Drawing together for Peace

Children from St. Joseph's School in Cambridge created two
banners that are currently on its way to the Children in the
Pader District of Northern Uganda.  The Children of Uganda
will complete both banners, and one will remain with them,
and another will come back to Canada to be shared with the
children here as well as the local community.

This project, envisioned by women in the community , will
create a global community outreach opportunity for children in
our local community as well as the children in the IDP camps
in Pader.  The art of drawing will be utilized to raise the
children's awareness of the importance of internal and
external peace within local and global communities.  

Children will not only learn about local and global inequality
and injustice, but will be given a tool to empower them to take
action to address these challenges.  Children both here and in
the camps in Pader will draw pictures on fabric instead of
paper.  

The reason behind utilizing this medium is to have a
permanent banner on fabric: one here, and one in Pader, that
can be a source of inspiration for the children and the
community.  As well, this is to symbolize the need to respect
our environment and reduce waste materials.  Through this
process we want children to learn that peace for people,
animals and the whole planet begins with an individual’s
decisions,  such as not to draw on paper but utilize fabric
instead in this case.

Through drawing and creating this banner, children will learn
that there may be times when the desire to express solidarity
to confront violence may just take that desire to nurture peace,
love and compassion and transform these desires into small
acts of kindness.  

By exchanging  the drawings between the children of Northern
Uganda and the children of the Waterloo region, we want
children to learn that the best way to share kindness is by
creating a sharing environment where the children are all
equal participants, regardless of their personal physical or
financial circumstances.

Activities such as this will be used to educate children about
the impact of distractive conflict  in fuelling violence in our
society and, through our peace and conflict resolution
activities, we intend to empower children with conflict
transformation skills that they can use when confronted with
such situations.

Many thanks to the teachers, the principal, and the students of
St. Joseph's school for assisting us with this project, as well
as the wonderful and creative art and love that you have sent .  
A very special thank you to Iris as well for coordinating the
project and making it a reality.