Pax Christi - Youth as Peacemakers

YOUNG PEACEMAKERS

This page is inspired by the vision and creativity of a child called Sonia. Horrified by the suffering caused to children and their parents in Iraq by the actions of trigger-happy "adults", Sonia decided that a "Children Against the War" movement was needed. This space is for young people to express and share with all of us their concerns, ideas, suggestions.
Please forward your reflections, poems, photographs, drawings, etc. by post, fax, phone to:
Pax Christi, St Joseph's, Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 4TY - Tel: 020 8203 4884 or email: webmaster

Latest news

Winners of Pax Christi Schools Contest return from Florence
Iraq, the MOD and class warfare
How the 'positive' story of the Iraq war could be taught to British children
Military out of Schools: School Students picket Kids Connections
Sonia's visit to Jordan
Young peacemakers at National Justice & Peace Conference, 2007

Latest news

10th April 2008

Peace team return from an inspring trip to Florence

The winning teams of Pax Christi’s European Youth Contest have just returned home after an inspiring trip to Italy. The British team entry ‘ A little piece of peace’ highlights the links between peace and the environment and what we can all do to create peace by living more sustainably and sharing the world’s resources. Emma and Claire, two members of the team from St John Fisher Catholic High School in Wigan said:

“We feel inspired! Inspired by the other teams’ videos, inspired by the stories of Giovanni Scudiero, (exec member of Pax Christi International) the other teams and the people who live at Casa per la Pace. It shows that no matter where you are from you can communicate, understand one another, teach one another and most importantly break bread together ( ….) We feel as though everybody has the potential to change the world!”

The teams from France, Portugal and the UK stayed at Pax Christi Italy’s Peace House (Casa per la Pace), in the hills just outside Florence. They explored together the theme of Peace and the Environment, shared the presentations they had made, and made new friends, despite differences in language and culture. The Peace House welcomes international volunteers every year, as well as local school groups. Commenting on their stay Emma and Claire said

“Casa per la Pace is a wonderful place! We do not think there are many places in the world like that. We feel now like members of a family.”

Highlights of the trip included a wonderful day spent in the beautiful city of Florence. Carmine, coordinator of the Casa per la Pace, led the group on an Art and Peace tour of the city, explaining how the city was somewhere people had learnt to live together peacefully, despite their differences. On the last night of the trip the group celebrated Mass together, with prayers and readings in different languages. After dinner the group were treated to a violin duet by two of the volunteers at the Casa per la Pace.

Pax Christi, the International Catholic Movement for Peace, believes strongly in the benefits of bringing young people together to share and learn from each other, and breaking down the boundaries of nationality, language and culture. The contest draws on a long tradition of Pax Christi ‘Peace Walks’ all over Europe, which gave young people the chance to ‘walk the road’ together.

Pax Christi will be running the competition again next year. Young people can enter in groups of four with the support of an adult – look out for details on our website in the autumn at www.paxchristi.org.uk

For more information contact:
Hilary Topp - 020 8203 4884

Download the winning entry 'A little piece of peace' here

The teams beginning the Art and Peace tour of Florence

Games outside the peace house

Exploring Peace and the Environment

5th March 2008

Florence, here we come!

Four young people, Emma Atherton, Reggie Doherty, Daniel Hayes and Claire Linford, from St John Fisher RC School in Wigan, will be making a trip to the Pax Christi Peace House in Florence next month as the award winners of the 2008 Pax Christi European Peace Contest. There they will meet with other young people who have participated in the contest from Portugal, France and Belgium. Their challenge was to create a film or powerpoint to increase awareness of the link between peace and the environment and of how we can help build peace by living more sustainably and sharing the world’s resources. Commenting on the winning entry, ‘A little piece of peace’, Hilary Topp, the Peace Education worker for Pax Christi said:

“A little piece of peace shows how complex issues of poverty, peace, the environment, and global warming are all linked and suggests practical ways that all of us can build a more peaceful world.”

The winning teams meet in Florence between 3-6th April 2008. The teams will be staying at the Pax Christi Peace House (Casa per la Pace). The programme for the weekend will include activities to explore the theme of Peace and the Environment, an ‘Art and Peace’ tour of Florence, time for reflection and opportunities for the young people from Italy, France, Portugal, Belgium and the UK to learn from each other.

