Principle 2: Realistic Expectations
Examples:
A peace poem written by one of the children is one of the AllinPeace assignments.Peace
If I’d want to start peace,
Where should I start?
First, my country,
But where in my country?
Well, from my town,
But where in my town?
My neighborhood,
But where in that neighborhood?
My own street, of course,
But where in it?
From myself,
From myself, and from those I quarrel with!
Yona
“I wear with pride a necklace containing 240 beads made by those Zulu children who ran– one for each kilometer run uphill through the heat of the day to the final destination. Those beads remind me that building peace on earth is a long uphill journey in which all of us have to play our part.”
Christine and David Willis, Thessalonica
Examples
Musical example: "We start with simple clapping. It needs to be very basic and very pleasant because we are unifying the group. We clap together. We all clap the same (our hands come from God) We are already the same. You see what the group can do and work from simple to more complex and do what is achievable. Then we do it in a more challenging way---two different rhythms in two groups together at the same time. Or we do three groups, or two groups, in a call and response, and an ostinato---for the slower ones. It really works."Tami, Music teacher
Daniel Barenboim, the Israeli conductor, brings together gifted young classical musicians from Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt to play in international venues during the summer. He was asked about the effect of this program. He answered that when the musicians are practicing their instruments he knows they are not engaging in violence. Start with something basic, then build. Don't start with the notion of solving the problem but of beginning where the children are.
Explanation:
The process of changing existing patterns of behavior is a long path. We start out as enemies, shift to neighbors, transform into partners, and evolve into friends.( nice to have as visual diagram)
“Enemy”- The “other” who we have conflict with for various reasons: social, ethnic, religious, militaristic or just out of ignorance and differences.
Being a Good neighbor means that we share and take responsibility for the air we breathe and the staircase we commonly use in our building. We live in separate units in our own apartment, but it is up to us when we invite others inside our home.
Partners- If we want to lift the kids from seeing others as “enemies” and become good neighbors, we as adults must act and see ourselves as partners when working together.
Friends- When friendship happens we are happy but it is not in our hands nor can we measure failure or success by it. Remember realistic expectations!!