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ACTION  GUIDE

Thank you for joining Kites for Peace. Kites for Peace started as a creative response to the killings of children in Gaza in July 2014 during the clash between the Hamas and Israel. !

Because children playing on the beach or at their playgrounds or in the safety of their homes were silenced by bombs and rifles, many of them don’t have the chance to share what they think and feel about the war they did not participate in creating. !

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Kites  for  Peace  recognises  that  many  children  of  Gaza  and  many  children  who  died  in  armed  conflict  around  the  world  will  not  be  able  to  fly  their  kites  again.    It  is  in  the  spirit  of  the  Gaza  kites  that  we  hope  to  co-create  spaces  for  children  to  make  the  call  to  end  armed  conflict  in  their  generation.

IF  CHILDREN  HAD  A  VOICE  IN  CONFLICT  AND  VIOLENCE,  WHAT  WOULD  THEY  SAY?

The story of Gaza’s children is the story of many children not just in conflict areas but in homes, schools, and communities around the world where children are not involved in decision making or do not have the space to express their voice and experience their rights. !!By joining Kites for Peace, you help create spaces for children to have a say about their future and the future of our upcoming generations. !

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“Children  are  both  our  reason  to  eliminate  the  worst  aspects  of  armed  conflict  and  our  best  hope  of  succeeding  in  that  charge.”    

— Graça Machel

In many wars, children and young people are not merely bystanders, but targets, as the 1996 Machel study highlighted. “Not only are large numbers of children killed and injured,” the study said, “but countless others grow up deprived of their material and emotional needs, including the structures that give meaning to social and cultural life. The entire fabric of their societies – their homes, schools, health systems and religious institutions – is torn to pieces.” !!-MACHEL STUDY 10-YEAR STRATEGIC REVIEW CHILDREN AND CONFLICT IN A CHANGING WORLD© United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) April 2009 !

In 2011, thirteen thousand children taking part in UNRWA’s Gaza Summer Games beat the Guinness World Records for the largest number of people flying kites simultaneously. It was a beautiful sunny day at the beach with a rainbow of colours painting the sky. !Kites for Peace is a continuation of this initial kite flying activity. Using kites as symbols of dreams in flight, it becomes a global collaborative effort to amplify the voices of not only the children of Gaza but of all children affected by armed conflict and violence around the world. Be it to bring back the kidnapped girls in Nigeria or to save children in Iraq, DR Congo, Syria, South Sudan, and others that are not receiving any mainstream media - the call is to inspire and give voice to those silenced by the bombs and rifles and to protect the future of those who are still surviving in the violent realities of their communities. In the end, we hope that these children will fly their kites in safety again. !In the spirit of Gaza’s kites, we will help amplify the voices of children who will speak for themselves and for those who are vulnerable in conflict areas not just in Gaza but around the world. As a replicable children-led action, we also hoper to engage actions in terms of violence in local communities, schools, or villages that may not necessarily be about conflict (bullying, abuse, discrimination, etc.)#

Though it may not be a simultaneous action, we hope to go beyond  the  13,000 mark that the children started, not to break a global world record, but to make a contribution to transform our his (and her)story of violence. #

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“Instead  of  rockets,  what  if  

we  let  our  dreams  of  peace  

fly  with  our  kites  as  we  

imagine  a  future  that  we  want?”    

HOW  DID  IT  START?

!

          !#

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Our dream is to go beyond the 13,000 kites that the Gaza children met in 2011. During the week of November 20, 2014, Universal Children’s Day, we will do a collective global action to support the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. We hope that by this time, the children of Gaza, and all other children in the world that live in conflict and violence will be able to fly their kites again. !

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is celebrated on Universal Children’s Day (20 November) by bringing together secular and faith-based organizations to work to uphold the dignity and rights of all children. Universal Children’s Day, established by the United Nations in 1954, also commemorates the 1989 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The World Day is a day of reflection and a call to action for the well-being of children around the world. Although its activities are highlighted in November, the World Day has grown into movement that has year round influence, weaving together the efforts of faith-based and non-governmental organizations with those of governments around the world.

Kites for Peace aims at the supporting children’s well-being and welfare according to the Articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:#

Article 31 (Leisure, play and culture): !!Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities.!!Article 38 (War and armed conflicts): !!Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for children affected by war. Children under 15 should not be forced or recruited to take part in a war or join the armed forces. (The Convention’s Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict further develops this right, raising the age for direct participation in armed conflict to 18 and establishing a ban on compulsory recruitment for children under 18.)!

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HOW  MANY  KITES  HAVE  WE  FLOWN  SO  FAR?

