One Voice of Peace

In our Kids Creating Peace Session of January 3, 2012, there was an amazing break- through. We’ve been working with the 5th grade kids in the Vista del Monte Elementary School who’re in the ASES (After School Education and Safety) program in Palm Springs.

We asked the kids to write in their journals, over the holiday vacation, what they’d learned from KCP’s four principles:
Have Empathy
(It is What It is)
Do No Harm
Non-opposition
Responsiveness

To our delight, one after another the kids stood up and read from their journals.* Alfredo: “Because of what I learned in KCP I will never be mean to my friends again.” Rosa wrote “KCP has taught me what empathy and compassion mean.” Juliette asked if KCP was a class, and Manuel spoke up, “No, it is teaching us about life.”

Then we showed a short video. In it, a boy of 13 used flash cards to tell how he’d been bullied, ever since he was in the 2nd grade. Each card was hand-printed with a brief but heartfelt piece of his experience or feelings on it. As each card flashed into view, his expression just before, and during, showed what he was feeling – including tears, which he wiped away, then kept on going. He was scared, he said. He’d been called a lot of names – and had been since he began school. And now he was in 8th grade. At the end he wrote he’d been thinking of suicide. “But” he went on, “I have a million reasons to be here!” (This video can be viewed on the One Voice of Peace website, http://www.onevoiceofpeace.org/)

While the video played, you could have heard a pin drop. When it was done, the room was in total hush. Then someone began to cry. Rosa, sobbing, said that just that day, a group of kids had called her and her younger brother some very harsh names. We had learned from earlier sessions that this kind of thing happened all too often. Then Rosa turned towards Javier, a large boy sitting only a few feet away, and burst out, “You were one of them!” The room was silent. One could see that Javier was stunned after watching the video, and then witnessing Rosa’s feelings. Then, a miracle: Javier humbly responded, “I am really, really, really sorry. I promise to never doing that again!” With equal grace, Rosa said, “I accept your apology.” Everybody in the room heard!

This was when the room “melted”. The video, and then Rosa, gave the kids permission to share their incredible experiences. One child after another shared their tear-filled stories of being bullied, and far too many stories of loss of loved ones from accident, drugs, violence and suicide. Another student, (Manuel) his cousin took his life recently and Lucia’s best friend hung herself over the holidays. (yes, at such an early age!)

Our KCP facilitators assisted the children. Yet, the most beautiful part was how the children went to each other’s aid, demonstrating the gifts of empathy and compassion, a main cornerstone of KCP’s message. It was a moment of grace in action. It felt like the veneer of each child’s wall cracked and fell away. They felt safe enough to expose themselves, and for doing so, received recognition and understanding, not only from the adults, but especially from their peers.

KCP’s main facilitator, Isaiah, was filled with compassion for the kids, and joy at their sharing — as we all were. A few boys saw tears on his face. Manuel asked, “Isaiah, are you crying?” Isaiah smiled and said “Yes.” Three of the boys reached over and threw their arms around Isaiah in a group hug of compassion.

At the closing, KCP offered a game asking each child to write on a piece of paper what it is they would like to do to create a better world. Papers were collected, crumbled and dropped in a box labeled “Pop Tarts.” One child at a time came up, pulled out a paper, and read it aloud. Kids were asked to guess who wrote it, from “the feel” of what the writer said. And they wrote some amazing things! They had a great time guessing, showing how underneath that old veneer, they recognized themselves and their peers, and thought highly of each other. When a writer was found, we all clapped. 
We have that box, stored in a locked cabinet in the room where we hold our Sessions.  The ones we heard are huge testimonies to how bright, eloquent, and heart-based these kids are. And *so* open, now.

We were told that the next school day, all of the kids ran up to an ASES** teacher, over-flowing with how wonderful the Session was, and that they “loved” us. Most likely these kids are not often recognized for the beautiful beings they are or offered understanding and compassion. The ASES** teachers had reported to KCP that these 5th graders had been the most problematic of all the kids. We’d noticed their energy when we began the KCP Sessions. Now we of KCP hear that their behavior has visibly changed for the better.

We could not really know how many of the kids KCP was reaching. It was obvious a few of them kids were getting our message. That day showed us that each and every child was a recipient of greater self esteem, and felt safe to express who they are and how they feel. KCP’s motto – we do not teach the child, we reach the child – was evident.

* Kids’ given names have been changed, to respect their privacy
** ASES – (After School Education & Safety) program in which KCP is a segment.