Preventing conflicts is the work of politics: establishing peace is the work of education.
—Maria Montessori
Education and Peace, p. 24.
Education and Peace, p. 24.
Can you imagine if we all just came together and concentrated on that which we have in common, rather than on our differences? We would find peace. That’s the hope and message of the Sing Peace Around the World Campaign, held annually to coincide with the United Nation’s International Day of Peace (or World Peace Day).
Montessori Peace Education: Singing Peace Around the World on World Peace Day
On September 21, schools around the world, Montessori and non-Montessori alike, will gather at their assigned times to sing Shelley Murley’s song, “Light a Candle for Peace.” The song moves around the world throughout the day, starting with children singing in New Zealand and ending 24 hours later with the Hawaiian Islands.When Murley began the project in 2009, approximately 80,000 children from over 35 countries participated. Last year, Sing Peace Around the World involved over 150,000 children from more than 65 countries. This year, they are hoping to have 250,000 children singing!
Read more about the project’s beginnings on our NAMC blog from 2011, Sing Peace Around the World - A Montessori Peace Day Project
Here’s how you and your school can participate:
- Register your school and receive your assigned singing time.
- Download and learn the song “Light a Candle for Peace.”
- Sing and teach the song to your students. You can even learn some hand motions or learn to sing it in sign language.
- On your assigned time on Thursday, September 21, gather and sing. You may even like to light a peace candle and gather around it. Perhaps a parent would video it, too, so you can share it with others.
- Go to the Sing Peace Around the World website and tell them how many children participated.
After the event, you can continue to promote peace and the children’s involvement in this global project. On the website, view the World Map so your students can see and learn about all of the places on earth that participated in singing for peace. Just think of all the cultural lessons that can come from that! You can even send messages to other schools around the world, celebrating their peace movements.
In this time of uncertainty and unrest, of natural disasters and political upheaval, of violent protests and terrorist acts, it seems a small, almost inconsequential gesture to simply “sing for peace.” Yet, stop and imagine it. The image of children around the world, holding hands and singing for peace is nothing short of miraculous. Dr. Montessori put great faith in children. After all, she told us, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” (Education and Peace)
Won’t you come sing with us as we raise our voices in solidarity for peace around the world? Come back and report here about your experiences at your Montessori school... we would love to have your feedback!
As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Wednesday, September 20, 2017.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Wednesday, September 20, 2017.
Thank you for this article. This song is so lovely! Although my class doesn't meet on Peace Day this year, we sang it every day this past week with our peace candle and our globe. The children LOVED it and so did the other classrooms in our school! Each year we make pinwheels for peace. This is going to be added as a new tradition for my students and me. Peace and love to you and to all who read this article.
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