KITES   FOR   PEACE  IS   SIMPLY   A   CHILDREN  INCLUSIVE   REPLICABLE  KITE-FLYING   GATHERING  TO   C0-CREATE   SPACES  FOR   CHILDREN’S   VOICES  I N   C O N F L I C T   A N D  VIOLENCE  TO  BE  HEARD.    !

SO  HOW  DO  I  JOIN?  Kites for Peace is a relational peace building action to support any existing relevant rational approach to ensuring children’s rights and supporting restorative justice in areas in the world where its needed. We are looking into engaging groups, communities, schools, and organisations to co-host the action and adopt it as their own. #!Organizers are those who hold space for a kite flying activity can either be Individual, Collectives, Schools, Organizations, Cities, Towns, and Countries who want in a future without war or violence. #

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•What do they feel about violence in their own schools, communities, villages, or country?#•What can they  recommend as a solution and what they can do for peace in their own home and community to change the story of violence?#•What do they want to say to their leaders? #•What would they say to fellow children who are affected by conflict and violence in other parts of the world?

ASK  CHILDREN.    

THEY  HAVE  VALUABLE  THINGS  TO  SAY

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START  A  COMPASSIONATE  CIRCLE  FOR  YOUR  KITE  ACTIVITY    1.   Organize a circle of support with people interested in the idea. This may include elders, children, parents, teachers. (Make sure that children are included in your planning process). #

2. Schedule a planning session and meet in a circle. Open it with how your community, culture, group bests engages people to participate (prayer, singing, eating, etc.)#

3.  Discuss what is important to you right now in terms of violence in your community. #

4. Engage the children to come up with ideas as to what they feel could be a solution to an existing concern in the context of your circle’s experience (bullying in school, discrimination, safety in streets, etc.)#

5.  Schedule your kite flying activity. Select a site with open space and good wind. #

6.  Promote your event by making flyers, posters, Facebook event pages. #

7.  Schedule a kite making activity together or require participants to bring their own kites. Include the sharing of ideas and actions for compassion in your community during your gathering#

8.  Register your event on www.kitesforpeace.tumblr.com/join#*Kites flown for unregistered events will not be counted. #

!!

WHAT  IS  A  COMPASSIONATE  CIRCLE?  Kites for Peace has partnered with the Charter for Compassion and Compassion Games and thus we engage the principles of compassion in this action.

A compassionate circle is a gathering of beings across generations, cultures, beliefs sharing the vision of a sustainable and peaceful community. Using the principles of the circle, our human means of gathering together to make meaning out of an experience. The goal of co-creating a compassionate circle is to bring about a compassionate way of living and relating with each other in a family, school, community, village, city, or country. #

!!

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TAKE  YOUR  ACTION  TO  THE  NEXT  LEVEL  with  this  aligned  campaign  and  movement:  

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HOW  TO   PLAY  THE  C O M P A S S I O N  GAMES  1. Organize a Compassion

Circle in your school, community, village, or city for a kite flying event. #

2. After your event, report your number of kites flown to the Compassion Report Map. Use the Team Name “Kites for Peace: and tell us your Sub Team Name. #

3. When asked to reflect on your action, share with us how you felt, what you noticed, what surprised you, what delighted you, what inspired you. #

4. Report your numbers (number of volunteers, number of Kites)#

5. R e t u r n t o t h e C o m p a s s i o n G a m e s website and see how your team is measuring up!#

6. Rejoice and Repeat! Join i n o t h e r G a m e s throughout the year in o u r Annua l G l oba l Compassion Games Sept 11-21st. #

THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPASSION GAMES: SURVIVAL OF THE KINDEST IS TO PROMOTE COMPASSIONATE ACTION.#

The Compassion Games are designed to make our communities safer, kinder, more just, and better places to live. All over the world players are called upon to perform acts of kindness and compassion in three areas: compassion for others, compassion for our Earth, and compassion for ourselves.#

The Compassion Games are a way for civic leaders, community organizers, educators, parents, non-profits, religious groups, and business leaders to co-create, strengthen and share solutions that are inspiring and fun and develop sustainable and healthy communities.#

!

TAKE  YOUR  ACTION  TO  THE  NEXT  LEVEL  with  this  aligned  campaign  and  movement:  

!

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The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is celebrated on Universal Children’s Day (20 November) by bringing t o g e t h e r s e c u l a r a n d f a i t h - b a s e d organizations to work to uphold the dignity and rights of all children. Universal Children’s Day, established by the United Nations in 1954, also commemorates the 1989 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The World Day is a day of reflection and a call to action for the well-being of children around the world. Although its activities are highlighted in November, the World Day has grown into movement that has year round influence, weaving together the efforts of fa i th -based and non-governmenta l organizations with those of governments around the world.

