Box of Peace Miracles for Schools - Post Crisis Ideas

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PEACE GARDENS (ISPG)
BOX OF PEACE MIRACLES - DRAFT
These ideas have been developed for post trauma school incidents and prevention of copy-cat events in nearby schools.

To be donated to a school:

* $10 towards a peace tree representing your Life Zone - Sponsor:
* $10 off a Friendship Bench - Sponsor:
* $10 off ISPG plaque for Benches - Sponsor:
* $10 off a Culture of Peace Diary - Sponsor:
* Free ISPG brochures (to share with other schools)
* Kit of ISPG materials
* Two free ISPG logo pins - Sponsor: IHTEC

IDEAS FOR WHOLE SCHOOL PARTICIPATION:

Develop a project using some of the ideas below. Contact IHTEC for discussion on these ideas, and register your project on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.org

1. Dedication of the whole school ground to a Culture of Peace.
a. Create a "Path of Peace with the whole school and community walking or dancing around the parameter of the school. Develop a significant dance that is repeated at all the entrances using peaceful hand signs, and songs as part of the ceremony. A Path of Peace can be
b. An actual pathway,
c. An imaginary path
d. A natural planting of thickets for migrating birds.
e. Items placed around the school such as painted rocks with international, IHTEC and newly created peace symbols.
f. Plant peace trees, that symbolically represent each person involved and ensure that the representation is positive aiming at reversing the incident. All species planted should feed migrating species in your area.
g. Involve all parents in whatever action is taken. Give each parent a role in the event.
h. Invite a local First Nations persons to hold a Peace Pipe Ceremony.
i. Use universal prayers for peace eg: World Council of Churches, Joseph Campbell and other United Nations sources.
j. Invite someone from a country that has been war torn to speak about the importance of a Culture of Peace.
k. Each person to make three peace tokens or rocks' that can be dedicated - one to exchange with another person, one to be kept at home, one to put in the peace garden. You can use words or peace designs including the IHTEC peace logos.
l. Use a Friendship Bench or Peace Rock as part of the ceremony.

2. Create positive learning outcomes that improve the planet's environmental problems. Focus on energy, air, water and soil, eg: "Solar Powered Living Rock" or a "Solar light" or "Solar oven".

3. Build a friendship bench for conflict resolution.

4. Build a cultural bridge' for performances, which can go in the school peace garden at a later stage.

5. Each school to keep a Culture of Peace Diary in a central place. This is to hold a record of positive achievements towards a Culture of Peace, locally, nationally and internationally. Please send a copy of these in hard copy and email to IHTEC for sharing with other schools.

6. Keep a school ideas book for the "Path of Peace" that you can send to other schools who may experience a trauma. Have each student make a cover for these books of ideas.

7. Bury all hurtful items before you plant your peace garden. This could include letters, poems of fear, sadness, knives, toys etc.

8. Read and Sign and Dedicate yourself to implementing UNESCO's MANIFESTO 2000.

9. Embroider words and pictures on a "Peace Blanket, Afghan or Quilt". This can be used to wrap around the aggressor and the victim.

10. Develop a strategy for a Culture of Peace in your school.
a. Peace in yourself
b. Peace in your school and community
c. Peace with nature

11. Write new peace songs and poems to help heal the hurt. Perform them to the whole school at an assembly.

12. Make puppets that help you act out how you feel.

Stage 2: Curriculum Re-Evaluation.

13. Develop an ongoing curriculum strategy around the "United Nations International Year and Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. " for your school. This curriculum will have your peace garden curriculum included in it as well.

14. Analyse all subjects taught through the UN International Culture of Peace statement, on UNESCO's website: www.unesco.org (Check this website address)

Stage 3: Building your Peace Garden

15. Students and the staff at the school now begin the process of Planning, Planting, Dedicating your International School Peace Garden. Please Register your garden on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.org

16. Please be kind and include the words "This is part of the International School Peace Gardens program, founded in 1993." and use the ISPG logo on all materials that go out to parents and the community.

17. Each student and teacher is to design a peace garden that includes ideas for a Culture of Peace through Tourism from your Curriculum.

18. Build your peace garden web page on your school website. Visit other school's peace garden websites at www.ihtec.org

19. Create a "Peace Garden News" and produce a newspaper with regular issues each year.

20. On the dedication day, where possible, have all students involved with the incident be part of the ceremony.