PEACE AWARD

Link to the Children's Discussion Forum Web Site

CHILDREN'S PEACE AWARD

The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001 to 2010)

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) acting as the lead UN agency, is promoting the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). The Decade’s mandate states the principles of non-violence espoused so strongly during the International Year for the Culture of Peace’s (IYCP-2000) but focuses increasingly upon the plight of millions of children worldwide, and the need to create and implement non-violent strategies to alleviate that plight.

"Becoming responsible adults is no longer a matter of whether children hang up there pyjamas or put dirty towels in the hamper, but whether they care about themselves and others -- and whether they see everyday chores as related to how we treat this planet.."   Eda LeShan

“If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we have to begin with the children”  M.K. Gandhi

An International Children's Peace Award is currently being developed, interested persons please contact OWN Empowerment.

A Local Children's Peace Award

It is proposed that a Children’s Peace Award be awarded to children and schools. This is to provide award/s as recognition for innovation and excellence across the areas of peace, nonviolence and ecological sustainability.

It is proposed that a Communities in Harmony van visit towns and cities to collect the best ideas generated by children.  The World Peace Clown would travel to cities and remote areas to provide materials (written, pictorial, audio visual) to the schools and general public.    Materials would include fliers and educational kits on:

• Sustainability:  Environmental education and supporting educational materials;
• Values Education:  Values frameworks, demonstration of values by the peace clown and information on how to implement values education in schools;
• Peace and Nonviolence:  information kits and brochures.  Showing Richard Attenborough film ‘Gandhi’;
• Clowning around:  information on how to be a clown, clown workshops and having fun at school.
• Children’s Peace Award:  application forms and introductory DVD.

Why visit communities?

Visiting communities is to raise interest, excitement and awareness that community harmony and sustainability is literally a work in progress.  By catalysing interest in the schools, communities themselves can up-take practical ideas and support workable initiatives

1.1    The Vision

The vision of the Children’s Peace Award is:

“to inspire, challenge and empower children to take responsibility for the earth and to strengthen understanding and awareness of peace, nonviolence and ecological sustainability to create workable futures”

 1.2    The Aims

• To provide a Children’s Peace Award to outstanding children and their schools.  To demonstrate ideas, projects or creative initiatives that contribute to harmonious communities and a sustainable future;
• To foster citizenship and democratic participation;
• To ensure visibility of peace, nonviolence and sustainability issues by a peace clown visiting schools;
• To utilize the symbol of a peace clown to create a focusing on fun and peace;  
• To encourage children to generate their own ideas, possibilities and solutions to issues;
• To provide children with a voice in the community and foster inclusivity;
• To strengthen self-esteem, confidence and participation;
• To create new, exciting, workable, sustainable possibilities or solutions for the school, the local community and the earth;
• To foster ongoing dialogue and initiate links with other schools and children in Australia and around the world;
• To understand children's perceptions of the future;  
• To link with the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, UNESCO, UNICEF and working in accordance with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

1.3    Objectives

The overall objective of the Children’s Peace Award is:

To inspire children to actively participate in peace making and to be rewarded by a Children’s Peace Award for workable solutions to ensure a sustainable future.

Specific objectives:

• To organise a Communities in Harmony Committee of committed professionals to initiate, communicate and support a Children’s Peace Award;
• To attract sponsorship for the Communities in Harmony caravan, and a hybrid vehicle;
• To coordinate with other peace and nonviolence experts to gather information for dissemination to schools;
• To conduct a media and public awareness campaign around the importance of peace and nonviolence from the local and global levels:
  • the peace and nonviolence caravan and peace clown traveling to cities and towns;
  • attracting media attention;
  • Teaching about peace and nonviolence;
  • Being an example of a peaceful citizen.
• To plan a travel schedule to visit key schools within regions with a peace and nonviolence caravan;
• To deliver the message of peace and nonviolence utilizing  the World Peace Clown image;
• To visit schools and teach children values, conflict resolution and anti-bullying as a summary to highlight the importance and connect schools with practitioners;
• To conduct interviews with adults and children in towns and cities asking them about what they think peace and nonviolence is?  Audio waves can be forwarded to local radio stations to disseminate information and the message of peace.
• To conduct a comparative research study of children's perception of the next 20 years.  This will be compared to the Department of Education (SA) study conducted in 1983-85.   The study of 600 children asked about children's perceptions about the future - 20 years ahead (85-2005).  The 2009 study will provide an understanding of children's perceptions of the future and their levels of optimism and pessimism about the future;
• To film a documentary film about the journey and provide a voice for children about peace;
• The Communities in Harmony Committee to assess peace ideas from schools and determine the winner.   The Award would be awarded by a high profiled person that is inspirational to children.

The Children's Peace Award will encourage children …

‘To be the Change You Wish to See in the World”  (Gandhi).