Rainbow Family Gathering photos |
The children ran along the beach, laughing and splashing in the shallows, occasionally one would call the others to stop and look at a shell or a particularly large crab scuttling away.
One of the adults glanced over from the shade of the coconut trees and seeing the kids were happily playing went back to her chess game.
Slowly, the group of children made their way to the little rivulet that trickled down from the jungle and through the camp onto the beach.
Along the way, the children stopped at a bamboo grove and decided to make fishing poles. My daughter, Sequoia produced a small kitchen knife from her pocket so they could cut some slender bamboo.
Since Sequoia was the only one of the group with any clothes on, she had the only knife, and directed the others in sharing it around with all the authority of a tribal chief.
The children followed Layla, a five-year-old half-Indonesian Australian girl up onto an old dead tree trunk which formed a bridge over the rivulet; a perfect spot to play at fishing. The children laughed and played, dragging leaves and sticks out of the rivulet, which they called fish and carried over to the kitchen to be shared around.
There were about a dozen grown-ups in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the whole camp; nearly 500 people. While the children took turns in feeding their 'fish' into the fire, a man cut up a pineapple for them to eat, and they went to sit in the shade by the supply hut to eat it; the fish forgotten.
The pineapple devoured, Sage, a four year old Austrian boy, jumped up into the hut to eat mangoes and rambutans and the other kids joined him. At World Rainbow Gatherings adults are discouraged from pinching food from the communal supply, but the children are encouraged to eat as much as they like.
After a few minutes, Sequoia wandered back into the kitchen to help. She found me there chopping a big sack of onions for the soup. Sequoia wanted to help, so I sent her to wash her hands and knife while I found a small cutting board and set up a work-bench suitable for her height.
When the sun started to get low, I went for my shower, and Sequoia, Sage and Layla followed me. I set up three wash tubs for them with buckets of water, scoops and soap, and let them bath themselves while I showered.
We all walked up to the main fire for dinner and sat together. When the food was served, the other children went to sit with their own parents, but Sage stayed with us and he and Sequoia happily fed each other.
After dinner, all the children got up to dance around the fire, and one by one, fell asleep on blankets in the sand while the adults sat around drinking chai and playing music. As the parents went to bed, they picked up their sleeping bundles and carried them back to their tents.
In this idyllic environment of a Rainbow Gathering, children are free to run about and play; there are adults around to help if any of the kids need, but no one is constantly 'parenting' or 'baby-sitting' the children.
All the adults, whether they are parents or not, want to take responsibility for the children and keep an eye on them. I observe how the children learn from watching the adults; and want to join in with mundane tasks like preparing food because they see that the adults are enjoying their chores.
Even though many of the people don't know each other before coming to the gathering, there is no fear of strangers, as the small community of a rainbow gathering is much like a small village.
Likewise, there aren't any cars or roads to worry about and the children are trusted to know their own limits and boundaries in nature. In general, the children don't injure themselves, or get into trouble, and they aren't punished for fighting amongst themselves or 'stealing' food. In fact, there is always food in abundance for the children to eat at their own will.
Withing the Rainbow tribe it becomes apparent that when there are virtually no rules to break, nor boundaries to cross, children rarely seek to break rules or push boundaries.
When children are trusted and treated with respect, they generally become trustworthy and respectful people. No one tells the children "no, you're too young to do that;" they know their own limits and won't try to do things out of their reach.
When Sage was found scavenging in other people's tents many people in the camp came together to solve the problem. At first, his mother felt unsure what to do, and helpless to face the situation, which led to her shouting at him every time he did it. Of course, this only made the problem worse.
After talking it out with his mother, we realized that what Sage really needed was to have more love and attention from her, rather than threats and anger.
He really understood that it wasn't right to go into other people's tents, and once he started getting more loving attention, everything calmed down. Most problems are solved in the rainbow gatherings; with discussion in a talking circle and non-violent communication.
After having raised my child mostly in rainbow gatherings, I really believe this is a wonderful way for children to grow and experience a nurturing community surrounded by loving, respectful adults, and other free children. Without leaders, workers or organizers, everything is done communally, organically and spontaneously by volunteers. Thus the children see the example of giving and receiving in a natural environment.
Though Rainbow Gatherings are like festivals, they differ in that they are non-commercial, non-political, and without drugs, alcohol or electronic devices.
Obviously, most people can't spend all their lives in such communities, but to experience, at least once, a rainbow gathering is to experience trust, respect and unity.