its efforts in spreading its message
~ to help humanity discover its purpose in life through
the universal child ~ so that the world in turn may be transformed
into a better tomorrow in the spirit of compassion through loving
kindness.
The Institute of the Family
'Sustaining the
Mission'
The Mildred
Gunawardena Foundation’s ‘Institute of the Family’ continues
to sustain the Foundation's Mission by remaining active and dedicated
to serving All Aspects and/or Facets of Family Life through
Continuous Holistic Education
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Service Selections
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Descriptions
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- Support
in Building and Bettering Partnerships
in Marriage
(both potential and existing)
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Guidance
will be given to establish balanced and healthy partnerships
through a journey of renewed perception, self direction and inner
healing.
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Parental
support will be given to awaken parents with regard to the
following facts:
The
child, in his formative years is a mirror reflection of lived
experience around his parents and immediate family.
Furthermore,
he is a composite colored by his life experiences in society -
through his growing years.
The
child’s human condition, therefore, rests upon his lived
and learned experience through each and every moment of his
life.
A
mindful parenting process, that encompasses both a scientific as well as a philosophical perspective, will be presented to all those who seek
assistance in parenting.
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- Support
in Rearing Children through Adulthood
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Parents
will receive guidance to understand the psychophysical changes
that occur through the different phases of the human
metamorphosis, and hence, the corresponding needs and tendencies
from conception to
adulthood.
A
systematic and scientific approach integrated with the most
indispensable and holistic perspective:
the
exercise of freedom ~
that must revolve around choice-making
with unconditional respect and responsibility toward all of life
will be the focal point of the child rearing process through
adulthood.
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- Support
for Teenagers and Teen-Parents
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Special
support and services will be rendered to teenagers who often
have to succumb to parenthood and other unforeseen consequences
due to a lack of philosophical guidance in their growing years.
Parents
of teenagers, in turn, will also have the opportunity to renew their parenting
practices with their teenage children (if they recognize the
need to receive support) by establishing better relations and
understanding - from a profoundly philosophical perspective.
Assistance
may be sought well in advance, almost at the threshold of
teenage, so that harsh life experiences may be avoided.
Teenagers
in turn will receive preparation to understand the importance of
living up to the purpose of each phase in their human
metamorphosis. This will enable them to become ‘parents
with a purpose’ rather than being trapped into parenthood.
Teenagers
will also receive direction with regard to their role as ‘citizens
of the world’ who must bear a deep sense of unconditional
responsibility.
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- Support
for Personal Reflection on the Purpose of Life
(for
all those who seek personal solace)
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A
journey of self - healing and self-direction may be initiated on
the part of the seeker of solace. The institute will
offer special guidance to each individual in recognition
of his/her individual potential to receive support.
Enhancement of one’s quality of life through personal
reflection is apt to generate the ripple effect of happiness
to all others who share the ocean of life.
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- Support
on Specific
Child- Oriented Issues
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Parents
and educators who have very specific concerns with regard to an
individual child may receive guidance to look upon the
situation in a very child oriented sense
with humility and compassion
as
opposed to an adult – oriented, subjective
perspective
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- Support
for Maintaining
Equilibrium in Body Mind and Spirit
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A
Healthy body through balanced nutrition
Healthy
mind through selective input
Healthy
spirit through personal reflection
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The
Chief Administrator and Special Counselor
Mrs.
Nelunika Gunawardena~Rajapakse
Upholds
a lifetime of invaluable experience in being associated with children and parents
over thirty-five years. She
is currently the administrator/principal of Bainbridge~Solon Montessori
School.
Humbled
by her life’s legacy of having been mentored from her tender years
under the tutelage of her highly renowned and revered mother, mentor and
pioneer pedagogue
Mrs.
Mildred Gunawardena, fondly known as Mrs. G.,
(trained
under Dr. Maria Montessori and
a Fellow of the Trinity College of London, England)
Mrs.
Rajapakse continues to cherish her life-dream in touching other’s lives.
Additionally,
Mrs. Nelunika Gunawardena~Rajapakse received her formal primary training
in Montessori under the world renowned Mr. Albert Max Joosten and her advanced
Montessori training under her mother’s contemporary, Miss Margaret
Stephenson, both of whom were trained by Dr. Montessori.
A
Special Note
Mrs.
Nelunika Gunawardena~Rajapakse has devoted her attention to children and
parents through imparting the gift of 'learning by love', at all levels
through the years. Well
grounded with holistic values from the tender moments of her early childhood, she
attests to her parents’ life-gift of loving kindness and compassion to
all that fall within the circle of life. She incorporates her
special parents’ vision to inculcate as well as propagate a selfless
approach to life.
