Children's Day of Peace November 20th

 On November 20, World Children's Day, we are inviting communities around the world to create their own Children's Day of Peace.  

Founding Mothers Movement brings the world a coordinated event in locales all across the globe to Celebrate Children on November 20th, World Children's Day.  What does Peace actually feel like to a child? Does Peace mean there isn't a war happening? Certainly. But to a child, Peace is also much closer to home. 

• Peace is having enough to eat. 
• Peace is knowing someone believes in you. 
• Peace is being safe. 
• Peace is being encouraged to discover your gifts. 
• Peace is being listened to. 
• Peace is knowing: I matter. I am loved. I belong.

That understanding became the heart of our message: 

Every Child Has Gifts. Every Child Has Rights. Every Child Belongs. 

And from there came what we call the Five Gifts we believe every child deserves to experience: 

Nourished. Encouraged. Inspired. Protected. Celebrated. 

But we didn't want to create another beautiful list of things adults believe children should have. 

We asked: What do we DO? And that brought us to the Five Pillars for communities: 

Connect. Create. Care. Celebrate. Commit. 

These are things any of us can do. You don't need a government program. You don't need a large organization. You don't need a huge budget. You need people who care about children. 

Imagine what that could look like:

• A school begins its morning with a Peace Circle. 
• Children and Elders walk together through their community. 
• An artist sits down and paints with children. 
• Musicians make music. 
• Someone plants a tree. 
• Grandmothers tell stories. 
• Neighbors serve one another. 
• And everywhere, in hundreds of different languages, children hear the same message: 

You Belong. 

These aren't theoretical ideas. These are the kinds of community actions we're inviting around the world. 

We're also inviting children ages 5 through 15 to express their own understanding of Peace through art, literature, music and video, with Children's Peace Prizes recognizing selected creations. 

That is important because we cannot create a movement for children without listening to children. 

Their creativity is a voice. Their art is a voice. Their music is a voice. Their questions are a voice. 

And sometimes children can imagine possibilities that we adults have forgotten how to see.