Building network of youth to promote peace

Training for teacher animators, Peace Club leaders and Peace Volunteers held 

Kohima, March 13 (MExN): One-day training on leadership and peace building for the teacher animators, Peace Club leaders and Peace Volunteers was organised by Peace Channel at St Xavier College, Jalukie on March 9 and Charity School, Kohima on March 12. 

It was held with an aim to promote grassroots movement for peace and harmony in the states throughout India by building a network of youth willing to promote peace and harmony in their homes, schools and communities. 

The trainers for the session were Ashela Teresa, Elizabeth Pojar, Manpang Nyiam, and Toviholi Y Yepthomi, stated a press release issued by Peace Channel Desk. 

The participants were trained on the module of Peace Club, one of the main activities used by Peace Channel in order to promote peace building through Children in Nagaland. Peace Club is formed among children in partnership with schools and localities. The Club members come together and create an inclusive, safe, and confidential and space to explore, experience, express and celebrate Peace in its real sense. The members are empowered and capacitated to resolve conflicts that are observed, experienced and shared by the group. They also partook in activities that are strategically and systematically developed to help impart peace building skills such as Peace table, relationship building, conflict handling and life skills.

The participants were also intensively capacitated on Peace Celebration and Capacity Building which are the two strategies under Peace Club used by Peace Channel in order to promote peace building and conflict transformation through Children in Nagaland. Peace Celebration consists of a seven steps that help promote leadership, dialogue, critical & creative thinking, relationship building, reconciliation, mental health wellbeing, acceptance, non-judgment attitude among children. 

The seven steps of peace celebration are: Ice-Breaker: friendly peace game played among the members to break away their shyness and create an atmosphere best suitable for them. It also help would promote friendship and enable a free sharing among them; Peace Prayer: the prayer is done to endorse religious harmony, and imprint the message of peace in the minds of the young members that we are children of the same God. This encourages children to pray for peace; Meditation: To attain self- realization, concentration, relaxation and compassion. This exercise leads on the path of healing. Meditation enables members to be more positive and compassionate with a peaceful mind. 

The fourth step was in-put session: Sessions on different topics according to the need of the members are taken to impart maximum knowledge about the importance of having a peaceful heart and a peaceful society; Evaluation & Action Plan: The members share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Also, frank sharing of their activities, achievements, failures and suggestions for the better functioning of the Peace Club; Peace Pledge: they renew their vow to promote peace where ever they maybe, and be an example for others to follow. They also affirm that they would accept all without any discrimination, with the belief that all are children of the same God. 

In the last step, Peace Anthem, the members are encouraged to speak the truth from their heart; listen without judgment but with acceptance, listen to understand and not listen to reply; maintain confidentiality- as the members express your fears, tension, anguish, pain and seek solutions for it, the members are motivated to respect each other’s privacy and This can give a sense of security and relief that there are people with whom he/she can share problems or rely on, it will also help the members to be more empathetic to the problems people face; Develop self-esteem through constant sharing and expression of thoughts and issues; firmness and patience towards the cause can change the society.