Drawing together for Peace

Children from St. Joseph's School in Cambridge created two banners that were sent to children in the Pader District of Northern Uganda. The Children of Uganda completed both banners, and one remained with them, and another came 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 not only learn about local and global inequality and injustice, but are given a tool to empower them to take action to address these challenges. Children both here and in the camps in Pader 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.

Registered Charity Number: 85776 9558 RR0001