Identity and Global Responsibility
What does it mean to raise a child in today’s world, especially one rooted in Ethiopian identity while facing global challenges? This question has become more urgent than ever. As international organizations like UNICEF continue to warn about worsening conditions for children worldwide, we must also turn inward and reflect on our own role. Are we truly protecting, guiding, and nurturing our children, or are we contributing to the very challenges we later criticize?
Children today are growing up in a rapidly changing world, one shaped by globalization, technology, and shifting cultural values. While these changes bring opportunities, they also create confusion and disconnection. In such an environment, the responsibility of parents and society becomes even greater. If we fail to guide children properly, can we really blame them for the outcomes?
Who’s Really to Blame?
What wrong have children done? What crime have they committed that we should bring charges against them?
As both father with a journalist, every time I reflect on the children of this new generation, I feel both deep sadness and heartfelt sympathy. They are often criticized, judged, and blamed for problems they did not create, whether it is declining moral values, lack of discipline, or poor academic performance. Society frequently points fingers at them as if they are the root of the problem.
But the truth is far more uncomfortable: children are not the ones responsible.
The responsibility lies with us, parents, guardians, educators, and society as a whole. We are the ones who shape their environment, influence their thinking, and guide their behavior. If they lose direction, it is not because they chose to do so alone, but because guidance was missing, inconsistent, or ineffective.
Blaming children is easy. Taking responsibility is not. Yet, if we truly care about the future, we must confront this reality honestly.
Childhood and Identity
Many children today are not given the opportunity to grow up with the strong, morally grounded upbringing that shaped previous generations. While there are certainly families who continue to instill these values, a significant number of children are growing up disconnected from their cultural roots.
A childhood rich in Ethiopian culture, tradition, and Habesha identity is becoming less common. Instead, many children are increasingly influenced by external cultures that do not reflect their heritage.
Yes, times change. Every generation grows within its own context, shaped by new realities and experiences. Change is natural and inevitable. However, change should not come at the cost of identity.
Too often, children are introduced first to foreign alphabets before learning “HaHu,” to foreign languages before mastering their mother tongue, and to foreign heroes before discovering Ethiopian ones. This imbalance creates a gap—not just in knowledge, but in identity.
When these children grow up feeling disconnected or confused about who they are, we react with disappointment. But once again, we must ask: what wrong have they done?
Children do not choose what they are exposed to. They absorb what is presented to them. Their minds are like blank sheets of paper, shaped by what they see, hear, and experience daily. If the content written on that paper lacks cultural depth or moral clarity, the responsibility lies with those holding the pen.
As Nelson Mandela wisely stated: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
If children are struggling with identity or values, it is not a reflection of their failure, it is a reflection of ours.
The Role of Parents
Parents hold the most influential role in a child’s life. Beyond providing food, shelter, and education, they are responsible for shaping character, values, and identity.
Teaching children about Ethiopia its history, traditions, languages, and cultural practices is not optional. It is essential. Children have a right to understand who they are and where they come from.
An Ethiopian child cannot simply adopt another identity as a replacement. Even if they grow up abroad or in a different cultural environment, their roots remain embedded within them. Identity is not something that can be removed like clothing; it is a fundamental part of existence.
At the same time, modern realities present new challenges for parents. Social media and digital platforms expose children to a vast range of ideas, behaviors, and lifestyles many of which they are not emotionally or mentally prepared to understand. Without proper guidance, these influences can distort their perception of reality and values.
Children may begin to measure themselves against unrealistic standards, adopt harmful behaviors, or lose connection with their cultural identity. Yet when these issues surface, we often react by blaming the child rather than examining the environment we allowed them to navigate alone.
Guidance is not just about setting rules; it is about active involvement—understanding what children are exposed to, discussing it with them, and helping them interpret it in a healthy and balanced way.
Global Context: UNICEF’s Concern
The challenges children face today are not limited to one country or culture. They are part of a broader global issue.
UNICEF emphasizes that children around the world are dealing with unprecedented difficulties. From conflict and economic instability to limited access to education and healthcare, millions of children are growing up in environments that threaten their well-being.
As highlighted in UNICEF’s recent humanitarian concerns: “Children around the world are facing extraordinary challenges…For millions of children, the hope of safety, learning, and a healthy future is slipping further out of reach.”
This statement reminds us that children are often victims of circumstances beyond their control. If this is true on a global scale, it becomes even more unjust to place additional blame on them at the local level.
Instead of adding pressure, we should be creating safe, supportive environments where children can grow, learn, and thrive.
The Loss of Childhood
One of the most concerning trends today is the gradual disappearance of childhood itself.
Children are increasingly living under pressure—academic expectations, social comparisons, and structured routines that leave little room for freedom. We rush them toward adulthood, expecting them to think, behave, and perform beyond their developmental capacity.
In many cases, children move between home, school, and daycare without experiencing the simple joys of unstructured play. Yet play is not a luxury—it is a necessity.
Traditional games like “Monday Tuesday,” “Thief and Police,” “Tag,” and “Hide-and-Seek” once played a crucial role in childhood development. These activities encouraged creativity, social interaction, problem-solving, and emotional growth.
Today, many of these experiences are being replaced by screen time. While technology itself is not inherently harmful, excessive reliance on it can limit real-world interactions and experiences that are essential for healthy development.
When children lose the opportunity to simply be children, they are forced into a state of imbalance, caught between their natural instincts and external expectations.
Building or Breaking the Future
Every parent contributes to shaping the future through the way they raise their children. The values, habits, and attitudes instilled today will define the society of tomorrow.
As Frederick Douglass once said: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
This statement highlights the importance of early guidance. Prevention is always more effective than correction.
Children need more than physical care. They need emotional support, attention, and meaningful engagement. A child who is well-fed but emotionally neglected may still struggle with identity, confidence, and moral direction.
Similarly, Maria Montessori reminds us: “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
If children represent the future, then investing in their development is not just a responsibility—it is a necessity.
Unity Over Division
Another critical issue is the way children are exposed to societal divisions. Whether political, ethnic, or ideological, these divisions often reflect unresolved conflicts among adults.
Introducing children to these divisions at an early age can shape their thinking in harmful ways. Instead of fostering unity and shared identity, it creates separation and misunderstanding.
Children should be taught values that bring people together—respect, empathy, cooperation, and national pride. A strong, unified identity provides a foundation for stability and growth.
Conclusion: A Question for Ourselves
Children deserve the freedom to explore, to play, and to grow in an environment that supports their development. They need guidance—but not pressure, structure but not restriction, and discipline, but not control.
A country is not built solely through infrastructure or economic progress. It is built through its people. And those people are shaped during childhood. If we fail to nurture a strong, grounded generation, then development loses its meaning.
So, before we blame the new generation, we must ask ourselves one honest and necessary question: Are we truly guiding them or are we the ones failing them?
(Abiy Habtamu Kidane has an extensive experience in the field of journalism with MA in Multimedia Journalism)
Contributed by Abiy Habtamu Kidane
