Parenting is the Most Noble Undertaking

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Lalith Gunaratne

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Jun 30, 2026, 12:31:50 PM (14 days ago) Jun 30
to 'Jean Brasseur' via, Cacor Public

Dear  CACOR Friends

I hope this message finds you well.

I would like to share with you a personal reflection on a subject that I believe sits at the very foundation of humanity’s future:

“Parenting is the Most Noble Undertaking.”

It is based on a recent interview I did on Father's Day.

You can read the full reflection here:
https://lalithanandagunaratne.blogspot.com/2026/06/parenting-is-most-noble-undertaking-22.html

The Interview is on Youtube -   https://youtube.com/watch?v=DZg6x9GIgRQ&si=FGjVK2DR9Q6I4E88 

As we dedicate our lives to understanding and addressing the great challenges facing humanity - from science and technology to sustainability, governance, policy, politics and the relationship between human civilization and our planet - I believe there is a fundamental question beneath all our efforts:

What kind of human beings are we nurturing to inherit the world we are creating?

We often focus on education, innovation, technology, economic systems, and policy solutions - all of which are essential.  Yet, before formal education begins, the first and most profound human development process takes place through parenting.

As we know, parents are the first teachers. The family is the first social system.  Childhood is where the foundations of empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience, curiosity, responsibility and our relationship with others and the natural world are formed.

The challenges we face today - environmental degradation, conflict, polarization, social fragmentation and the ethical dilemmas created by rapid technological advancement are also human challenges.

This requires wiser, more compassionate, balanced and conscious human beings.

This is why I believe parenting deserves recognition as one of the most important forms of leadership.  Every parent shapes a future citizen, a future decision-maker and a future steward of our planet - built upon the deepest foundation created in the early years of life - the values, awareness and humanity nurtured within families.

As we think about creating a more sustainable and harmonious future, perhaps we must also ask how we support and elevate the noble responsibility of parenting.

Let us also focus on bringing greater attention to this foundational dimension of human development as we promote the great work of the Club of Rome and CACOR.

warm wishes - lalith


Lalith Ananda Gunaratne, CET, MSc
Sage Ontario for Mindful Leadership
LGSE Partners Inc.
Kleenshield Solutions Inc..


On Sun, Jun 28, 2026 at 11:37 PM Art Hunter <art....@gmail.com> wrote:
I added this to our website breaking news.



On Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 1:29:21 PM UTC-4 josephkingram wrote:

For those who had not seen the attached, published in 2023. 
Joe

  Accelerating the Energy Transition: Enabling Photovoltaic Solutions - Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Source: Canadian Global Affairs Institute
https://share.google/xyK3hdqD9SayNAnlZ


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joe ingram

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Jun 30, 2026, 2:05:37 PM (14 days ago) Jun 30
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Lalita,

A wise counsel indeed. With largely unregulated social media and an economic system based on an ego rather than eco-centric stewardship of our planet and its natural capital, the nobility you so beautifully describe in parenting is becoming increasingly challenging. We must all do our utmost to raise public and go veramente awareness as to the challenges and their solutions.

Joe

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On 30 Jun 2026, at 18:31, Lalith Gunaratne <lal...@mindfulsage.net> wrote:



joe ingram

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Jun 30, 2026, 2:21:39 PM (14 days ago) Jun 30
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Lalith 

Excuse my misspelling of your name. 

Joe

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On 30 Jun 2026, at 20:05, joe ingram <joseph...@yahoo.ca> wrote:

Lalita,

Lalith Gunaratne

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Jun 30, 2026, 3:47:36 PM (14 days ago) Jun 30
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Thank you Joe.

I appreciate your response.  

A South African educator John Gilmour responded to my  article with this - "I resonate with what you wrote: I wonder whether parenting is best understood as the beginning of a much wider educational journey rather than carrying the responsibility alone".  

As the lives of modern parents get busier and busier, it is even more important for children to be nurtured by a 'village' unless there is ample parental leave - especially in the formative years which must extend to the educational system. 

John Gilmour goes onto say;  
"Perhaps schools should not be seen simply as places where children receive an education, but as part of a much broader community of learning.  Likewise, education should not be confined to the classroom. Every relationship, every act of service, every conversation and every opportunity to contribute becomes part of the educational experience."  

Although I did not mention it in the article, I grew up in a real 'village,' in Kandy, Sri Lanka.  Our children also benefited from the support of the 'village' - always surrounded by extended family, neighbours and friends, along with great, nurturing teachers who helped shape them.

The great Dr. Gabor Mate says "Being physically and emotionally present for your children is the most important thing; that means putting career aspirations on hold for a few years. If we establish a healthy foundation in the first three or four years of life, the rest almost takes care of itself."

How do we influence a political-socio-economic system to promote that?

warm wishes - lalith

Lalith Ananda Gunaratne, CET, MSc
Sage Ontario for Mindful Leadership
LGSE Partners Inc.
Kleenshield Solutions Inc..

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