International Project: Together for Peace

Childhood is a period of massive assimilation, of the formation of attitudes and skills that will become tools for the rest of life, and the kindergarten and then the school, through the moral authority they have, can make a substantial contribution to forming pacifist and tolerant attitudes and behaviors in children. The latest studies and interpretations by specialists show how much children are affected by violence in general, but also by verbal violence in the school environment, on the street or at home.

Children are born with a desire for peace. PEACE is a wonderful subject, a subject we like to talk about and, above all, like to feel! Why? Because this is our original human nature. We were created to live in peace with all people. Peace is not only a Gift from God, it is a gift that we give to one another; it is not far away, it is within us.

To “build peace” takes a lot of work and specific elements, even dedicated activities. In our kindergarten there is no competition: the children are encouraged to form a community based on respect and cooperation, companions on the road in exploring the world. When conflicts arise, the children are encouraged and supported in finding solutions on their own to resolve problems in a civilized way. The role of the teacher is to guide them toward the constructive and peaceful resolution of conflicts (by moderating situations where necessary but also by personal example) – an extremely important life lesson that will influence their later behavior in the “real world”. This guidance is done while respecting the feelings of all the people involved,
without diminishing their self-esteem, through active listening and by offering the opportunity to express their feelings.

By handing children the tools and methods needed to resolve their conflicts peacefully, Neohumanist education in reality offers the tools needed to live in peace now and in the future. The international project “PEACE IN YOUR HANDS,” carried out at Răsărit Kindergarten, included activities with the children (“Peace in the eyes of children” – testimonies of all the children in the kindergarten about peace; “We want peace in the world” – drawings in which the children, helped by their parents, put their thoughts about peace on paper; “The doves of peace” – crafts, Elves group; “The tree of friendship” – collage, Butterflies group; “The flower of peace” – collage, Ladybugs group;) and debates during meetings with education specialists, both from the country and from abroad. Peace is not a destination, peace is the very road, which begins with us, and education is peace.

I would like it if competition also disappeared from state schools and children were urged to collaborate. I like the idea of “peace” as a subject. True peace is first of all an inner state, which springs from the depths of each person's heart, and we can show children this, regardless of the education system they are in. It is a universal language, that of peace, and it is essential that we are not only “consumers” of peace but also promoters and generators of it.

– Diaconu Floarea, Educational Director