The 11th Rotary Elementary School Peace Walk 2024

The Elementary School Peace Walk in Winnipeg is part of the Peace Days initiative, supported by the Rotary Club. It got together over five hundred students from different parts of the city on Friday, September 13th, 2024. Although it was a hazy day, spirits were up for everyone involved. The event started at the Forks CN stage, besides the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR). The day started with a blessing and the Indigenous bear song performed by the elder Amanda Wallin.

Under such good auspices, the Minister of Education of Manitoba, Mr. Nello Altomare, and the CMHR CEO, Mrs. Isha Khan addressed students and they both highlighted that under the current circumstances, when peace around the world is threatened, events like this provide us hope.

As soon as authorities left the stage, children delivered their speeches and thoughts about peace. Each school had designated some representatives to convey their ideas and feelings on behalf of their classmates. They also prepared colorful signs and slogans.

• “Peace is a right and we all have the same rights.”
• “We’re calling the world to wake up from the nightmare of war.”
• “Peace and freedom cannot be separated.”
• “Children are asking, why is there war?”
• “Peace is kindness, happiness, and fairness.”
• “We want peace, we want it now, we want it here, and we want it for everyone”.

These were some of the thoughts shared at the event through chants, poems, drawings, and statements. World leaders should be sensitive to this outcry for peace. It is sincere and pure since it comes from children, the most innocent people on earth.

Once they shared their thoughts and wishes of peace, children walked towards Buhler Hall at the CMHR where they sang for peace led by a High School band with the theme “What About Us”, and went through the exhibits and halls waving the museum staff. All along their short journey, they kept chanting peace catchy slogans. They finally exited the building and headed to the Forks CN stage again where a traditional Indigenous dance was performed by the Aboriginal School of Dance Buffy Handel.

Estelle, we know you are one of the organizers of the Winnipeg Peace Walk for schools, but who actually started this initiative?

The initial first one was started by France Adams, and then she did it one year, and then she asked me if I’d take it over. So now I’ve been doing it for 11 years. As an educator I know children of this age of elementary school rarely have a chance to express their views on an important topic as peace. Now they come here well prepared and they talk about it; they know what it sounds like, feels like, and looks like. So that is the main reason why we do it. And it links up with the Rotary Peace Days initiative.

Do you think children are aware of what’s going on in the world or they just live in a peaceful bubble here? At what extent do you think they know about what is going on?

I think for some of them, it’s very personal. They are very aware. Maybe some not as much, but we did have a school that started talking about what the conflict is worldwide. They’re naming off countries. I’m pretty sure the Al-Hijra school is very aware of what’s going on.

Is war a taboo topic for them? How can an adult, a parent or a teacher, can speak about war to children? I mean, it’s a difficult topic sometimes.

It is extremely difficult. I’ve met teachers who are dumbfounded about how to approach the topic. They do not know how to begin, but I think if they start off with the values and understanding that conflict is man-made, and I’m not just including men in here, but it is man-made, and that it can be unlearned. it can be taught a different way to to find peace and avoid war. The other thing is that we live in a very difficult time and we have to give children hope. At this age they’re full of love, they’re full of hope, and we have to make sure that we continue supporting them in that quest to feel positive about the world. As they get older, teenagers are having a harder time, and we have to do more. And we do; I know MARL is engaged in that, and we do other events like the Youth Nuclear Peace Summit, and the Ethics Bowl, where they learn how to talk to one another, how to listen actively and speak in a respectful and collaborative manner. And I think that’s what’s missing in the world.

It is for sure. Have you heard some of the messages children were speaking out today? Is there any quote you remember from them, something that stood out for you?

There’s one, but I’ll remember this one from last year. There was a lot of them this year, and one was very similar to this. But one young boy, he had to explain what peace looked like and sounded like. And he said, “it’s sitting on the beach and listening to the waves crash on the shore”. So, they can talk about what it is like having a good friend. It’s the basics, but we should all be paying attention to what they’re saying. It is basics about friendship, kindness, helping one another. And like the Minister of Education said, “peace on the playground.” It starts there. If we can instill that in our schools, I think we would have at least a chance here to make sure that our children get the future they deserve. Canada is the biggest multicultural experiment there ever was and I’m pretty sure we can show the world how it can really function without falling into the negativity.

I heard this morning a child said, “Peace is a right.” Why do you think peace is a right?

Well, I really don’t think some deserve it more than others. I really don’t think the rich deserve it more just because they can protect themselves or go away on a deserted island. Everybody deserves it, you know, getting up in the morning and not having to worry about where their next meal is gonna come from or if they’re gonna have a roof over their head. That is part of peace. You have to give them, they have to have everything, and not being afraid to walk down the street. I want that for myself, but if you are not a compassionate person, you would say, “I just want it for myself”. If you are compassionate, you want it for everybody. And children have done nothing wrong. They didn’t ask to be born, and they’re here.

How do you think these kind of messages could be sent to a higher level? I mean, if you had the chance to send these messages to world leaders. What would you do?

I would bring in children and let the children grill them. I’ve done that once before. Let the children grill them and ask them, “what are you doing about climate change?” Why do politicians scream at each other and say nasty things? Are we supposed to behave like that? Is that how you want us to behave? And yet we are showing something different. I’ll gladly set up the stage to do that and let them speak. They know.

Do you think we are living in hard times in terms of threats against peace, comparing this to, I don’t know, 20 years ago?

Absolutely. Pick a country. They’re struggling there, pick Myanmar, Sudan, South Sudan, Iran, India, pick a country. Women’s rights. Talk about women’s rights. And now there’s a global threat when it comes to nuclear warfare. So you’re trying to give a future to children when it comes to doing something about climate change and that doesn’t just include getting rid of the straws. Corporations have to be at the table. I just read they’re very concerned about climate change, because they’ll hit their bottom line and they’re part of the problem.

I actually think the big equalizer for regardless of where that child is from or regardless of the school they come from, is providing them a good education. And that education has to include a value-based education. You can go with the basic and say, “well, they just need reading, writing, math and arithmetic”. That’s not true. I’ve asked my parents, when my students graduated from the high school I was at, I asked them, “What do you want me to say when somebody asks me about your child? What do you want me to say about them?” And one did say, “Well, I hope you said that they were good in math.” But predominantly, almost all of them said, “I want you to say that they were good and kind to one another.” So it’s there, we just have to work at it. You can’t let up, there’s no end game to this. It’s constant.

I think this kind of events are a seed for future peace. On behalf of MARL, thank you so much for these impressions about the event, especially because they come from someone who’s really been engaged in this initiative from a long time ago.

Nicolas Dousdebes – Communication Coordinator – MARL