What Can I Do for Peace

What we will be doing today: Peace is not just the absence of war, but a process of constantly moving forward in build-ing mutual respect of people and creating an interrelated global community for all beings on Earth. Peace is not a passive, blissful state of general well-being, but a verb of action, a process in which through interpersonal respect and concern we raise the worth of every being on Earth , the value of life as such. We try to be at peace with ourselves, with other people, and with nature, we launch the Wheel of Peace (and we stop the Wheel of Destruction).

	Peace be with you. Pick a song which you all know. Divide up into two groups. One group sits facing the other: one group is the orchestra which hums the melody of the song, and the other group gets the text of the greeting "Peace be with you!" in various languages and as choir reads it to the accompaniment of the melody. Afterwards the roles are changed, the group which was humming the melody gets the text, and the group opposite them is now the orchestra. At the end everybody reads the greetings of peace together in different languages. (See Worksheet, "Hymn of the bird Mirladi-Mirladada")
	Celebrating differences. Fear of the unknown and that which is different is often an obstacle to peace. We have a gift of God, as a treasure. Others cannot be judged according to our measure, just as we cannot and we do not wish to be by theirs. Read aloud the story "Irene" and / or "Samurai" and after that tell, if you know one, one of Croatian folk tales about peace, or if you know one, stories about real people in Croatia who have done something for peace , during the last war. (See Worksheet, the two stories "Irene" and "Samurai").
	How I can be a peacemaker. Divide up into three groups: each group together will write a list of things which would signify peacemaking work in: A) one's own home/family, B) in the community (neighborhood, city, your country), C) in the world (on Earth). It is important that everyone thinks about those steps which would improve interpersonal relations of people, respect of everyone for all living things, respect for human rights, and subsistence on earth. Each group will read its list to everybody. Discussion after the activity: Which of the measures you proposed would be really possible for you to implement? Which would be the hardest? Would you have the courage to talk with your father about peace and peacemaking? Would you like to discuss about forgiving the enemy with your mother, neighbors, friends?
	Secret friend. Now let everyone prepare his gift for his "secret friend". Before mentioning who was whose secret friend, let every-one talk about what they noticed, what preferences and interests their secret friend has, and let them explain why they prepared the particular gift they brought. Only at the end say his/her name and present the gift. Then that one will say his or her secret friend, etc.
	Sending imaginary peace greetings, right from the heart. We have done this imaginary journey already, and now we can have it as a closing ceremony. Everybody stands in a circle holding hands so that one hand (so called receiving hand) is turned palm facing up, and the other (giving hand) with palm facing down. Everybody closes their eyes to be more concentrated and to send easier and further their message of peace in their thoughts. The facilitator is directing their thoughts saying: First we shall send our peace message to the person closest to us, then to everyone in the circle, then to everyone in this building, street, town, neighboring coun-tries....What do you feel now in your hearts? That light and warmth which is now in you, send to everybody who lives in the neighbor-hood, in your town. Let the light and warmth spread even further, let it reach all inhabitants of the neighboring cities, then to all people in Croatia (in your country), then to all neighboring countries and states, to all of Europe, to other continents.... to the entire planet. Let the light and warmth spread to all beings on Earth, everything that exists....At the end everybody shakes hands and opens the eyes.

THE HYMN OF THE BIRD MIRLADI-MIRLADADA The bird Mirladi-Mirladada is bringing us in various languages the greetings of peace. Read them to the tune of some melody or sing it yourself. Sanskrit OM SHANTI, OM SHANTI, OM SHANTI, OM Hebrew SHALOM ALEHEM, SHALOM ALEHEM, SHALOM Arabic SALAM ALEKUM, SALAM ALEKUM, SALAM Italian LA PACE IN TE, LA PACE IN TE, LA PACE IN TE English MAY PEACE BE IN YOU, MAY PEACE BE IN YOU French LA PAIX EN VOUS, LA PAIX EN VOUS, LA PAIX Chinese PINAM KANI, PINAM KANI, PINAM KANI, PINAM German DER FRIEDEN IN DIR, DER FRIEDEN IN DIR Spanish LA PAZ CON USTED, LA PAZ CON USTED, LA PAZ

