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Featured Sites

PeacePartners, Inc. honors our valued partners by celebrating their passion for peace, their creative ideas, and the wonderful implementation strategies they incorporate.

As we continue to support our partners, it is our privilege to showcase PeaceBuilders sites. Don't just take our word for it. Read about some featured sites as they explored their problems, developed their PeaceBuilders solution, and discovered positive outcomes! We invite you to sit back and explore the fantastic PeaceBuilding events happening throughout the United States and U.S. Territories.


YMCA -WRAP Program- Long Beach, CA
The YMCA - WRAP after school program in Long Beach recently held a PeaceBuilders training as an introduction to the program for new staff and as a refresher for returning staff.

These dedicated staff members came in on St. Patrick’s Day Saturday, to participate in the training. From the moment they walked in the door, they showed their PeaceBuilders spirit. All were respectful of each other and were enthusiastic about their job, about the kids with whom they work, and about the PeaceBuilders program. With that kind of attitude, the training was a huge success and the effectiveness of PeaceBuilders at all the sites is bound to be, as well!

They worked in small groups to create visions of peace because in order to create a peaceful environment, adults and children must first agree on their goals and aspirations.
Then they shared their individual group visions with the larger group.
While learning about the importance of Giving Up Put-Downs, Noticing Hurts, and Righting Wrongs and about how they can coach children to practice these Principles, the group participated in an activity called “Bluey”.

Working with a cutout figure named Bluey, participants used put-downs they’ve heard or said to put down Bluey, who represents a new kid or a mistreated child. As they said the put-down, they tore a piece of him off. When the participants were done, Bluey was literally torn apart. This shocking visual helps participants and the children they work with to notice the hurts they cause.

The next step of the activity calls for participants to right their wrongs. They do this by apologizing and offering something to make amends: playing with Bluey, including him in their activities, being his friend. As they make amends, the participants tape Bluey back together by replacing the piece of him they tore off.
Although Bluey is patched up, he is not the same as he was before the put-downs. He is scarred. This helps participants and children to realize that put-downs do long-term damage and that although making amends may improve the situation and help the individual to heal, it is far better to Give Up Put-Downs for good than to try to repair the damage we do by using them. This simple activity has a profound affect on participants, young and old.

At the end of the training, all the YMCA staff members joined in a PraiseCircle during which they praised each other for all the good they do in their enormously important jobs.
We praise these Wise People who work with children day after day and who show them how much they care. By modeling the PeaceBuilders Principles and expecting children to also practice building peace, they will make an enormous difference in the lives of the children with whom they work. What a wonderful investment in the future!

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