The First Global PeaceMakers Program in Africa Tackles
the Issue of Education
From July 11th to the 26th, twenty-four volunteers from the United States, Europe, Ghana and Benin joined hands with local community members in Blanfla, Cote d'Ivoire and took part in the Service For Peace Global PeaceMakers program for creating a Model School for 700 children in order to make it possible for them to study in a safe and inspiring educational environment. This is an ongoing program and there is a lot of work to be done. To implement the first phase of this project more than $3,500 was collected through GlobalGiving.com. We want to express our sincere gratitude to all of you who shared your wealth with the community of Blanfla. Thanks to your continued support our volunteers will be able to cover the canteen and the toilets, to build the classrooms, to organize an after-school program and to establish a school library and a volunteer club. For more information on how to donate please visit our project page at http://www.globalgiving.com/projects/blanfla/. To read the whole article, follow this LINK.
|
Marie Olivas, a U. S. Volunteer, Shares about Her Experience in a Global PeaceMakers Program in Africa
I'm trying to find some way to put my thoughts and emotions and memories into words, but it's a struggle. "I went to Africa". Doesn't that sound cool? To be honest, that's part of the reason why I went... how many people get to say they've been to Africa? It gives me a one-up on bragging rights. But now... It's not even about Africa anymore. I went to Africa, so what? I got to see the castles in Ghana, I ate a piece of snake, I went across 7 canopy bridges in the middle of the rainforest, and all of that is all fine and dandy and sounds cool... but Africa now represents so much more to me. After this trip, I don't even care about traveling and seeing the world anymore. I realized I really don't enjoy tours and tourist spots are over-rated. What I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE is connecting to people, really connecting to people. The people I met in Cote d'Ivoire were amazing. They beat the castles and the rainforest and the traveling. The best part of going to Africa was getting to meet and get to know and work with the people there. To read the whole testimonial, please click here
|
Volunteers in Bulgaria Put into Practice Their Leadership Skills to Make a Child Happy
On the last day of July, four volunteers joined hands to organize a wonderful birthday party for Alish, one of the children living in "Slavejkov" Home for Children without Parental Care in Sofia.
The volunteers put into practice their organizational and leadership skills, bringing a huge birthday cake, decorating the party hall and choosing presents, in order to make the 10thbirthday of a boy an unforgettable event.
Six volunteers, the Home personnel and a lot of children and youths took part in the party. "We had a lot of fun and intend to organize birthday parties for the other children too," says Maggie, one of the volunteers. Geri, Alish's mentor, adds, "Alish was so so happy, especially because he could invite anyone he wished to his birthday party. This was very important for him." Geri helps Alish improve his reading through individual lessons
every week.
|
Global PeaceMakers Camp in Nepal Brings Together Nepalese and Korean Volunteers
From June 25th to July 9th this year, a Global PeaceMakers Camp was held in Nepal bringing together local volunteers with ones from Chungju National University in South Korea.
Service For Peace in Nepal chose Tribhuvan Adarsha Secondary School, located an hour away from the Capital of Kathmandu as the service site. Volunteers joined hands to establish a Commmunity of Peace through renovating the school library and painting the roof. In addition to the service activities in the school, the volunteers took part in various educational and healthcare workshops, as well as in cultural evenings where they had the chance to present their culture. Staying with local families allowed the Korean volunteers to get a deeper understanding of Nepalese culture.
The GPM camp was an important and emotional event for the whole community and for each participant. People got to know each other better and experienced the power of working side by side for a cause.
|
The United Nations
International Day of Peace
is Just around the Corner
International Day of Peace, marked every year on September 21, is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.Established by U.N. resolution in 1982, "Peace Day" has grown to include millions of people around the world who participate in all kinds of events, large and small. To attract more people to join the peace events organized by you or your organization, to get involved in a project in your community or worldwide or just to learn more about the power of Peace Day, go to the holiday's official website at http://internationaldayofpeace.org/. Please don't miss the opportunity to become a real peacemaker in your community and to send the message for peace through service!
|
|
Our Backpack Angel Program in Kentucky Inspires Youth and Businessmen Alike
After watching a video on TV covering the Backpack Angel Program in Louisville which brings school supplies to underprivileged children, the businessman Steve Bass called our director in Louisville, Peter Hays, and informed him that he and his wife would donate $2,500 for the project.
"It's hard to see how some kids can go to school without backpacks and I just think some kids might not even wanna go to school because they don't have the stuff and they always have to ask for stuff. So I just felt like helping out and thought it would be a good thing to do," says 15-year-old Brandon Smith for WLKY TV who collected 139 backpacks loaded with $8,000-worth of supplies.
Brandon was inspired by the SFP BACK-PACK ANGEL initiative that distributes school supplies to under-privileged students at the beginning of each school year in Louisville, KY.
To watch the WLKY TV report please go to http://www.wlky.com/video/20140201/index.html.
If you are inspired to support this initiative as well, you can donate on-line at http://www.globalgiving.com/projects/fifth-annual-back-pack-angel-2009/.
|
SFP in Austria Hosts Volunteers from the Middle East for an Intercultural Peace Program
From July 25th to August3rd, as part of the "Europe Meets Middle East (EMME)" program, the Service For Peace chapter in Austria hosted four Israelis, four Palestinians and seven Austrians in the beautiful village of Losenstein.
They met to build together a wooden platform in partnership with the municipality of Reichraming. Besides the construction works, the participants had a workshop on project-planning and a discussion with Mr. Zavlak, who founded an NGO for integration in Vienna.
During the cultural evenings of their respective countries, conflicts between the participants came to the surface. It was a huge effort for them to step out of the boundaries of their countries' histories and respectively comfort zones and to make steps towards one another.
"The reason why, I am participating in this program, is because I want to live in a country where peace is possible," said Rasha from Palestine, mother of three daughters.
"Taking part in this project gave me the opportunity for the first time, to get to know the personal history of people from Palestine, apart from the news shown by the media. I have never experienced such a respectful contact between Israelis and Palestinians," explained Ariel, part of the Service for Peace team in Israel.
|
SFP Volunteers Establish
a Community of Peace
in Guatemala
From July 10th to the 20th, Service For Peace in Guatemala held a Global PeaceMakers Program with participants from the USA and Guatemala.
The GPM volunteers worked together to establish a community of peace in El Quimal, Chimaltenango, painting and improving the school facilities at the La Joya Elementary School and making flower gardens in its backyard. To conduct this project, the SFP team in Guatemala collaborated with the local government, some community organizations and community members, as well as with the Guatemalan youth NGO "Paz Joven" (Youth Peace).
Youth Peace volunteers brought the SFP message to their chapters, and all of the participants (both high school students and local community members) pledged to continue the good work in the El Quimal community and beyond.
|
Grants Available for the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr.
Day of Service
Service For Peace (SFP) is a strategic partner of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in promoting the 2010 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (MLK-DOS) and the 40 Days of Peace starting on January 18, 2010.
We are offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to our U.S. chapters and out of network partners in the U.S.A., made possible through the generous support of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Grants will be awarded in the following amounts $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000.
The SUBMITTAL DEADLINE is 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
|
|