Pax Christi hopes to strengthen this contest in 2009, encouraged by the quality of work presented this year and in the belief that young people have important messages to communicate to others as to their own views on what it takes to make peace in our world. As an international movement for peace, Pax Christi believes that encounter visits such as this are invaluable in breaking down barriers between people and building friendships that stretch across national and cultural differences.

For more information contact:
Hilary Topp - 0208 203 4884

The winning team from St John Fisher RC school, Wigan

Young peacemakers gathered for their own programme and events at the National Justice & Peace Conference "Called to be Peacemakers" co-hosted by Pax Christi and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, 20 - 22 July 2007. Read the following inspiring report!

Called to be Peacemakers – Who me?
a reflection by Clare Sikorska, 15

I feel totally inspired after the weekend - it really moved me. I am determined that the impact won't fade. The NJPN conference weekend was a wake-up call to the fact that I have a voice to shout out against things that I would otherwise dismiss as 'unjust - it's a sad world' and forget about.

I also now realise that my voice is the same as everybody else’s - it can rouse a chorus of shouting loud enough to make a difference, or it can stand alone and shout just as loud.

I think like many people at the conference it was mainly the two main speakers, Zoughbi Zoughbi and John Dear, who were this inspiration. They talked to us [the youth] and we pounded questions at them. They talked about peace so simply and they were so determined to work for peace despite the things that held them back.

It was a slap out of my disproportionate world and an eye-opener to the vulnerability of people, but also their ability to keep on going going going against the grain of injustice, war, or whatever we ignore.

Inevitably I was left feeling angry with the world, and with people, but also as if I was going to become a bearer of the huge force of peace.

The apparent simplicity of peace is quite baffling. But so is the complexity of the world and of people and this often becomes a barrier. This barrier and the vastness of injustice is hugely weakening - it rapidly becomes evident that the 'peace' thing is a whole world, tougher than peace signs and flower power.

But actually, the more I found out at the weekend - about the arms trade, about oppression in Palestine - the more I felt a huge responsibility and a push from somewhere to do something.

In a way, this, and hearing from people who have risked their freedom, and even life, for peace, was unbelievably strengthening.

To view photogalleries of the Conference click HERE

Brussels, here we come!

Four students, Chris Nickolls, Simon NG, Stephen Murphy and Daniel O'Sullivan, from Finchley Catholic High School in London will be making a trip to Brussels next week as the award winners of a Pax Christi European Peace Contest. There they will meet with other young people who have participated in the contest from Portugal and France. Their challenge was to create a power-point presentation on the theme "Living together in School - what does it take to make peace". The quality of entry was very high but the 'Mad World' presentation had the edge. Commenting on the entry, Hilary Topp, the Peace Education worker for Pax Christi said:

"The judges felt that 'Mad World' reflected the reality of the world we live in but at the same time offered a challenging and hopeful message about what kind of world might be possible if people come together rather than being divided by religion, ethnicity and race."

The winning teams meet in Brussels between 22 - 26 March 2007. In Brussels they will have the opportunity to visit the European Parliament and the Pax Christi International offices, as well as a chance to explore Belgium and take advantage of the many special events to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome which marked the creation of the European Union.

Pax Christi hopes to strengthen this contest in 2008, encouraged by the quality of work presented this year and in the belief that young people have important messages to communicate to others as to their own views on what it takes to make peace in our world. As an international movement for peace, Pax Christi believes that encounter visits such as this are invaluable in breaking down barriers between people and building friendships that stretch across national and cultural differences.

For more information contact:
Hilary Topp - 0208 203 4884

Stephen, Chris, Simon and Daniel prepare for their trip to Brussels

Bin the Bomb - 85 miles for peace

12-year-old Rosi was the youngest person to complete Scotland's Long Walk for Peace, held between 14 and 19 September. She walked the entire 85 miles from the Faslane nuclear base to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to protest against British Trident nuclear weapons. (The government will soon decide whether to replace them with a new nuclear system and the Long Walk was part of the campaign to prevent any replacement.)

The walkers covered a tough 15 miles a day, and slept in church halls at night. They carried peace flags and banners saying "Bin the Bomb" and "Make Trident History"

Outside the Scottish Parliament they were joined by several hundred people for a rally at which Rosi was one of the speakers, alongside Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the Catholic Archbishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Rev Alan McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Members of the Scottish Parliament from various political parties.

