Chldren are experiencing less guidance from parents and requiring more intervention from Schools. The bullying issue are intensifying as children are modelling from societal behaviours and media influence that promotes violence. Moreover, they are airing frustrations and feeling more insecure as more experience separated parent life and changing environments from one parent to the next.  Some children are feeling powerless, some are seeking power over others in whatever way enables them to feel strong. In addition, negativity in society is increasing as parents face greater fears such as: increasing work pressures, financial insecurity, rising costs, unstable relationships and less time to spend with their children.  This is creating behaviour problems in children, mental health issues and heightened insecurity.  Familial and societal breakdown has flow on effects on children and of course, schools.  Schools are required to tackle these increasingly complex problems in order to create effective learning environments.

What is required is whole school approaches that provide training that empower children and staff in conflict resolution, values, community building, positive thinking, esteeming, resilience and general wellbeing.

WorldPeacefull is dedicated to peace, sustainability and empowerment of children and communities. Susan Carew has worked in a range of schools (refer REAL HOPE Program http://www.worldpeacefull.com/real-hope-program/) and has received very high praise for her unique work.   The programs are designed for Primary Schools, however there is scope for adaption for Secondary Schools. 

WorldPeacefull utilises the arts as a powerful medium to reach children.  Utilising a character called Peacefull as been highly effective.  Peacefull is a World Peace Clown and models positive and appropriate behaviours and inspires children to follow their dreams. Susan is a Rotary Peace Scholar and has trained with the world’s most respected experts in the peace and conflict area.  In addition, she was invited to clown in Russia with Dr Patch Adams and has seen the social cohesion created by clowning.   Susan has extensive experience cross culturally having travelled the world.  In addition, she has worked with the world’s most disadvantaged people in slums, HIV clinics and those feeling vulnerable in hospital.  Through her diverse experiences she has seen how positivity can change the way people feel about themselves and transform conflict or dis-ease into a positive world view.

Her latest trip has been to remote rural areas to clown with children, enhance positivity and listening skills and have fun along the way. This formula of clowning as a creative intervention has worked powerfully in every school and Susan has received positive feedback from Principals and teachers.

Susan also produced a Children’s Forum, this is a on-line forum (on this website) which is very effective in catalysing children’s discussions and encouraging dialogue around  issues of bullying, problems at school and how to help each other problem solve.  This on-line forum can be utilised in conjunction with a whole school approach to gain a deeper understanding of children’s issues and to empower them to solve their own problems.  This is a unique opportunity for schools to use creative approaches which are effective in enhancing teaching and learning

References from a range of schools are offered as follows:

 Testimonials of Programs

Photos:   Clowning at St Mary’s Primary School Charleville – Queensland

Photos:   Ilfracombe State School – Queensland

Photos:   Clowning at Canteen Creek Primary School – Northern Territory

Peacefull offers your school a range of educational approaches through practical workshops, inspiring presentations and informative DVD presentations together with options to conduct training with staff and parents.  The combination of a range of approaches stimulates learning, creativity, wellbeing and shared concern from all members of the educational community.  This community consists of educators, children and their parents. 

Susan Carew is a former market analyst and can offer quantiative/qualitative research to assist schools in understanding the issues from all stakeholders at the school e.g. parents, children and teachers.

For those schools who would like a longer term collaboration to embed culture change, they can apply for Federal Funding for the Artist in Residence Program http://www.artsedge.dca.wa.gov.au/4_artists.asp.  Moreover, there are Federal Government harmony grants http://www.multicultural.vic.gov.au/projects-and-initiatives/promoting-harmony.

A range of approaches from short term visits to longer term collaboration with the school are highlighted below:

Presentation to the whole school:

* Come to assembly and inspire children by giving a presentation of her life and what it means to be a World Peace Sustainability Clown. Peacefull speaks about being a clown, clowning in Russia, Clowning in hospitals and around the world. That ‘we can be the change we wish to see in the world’ as Gandhi’s vision inspired. (20 minutes)

Workshop programs:

All workshops are experiential and combine concepts and activities to explore the dynamics of conflict, peace and action.

* REAL HOPE 4 Conflict Resolution: This session explores problem solving, perceptions, emotions, communication, conflict resolution, personal inquiry, bullying issues and role plays (55 minutes).

* REAL HOPE Values and Anti-Bullying Program: Responsibility, Empathy, Awareness, Love, Honesty, Oneness, Peace, Enjoyment. The values are explored by humour – jokes, critical thinking, Philosophy and Facts, Bullying issues and Relaxation (55 minutes for each values based workshop).  Schools can book the whole program or specific values.

* REAL HOPE Peace and Sustainability workshop: This session is based on how values and sustainability come together looking through the prism of values. (55 minutes to 1.5 hours).

* Peace Education Youth Day: This session is a full day and explores a Culture of Peace, values, Gandhi, violence, activities, war, Choices, discrimination and wisdom. (1 day program).

* World Peace (Sustainability) Day: This session explores the issues of peace, conflict and how we are all connected. This day can include environmental themes.

