MAY 2019 | ISSUE 3
MEDIATION WORKS! PINK SHIRT DAY IN MAY Last month, on the 17th of May, The Peace Foundation showed its support for Pink Shirt Day by walking the streets to raise awareness for the cause. Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying, after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day aims to create schools, workplaces and communities where all people feel safe, valued and respected.
CLEARVIEW SCHOOL BEING COOL Clearview Primary has a role of approximately 750 students and is located in the township of Rolleston in the Christchurch region. 2018 was our first year of the Cool Schools programme. We had 20 Peer Mediators working in teams to mediate in the playground during lunchtimes. During Youth Peace Week 2018, the peer mediators arranged several activities for the Year 1-8 students to participate in. Two weeks previously, the mediators spoke in assembly and informed students of what would be happening, why there was a Peace Week and the focus for 2018’s Peace Week (Protect Our Planet). They gathered teachers and students to talk about what they thought Peace meant to them. Some of the lunchtime activities during Peace Week included: making paper cranes, writing peace messages, poster and colouring in competitions and yoga classes. A local plant nursery donated a native tree, named our ‘Peace Tree’, which was planted in a garden near the library. Mediators held a planting ceremony and the caretaker made a plaque for it. Another focus for the week was ‘Recycling’. This was identified as a need for our school; something we needed to improve on. Mediators went around every classroom once a day and graded classes on whether they were using their recycling bins, general bins and organics bins properly. At the end of the week we had a school winner. There was also an opportunity to use the recycling bins properly at our school disco, held on the Friday of Peace Week. Because there had been heaps of education around recycling all week, the use of the bins were a huge success.
Tracy Scott (facilitator from the Peace Foundation in Christchurch) was invited to attend our school assembly and present certificates, trophies and prizes to Youth Peace Week competition winners. We really enjoyed the opportunity to run a Youth Peace Week and be involved in a cause bigger than ourselves. By Clearview School Coordinator
Peace Ambassadors — Leaving a Legacy Peer mediators from both primary and secondary schools can work towards becoming Peace Ambassadors at their school. What does this mean? As a Peace Ambassador, you create, develop and work on projects that really make a difference on a school-wide level. Here are some examples of Peace Ambassador projects:
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Planning, organizing and promoting activities throughout the school for Youth Peace Week, Pink Shirt Day, International Day of Peace and other such annual events which have national and international significance.
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Creating a booklet or brochure on peer mediation for peers.
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Designing classroom posters on how to solve problems constructively.
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Producing a ‘Peace’ mural on an outside wall within the school grounds. (see photo opposite, a mural from Upper Harbour Primary School)
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Producing a peer mediation website link.
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Producing a peer mediation video with role-play examples of mediation in action for peers so they gain understanding of the process of mediation and the role of a mediator.
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Producing a ‘Peace’ garden in the school with a ‘Peace’ seat for students to use when they need ‘quiet time’ or time for reflection. Students can also meet new friends on the ‘Peace’ seat.
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Designing and creating a peer mediation App to support and improve the administration side of the role (advanced technical skills required).
Students who make the extra effort showing initiative and determination to create a legacy at their school, will be presented a Peace Ambassador Award by the Peace Foundation. This will include a certificate and a badge. For more information on Peace Ambassadors or to present your student Peace Ambassador list, please email: christina@peacefoundation.org.nz
UPCOMING EVENTS: June 26th June: Secondary Schools’ Peace Symposium AUT, Auckland City
5th June: World Environment Day 8 June: World Oceans Day th
20 June: World Refugee Day th
August 4th-10th August Youth Peace Week 2019 Held at your school by you! 12th August: International Youth Day 19th August: World Humanitarian Day 29th August: International Day against Nuclear Tests September
July
21th September: International Day of Peace
15th July: World Youth Skills Days
26th September: International Day for the
30th July: International Day of Friendship
Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
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