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What is Peace?
January 1, 2013
We must be the peace we wish to see in children.
-Janet Gonzalez-Mena
-Janet Gonzalez-Mena
"One day during snack the children’s conversation turned to words and their definitions. It began with the word war and what it meant. The children quickly offered definitions: 'It’s when people kill each other.' 'It’s a lot of fighting.' 'It’s people shooting.' 'People get dead in war.' There seemed to be considerable awareness of war and I became concerned to know if they understood the word peace as clearly. In anticipation of their possible responses, I took paper and a marker from a nearby shelf, and asked, 'So what is peace?'
"Three 4-year-old boys, Thad, Ryan, and Ezra, were very interested in the question. Their answers came slowly, thoughtfully, their inspiration extending from one boy to the next, as their ideas became a spontaneous poem. Although at first the boys’ words did not come as rapidly as the words that had defined war, as they talked they became more and more specific and increasingly pleased with their vision of peace. As they munched on carrot sticks, this is what they said:
Peace is not shooting.
Is quiet.
Is not killing anything.
Is not throwing litter.
Peace is eating healthy stuff.
Is being silly.
Is not breaking glass.
Is not walking in the house with muddy boots.
Peace is not stealing money.
Is not pulling somebody’s hair out.
Is giving someone a present.
Is giving someone something to eat if they are homeless.
Is playing peaceful and sharing toys and something real tasty.
Peace is playing outside together.
"As they finished with the last contribution to the list, it reminded all of us that it was, in fact, time to go outside. I thought this was the end of the discussion so I hung up our extemporaneous peace poem by the table and we went out. As the boys were running to the playground, one of them shouted, 'Let’s find a peaceful place!' They found a shallow dip in the yard, a little grassy crater that fit all three of them cozily. They lay on their backs in this little hollow, watching the clouds float by. 'This is peace,' I heard one of them say."
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Comments (10)
Displaying 5 of 10 Comments [ View all ]thika, central, Kenya
lets teach our children more about peace,give them a peaceful environment and listen to them as we reassure them of the best things in nature which are free.e.g the sun, moon clouds , stars ,water, rivers.....
thika, central, Kenya
children will give the most truthful answer am amazed by how much they know of war than peace.wish we adults gave them an environment to relate with peace.Spending time in nature allows ourheart to be comforted by the signs of Gods love which surrounds us.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, United Republic of
It is amazing and the way it is explained by children it shows how little peace is exposed to them, otherwise it could not be difficult for them to give the answer as quich.The more children are exposed to a certain environment that will there understanding and not the opposite.What is taught is understood by children.
student of ECE
Kitchener, ON, Canada
After reading this article, I am compelled to think that children understand and feel every thing around them. Their innocent minds know what is the meaning of word, war and peace.
War is not only fighting two armies and killing each other. To me war is in children's lives as not taking care of them, not providing them age appropriate environment and activities. Some children due to their parents, they face mental and emotional problems. When no body understand and encourage their thinking, ideas and creativity and this hurt them. They do not find opportunities to express themselves. I think this is a war condition for them and there would be war going on in their minds. It is our time to provide them peace in the form of care, love and age appropriate environments. Listen to them and acknowledge their abilities.
spiritchildyoga and RECE
Aurora, ON, Canada
Thank you for sharing! This brought tears to my eyes. This is a great reminder that we need to shine a light on peace and the blessings that it brings, even if only in a moment of watching a cloud.
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