Peace Games
Peace Games
Peace Games
Peace Games, a Boston-based NGO, since the summer of 2007. In February 2008, the direc-
tor of programs for Peace Games, Steven Brion-Meisels, and his wife and colleague, Linda
Brion-Meisels, facilitated a three-day, USAID-supported workshop for Palestinian educators
on peaceable schools at the Talitha Qumi School, outside of Bethlehem. In June 2008 Peace Games staff member
Casey Corcoran joined the Brion-Meisels duo to facilitate the Model Schools Initiative, which began with a seven day
workshop for Palestinian educators in Jenin (again supported by USAID).
Seeds of Peace and Peace Games share a number of important values and goals. Both support the knowledge, skills,
relationships and opportunities that children and young people need in order to stay safe and healthy and to contribute
to their communities. Education is a tool for transformation. Teachers play a vital role in this transformation. They help
shape the quality and success of any classroom. Just like their students, teachers need to be given tools and resources
to succeed. Peace Games forms long-term partnerships with schools that touch every part of the community, including
the development of school curriculum, staff and volunteer workshops, support and materials, family newsletters and
events, and general school climate changes. Below, you will find a sample of Peace Games resources. We hope you find
them helpful.
Peace Games & Peacemaking the larger context, Peace Games has as well as two years of supporting rural
articulated the following principles and educators in Colombia, Peace Games is
Working with communities has be- foundations to guide our work with grateful to have the opportunity to share
come a central part of the Peace Games teachers, students, families and com- what we have learned with educators
model, but it has not always been this munities: affiliated with Seeds of Peaceand, un-
way. Peace Games began as a one-day questionably, to learn from your creativ-
festival that brought together children Peacemaking is more than the ity and courage.
from different schools and communi- prevention of violence; peacemaking pro- Teachers have much in common,
ties to create and play games with each motes fairness, justice and active civic regardless of whether we work an in-
other. engagement through service. ner-city in the United States, in a small
As successful as this was, the origi- Young people must be seen as peace- private school in Bethlehem, or in a
nal festival organizers knew that the makers and problem-solvers. one-room rural school in the jungles of
children who attended the festival lived Violence is institutional as well as Colombia.
and learned in a context that was much interpersonal. We all want our students to succeed,
different than the one they had cre- Since violence is learned, peace- but often struggle with how best to help
ated together. Peace Games needed to making can and must be taught as an students who come to our classrooms
be more than a one-day workshop. It alternative. with such vastly differing abilities. We
needed to become a consistent part of Peacemaking requires knowledge, constantly seek more and better re-
childrens lives. skills, and relationships that are develop- sources to help our students learn. And
In response to this insight, they devel- mentally and culturally respectful. we have much to learn from each other.
oped a three-week curriculum for fifth Because relationships are at the heart As part of our partnership with Seeds
grade students about peacemaking and of our work, peacemaking requires of Peace, Peace Games will offer some
conflictbut they also knew that this, collaboration within the school and com- of what we have learned, understand-
too, was not enough. They recruited munity. ing that our strategies are not the only
teachers and wrote an 18-lesson curricu- Peacemaking is active and involves ways to support peacemaking. We will
lum for each grade from kindergarten to student choice. listen well and seek your wisdom too.
eighth grade. Peacemaking is both a personal and a And with your permission, we will share
This was better, but the more they national responsibility. what we learn from you with others.
taught it, the more they realized that Peacemaking is hard work; peace-
they needed to provide teachers with making requires patience, persistence In this supplementand the ones that
resources to extend these lessons, to and a sustained commitment. will followwe will offer you resources
provide families with support for peace- Peacemaking is fun. in three areas: cooperative games that
making at home and to invite commu- you can use with your students and the
nity members into the school. And soon, These principles help Peace Games adults who support them, classroom
what began as a one-day event became a and all of us who teach peacemaking practice (including tips on creating
fully-integrated, whole-school, commu- define the context in which our work a participatory environment for your
nity-wide approach to peacemaking. takes place, the scope of the tasks and students and practical activities for inte-
Looking back, it could not be any the urgency implicit in a culture of vio- grating peacemaking into your lessons),
other way. Peacemaking is a complex lence, the process by which we may find and personal reflections that will
and sometimes fragile combination of some success, and the motivation to stay explore what we have learned from our
knowledge, skills, relationships and op- engaged in what is difficult but vital and work together and encourage us to think
portunities. wonderful work. about what it means to do the work of
Like other important life skills, peace- peacemaking in schools.
making must be taughtbecause it Peace Games & Seeds of Peace
is a remedy to the violence that chil- We encourage you to experiment with
dren learn from the larger society, and The work of peacemaking is humbling, these activities, to talk with each other
because it is critical to the health of our but hopeful. After more than a decade about your teaching practice, and to
communities in the future. In order to of collaboration with urban schools in challenge or adapt those activities that
connect our day-to-day activities to four communities in the United States, you think need changing.
Human Bingo
Purpose: to learn names; Group Size: 10-25 natures of people who match the different boxes. There is
to find qualities that friends one rule, thoughno one may sign more than one box on
share any persons sheet.
