Margaret added: “Peace Poles are so important as they take children out of the classroom, they provide areas of tranquillity and reflection, so important with mental health issues. They also encourage an interest in the environment planting/growing. The Peace Pole is a constant reminder that we are working together to create a caring and compassionate society. Children love them, ceremonies can be planned around them to encourage a culture of peace within the school.”
Headteacher at Westgate Primary School, Matthew Watson, said: “This project goes to illustrate how well different community groups in Warwick support us and provide opportunities for the children which may not otherwise be available to them.
“The raised bed that now houses the Peace Pole was unearthed and now provides a slightly separated area for contemplation. This will eventually have peaceful planting (lavenders etc) around it and will hopefully provide a focus for Remembrance Day and other fixed points in the year when the curriculum provides links to peace. The focus on mental wellbeing and finding solutions where they could be alone and peaceful has been reassuring in these difficult times.”
Each year the Rotary also awards more than 100 fully funded Peace Fellowships training for dedicated leaders around the world. Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 1,400 fellows across 115 countries, many of which now serve as leaders in governments, the military, education, law enforcement and international organisations like the United Nations.
Margaret added: “As a humanitarian organisation, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
Schools interested in finding out more about the competition or the Peace Project are invited to contact Margaret Morley at: morleyam@aol.com.
Written by Amanda Chalmers