General
Principles
*Missions
Implementation and Its Beneficiaries
The
implementation of its two-fold purpose will consist of a
multi-dimensional process:
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Parent
education and training of the mind, body and spirit by means of
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seminars |
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specially
prepared wholesome reading materials |
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meaningful
discussions |
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exchange
of holistic ideas and parenting tips |
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health
conscious nutrition towards a balanced mind, body and spirit. |
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Youth
education and training of the mind, body and spirit especially
geared to the age level between 12 and 18 years, by means of: |
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inspirational
seminars |
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specially
directed wholesome reading materials |
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meaningful
discussions which entail listening to youth needs and their told
as well as untold pleas |
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helping
to bridge gaps between poorly cultivated living habits,
behavioral imbalances and purposeful living. |
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Giving
guidance to discover one's purpose in life through choice
making...when it involves peers, living habits, reading and
audiovisual materials. |
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Child
education through value conscious lived experience from the
moment of conception through twelve years of age. This to
be implemented through parent education so that the child will
be the recipient of invaluable experience and opportunity by way
of culture, values and realities of the living world. |
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Helping
parents understand that they are the foremost educators of
children. |
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Helping
parents understand that the best lessons learned are those that
have been lived. |
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Helping
parents understand that respect is the key to success in
learning. |
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Helping
parents to understand that children must grow with admiration
and wonder about their world...and all of these to be
accomplished by giving the child the freedom of his body, mind
and spirit to explore and discover his universe with a deep
sense of respect and responsibility. |
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Helping
parents understand that the child deserves direction only by
means of example and opportunity. |
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Helping
parents understand that the learning capacity of the child is
directly related to his biological phase and tendencies. |
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Helping
parents understand that opportunity given should relate to the
child's natural capacity to understand. |
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Helping
parents to strive towards the attainment of good child rearing
by living it up with wholesome discussions and deeds. |
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Helping
parents to sustain their children's wholesome learning process
by making proper choices for their continuity of learning and
exploration. |
*Sustaining
the Mission and Carrying the Torch will be through the recipients of
help
Needless to
say, those who have benefited whether they be children, youth/young
adults or parents, we may hope will be the givers of better experience
to those who come in their paths. It goes without any doubt that
the world can only be transformed by goodness cultivated in people's
hearts. Spontaneous thoughts, words and deeds on the part of these
recipients of help are bound to reverberate throughout the world.
As the saying goes "the best lessons learned are those that have
been lived and those that have been lived will be the lessons learned
and spontaneously shared".
*Plea for
Help
"Help
us to help the children of the world."
"Help
us to sustain our mission."
This may be
accomplished only by means of caring attention received and
philanthropic support extended by individuals and organizations.
Indeed, donors who choose to serve this organization's mission would be
those who have propelling emotions to make this world a better place for
human citizenship - citizenship freed of violence rampant throughout the
world today, due to improper learning through lived experience as
well as lack of proper direction received during the formative
phases of life between birth and twelve years of age. It is time
that those who share similar views join hands for the well-being of
humanity beginning with the Child.
Our message
to philanthropic individuals and organizations is to understand our
needs in view of attaining our ever continuous purpose in life - to
help humanity through the child to discover its purpose in life through
loving kindness and the pursuit of knowledge through value-conscious
efforts.
Your kind
consideration will be greatly appreciated. The following synopsis
of ideas are for your perusal. Please indicate your area of
interest when it is time to make a charitable donation:
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Awareness
of the purpose of life through Parent Education and related
projects |
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Awareness
of the purpose of life through Youth Education (ages 12-18
years) and related projects |
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Awareness
of the purpose of life through Child Education (ages 0-12
years) and related projects |
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Facilitation
of globally implemented cultural, intellectual enrichment from a
holistic perspective |
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Recruitment,
training and compensation of individuals throughout the world
who will be committed to advocating and propagating the
mission's principles. |
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Fund-raising
to erect mission's headquarters in Bainbridge, Ohio, USA |
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Enrichment
and enhancement of Mrs. G's vision for children in the local
community through Bainbridge ~ Solon Montessori School |
All alumni,
parents, grandparents, friends and well-wishers who have benefited from
Mrs. G's vision to educate, are hereby invited to join hands in
sustaining the mission: To help humanity through children discover
its purpose in life by means of loving kindness and the pursuit of
knowledge through value conscious efforts. Those who wish to
make a contribution to this worthwhile cause, are invited to donate,
will or bequeath a desired amount, in honor of or in memory of a dearly
departed relative.
To All
Our Readers:
We thank you with gratitude
for taking the time to read
this mission statement
It has been put together with profound emotion...
May you
find fulfillment,
as a Great Mother did...
to pursue your own mission in life.
The tribute which follows
is for your personal reflection...
Our
Mother
"She
has touched us
we have
grown.
May we
attain the heights of our purpose in life
in
whatever role we play...
Be it a
child of the world
a sister
or brother, a mother or father,
a friend
or any other.
May we
breathe the thoughts and express the words
as well as
the deeds of loving kindness
for the
essence of life rests in the seeds of love
we may sow
so
unconditionally
For
thence, we may achieve the fruits of our deeds.
And these,
in the final analysis, indeed
And only
then shall we realize our mission in life
So lofty
in its grandeur to our next life."
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