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Smart Tools for Life Announces: New Children’s Music, “Songs for Peace”
“If we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children,” said Gandhi. But how do we begin with the children if there are very few materials that specifically are designed to build the social skills so important in today’s world? Worse yet, today’s children can’t count on adults to role model these skills. At Smart Tools for Life, and our sister site: Children’s Peace Education Company (coming soon), we are making sure you have the materials to make learning the important social skills of peacemaking, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping fun and engaging for the children in your lives and you also have the support you are looking for to be effective role models and coaches for the youngsters.
The sessions you spend with children sharing our materials will not be boring lessons! You’re likely to find it’s the best time of the day and surely it’s the most important one! Check out this recent article: from www.upworthy.com. Here’s an excerpt from this article where Evan Porter’s talking about a recent study:
“. . . the 19-year study paints a pretty clear picture: Pro-social behavior matters, even at a young age. And because it can be learned, it’s a great ‘target for prevention or intervention efforts.’
“The bottom line? We need to do more than just teach kids information. We need to invest in teaching them how to relate to others and how to handle the things they’re feeling inside.
“Ignoring social skills in our curricula could have huge ramifications for our kids down the road.”
And that’s why we think it’s SMART to share our TOOLS!
The mission of our nonprofit, Growing Communities for Peace, is to create communities capable of peace. At Smart Tools for Life we are constantly developing children’s books, music, and other materials specifically to develop, maintain and support this culture. While children are enjoying the books and music, they will learn all sorts of “smart tools” that they can use throughout their lives. These smart tools include: peaceful conflict resolution, anger management (or how to use their anger wisely), and how to show caring, kindness, and compassion for themselves, others, and the Earth.
And thanks to your efforts, it will be the children that really change the culture, as their lives reflect the new “normal.” A normal where dialogue is used instead of violence, where care and kindness for “others” is commonplace, where people know how to work out their conflicts peacefully, and violence is so far down the list of possible choices, it is rare.
Between the ages of three and nine, children are sponges. The way they learn is different from how they will learn as adults. It’s a perfect opportunity to set in motion the wheels that will eventually turn the heavy load: our entire culture!
Songs for Peace
Our new music, Songs for Peace has 3 to 9 year-olds in mind. This upbeat music, geared for even those youngsters with short attention spans and a lively nature, includes movement on “I Can Make Peace All Over the Land,” (with feet and hands stamping and clapping) and on “Stretch High and Round.” There is dialogue between the songs that shows children that other children embrace this music. Children celebrate themselves on “I Smile at Myself,” “I’m Always the Right Age,” and “The Good Heart Journal.” They learn why it’s great to have diversity on, “Hurray! We’re Different (And Alike).” Downloads and CDs available at Amazon.com, or go to our products page and purchase it here. Also check out our other new music “I STOP for Peace.” More in the next blog.
Charlottesville, VA — Hope for Peace in the World Today
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance,” said Robert Kennedy, in South Africa in 1966 at the University of Cape Town.
This quote came to mind today as I was reflecting on the tragic, violent events on August 12 in Virginia. I was thinking how after, and even during, the grief, the mourning, and the anger, there will be acts by people, young and old, that will inspire hope. “There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
Charlottesville, Virginia, is a result of learned hatred, as Obama said in his recent Tweet
Children are not born hateful and intolerant, Obama reminded us. They learn it. And we must have hope that there is positive energy enough in our country to “build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Toward that end, my hope has always been with the children. They are naturally forgiving, inclusive, and tolerant. Often, children have ideas and insights about how to improve painful situations that are surprising and inspiring.
Where is our hope for the future?
Sadly, the violence in Charlottesville probably won’t be the last we see, but we still must find space in our hearts for hope. Traumatic events are likely to interrupt peace on a regular basis for years to come. Bully behavior and domestic violence also are stubbornly hard to eradicate. But, when we are ready, we can have hope that we can contribute a ripple that will build a current! To allow hope in around the edges of our psyche, and help us stay focused on finding the peace that is still all around us, is a step toward healing.
Many acts of kindness, cooperation, and community-building, and all those things we call positive social behaviors, nurture a culture of peace. By focusing on them, perhaps we can have more of them! At Smart Tools for Life our goal is to move past today’s divisiveness by working for dialogue when we disagree, and demonstrating that we as a species have the capacity to care for all our diverse people.
We Collect Children’s Stories!
Because we all can benefit from the insights of children, we invite the children in your life to share their stories. Stories can be about how they cared for or kindly treated someone that wasn’t just like them. Then, we all will celebrate our children’s efforts and be inspired and stimulated to take up the mantle. Please send art as well.
Children in different locations and with different points-of-view may need more time to process and may be more or less directly impacted by Charlottesville. But while children are trying to understand why something like this happens, the dialogue you create with them about caring for others is a wonderful way to nurture their need to contribute and to love. Yes, children need our love and support. They also need to be presented with ways to give back — ways they can show love and demonstrate hope. It is healing.
Together we can enhance childrens’ peace literacy and support a culture of peace!