Here is Rosi's speech:

I am Rosi, aged 12 and from Kilmarnock.

I am here to protest against trident and I am the youngest to have walked the whole 85 miles from Faslane.

Trident is dangerous because:

It is a nuclear weapon and if it was used as intended it would destroy all living creatures in that area and beyond. There is no limit to the destruction nuclear weapons cause. They have only ever been used twice, and now they are nearly 400 times as powerful.

Also when a bomb has been dropped you can’t use the land, or even go to that area for years after, because it is poisoned by radiation.

If there was an accident at Faslane and one of these bombs were to be set off, Glasgow and the surrounding area would be completely destroyed.

Also the same effect might be caused by terrorists.

Those were 3 reasons why we should not have nuclear weapons in Scotland but there is another one – we don’t want them in Scotland.

We don’t want them in our world.

Thank you.

Greenbelt 2006 - Peace Zone

Hilary Topp, Pax Christi's new Peace Education Worker, helped to run workshops at the 2006 Greenbelt Christian Festival which attracted 19,000 people! Pax Christi, with other Christian peace groups, offered a 'peace tent' of activities, talks and resources. Read below Hilary's report.

"Greenbelt continues to grow with more than 19,000 attending this years festival. The peace zone, which Pax Christi was involved with, was able to provide a positive witness to peace and help people engage with some of the issues and provide space to think and reflect. We were fortunate this year to be located in a large corner of the ‘Pulse’ tent. The Peace Zone included a display entitled ‘What is peace’ and a power-point presentation ‘Songs of Salvation’ to tie into this years Greenbelt theme of Redemption Songs. The presentation described the civil rights movement in the US, the Catholic Worker Movement and Greenham common protests. It was accompanied by songs which could be listened to on headphones or played on the loud speaker system.

The zone contained an interactive ‘think tank’ (a model tank covered in newspaper articles about recent events in the middle east) and crane making workshops. People were also asked to write ideas of how to ‘build peace’ on a whiteboard and were then photographed and added to a photo wall.

Leaflets and resources from the organisations in the Network of Christian Peace Organisations were set out on tables and there were information panels about each of the different organisations. There were comfy sofas and free tea, coffee and biscuits.

The interactive displays and workshops were particularly popular and were a good way to draw people into the peace zone and engage them in conversation. The build peace whiteboards and photographs worked very well and the ideas generated could be a resource for the future. People also appreciated having somewhere relatively quiet and comfortable to sit and chat or watch the presentation. In general people were more attracted to things they could do and engage with – interactive art, petitions – than in leaflets and reading information.

We were also very pleased to welcome Norman Kember and Ciaron O’Reilly who were interviewed in the style of Radio 4’s Desert Island Disks. The interviews were fascinating and very well received."

Hilary Topp
Peace Education Worker Pax Christi/CPEF

Hilary showing her talents in making paper peace cranes!

Click here for more peace photos

Rembrance Day 2005

Remembering ... grandad's Last Post

Sam Watts, Year 11 student at St. Peter's, Guildford, plays the Last Post at 11.11am on November 11th to break the two minute silence of Remembrance.

Sam is playing his grandfather's bugle in the school's peace garden. The garden was sponsored by the Catholic charity Pax Christi last year and it is tended by 6th Form students.

"I found that playing the Last Post was quite chilling and meaningful. Whenever you hear it it reminds you of all wars and the tragedy of war" - said Sam.

Sam was recently in Berlin on the school exchange programme and as part of the visit students and staff visited the Nazi concentration camp at Sachsenhausen.

Children celebrating Peace Sunday 2005

These photographs illustrate children using the Pax Christi Peace flag as part of their liturgy.

Austrian School Children interpret story of Franz Jägerstätter through art

The story of Franz Jaegestaetter - executed in 1943 for refusing to serve in Hitler's army - was the focus of a project in Austrian schools during summer 2003. In preparation for the 60th commemoration of his death, children in primary and secondary schools studied the life and times of Franz in so that they could re-tell his story of 'Standing Against the Stream' in their art work. 560 pieces of work were gathered and many displayed at a commemoration service in the parish church in Ostermiething , Austria in August. Here are some examples of their art work. Read through the story of Franz yourself (Franz Jägerstätter) and the press release and then look at the pictures again.You might like to illustrate Franz yourself - using the theme 'Standing Against the Stream' and share your illustration with us at Pax Christi.

