October 22, 2024 – In recognition of the International Day of Peace, our Domestic Harmonizer Program (DHP) sponsored activities at 9 partner schools in Southern California, United States. The celebrations were not just about the day itself but also the importance of having a lasting spirit and commitment to peace-building in schools.
For the DHP partner schools involved, this celebration became an opportunity to reflect on the importance of peaceful coexistence and to take meaningful actions towards creating a better, more inclusive world. WPDI sponsors this event each year at partner schools with the goals of making the International Day of Peace a special and meaningful day that engages students in making peace happen. All in all, the events at the schools directly impacted 1,581 students and 129 educators, and in reached more than 470 community members.
This year’s theme, “Cultivating A Culture of Peace”, provided a rich foundation for students and teachers to engage in impactful and memorable activities. Several of our schools chose to recognize the event through art.
For example, at Cresson Elementary School students and staff were encouraged to dress up in clothing with peace signs, doves or anything that had the color blue. The school chose the color blue to evoke tranquility. The school also had their DHP-trained peer mediators, typically 4th and 5th graders, read books to younger students. They read books such as “It’s Okay To Be Different”, “We’re all Wonders”, “A Little Peaceful Spot” and “What does Peace Feel Like?”. This turned out to be a huge hit with the peer mediators and the younger students alike.
The school also decorated 220 coffee cup sleeves picked up from their local coffee shop, and decorated them with messages of peace “in hopes of spreading peaceful vibes,” which were given out to customers with their beverage purchases.
At Jersey Elementary School, students watched a short video about how peace begins with each of us, and thereafter created their visions of a peaceful world on magnetized canvas, which are now placed on each classroom door throughout the school and will remain there as daily reminders of peace.
At Cypress High School, activities included painting rocks with joyful sayings, coloring pages with peace images/sayings, and folding origami peace cranes. Students had the opportunity to craft and come together in community around the theme of peace.
Switzer Learning Center’s celebration included various activities aimed at promoting the concept of peace among students and staff. One of the main activities involved a peace mural project led by the school’s art therapist. Students worked together to create a mini mural on canvas, expressing their interpretations of peace. They also participated in class discussions about what peace means to them, exploring symbols such as music, friendship, family, and community.
In addition to the mural project, all staff members were invited to participate in a peace chain activity. They were asked to share messages of peace on construction paper and connect them to form a chain. “I thought the activity was so fun. We should do it again,” reflected one student from Switzer. Another student reflected on the diverse perspectives on peace, stating, “It showed me that the world does not always have the same perspective and opinion on things, for example the topic about peace.”
It is important to note that this event also had a long-lasting and far-reaching impact. A couple of the DHP’s partner schools, Lake Center Middle School and Lakeland Elementary School, chose to have WPDI sponsor peace-education books to keep in their school libraries so that students can read about them throughout the year. The books are now a part of the school’s library, and as the schools counselor highlighted, “as a result of this generous donation, students at Lakeland Elementary are more curious to learn about peacemaking in their own community and what actions they can take each day to promote more peace at school, in their homes, and throughout their neighborhoods.”
DNA Prep Academy took this day to spread kindness and peace to those who need it the most. They made lunch bags for the homeless that included sandwiches, chips, water, fruit, a handwritten note with positive affirmations, and a small snack. They distributed 250 lunches in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, an area where homelessness and addiction are pervasive, as well as to individuals at shelters and those they encountered along the way. In addition, DNA Prep Academy students painted world peace pieces and displayed them throughout their school campus to promote the message of peace. One student at DNA Prep Academy stated, “I loved being a part of this project! I learned how much we can do to spread love and kindness by writing nice notes and seeing people smile when we gave them the lunch bags. It was an experience I will never forget!” Another student remarked, “It opened my eyes so much to see this. It really hit me how small acts of kindness can make a big difference when I made and gave out lunch to people on Skid Row. I really felt like I was making a difference in the world.”
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