Peace Camp 2009

Last year, The Unity Church of San Angelo and the Peace Ambassadors -- an interfaith volunteer organization -- sponsored an 11 Days of Peace Celebration in our community. I led the Pinwheels for Peace project where children created the pinwheels and wrote and drew their thoughts and feelings regarding “Peace” on the wings. I thought about something I'd read about on the Internet -- A Peace Camp, for all faiths, to share ideas, thoughts, and feelings with the children of San Angelo about Peace. When I mentioned this idea to the Peace Ambassadors, I was met with enthusiasm and pledges of support. We collaborated to organize Peace Camp 2009.

On July 8th, twenty-five children and eight volunteers gathered for fun and inspiration and gained a new kind of awareness about others. On the first day campers and leaders got to know each other with an icebreaker and cooperative games. We then gathered to create “Peace Agreements.” After a discussion of why we needed them, agreements were made and written out on a large piece of paper.

With guidance from adult leaders, the children made their own rules such as "Because it feels good when someone says something nice to us, we should catch each other doing something good" and "Because someone could get hurt if we argue and fight, we will share." The campers and leaders decorated and signed our agreements with flair. Every day, these agreements were shared to remind everyone of them. Its easier to work together when we know what to expect from each other!

Campers tried a meditation exercise with volunteer leader Becky Benes of Oneness of Life Productions. After decorating Prayer Rocks, children giggled as they placed the rocks on their abdomens while in a supine position. When breathing deeply from the diaphragm, the rocks went up and down. After a few tries, everyone was breathing deeply. Our day ended with Peace Songs from musician Cindy Jordan. Children and adults alike sang along to the the upbeat peace song, “We can Have it All.”

Our second day was exciting! Divided into small groups the children rotated through different faith stations, where religions from around the world were explored. This activity was inspired by the 11 Days of Global Unity Curriculum. Each station had creative experience for each faith represented: Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Native American spirituality. Individuals who practiced that particular faith were at three of the stations. Ami Mizell-Flint –a Jewish Peace Ambassador – helped children made a large, banner-sized Western Wall, complete with folded and attached Post-it notes. Ara Rahman, a Muslim Peace Ambassador, helped the children weave prayer mats at the station representing Islam. The volunteers brought beautiful devotional items from home, such as prayer beads or head gear to share with the children. Children and adults alike found these items fascinating. “Just look at everyone!” stated volunteer leader Becky Benes, “This is great!”

The last day was full of more stations. One station was devoted to learning a fun way to cope with bullying inspired by a pilot 4H curriculum. Children played a game called "Anger Says" played much like "Simon Says." By imitating the motions people make when they feel anger, such as stomping feet or pointing fingers, participants learned our bodies feel different when we are angry. When I said Anger says “Tell me how you feel.” some of the children said, “Mad!” or “Sad” and one child looked up at me, smiled and said “WEIRD!” We then played “Keep it Cool Says” and explored how our body feels when we do things like take a deep breath, bend our knees, or smile. All who played agreed keeping it cool felt much better.

Our big ending project was lead by Rashda Khan of the Tom Green County Texas Agrilife Extension office. After a silly “Sniff Test” and a talk about hand washing, little hands were washed, and “Peace Pizza” was made at each station. The groups of six children each worked cooperatively with the assistance and guidance of a leader to create a pizza that would be enjoyed by all. Topics such as food allergies, nutritional value, likes and dislikes, cultural taboos, and preferences were explored as groups made their pizzas. Each pizza was a unique creation.

In the three days of Peace Camp, we had fun, learned about each other, and found skills to use throughout our lives. Peace Ambassador Ara Rahman summed our experience up beautifully, “ For me, Peace Camp was an answer to prayer. There nothing more important, no higher calling, than to teach children about Peace.” Plans are already underway for Peace Camp 2010.