Some of the artwork illustrating the life of Franz Jaegerstaetter,
his wife Fransiska and his three daughters.

His act of conscientious objection led to
his execution in 1943

Children Against War

The following was sent by Sonia to Pat Gaffney, General Secretary of Pax Christi UK, along with a list of questions for Bush & Blair

Sonia's visit to Jordan - Making a documentary on Iraqi children

In 2002 this page was inspired by a letter from Sonia to Mr Tony Blair and Mr George Bush. This August, in a continuation of her work with Children against War, Sonia who is now 12 years of age, is making a visit to Jordan. Here is her latest letter to Pax Christi and the text of a speech Sonia gave at the Peace Pagoda in Battersea on Nagasaki Day, August 9th 2007

Dear Pat,

It was lovely to see you yesterday. I am sending you the speech I gave yesterday during the Nagasaki Ceremony.

I leave for Jordan on Thursday 19 August. Hope to see you when I return back. Could you please print my speech onto your youths page.

Lots of Love

Sonia

The story that has touched my heart was the story about 10 year old Iraqi boy living with his family in Jordan as a refugee, eventually the father left the family, the boy became withdrawn and would only watch tom and jerry cartoons.

These Iraqi children have witnessed violence,
These Iraqi children have lost families and friends through violence,
These Iraqi children have lost their homes,
These Iraqi children have suffered pain and are going through trauma,
These Iraqi children have lost their childhood!

I am a child, but I grieve for my generation!
I am a child, and I say enough is enough!

Children Against the War are campaigning for the Iraqi Children living in Jordan and neighbouring countries as refugees.
Iraqi children have a right to speak out and let the world know how they are feeling. Children Against the War would like to give voices to the Iraqi children.

We are working closely with Milan Rai of Justice for Peace not Vengeance, Gabriel Carlyle of Voices of Wilderness UK and Kathy Kelly of Voices of Creative Non-violence from America who at the moment is in Jordan.

Albert Einstein said ‘Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding’.

I am going to Jordan next week to make a documentary film – giving voices to Iraqi Children. Adults please support me!

Thank you!!!!!

Sonia

Read more about Sonia's trip to Jordan and her work here

Message from Sonia

On 19 June 2004, Sonia offered this message at the 19th anniversary ceremony of the Peace Pagoda in Battersea, London . The Pagoda is run by the monks and nuns of the Nipponzan Myohoji order who are dedicated to peace.

You can send your own message to Sonia at Children_Against_War@hotmail.com

I am 9 years old and I am a Muslim but I am learning a dance from the Hindu tradition. You may well ask why? I feel there is beauty in all places and in all cultures. It is one world and we are brothers and sisters.

As we have witnessed recently war destroys this beauty, war is ugly, it makes people do ugly things, it brings hatred and it scars people inside and outside. (Here Sonia showed those present a picture of an Iraqi child hit by a cluster bomb)

Children Against the War would like to ask Mr Bush and Mr Blair to please explain to us why it was necessary to use cluster bombs during the Iraq war. As you know the bomblets that do not explode as they are supposed to, they are killers waiting to take an innocent victim long after the war. (Sonia showed a photograph of an unexploded cluster bomb)

Sine the end of the war hundreds and hundreds of Iraqi children have been killed or maimed by unexploded American and British cluster bomblets.

Children Against War demand:

a) An immediate ban on the use of cluster bombs

b) America and Britain to use all the resources at their disposal to clear up the cluster bombs.

Children have a right to grow up in a safe environment. Please adults, take our campaign seriously and join us.

Thanks you

Sonia.

Messages for Bethlehem

On 9th December Pax Christi held an Advent Peace Service in Central London. During this, people were asked to write a message of hope and peace to Pax Christi partners, the Arab Educational Institute, in Bethlehem. Here are two messages from children who took part in the service.

"May our love be in your heart and that Christ is always with you." Pod Howard, aged 10

"May you keep safe and know we are all keeping you in our prayers and hope for the best. We all love you and one another. May God bless you in Bethlehem." Luke Campbell aged 9

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