History of the World Peace Project for Children
The World Peace Project For Children (WPPC) was founded in 1997 and is based in the Puget Sound area. WPPC is a non-profit organization dedicated to peace education for children. Through unique educational programs and projects such as hands on peace activities including art, music, education, and volunteerism, children have the opportunity to learn and grow. The children develop critical thinking skills on the issues of peace and conflict resolution through participation in discussion groups on these issues, creating their own writings and projects about peace. They gain awareness of these important issues at an early age. Early education in learning about peace builds positive leadership in the community and strong global citizenship for today's children and their future.
The groundwork was laid for the organization in early 1995 when the organization's founder, Michiko I. Pumpian, composed and recorded an international peace song. She also formed a children's peace choir and peace club shortly thereafter.
Since that time, the choir has appeared and performed for many local community events and also an acclaimed international children's conference in Japan for promoting world peace.
The peace club, with members from a number of different countries, has benefited greatly from it's exposure on the World Peace Projects' web site at www.sadako.org . Educators and children alike have been introduced to the organization on the internet since 1996. Through the peace club, children and educators are able to network internationally.
A wonderful Peace Education Kit, based on the famous story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, is also available from WPPC for use in the classroom. The Peace Education Kit enhances curriculum through music, story, Origami paper crane folding, and creative writing. Many teachers have utilized the Peace Education Kit in conjunction with Social Studies curriculum. The WPPC actively encourages volunteerism among children to help promote peace among their peers. The youth volunteers teach others how to fold Origami peace cranes at local events for promoting peace and friendship. These simple and fun activities bring children closer together and develop an understanding of the importance of peace.
In 1999, WPPC is launching a special millennium peace project as a community event to lead 10,000 children in making the world's largest origami peace crane at the Seattle Kingdome. This innovative program will be a collaborative effort with support from a coalition of community organizations. The children will be involved in this unique educational project from the early stages. They will draw and write year 2000 peace messages onto large pieces of paper that will become part of the World's Largest Paper Crane - Millennium Peace Project on the eve of millennium. They will not only learn about peace, but will be sending a message of peace as well.
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