Community Partner : By Peaceful Means Intern : Willah Peers Site Supervisor : Nawal Rajeh
What is By Peaceful Means ? By Peaceful Means works to create change by empowering youth and community through collective action and conflict resolution initiatives
“ Show me what freedom looks like !” “ This is what freedom looks like !”
Fifty kids in green shirts stood on our side of the highway facing fifty more on the other . Some held up signs that said “ Stop Police Brutality ” or “ We must stop hurting each other ” or “ Peace means I love mommy .” Some stood with chests out , two fingers held high in peace signs , revelling in the honks from the cars . Some danced to the beat of the chanting and some just yelled with all their might . Some kids looked on shyly from the back , and some crouched , resting their legs and their voices in the hot sun .
This Friday , Peace Camp met with another camp in Baltimore to stage a peace rally on Martin Luther King Boulevard . The week before we had a spa day to learn about self respect , and when our weekly Peace Hero was Prince , we had a photo shoot for the albums the kids were creating . In cooking class we made magic fruit wands and banana pancakes , guacamole and FFC ( Fake Fried Chicken ). We wanted to give the campers healthy alternatives to foods that they liked . In addition , we coordinated with Blue Bag Baltimore to provide parents with huge bags of produce once a week .
At Peace Camp we tried to impart respect , productive communication , and positive conflict resolution on the kids . I learned from the wonderful leaders there‐‐as well as the campers‐‐ each day about how to better model these ideas and apply them in practice . All the while we had art and music and gym and pool days and beach days . Hopefully the kids were able to have some freedom and joy with us , as well as peace . ‐ Willah
Tasks :
● Researched seasonality , nutritional information , recipes , and alternative ways to use fruit and nuts for " An booklet which also features local farmers ' markets and healthy living exercises
● Worked with other local nonprofits and organizations by teaching at events such as community garden plan making night
● Prepared recipe cards for events and potlucks to be distributed to the public
● Consulted future planting partners regarding urban planning
● Researched edibility of fruit / nuts in edible rain gardens