31st December Universal Hour of Peace

To follow on from my last post and to put more emphasis on the peace angle, here is the perfect book, Peace on Earth by Smitri Halls and David Litchfield. You need to own this book, but you can read it all here.

'Peace on Earth Goodwill to All' is something we all desire, given the conflict raging in the world at the moment and this book is a child-friendly way to have a conversation about conflict and how it might so easily start. A group of friends set off full of joy and anticipation on a journey, but when they become lost, hurtful words cause distress and pain. The friends find strength and inner courage to reconcile their differences and the illustrations show the metaphoric light as the means of restoring harmony.

Given the conflict between Gaza and Israel, many parents have been asking for books that will help explain to their young children why wars happen. The suggestions here from UNICEF in How to talk to your children about conflict and war and from APS in How to Talk to Children About the Hamas-Israel Conflict  are a good place to start.

As UNICEF notes: “It’s important not to minimise or dismiss their concerns. If they ask a question that might seem extreme to you, such as ‘Are we all going to die?’, reassure them that is not going to happen, but also try to find out what they have heard and why they are worried about that happening. If you can understand where the worry is coming from, you are more likely to be able to reassure them.” 

To start discussions with your child or a class choose an age-appropriate book. Some suggestions that I have used:

• The Squirrels Who Squabbled  by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

• Everybody's Welcome  by Patricia Hegarty and Greg Abbott

• Why? by Nikolai Popov

• A Child's Garden: A Story of Hope  by Michael Foreman

• The Journey  by Francesca Sanna

• The Hawk and the Dove  by Paul Kor

• The Librarian of Basra  by Jeanette Winter

• Noor and Bobby  by Praline Gay-Para and Lauranne Quentric

• The Conquerors by David McKee

• The Forgiveness Garden by Lauren Thompson and Christy Hale

• Go Away, War!  by Elzbieta Gaudasinska (this little book is old but you might find it in a library under this title or Jon-Jon and Annette. It is a translation from French. This moving and hopeful parable about children and war tells how Jon-Jon and Annette play together as best friends until the war comes and they are forbidden to see each other. You can read the book here.)

Every year on December 31st, thirty minutes before midnight, is Universal Hour of Peace . You will have one hour to set an intention around building peaceful relations with others and yourself. The holiday was founded in 1995 by Dr. Barbara Condron from the School of Metaphysics to celebrate peace and call the people of the world to live in peace.

To read with children books that are specifically about peace (maybe not thirty minutes before midnight) see:

• Peace by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul

• What Does Peace Feel Like?  by Vladimir Radunsky

• I Am Peace  by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds

• Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox andStephanie Graegin

• Can You Say Peace?  by Karen Katz

• Talk Peace  by Sam Williams and Mique Moriuchi

• Let There Be Peace and Let it Begin With Me by Jill Jackson, Sy Miller and David Diaz