International Peace Day
This past Sunday, September 21, was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly as "International Peace Day," and celebrated by 200 countries around the world. While many in Hawaii gathered together to celebrate "Peace Day," I decided to hold a workshop for children and their families at a meditation center in Kailua.
It was a beautiful sunny day, as eight children, ranging in ages from three to ten years old, and their families gathered at the outside courtyard and sat on mats. We were surrounded by tall and vibrant green potted plants and a water fountain flowing and whispering in the background.
We talked about what peace means to us and how it feels in our bodies. Some children said that peace feels calm, soothing, warm, and relaxing. Then we shared how this feeling can manifest outside us as being helpful, kind, thoughtful, and caring.
The story of the "talking stick" was shared along with how using the talking stick is a way of learning to take turns while sharing. One person holds the stick and speaks, while the others listen. Each person passes the stick around and gets a chance to share his feelings and thoughts. Later that morning, the children each made their own talking stick with branches they had brought, then decorated them with yarn and beads.
At MPI, we also practice this process during each class. This is a skill that starts early in preschool. In the third, fourth, and fifth grades, this skill is used in peer mediation and Peace Team. As the children practice helping others to solve conflicts, learning to listen with compassion becomes a natural way of communicating.
At MPI, we strive towards making peace a part of our school culture. Peace is a way of being with ourselves and others. Peace day is every day.
May the days be gentle and peaceful for you.
Shirley Rivera
"Peace is every step. It turns the endless path to joy." -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Posted on September 25, 2008 8:31 AM | Permalink