A sign of hope.

I've been almost completely numbed when I look at the news, yet I can't stop looking at the news. The numbers continue to rise in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunamis (latest is 20x9/11). When I breezed across this article in my stupor of reading and re-reading about the deaths and destruction, I at first found it cheeky to publish such a thing with all the bodies littered about rotting. Then, I heard HBN whisper her refrain of "new life," and I realized that, indeed, the story can show us that new life is springing in the Indian Ocean, even amidst all the death. How? Because in it these children, who will be privileged to live in years that tens of thousands of children just killed will not, learned essential lessons - relationship, organizing, sustainable forms of global economic interaction, and the intimate connection of environmental and human health. No, the class' project was not a complete model in itself for global revolution. But if every child in this nation were taught these lessons repeatedly, and allowed to enact them, then maybe the world's next largest humanitarian effort would have a better chance of success - or just maybe wouldn't be necessary.

I include the text in full because the Denver Post does not guarantee it will be available after 14 days.

"Boulder 2nd-graders adopt African island nation"

Boulder - A sign, handwritten in second-grader script, hung in the hall of Flatirons Elementary:

"Help us save the rain forest and the people of Madagascar."

The last couple of words grew increasingly smaller and smashed against the right edge as the writer ran out of room, but the message was clear.

"We want to help the people in the villages," said second-grader Will Sheerin. Will and his classmates have raised more than $1,500 selling bags, place mats, coasters and other products woven by villagers in Madagascar.

With the help of a local advocate, the students learned the African nation's location - an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique - and a little about the people they were helping.

"This little boy came by and he wanted to save the rain forest, and I said, 'Sure,"' Fanja Rakotonirina said. She is from Madagascar and runs Tropical Items Madagascar with her husband, where they import crafts made of raffia fibers woven by women in Madagascar.

They work with a nongovernmental organization that helps the artisans. A portion of Tropical Items sales goes toward environmental and educational activities as well as community health programs.

"We are just excited," she said. "It becomes like heart to heart for these children and the people of Madagascar."

The second-grade arm of the outfit began a short time after Sue Sheerin told her son that he had to put a little bit of his allowance aside for sharing.

"He just walked up to me one day and said, 'Mom, I know what I want to spend my sharing on,"' she said. "'I want to save the rain forest."'

Will then had to recruit his classmates. They were in.

"They've really enjoyed it," teacher Cheryl Spear said of her students. "The parents too. It's just been great."

The class developed teams for all aspects of the operation - from advertising to sales. Rakotonirina and her husband, George Raelisaona, came to the school and taught a little about their native land. And the students sold authentic products before and after school, and are giving the money to help the couple's work.

"He's been talking about it for days," Lynn Prielipp said of her son Nicholas, 7. "All of them were just so excited."

So why all the effort for a place most of their parents probably had to find on a map?

"I learned about it in first-grade, and I kind of liked the animals," Will said.