Peacemakers of the future

Friday, September 28, 2007

BY SEUNG MIN KIM

Star-Ledger Staff

Public peace demonstrations and activism can start at a very young age.

Children at Conerly Road School in Franklin Township are one such example. By the tender age of 9, some of the pre-K-4 school's students have already conversed with children in Lebanon and Sudan via satellite and sat before United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the organization's headquarters in New York.

And yesterday, as part of the Somerset school's seventh annual Peace Circle, Conerly Road's approximately 485 children hoisted flags of all the U.N. countries, shimmied and sang to international tunes and proclaimed their wish for peace in all corners of the world. Most of them were sporting hand puppets --from white knee-high socks ornately decorated with cut-out felt and colorful strips of yarn to stuffed animals that made squawking noises with a movement of the fingers.

Those toys will soon be sent to children in war- and poverty-ridden nations worldwide with assistance from Peace Pals, a program of the World Peace Prayer Society, a non-governmental organization of the United Nations.

"To me, I feel great that I get to send Flappy so another child in the world can enjoy him," said fourth-grader Danielle Zahirny, nuzzling a stuffed bird with electric-bright orange fur on her hand. "And Flappy is happy, too."

Puppets can be a therapeutic outlet for children suffering from emotional trauma because the toys allow them to express their emotions, said guidance counselor Virginia Abu-Bakr. The puppets will be mailed once Abu-Bakr musters enough funding for shipping costs, she said.

"Puppets are so magical and so safe," Abu-Bakr said. "It's someone that the kids know won't hurt them and who will keep their secrets. The puppet becomes their voice."

In the middle of the circle of Conerly Road children stood several fourth-graders designated as the school's "peacemakers" holding up colorful flags that were almost as tall as their bodies and adorned with words like "Caring," "Fairness" and "Respect." For them, yesterday's ceremony was an extension of their trip to the United Nations last week for its annual International Day of Peace.

After they are nominated by teachers or other students, the peacemakers undergo an intensive series of before-school seminars where they learn mediation skills. Once they are certified, the kids meet with Abu-Bakr twice a month throughout the school year to refine their techniques, learn relaxation methods and devise service projects for their peers.

But the invitation-only trek to the U.N. is undoubtedly one of the highlights for the chosen group. Jordan Torres, a fourth-grader, said he liked being able to communicate with kids in other countries and ask them about prospects for peace.

"People in Sudan said they hope there would be peace and they wish to be more like us," he said. "It was sad because we saw a video of a girl who had to go to war or they were going to cut her hands off."

"It was really great because we got to see a lot of kids and now we know how we can help them," added Danielle. "It was really sad hearing about the children who are hearing the bombs every day. I felt really sad hearing that these children can't even go out on a sunny day and feel the warmth of the sun and enjoy being outside."