Links to further case studies on the Web can be followed from our Peace Links and Resources pages.
'Grade 3 Peacemakers'
Cape Cod Academy - Massachusetts USAIn Spring 1996 the 'Children's Peace Project of Cape Cod' began in a Grade 3 classroom of Cape Cod Academy in Osterville, Massachusetts USA when Ms Patty Doherty's class worked throughout the year to establish a peaceful classroom.
Students work out problems at a peace table in the classroom. It has all the students' handprints on it, each with the words 'Your friend' and a student's name written in it. A feelings meter is used to help solve conflicts, which goes up and down like a thermometer from good feeling words like 'peaceful' and 'friendly' to unpleasant words like 'grumpy' and 'mad'. A conflict escalator is also available so that students in conflict can see where their picture is on the escalator, trying at all times not to reach the top by talking to each other and stepping back down.
Each student shared time with a local 'community hero' and wrote their biography, as part of getting to understand other cultures. Students also had a potluck dinner for which each student cooked with his or her hero. Some of the dishes came from different cultures and recipes were made into cookbooks in class. After dinner students and their heroes shared folk dances.
The students were active participants in Increase the Peace Week, sponsored by the Cape Cod Consortium for Diversity Education. The week aims to promote awareness of the prevalence and causes of violence in the community and to inspire communities to work together for peace.
Ms Doherty's class marched in the Walk for Harmony as the 'Cape Cod Academy Grade 3 Peacemakers', some walking with their community heroes.
In another activity, students wrote peace statements and turned these into peace pictures. After colouring the pictures with fabric crayons they were ironed onto pillowcases so that the students could sleep on their dreams and wishes for peace. The statements and pillowcases were later exhibited in the library of the Cape Cod Community College and at the Children's Museum in Falmouth.
Students also read Sadako and the thousand paper cranes and together they folded a thousand cranes as a wish for peace in their community and among all people in the world.
In the past our students had sent their cranes to peace statues in other parts of the USA, but on this occasion they decided to initiate their own peace monument, to be designed by the children of
Cape Cod as a place where people could reflect on and find peace, and as a symbol of their hope for peace, racial harmony and non-violence. Students addressed the local Town Council and gained approval for a piece of land for the project. They also presented the idea to the media.In January 1997 a travelling exhibit began to tour Cape Cod to display more than 400 items including drawings, sculptures, poems and stories for the peace monument. Also, a Steering Committee of children and adults was formed, together with subcommittees for Design, Public Relations, Exhibit, Site, and Fund-Raising. Each committee is co-chaired by a child and an adult 'advisor'. All meetings are chaired by students, although adults take the minutes and do the mailings.
All of the Town's various committees have accepted the final design plan and we are actively beginning the fundraising process. We have also formed an executive board of interested and influential adults who will help us along this journey.
Our original 'Grade 3 Peacekeepers' from 1996 are finishing up their Grade 5 school year and at least five of them are still very active in the project!
Toni Sadler Patty Doherty
Technology Coordinator Grade 3 teacherCape Cod Academy
50 Osterville-West Barnstable Rd.
Osterville, MA. 02655 USA
tasadler@capecod.net
Back to the IndexCranes to The Hague
The NetherlandsElise Leijten from the Netherlands is an active campaigner against nuclear violence in the world, who now wishes to contribute to the goal of folding 1,000,000 paper cranes. She wants to do this to make people aware of the nuclear madness in this world.
'This project began just after Christmas 1998 with an action in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague (the “PeacePalace”). Together with deputees of other peacegroups, we sent out a press release on the action with information on the One Million Cranes project. We also sent information on the nuclear weapon situation in the Netherlands and on some of the many actions to come next year
towards the year 2000.'We intend to have people folding cranes during actions but also in schools, bars and homes. In December 1999 these cranes will be taken to the International Court of Justice in The Hague because of its importance for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world (8 July 1996). The intention is to have a big information/cultural event.
Elise Leijten
'It would be great if from all countries in the world (and maybe also different cities within these countries) ONE crane would be sent to the address below for the symbolic meaning of it. Please do not send boxes filled with cranes - I don’t like the idea of having more planes flying for our cause, and I have no place to store them. However, pictures, wishes, stories and ideas would be very welcome.'