STORIES ABOUT PEACE IRENA - MIR One time after War had broken out, a man named Treegayos decided to go and find the gods up in the sky. That's why he brought a dung beetle into his yard. Every day he fed it dung cakes, its favorite food. The whole place stank, but Treegayos put up with that patiently. He was waiting for the wings of the beetle to get bigger so it could fly with him up to the sky. "Aww, father," his daughters said to him. "What's all this? Are you thinking again of going up to heaven? How many times have you tried to climb a ladder to the clouds, only to fall and break your leg. stay here with us." "No," he answered. "I must go and find the gods. I have to find out where Irene has gone, and why she has left us. The way things are going on earth without her , war will soon eat us all up." One day when the beetle was strong and able to support him with its wings, Treegayos rode to the place where the gods lived. "Hello Hermes!" he said to the first god he saw. "I'm Treegayos from Earth and you can do me a big favor by calling the king of the gods, Zeus. I have something to say to him." "There's not a single god here but me," Hermes answered. "They've all given up with you people and left. Time after time they've tried to stop your fighting, and you won't. Now they leave War to do with you as he pleases. I have just one thing to say to you, my good fellow. The way you men quarrel among yourselves, you'll never see Irene again." Poor Irene. Treegayos heard all about how War had grabbed her and thrown her into a big, deep cave. He covered the entrance with a huge stone and braced it. She could never get out by herself. "And now War is coming for us!" said Teegayos. "Dear Hermes, can you tell me what War has in mind for us?" "Yesterday he bought a huge pot and grinding club." Hermes answered. "Since then he's been grabbing towns and villages one by one and dropping them in the pot. He crushes them and grinds them to dust, people and all. What pathetic, miserable mortals! War will leave nothing on the face of the earth. He will make a paste to everything." "Oh! I must return to earth quickly!" cried Treegayos. "I must tell all this to everybody and try to keep the worst from happening!" Quickly Treegayos mounted his beetle and flew back to earth. He gathered together all the people and said in a loud voice: "Farmers, workmen, shop keepers, citizens, and tourists - all of you! Listen to me! We must take our shovels, prying poles, and ropes to Irene's cave at once! If you don't help to rescue her, War will come and grind us all to paste!" Everybody ran with Treegayos to the cave where Irene was imprisoned. When ropes had been tied to the rock at the entrance, Treegayos cried, "Ready! Pull with all your strenght! Together PULL!" Tregayos noticed some people pretending to help when in fact they were doing nothing. "Could it be," thought treegayos, "that some among us don't want Irene instead of War? Strange... The only ones I can think of are those who make weapons to sell to War." Again and again, Treegayos shouted, "Get ready, get set, PULL!" Look! The stone moved little by little! At last Irene came flying out of the cave. She flew high above the crowd. Everybody waved and shouted for joy. She went to cities and towns in all the world. People welcomed her with festivals and feasts. She stopped in the backyard of Treegayos to taste a little roasting chicken. "Let's sing and dance!" Treegayos called. "Let's all be friends! Bring wine to drink to the health of beautiful Irene!" While they were celebrating, there arrived a man pulling a wheelbarrow full of sickles. "I'm offering you presents!" he called. "Sickles! You'll need them to harvest your wheat to you can trash out the grain for bread. I've been making sickles for many seasons but nobody has used them. When War comes, you know, there's no time for harvesting." In a little while, two more peddlers arrived, loaded down with weapons. "What do you want and who are you anyway?" said Treegayos. "We are the ones who made and sold weapons. What can we do with all these fine goods without War? They cost to much throw away. You'll have to buy them. We'll sell cheap." "Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you or them!" shouted Treegayos. "We've finished with battles and killing. You'd better go and find yourselves another job." "Come you children and sing some songs that will make Irene happy." said Treegayos. The children began singing a song they all knew. "Black is the night in the mountains. Falling snow whitens the rock. I'm here to draw my sword for Greece." "No! No! Not that!" cried Tregayos. "That's not a song about peace. Try again!" "Motherland, dear, we'll always cling to you..." "Not that either!" said Treegayos. "Good heavens, don't you know a peaceful song? Come I'll sing song I think Irene will like. You sing along with me and dance." "When I go through your neighborhood, Irene, my dear Irene. And pass in front of your house, I kiss the latch of your door as if I were kissing you. I love you, Irene, I love you! What more is there to say!"   THE SAMURAI A big tough samurai once went to see a little monk. "Monk", he said in a voice accustomed to instant obedience, "teach me about heaven and hell." The monk looked up at this mighty warrior and said scornfully, "Teach you about heaven and hell? You can't be taught about anything. Look how dirty you are. You stink. Your sword is rusty. You are a disgrace to all samurais. Get out of my sight. I can't stand you anymore." The samurai turned red, started to tremble. He was speechless with rage. He pulled out his sword and raised it, prepared to slay the monk. "That's hell", said the monk softly. The samurai was overwhelmed. He was disarmed by compassion and surrender by this tiny man who was ready to give his life to teach him what is hell. He slowly put down his sword, filled with gratitude, and suddenly peaceful. "And that is heaven," said the monk softly. From: How Can I Help - by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman