Schools’ Peace Week 2016: Dialogues for Peace

Auckland, 27 April 2016 – The Peace Foundation, Aotearoa/New Zealand is organizing its 16th Schools’ Peace Week event for schools across New Zealand and abroad. It is aimed to engage the younger generation in Peace Education, to foster global citizenship and to highlight the importance of peaceful relationships at all levels, local as well as global, to create a society of tolerance and nonviolence.

With the theme “Dialogues for Peace”, school children will have a wonderful opportunity to engage in peace building activities in their classrooms, families, schools and even internationally, by being encouraged to get in touch with students from other countries.

Every year, thousands of students partake in the event in New Zealand, as well as abroad including in countries such as Germany, Pakistan, the Netherlands to name a few. The Peace Foundation provides a comprehensive Toolkit for teachers and students, which provides guidelines and example ideas, out of which they can choose from numerous activities or come up with their own ideas. For instance, activities for the primary school may include a “kindness chart”, “help your family day” or “art for peace”.

Feedback we get from the participants of the Schools’ Peace Week is inspiring. One nine-year-old participant said:
“I enjoyed everyone getting involved in Peace Week, and standing up for one another. Everyone was happy, nice and kind in the class”.

Our Youth Programme Coordinator, Lucy Stewart explained that:
“Peace Education and Schools’ Peace Week in particular, helps to foster inclusive, tolerant and peaceful societies. New Zealand is increasingly multicultural and therefore it is important to provide opportunities for young people to work together, learn about one another, and understand those with different view points."

So far this year The Peace Foundation has sixty registered schools in New Zealand and several schools from abroad. Everyday more registrations arrive. We believe that by inspiring children with peacebuilding dialogues, activities and games, we will be able to make an important contribution to the wellbeing of our society.

We invite all schools to take part in this wonderful initiative and register on our website www.peace.net.nz. The event is absolutely free and requires only enthusiasm, desire and initiative. Schools’ Peace Week 2016 will be held from Monday 8th August to Friday 12th August (Week 2, Term 3, 2016 NZ).
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