* Juggling: This session teaches juggling techniques which are important for relaxed concentration, non competition and personal focus (55 minutes).

* Clowning Around (includes laughter): This session explores what is the clown, finding your own clown, techniques, laughter and the fun of being a clown (55 minutes).

Children’s Voices:

* Peacefull will ask children their visions of the kind of world they would like in the future. In particular asking them about peace, happiness, nature and the future. There is also the opportunity to film the school as an upload to Youtube and a documentary about kids ideas. The purpose is to share the wisdom of children. As they are the future.   Schools will need to seek permission from parents. All video’s and photos would be for educational purposes and to provide children with a voice to express the sort of world they would envisage and their wisdom.

Audio Visual materials:

*  Video’s on sustainability, self sufficiency, globalisation, peak oil, natural systems and peace.

Their faces tell the story.

Who is Peacefull?

Susan Carew aka Peacefull clown is an inspiring individual who has spent many years working tirelessly in her effort towards building awareness of a global culture of world peace. Her vast plethora of international experience means that she is not only a passionate advocate for peace, but also an expert facilitator in delivering peace and nonviolence education, as well as creating positive peace through innovative programs and actions. Her aims are to actively explore the re-humanising effects of humour and positivity in developing human potential for a peaceful and sustainable world.

In 2002, Susan was personally invited to travel to Russia by renowned Clown Dr Patch Adams to explore creating positive environments through clowning and creative arts.

In 2003, after completing a Graduate Diploma in Peace Studies at La Trobe University, Susan developed the REAL HOPES model. An innovative anti-bullying peace education program for primary school aged children. This program is the first of its kind, which teaches values, peace, nonviolence and anti-bullying, utilising the powerful symbol of the clown as facilitator. It has been widely successful amongst the participating students, teachers and Principals.

In 2008, Susan is a Rotary Scholar and won a Rotary scholarship from a worldwide candidacy to Study Peace and Conflict Studies in Bangkok, Thailand. Rotary has invited Susan as a keynote speaker to District Conferences in Launceston, Adelaide, South Coast, Melton and Ballarat and is a requested speaker for a wide range of Rotary clubs across Victoria. She spoke as part of a group to senior Rotarians in Bangkok about the importance of Peace Education and showed footage from the workshop in Bangkok.

She often speaks as a World Peace Clown. Susan has also had speaking opportunities at Conferences for the University of Melbourne, Victoria University, La Trobe University, Quakers, Positive Schools Conference (Brisbane), Bolivia Youth gathering and the Civil Society Conference Parliament House Canberra, demonstrating inclusivity regarding clowns with Lillian Holt etc.

Over many years, Susan has gained extensive experience in applying humour and positivity to teaching and workshops with both adults and children. In Russia she noted the transformative nature of clowns in community. She has conducted workshops with children experiencing challenging behaviours for the Red Cross, inclusive behaviours workshop with Victoria University, CERES Social Forum, Clowning at Walk Against Warming, Creativity and Empathy workshops with hospital staff, presenting REAL HOPE for ‘Beyond Violent Futures: Cultivating Peace’, Teaching with the Arts at La Trobe University, Values and education with Oxfam, Clowning with kids from Canteen, World Peace Day in ACT, Melbourne, REAL HOPE to school clusters, Peace Education Youth Day in Bangkok, Presentation to children about life as a Peace Clown, Armedabad, India, Teaching anti-bullying to children in Peru, Teaching Peace Education to Teachers at a Bangkok University and Happiness workshops to the community and children.

In respect of the media, Susan was on community radio for 6 years in Melbourne and interviewed a range of high profiled politicians, spiritual practitioners, educators, academics, conflict resolvers, military persons, experts and those actively engaged in demonstrating peaceful behaviours locally and around the world. The program was entitled ‘Bridges to Peace’. Susan was given a special mention by ABC’s Kerry O’Brien at the Peace Media Awards. Moreover, as a clown she has been interviewed by The Age, The Heidelberg Leader, radio 3RRR, ABC666, 2CC (Canberra), 4ZZZ (Brisbane), ABC radio melbourne, a published article in Mindfood magazine (Australia, New Zealand) and with Patch Adams in Russia by CBS News and Russian Television.

In 2010, Susan travelled the world, travelling to 20 countries in 6 months as a World Peace Sustainability Clown visiting schools, hospitals and clowning on the streets. It was a journey to promote inner peace and outer peace through example.

In 2011, the trip around Australia is a great opportunity to connect schools to each other online or through the clowns journey. To share knoweldge with schools and teach children across the country. We have enormous potential in Australia to lead the world, and children are indeed the future. I look forward to meeting the many schools I will have the priviledge to visit.

In 2012, Susan plan’s to launch an International Peace and Sustainability Award to engage the Youth to ‘be the change they wish to see in the world’ (Gandhi).

To find out more information email peacefull@worldpeacefull.com. Susan can be contacted directly by mobile 0458516463 or 0409071030.