Postbus 95214
1090 HE Amsterdam
the Netherlands
bries11@euronet.nl
Back to the IndexThe art of paper cranes
Classic Cranes, Hawaii USAArtist Cathy Lancaster has found a way to combine business with the pleasure of folding cranes. The Web site for Classic Cranes contains images of wonderful artworks created from cranes folded in gold or silver paper and mounted on a black velvet background. These provide inspiration for creative ways to present folded cranes and turn each little work of art into part of a larger work.
Cathy's works are sought after for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions and her Web site provides some background on the Hawaiian tradition of folding 1001 paper cranes as a symbol of long life and happiness.
Cathy explains how Classic Cranes came to be:
My first pictures were given to friends and as more people saw them and requested them, creating the business was the practical approach.
I have always been interested in art and have painted pictures for years as a hobby. About 15 years ago I started folding and I found it very relaxing. I guess my desire to paint, combined with my enjoyment and satisfaction with folding, led to the form that I now do.
It takes about six to eight weeks to create my artwork, after the cranes are folded. The exact measurements that must be followed to create the finished picture were developed very early in my folding through trial and error. |
|
Cathy Lancaster
Classic Cranes
Suite 141, 98-1390 Koaheahe Place
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782 USA
classiccranes@origami-tsuru.com
Back to the Index'Hopes and fears'
STARTTS - Fairfield NSW Australia
STARTTS (NSW) is the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors - an organisation which has since 1988 been in the forefront of providing assistance and early intervention for refugees who have experienced torture and trauma. STARTTS employs a multidisciplinary staff from a wide range of cultural backgrounds reflecting client groups.
.
In 1996 STARTTS developed a training course and an accompanying resource called Families in Cultural Transition: a resource kit
(ISBN 1 876056 13 4). This innovative kit contains a comprehensive package of resources such as group activities, board games, and ideas, which a facilitator can use with groups of immigrants and refugees to assist them to deal better with the process of adjusting to living in a new country.The first module of the kit is called 'Hopes and fears' - the objective of this module is for participants to share hopes and fears about the course with others, and to clarify expectations.
The activity involves participants writing down their hopes and concerns on the white side of origami paper and folding these into paper cranes. The cranes are then made into a mobile and participants come back together to discuss their hopes and fears.
In this module participants have found that they have many hopes and fears in common. It has become clear that in order to maintain a balance in the training room everybody's crane (and everybody's contribution) is important.
You can find out more about STARTTS at http://ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au/~atmhn/www/members/startts.html [The above article was adapted from a STARTTS brochure and the 'Hopes and fears' module of the Families in Cultural Transition Kit.] The Families in Cultural Transition Kit and associated board games are available for purchase through the address below. Pam Hartgerink
STARTTS
PO Box 203
Fairfield NSW 2165 Australia
startts@peg.apc.org
Crane exchange with Hiroshima
Mokena, Illinois USAThe peace crane project at Mokena Elementary School began as a response by Grades 3 through 5 to the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. The students watched the video of Sadako's story and the video on how to fold a crane, and decided to fold a thousand cranes as their wish for peace.
Third grade teacher Brian Fogarty said: "The students were saddened and touched by the story of a girl getting sick and dying because a bomb was dropped. They are too young to understand anything else about the conflict between Japan and America. The only thing they understand is that a child died."
Learning Center coordinator Kathy Wierzbicki made contact with Cranes for Peace and subsequently with Mr June Tahara at Nagatsuka Elementary School in Hiroshima to arrange for the students' cranes to be taken to the Sadako monument in Hiroshima Peace Park on 6 August 1998.
Visit the Mokena Elementary School site at http://webserver.mokena.will.k12.il.us/LC.HTM and the Nagatsuka Elementary School site at http://www.vector.co.jp/authors/VA001962/nagatuka/indexe.html. [ Adapted from 'Mokena pupils work for peace' by Jean Fleszewski in Daily Southtown 9 April 1998, posted to http://next1.yasuda-u.ac.jp/nagatuka/news/southtown/southtown.html ] Kathy Wierzbicki
Learning Center Coordinator
Mokena Elementary School
11244 Willowcrest Lane
Mokena IL 60448 USA
WierzbickiK@webserver.mokena.will.k12.il.us
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