PSI and General John De Chastelain in Belfast!
PSI is proud to share that General John De Chastelain, from PSI’s International Advisory Board, was able to join us in Belfast this year to celebrate 10 years of the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Project, in partnership with Saint Mary’s University and Barnardo’s Children Charity!!
This years trip focused on building on our Belfast relationships and program development. Below is a link to some brief footage of our celebration conference in Stormont , Northern Ireland’s Parliament, that kicked off our week in Belfast! This conference included the speakers: Representatives from the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Education Minister John O’Dowd, Director of Barnardo’s Northern Ireland Lynda Wilson, Founder of PSI Dr. Hetty Van Gurp, General John De Chastelain, President of Saint Mary’s University Dr. Colin Dodds, Associate Dean of Arts of Saint Mary’s University Dr. Don Naulls and Principal of John Paul II Primary School Raymond Hunter.
Cross Community Choir in Stormont joining in on the celebrations!
Conference speakers and students from Boys Model!
Through-out the week we were also able to facilitate workshops at local primary schools, and even had John Paul II Primary School facilitate a workshop for us! Quite the treat for the representatives and facilitators of PSI and SMU!
PSI board member, Rick Lewis and John Lenney also joined us on our trip to Belfast. While there, with the assistance of Saint Mary’s University student facilitators, Erin, Emily, Kristie and Cait, and the presence of Dr. Hetty Van Gurp, Dr. Naulls, SMU conflict resolution advisor Bridget Brownlow, PSI board member Sherri Hassanali and the honourable General John De Chastelain, the two facilitated a wonderful workshop with Student Mentors from Boys Model School. Below is press coverage of the event:
PSI at Boys Model School, Press Release
More highlights of the week were presenting at the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council, facilitating workshops at tSleibhe Dhuibh Irish Language Primary School and Malvern Primary School, and working towards building a network of peace all around!
Peaceful Schools International and Saint Mary’s University
Here is a news interview with PSI program coordinator Erin McIntosh and former PSI student coordinator Cait Dix from Halifax, Nova Scotia, celebrating and discussing 10 years of Peaceful Schools International’s Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Project in partnership with Saint Mary’s University and Barnardo’s Children Charity UK. Both girls have been involved with PSI over the past number years and are proud of the hard work students and supporters from both sides of the Atlantic ocean have put in to make the initiative such a success! We’re looking forward to the future development of the program!
Click here to watch the news interview
Also, founder of Peaceful Schools International, Hetty Van Gurp, wrote a letter to a local Halifax news paper expressing her pride for the students involved in the program and the program itself.
Click here to read Hetty’s letter
Here is a picture of the facilitators for this year’s project! From left: SMU Student and PSI Program Coordinator, Erin McIntosh; SMU Alumni and PSI Volunteer Facilitator Kristie Mailman; SMU Alumni, PSI Senior Program Coordinator and Board Secretary, Emily Anderson; and SMU Alumni and Former PSI Student Coordinator Cait Dix. Congrats ladies!
PEWO & DOSTI with the support of PSI celebrated “No Name Calling Week as a Social Action Project” on December 14
Star Models Maticulation School, India
On the first Monday of every month PSI member school, Star Models Matriculation School, participate in peace activities! Congratulations too all the staff and students of Star Models Matriculation School on helping creating a culture of peace!
BENCH BUDDIES – Helping Make Recess More Inclusive!
Check out this article on Bench Buddies, maybe your own school could benefit from a bench buddy system!
PSI WORKSHOP – School Climate: Complex but Manageable
PSI WORKSHOP – Ethical Negotiations: When Relationships Matter As Much As Outcomes
News from PSI’s Nakamah Kawaleh Peace Education Program in Sierra Leone
Congratulations to the students of Newfoundland’s Leary’s Brook Junior High School, who organized a leadership conference promoting social consciousness and awareness and through this raised over $4,500 for their partners in Sierra Leone’s PSI member schools! The funds will cover costs for nursery school materials and teachers’ salaries and enable many PSI member school students to continue on to through junior and senior high school.
Student leaders hosted the Eastern School District Junior High Leadership Conference with two hundred students to promote activism, self-esteem and global awareness. Throughout the year, the committee worked diligently on decorations, meal plans, workshops, guest speakers, donations, opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies, dance, registration packages, schedules, name tags, kit bags, t-shirt design, etc. Students spent their Easter vacation in school with me planning and finishing up last minute details. Delegates attended a lecture, as well as a question/answer session, with ambassador for peace Mr. Remzi Cej. As well, they participated in workshops geared toward showing them how to take action in their community. These included Passive to Active, Outrage, Equality For All, Engaging Your Audience and Global Issues. They also attended workshops in Sign Language, Introduction to Judo, Introduction to Rugby, Improv, Wheelchair Basketball and more.
All profit from the conference was sent to Sierra Leone. As well, recognizing their responsibility to the local community, students donated left-over food to Choices For Youth, Naomi Centre Shelter for Female Youth, and The Single Parents Association.
It was such a rewarding endeavour and will make a tremendous long-term difference in the lives of students in Newfoundland and in Sierra Leone.