In clinching his party's nomination for president, then candidate Barack Obama made his famous 'This is our moment' speech. In it he stated, "Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another ... This is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past.
Regardless of your politics or country of origin, many great advances in history have come at seemingly dark moments. Resolution of problems are born out of humankind seeking different approaches and new opportunities.
Gifted advocacy is at this point. The global economic crisis has sent financial support spiraling downward with no end in site. Gifted education funding always seems to be the first item on the chopping block.
Amidst all the negative news, there is hope and it is being driven by technology. The very nature of the problem is also the solution. Lack of support by politicians and the general populace is being countered by the gifted themselves. Online communities are forming throughout the world such as #gtchat on Twitter. Great minds are being brought together with the simple idea that our future depends on supporting those minds who have the capacity to make the world a better place.
Politicians will try to build walls and seek support from the very constituencies they created who cannot understand how their education was usurped from them under the guise of 'test results will mean you are smarter'. It is the role of gifted advocates to say enough is enough! If governments are unwilling to support the gifted, then they will simply do it on their own.
This leads to the premise of this post. In terms of supporting our gifted children - this is OUR moment; this is OUR time! Funding really isn't the issue; SUPPORT is the issue. Realizing the magnitude of the consequences for not supporting gifted children is what needs to be understood by the world's leaders. Mindsets need to be changed and attitudes toward the gifted need to be adjusted.
It is incumbent upon this generation ... parents... to support the next generation ... our children. It is not a matter of 'if', but of 'when'. The time is now! Nations who do not come to the realization that supporting their gifted youth is a matter of great opportunity will fall behind those who had the foresight to do so.
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