Join America's Giving Challenge
Starting September of this year, SFP established a unique partnership with Atlas Corps, a 'multilateral', 'multinational' organization that facilitates fellowships for professional non-profit leaders (called Atlas Corps Fellows) from the global south as a way to foster international cooperation. While Atlas Corps brings in the fellows, Service For Peace becomes the host organization for the fellow. We received our first fellow, Becky Gitonga from Kenya, this September in Washington DC, who is devoting the next 12 months to SFP. We are definitely excited about this new partnership.
In an effort to strengthen our partnership, SFP and Atlas Corps have formed a coalition to enter this year's Americas Giving Challenge that provides a $50,000 award to the organization with the highest number of donors. Last year Atlas Corps singularly competed to win that award. All it takes to win is to achieve the largest number of people to donate $11. Winning this prize means that SFP will be able to bring in more fellows from around the world to fulfill our mission as a "service learning organization with a global peace perspective."
We are asking Service For Peace friends and supporters to join us and help us in winning this contest. We need large numbers of daily donors and we are requesting you consider donating at least $11 or more during the contest period (Oct 7 - Nov 6). Please consider donating by following this link http://www.causes.com/atlascorps and making your donation. If you want to give more than $11 then consider donating on more than one day as each discrete donation done daily counts towards the goal. You could even commit to donate $11 daily for three, five, ten or more consecutive days.
We do also have a special request that you consider being a team captain, which is essentially a commitment to get 5-10 other people to donate $11. You can also help us by sharing this opportunity on your Facebook profile, tweeting it and through other online networks.
As you go online to donate you will notice that $11 is not on the menu. You will need to choose 'other' and write in $11.This is one of the ways that we can determine which donations were made to SFP. SFP will receive 100% of the donations given at the $11 level. Additionally you may choose to share your information with Atlas Corps to verify our contacts.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this opportunity to vote for a better world!
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SFP in Miami Creates
an Outdoor Living Lab
On September 22, 2009, SFP in Miami initiated its Learning for Life program creating an Outdoor Living Lab at the Yvonne Learning Center (YLC) located in Little Haiti, Miami, Florida. The day provided a great opportunity for YLC students to take ownership of their school. They were joined by their teachers, parents and local college students for a day of learning how to lay sod and work together as a team. The grounds of the Yvonne Learning Center began to transform into a peaceful green space for kids and a place where they would be able to have classes learning Math, Biology, Art, and English. Everyone worked hard and felt very proud to have been a part of creating this wonderful garden classroom!
The theme for that day was Art in the Garden and there were 35-minute lessons designed specifically for each one of the four groups of students (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grades). The younger students colored pictures of the plants and vegetables that they envisioned being planted in the garden, learning about colors and shapes. The older students were taught the dynamics of architecture and engineering by walking through the garden plots and landscaped grounds with Carmen - the designer.
SFP in Miami also moved into its new office to the YLC Library building, which puts them directly in the middle of their Community of Peace!
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Global PeaceMakers Create a Rainbow Bridge in Cambodia
In September, SFP in Japan partnered with the Rainbow Bridge Project organization to hold a GPM Camp in Cambodia. The program of the camp consisted of implementing three service projects: doing service activities at Missionaries of Charity, repairing a health center for pregnant women and holding a health education project in a rural area.
Many thanks to the Japan Foundation for their generous support.
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SFP Chapters around the World Celebrate Peace Day
SFP in Russia Raises Awareness of Peace Issues
During the week leading up to the UN International Day of Peace (IDP), SFP in Russia invited around 50 people from various NGOs, as well as teachers and journalists to watch the movie The Day after Peace and to take part in discussions on the prospects for peace in our lifetime.
The SFP team members were also happy to welcome the Director of the UN Department of Public Information Office in Moscow, Alexander Gorelic, and the pop-star Lika-star. The purpose of this meeting was to give participants more information about the goals and the meaning of IDP and to motivate them to organize their own peace projects on September 21. At the "Ceremony of Wishes and Promises" everyone had the chance to make a pledge of their commitment to peace on Peace Day.
The result of this gathering was 9 peace projects organized by local NGOs and teachers with a total of around 400 participants and with about $1,000 raised. In the evening of September 21, together with their new partners, SFP team members launched air lanterns with wishes for peace at the Moscow River bank. May their wishes come true!
SFP in Ukraine Celebrates Peace Day "Living Together" and "Looking Different"
To celebrate International Day of Peace, SFP in Ukraine organized two projects: We Want to Live Together and To Look Different.
As part of the first project, 15 SFP team members visited the Kiev Integration Center to discuss the current situation of displaced persons in Ukraine.
They also had an opportunity to feel and touch handcraft jewelry and traditional clothing made by the women from the refugee camp. On September 26, twenty-five volunteers set up stations in the Kiev Integration Center where 70 children were engaged in activities to increase their awareness of the importance of interpersonal relationships and learning skills to foster health, harmonious relationships with others, especially those different from themselves.
The second project, called To Look Different took place at three schools in Kiev. Students and volunteers watched movies related to peace, gave presentations on the mission and the significance of the International Day of Peace and discussed its meaning.
To see photos from IDP in Ukraine please follow this link.
40 Days of Peace Program at Benjamarajrangsarit Secondary School Strengthens
Community of Peace
On September 20, SFP in Thailand successfully completed its first 40 Days of Peace program at Benjamarajrangsarit Secondary School. The suggestion for holding 40 Days of Peace program came from meetings with Bangkok Department of Education officials and the SFP International President, Dr. Charles Phillips, during his visit to Thailand over the summer. At these discussions current challenges in the Bangkok school system were identified, including disciplinary problems such as bullying and violent behavior in school.
A total of 2,000 students and 80 teachers participated in this program, organized in partnership with the Department of Education.
One of the expected outcomes of the 40 Days of Peace Program was to encourage individuals, families, schools and community members to improve awareness and skills in building positive and healthy relationships in the community, fostering a Community of Peace, where the ethic of serving others prevails. At the culmination of the program, 52 student participants were awarded with the PeaceMakers Award. One of the participants shared, "After taking part in the activities, my behavior got better and I felt more sympathy towards others." The school teachers also appreciated the transformational effect of the program on students' behavior and insisted on the continued involvement of the SFP team with the school.
To a great extent, the success of this program was due to the kind support and assistance of the Director of Education of Chchoengsao area, Mr. Niwat Noymanee, as well as of the Principal and the teachers from Benjamarajrangsarit Seconday School.
SFP team members in Thailand firmly believe that service learning programs like this can foster the establishment of a substantial Community of Peace, as more and more schools and community partners join in and participate.
SFP in the Philippines Participates in the International
Coastal Clean-up Day
SFP in the Philippines supported once again the Filipino Department of Environment and Natural Resources in its efforts to organize the International Coastal Clean-up Day which was held at Manila Bay in Roxas Boulevard on September 19th.
SFP volunteers joined the hundreds of people who had come to clean the bay and the rivers and to set a good example of citizens' care for the sake of mutual well-being.
As part of the International Day of Peace celebration, SFP established a volunteer club in EARIST University in Manila.
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