REGISTER  YOUR  EVENT  FOR  THE  WORLD  DAY  OF  PRAYER  AND  ACTION  FOR  CHILDREN    

1. Engage faith leaders/g r o u p s i n y o u r compassion circle. #

2. Include prayers for ch i ldren and by children for your event program.#

3. Register your event o n www.dayofprayerandaction.org#

4. Send us the link to your event page via peacekites@gmail.com. #

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Th i s   g loba l  kite  initiative  is  a   call   led   by  children  who  no  longer   wish   to  pass   the   cycle  of   conflict   on  to   their   own  ch i l d re n   a nd  grandchildren.    !Through   this   simple,  child-led  action  with  the  assistance  of  elders  in  the  community,  we  hope   to   inspire   the  urgency   to   transform  the   cycle   of   violence  i n   all   countr ies   by  ending   it   now,   here   in  t h i s   p r e s e n t  generation.    

!TO  KNOW  MORE  ABOUT  THE  INITIATIVE,  VISIT  WWW.PEACEKITES.ORG    OR  EMAIL  PEACEKITES@GMAIL.COM  

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REMEMBER:  

1.  Use #kitesforpeace

hashtag for your photo posts on a piece of paper and for uploads via Social Media#

2.  Submit photos on

www.kitesforpeace.tumblr.com/submit

PEACE  Means  Taking  Care  of  the  Earth  1. Integrate

biodegradable or up cycled materials (used paper, used plastic bags/sheets) in your kites#

2. Use reusable cups, plates, and utensils for your food#

3. Segregate/Recycle all materials used during your event

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SPECIAL  ACTION:  Philippines  to    break  next    world  record!  

The local government of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is attempting the next world-record breaking simultaneous kite flying activity on November 25, 2014. The mass action led by Anak Mindanao (Children of Mindanao) along with the Department of Education and the ARMM Government will be done to support the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a component of the Peace Agreement between the Philippine Government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after 17 years of negotiations. The kites will be given to the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a symbol of the children’s fervent wish to end armed conflict in their generation.#

!Everyone is invited to join in and support this important step for peace in the next Filipino generations.

 Kites  for  Peace  is  brought  to  you  by    

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Mandala Earth Story through its lead artist Sarah Queblatin guided interfaith children to co-create the child-led ritual spaces and ceremonies during the resumption of the Philippine peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Front (MILF) in 2011 and during the intertribal sacred peace pact called “Sapa” for the signing of the peace agreement between the two parties in 2014. The events created an inclusive space for children’s voices to be heard and be recogn ised in the peace process . The intergenerational restorative circle helped them engage the leaders in a commitment to end armed conflict in their present generation. It is because of how these rituals spoke of a universal need to break the cycle of violence that we co-created Kites for Peace as a simple, relational peace building action in support of all initiatives working with children around the world. To know more about the project, visit www.mandalaearth.org.

Binhi ng Kapayapaan, or Seeds of Peace, is a P h i l i p p i n e - b a s e d o rgan isa t ion hos t ing interfaith and intercultural youth camps and earth c a m p s f o s t e r i n g l e a d e r s h i p , u n i t y i n d i v e r s i t y , a n d sustainability in young p e o p l e . B i n h i w a s

involved in the children/youth led ritual for the intertribal peace pact during the singing of the peace agreement between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

!#!!!!!!!“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” ― Dalai Lama XIV

The Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world. To know more about it, visit www.charterforcompassion.org!

!The Compassion Games are designed to make our communities safer, kinder, more just, and better places to live. All over the world players are called upon to perform acts of kindness and compassion in three areas: compassion for others, compassion for our Earth, and compassion for ourselves.#

The Compassion Games are a way for civic leaders, community organizers, educators, parents, non-profits, religious groups, and business leaders to co-create, strengthen and share solutions that are inspiring and fun and develop sustainable and healthy communities.#

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!#!!!!!!!Unify creates Globally Synchronized Events on Solstices and Equinoxes with a focus on celebrating our shared humanity around the world. At these times, we invite all people to meditate, host local ceremonies, pray and align with Source in their own way. It is our conviction that we are One Human Family, transcendent of race, religion, or nation. By unifying at these times we create a living demonstration of our underlying unity and an Emerging Planetary Culture which embraces the interdependence and well-being of all. To know more about UNIFY, visit www.unify.org.#

Kites  for  Peace  Supports  !

!The World Day is a day of reflection and a call to action for the well-being of children around the world. Although its activities are highlighted in November, the World Day has grown into movement that has year round influence, weaving together the efforts of faith-based and non-governmental organizations with those of governments around the world.

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