Ethics and respect for diversity in the world of children

For a fairer, more empathetic, and humane world starting from early childhood

          Teaching ethics and respect for diversity from early childhood is one of the noblest and most urgent missions of contemporary education. In a world marked by inequality, prejudice, and polarization, raising empathetic, supportive, and socially responsible children is like planting seeds for a more humane future. Neuroscience, psychology, and pedagogy have already shown that the values nurtured in early years shape the moral and emotional structure of a person for life. According to a 2021 Harvard University study, affective and social experiences in early childhood directly influence the neural circuits responsible for empathy, moral judgment, and social interaction. Therefore, teaching ethics and diversity is not a luxury—it is a necessity.

Educating children ethically does not mean imposing rules, but rather cultivating a sense of justice, mutual respect, and the value of coexistence. Young children are already capable of recognizing what is fair or unfair, even during playtime. A study by Yale University revealed that infants as young as six months show preference for characters who cooperate and reject aggressive or selfish behavior. This finding suggests that humans are born with a natural predisposition to empathy, which must be nurtured through social interaction and adult example. Parents, teachers, and caregivers, therefore, play a fundamental role—they are ethical mirrors for a child’s development.

Respecting diversity goes beyond acknowledging physical, ethnic, or cultural differences. It means valuing others in their entirety: their ways of thinking, feeling, living, and dreaming. This is learned in daily life, in the classroom, on the playground, through interaction with children with disabilities, different religions, skin colors, or families. The University of Toronto has shown that children exposed to multicultural environments from an early age develop greater tolerance, emotional intelligence, and cognitive flexibility. Respect for diversity not only enriches human relationships but also strengthens the brain for the challenges of the 21st century.

In this context, the methodologies created by educator and playwright Antônio Carlos dos Santos, grouped under the name Pedagogies of Creativity and Autonomy (PCA), offer powerful and innovative tools. The TBMB (Mané Beiçudo Puppet Theater), for example, uses symbolic characters filled with humor and popular wisdom to present moral dilemmas, social issues, and themes of inclusion. Children learn to take the perspective of others when they see a puppet experiencing prejudice, exclusion, or needing help. Playfulness becomes a bridge to ethics. A practical example: in a public school in Salvador, a teacher used Mané Beiçudo puppets to depict the friendship between a Black child and a Syrian refugee. The impact was so profound that the students themselves began creating their own stories of inclusion and solidarity.

Another innovative methodology is MAT (Mindset, Action, and Theater), which combines dramatization with reflection and social action. Children not only act out conflict situations but are also invited to think of fair and empathetic solutions. Theater becomes a space of ethical experimentation, where they learn to dialogue, negotiate, listen, and respect. In a project developed with the support of the Federal University of Paraná, preschool children participated in MAT activities to resolve issues like bullying, exclusion, and racism. The results showed a significant increase in empathy and cooperation among students.

ThM (Theater Movement) encourages the body to speak and movement to educate. Young children, even without full verbal expression, can convey ethics and affection through body movements, dance, and improvisation. Respect for another’s body, care for shared space, and sensitive listening are practiced in theatrical exercises that integrate expression, body awareness, and human values. Movement becomes ethical language, and children learn to recognize others’ pain and joy through their own bodies. This methodology was applied in daycare centers in Belo Horizonte, with the support of the Municipal Department of Education, and yielded promising results in the socio-emotional development of the children.

Antônio Carlos dos Santos is also the author of a vast and sensitive children's literature that directly contributes to this ethical formation. In his books, he presents plots full of sensitivity, poetry and social awareness. The characters face moral dilemmas, prejudices and injustices, but always find creative, supportive and transformative solutions. It is a literature that educates without moralizing, that provokes thought without imposing answers, that moves without ceasing to educate.

It is crucial to remember that example remains the greatest teacher. Children who live with respectful, loving, and ethical adults tend to replicate those behaviors. Neuroscience shows that mirror neurons, responsible for imitation and empathy, are highly active in childhood. When an adult embraces difference, recognizes the dignity of others, and acts justly, the child internalizes these values as natural parts of life. Thus, parents and educators must pay attention not only to what they say but above all to what they do.

Finally, it is essential to understand that ethics and diversity are not parallel subjects in the curriculum, but rather the very foundation of a true education. Educating good readers, mathematicians or scientists is important. But educating fair, respectful and empathetic human beings is urgent. As Antônio Carlos states, “education is the main instrument for changing people who, empowered, will transform the world into a better and fairer place for everyone.” And this transformation begins, silently and powerfully, in childhood.

The world of children is fertile, creative, and open to the new. It is there that the hope for a more just and loving world is planted. It is up to us, the adults, to water those seeds with affection, ethics, art, and sensitivity. Because, in the end, teaching a child to respect others is teaching the world to respect itself.

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