Skills: investigation, com- Space: small- to medium- Once a player has filled their sheet, tell them to find a
munication, appreciating sized room, with some seat and wait for the rest of the group to finish or until time
diversity, identifying simi- open space in which to runs out.
larities and differences mingle When everyone has their sheets completed, bring the
Ages: 8 & up Supplies: Bingo sheets, group together to share some things that people have
pens or pencils learned about each other.
B I N G O
Can SWIM Likes POTATO Eats Plays SPORTS Has a DOG
CHIPS VEGETABLES
Can WHISTLE Has a PET other Can ride a BIKE Has the same
FREE
than a CAT or BIRTHDAY
DOG MONTH as you
__________ __________ __________ __________
Does their Likes MATH Has the same Has the same Has a
HOMEWORK favorite COLOR EYE COLOR as BROTHER
as you you
Silent Line Up HINT This game is particularly useful for transitions, either before or after other games,
since it requires participants to work in silence and at the end, the grouphopefully
is lined up and ready to move on to the next activity.
Purpose: to complete a Group Size: 10-25 Directions Tell participants that they are going to line
task collaboratively using up, but that they will need to do so in a particular order. The
non-verbal communication first time the group tries it, challenge participants to line up
Skills: communication, Space: a large space with in order of their birth dates (month and day). One end of the
problem solving, coopera- room to move around and line should be marked Jan. 1 and the other end Dec. 31.
tion, leadership make a long, straight line In order to make the game more challenging, have people
Ages: 9 & up Supplies: none line up in silence. If successful, future line-ups could be
based on topics like shoe size, height, number of brothers
and sisters, and years in school.
HINT IfForyouexample,
do not have a hula hoop, try anything long enough and sturdy enough for a group to gather around.
a length of wood, like a measuring yard-stick, or a rolled-up piece of posterboard.
Helping Hands
Purpose: VISUAL ARTS Group Size: 10-15 Think about the different ways that we can help each oth-
erin class, at home, in our neighborhood. Make a short
Skills: communication Supplies: construction pa- list to help you remember.
(written), cooperation, per, scissors, markers, roll
engagement of butcher block paperor Talk with teachers, parents, or other staff members to
large poster-sized paper identify some ways that children have been helpful in your
(optional) school or program.
Grades: K-2 Prepare one sample hand that you can show the group:
a colorful cut-out hand that has written on it one way that
you have helped someone.
BEFORE YOU TEACH Make enough pre-cut helping
hands for the class. Do this by tracing both of your hands INSTRUCTIONS 1. Explain to the children that you are go-
on a piece of construction paper. Make hands in lots of ing to make a large mural about the ways that people are
different colors (but only use colors on which markers will helpers, and that you are going to use hands to share how
show up well). we help each other.
Appreciation Cards HINT It is also okay to tell students that they are
making cards for someone just because.
Think of someone who could use a card and
Purpose: LITERACY Group Size: any tell students why, so they can write something
specific and sincere. Remember: details make
Skills: appreciation, com- Space: a large space with the difference.
munication (written and room to move around and
verbal), conflict resolution make a long, straight line
decision making
Grades: K-2 Supplies: blank paper
crayons and markers ers. Circulate around the room to ask students about the
(other crafts material peacemaker they have chosen and why before sitting with
optional) some students to make your own card.
4. When you have finished, circulate some more and no-
BEFORE YOU TEACH Make a sample Appreciation tice the details that students include in their cards. Encour-
Cardor have a community helper or peacemaker in age them to be specific and add as many details as they
mind, so that you can make a card with students. can. What does their peacemaker do that makes them a
This activity will be more effective if you can link it to a peacemaker?
concrete example of showing appreciation for someone. 5. If students have made cards for a specific peacemaker
One way to do this is to read a book about appreciation. in your community, collect the cards and make a plan for
Another way is to invite a Community Helper or Peace- distributing them to those peacemakers. If they have made
maker from the school to talk about what they do to make cards for people that they know, tell them to remember to
it a more peaceful community. (Some good, and often give them out.
overlooked, community helpers are people like custodi-
ans, cooks, letter carriers, or even a dentist. Draw on who VARIATIONS Create a reflection on the exercise of ap-
you know and what you know about what they do for their preciations, either as a group discussion or in writing.
community.) When the students gave their card to their peacemaker,
how did it feel? What was the peacemakers reaction, if
INSTRUCTIONS 1. If you are reading a book or having a they saw it? Who are some other overlooked helpers in
guest speaker, explain why. One good way to frame the our community? Why are they overlooked?
conversation is to talk about how people are a part of a Develop appreciation rituals in your group. As part of a
community and the things that each of us do to make our community meeting, encourage students to share appre-
communities more peaceful places. ciations for each otherand encourage specificity and de-
2. Ask students to think about a peacemaker they know tails about why she/he appreciates someone else. Another
or someone who helps their community be more peaceful. alternative is to have a compliments box where students
Gather some suggestions and write them on the board or can write anonymous thanks or appreciations for each oth-
a piece of newsprint. er. Choose some to read each week. Remember that the
3. Pass out paper or card templates and crayons or mark- best way to teach appreciation is to model it well.