Monday, November 24, 2008

MasterPEACE





Look at these pictures of Dallas school children. These kids are taking control of their lives through the practical use of art to look at new ways of thinking and communicating. MasterPEACE teaches history and reading in the heroes of non-violence lesson. MasterPEACE teaches design concepts in creating collage portraits and drawing their personal place of peace lessons. MasterPEACE teaches social studies and effective communication through improvisational skits to help resolve conflict with peers and siblings. MasterPEACE teaches emotional control in the "how to handle stress" rap. The kids are accessing different parts of their brains: critical thinking, judgment, discernment and appreciation. This is more than "art for art's sake". These are critical skills that help build a better society locally and globally.

1 comment:

Erin said...

I was just reading a book on Social Justice and learned that in 1998 all the living Nobel Peace Laureates appealed to the U.N. general assembly to commit to educate children around the world in the ways of peace. Specifically, the discussion was centered around nonviolence-- how can we promote a culture of nonviolence and social justice in a world of so much violence?

The result was a unanimous decision to declare the years 2001-2010, "A Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World".

We are in the midst of that decade and our motivation to be a people of peace and nonviolence is the children of the world.

MasterPEACE is a small but significant step in fulfilling such a hope and dream, at least for the children of Dallas, in our local schools and neighborhoods.