Building Blocks of Peace
by Beverly Braxton
(Sanfordville Elementary School - Warwick, NY 10990)

“If we are to teach real peace in the world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children” ~ Ghandi

As a teacher I was challenged to make sense of the complex and evolving events in the wake of September 11th and to create a meaningful response in my classroom. Listening carefully and responding honestly to the questions posed by my 3rd and 4th graders about the attacks was the hardest thing I’ve done in my career as a teacher. Providing opportunities for my students to express openly their fears, confusion, and grief reinforced for me the inherent power of community in nurturing the human spirit.

Honoring all feelings enabled me to hear and deal with the confusion about who is a terrorist, stereotyping, prejudice, and the power of fear, especially as it plays out when people are afraid of those different than themselves. This was particularly evident to me the morning after President Bush’s State of the Union Address in which he spoke about the U.S. war on terrorism. That day many of the boys entered my class chanting, “We’re going to war.” Other students recoiled in terror at the thought of it. During “Morning Meeting” I allowed the children to talk about their feelings of war, which encompassed all viewpoints. Many acknowledged how different it was for them to see their parents upset and fearful. I also shared my feelings about the tragedy and the importance of holding on to hope, and conveyed to them that for me this meant working for peace.

It was then that something shifted in the way the children were thinking. For instance, they began to talk about the goodness of all the people who had come together to rescue the victims of the tragedy. One by one different children shared stories of various memorials they had seen people make for their missing loved ones. Through the course of our discussions, the children came to realize that September 11th is a part of their history. They, in fact, are living history each day as the effects of this tragedy unfold. They will read about it in history books one day and know that they were witnesses to that horrific event.

The Circle of Peace, Peace Wall Memorial was born out of this peacemaking process. Fueled by their desire to make a difference in the world, the children decided to create a memorial that would represent their hopes for a more peaceful and just world. It would be a place where people could rest, reflect, and find peace within. The students decided that the memorial should be made out of rocks, because they represent the Earth and eternity and all children love rocks. From their study of the Iroquois Confederacy, the students agreed that the rocks should form a circle with four openings representing the four corners of the Earth. Rocks readily available on the school grounds would enable the entire student body to participate in the creation of this memorial.

The class also researched the meaning of different peace symbols and from their research decided that three circular fountains should be placed inside the memorial. The white pine (named the Tree of the Great Peace by the Iroquois) and the Banner of Peace founded in New York in 1929 - and signed into existence by President Roosevelt in 1935 – served to inspire the students’ final design for the Circle of Peace. With the help of Sanfordville families, Legacy Stoneworks, and the larger Warwick community these then, 8, 9, and 10 year olds eventually had their vision for a peace memorial. At the dedication ceremony, June 23, 2003, each student and staff member placed a small stone into one of the three fountains. Parents and community members were invited to do the same. The following fall each student and staff member at Sanfordville School planted daffodils around the memorial site and local gardeners, with the help of parents, worked with students to beautify the grounds with colorful shrubs, trees, and, flowers.

The children and I believe Sanfordville Peace Wall Memorial is a fitting tribute to both the survivors and those killed on September 11th. May it be a symbol of hope and remembrance for the entire Warwick community, now and in the future.

Please join me in making Peace Education a reality in our schools.

May Peace Prevail.