Below are some additional resources to help you live and teach peace. A number of them relate to the individual Peacemakers from the LEARN ABOUT page of our website. Please be aware, however, that some of the items or sites suggested or linked here on this page offer only services or products that require payment.
Resources
* Personal-Use Resources
* Parenting/Classroom Resources
* Personal-Use Resources
(this month's focus is on peacemakers Leymah Gbowee, John Lewis, and the Dalai Lama)
Books
by Leymah Gbowee
Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gbowee with Carol Mithers -
powerful autobiography showing how a group of women working together created an unstoppable force that brought peace to Liberia.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website
by John Lewis
Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis, with Mike D'Orso - a definitive, deeply inspiring look into Lewis’s life at the front lines of the American civil rights movement, highlighting his unwavering commitment to nonviolence..
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website
by the Dalai Lama
Freedom in Exile by the Dalai Lama - the Dalai Lama’s moving autobiography, told with his signature warmth, covering his extraordinary personal story and his broader philosophy.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Websites
Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa-USA - this organization creates pathways for women and youth leaders in Liberia and beyond to advance peace. They partner with likeminded organizations, support youth in accessing quality education and developing leadership skills, and connect with the African diaspora to build networks of support. By fostering collaboration and sharing resources, the Foundation empowers communities to play an active role in positive social change.
https://gboweepeaceusa.org/about-us/
National Museum of African American History and Culture - John Lewis - this site offers several stories and documents related to John Lewis.
https://nmaahc.si.edu/search?keyword=John+Lewis
DalaiLama.com - this website offers official information about the Dalai Lama, including his biography, recent news, photos, his messages, and his teachings.
Videos
Leymah Gbowee talks about peacemaking (click on top right video) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYLYGAK2OFw&list=PL3342D7C13B46E380&index=1
John Lewis biographical movie (2002): John Lewis: Good Trouble -https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/af0aa9dddecd516a9050b09bff23d290?source=google
Dalai Lama biographical documentary (2020): Compassion in Exile -
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Other Resources
Photo of Leymah Gbowee - https://share.google/MTNNh5aOxcTrHqRga
Photo of John Lewis - https://npg.si.edu/learn/classroom-resource/john-lewis-1940%E2%80%932020
Photo of the Dalai Lama - https://tibet.net/about-tibet/his-holiness/
* Parenting/Classroom Resources
(this month's recommendations)
Books
ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOKS:
What Is Human Fraternity by Leymah Gbowee and Jesse Klubi - a child-friendly reflection on the "Document on Human Fraternity" signed by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Ashar, in 2019. It calls for the embracing of diversity and equality among all human beings.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Sons of Peace by Leymah Gbowee - Auntie Leelai navigates the streets of New York and encounters three young boys who remind her of the beauty of human kindness and compassion.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
I Am John Lewis (Ordinary People Change the World series) by Brad Meltzer - well-told story with cartoonized illustrations, introducing 5-9-year-olds to Lewis and his dedication to nonviolent "good trouble."
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Who Was John Lewis? (WhoHQ series) by Crystal Hubbard - John Lewis's life story for ages 8-12.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Peaceful Mind by H.H. the Dalai Lama - a meditation using empathy that adults and children can read and experience together. Ages 2-6.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Who Is the Dalai Lama? (WhoHQ series) by Dana Meachen Rau - biography of the Dalai Lama for ages 8-12.
Check your local library, or purchase from a bookstore/website.
Websites (for parents and teachers)
PathsOfLearning.net - "5 key steps for peace education"
https://www.pathsoflearning.net/47/peace-education-for-children/
PeaceSchool.org - take a course in "Peace Breathing" meditation.
Videos (for children)
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2: "Leymah Gbowee" (Ms.Carmina Reads Series) - Ms. Carmina reads from the book Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2 by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo about Liberian peace leader and Nobel Prize winner Leymah Gbowee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_k0VTloyE
I Am John Lewis - video reading of picture book I Am John Lewis. (See description of book in "Children's Picture Books" section, above.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGzzbjAMv4A
Seed of Compassion - video reading of a picture-book autobiography by the Dalai Lama that details how he learned and honed the compassion that defines him, and how we, too, can become more compassionate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fewglQMq6xc
Other Resources (visuals, games, kits, etc.)
Printable Calming Cards - whenever a child is upset, they choose a card that has an activity they want to do for calming down. The cards can stay on a dedicated "peace shelf" or in some other special place.
Cards from BreatheMovePlayKids on Etsy
Make a Gratitude Book - This activity focuses on inner gratitude as a personal peace-making activity, but it can also be shared with the whole family or class.
https://therippleeffecteducation.ca/peace-activities-children/ - scroll down to "I Am Thankful For..." book.
Play the Montessori "Silence Game" - learning to be comfortable with silence is a first step toward more formal contemplative awareness of inner peace.
The Silence Game
(For deeper meditative practices that can be learned by older children, see our HOW TO page.)