Muslim children and teacher with peace library books

Children’s Peace Libraries:

What if Children Learned to Read by Reading about Peace?

Conversation Circles: May 21 & 23, 2024

Born of the transformational Alternatives to Violence (AVP) work in Rwanda, Friends Peace Teams is establishing Children’s Peace Libraries in communities around the world. The libraries are small collections of printed and electronic books that teach children to read while instilling concepts and skills needed for a just society.

One of the core ideas of the Children’s Peace Libraries is to provide a community gathering place, not only to access peace-oriented children’s literature, but also to bring people together through Read Aloud story sessions, AVP training, and other activities to build caring communities.

The English language Children’s Peace Library collection can be viewed on the website. In addition to their value in teaching peace and justice, the stories also help children learn English, which is used for communication across cultures. Providing examples by reading level is intended to help librarians, teachers and parents select appropriate books in their home language. 

QUERIES: 

  • What are the Children’s Peace Libraries?
  • Why were they started? How did they get started?
  • What principles and practices apply to reading and to a peaceful, just society?
  • How would Children’s Peace Library principles and practices apply in North America?
  • How can we, as religious educators, use criteria that Children’s Peace Library working group has developed to curate libraries in our meetings?
  • How can we use these collections to highlight books on peace themes in our public libraries?

 Join these conversations to learn from Friends who are collaborating with the Rwanda Peace Libraries and other organizations to improve English language learning, critical thinking, and social skills.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED 

Conversation Starters:

  • Erika Mittag, Austin Friends Meeting, SCYM

  • Sally Farneth, Portland Friends Meeting, NEYM

  • Anne Collins, Saratoga Friends Meeting, NYYM

Facilitators: 

  • Elizabeth Freyman, Albuquerque Friends Meeting, IMYM
  • Sita Diehl, Madison Friends Meeting, NYM

RESOURCES: 

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