World Peace Village

New Children's Book in Peace Village

The Episcopal Resource Center in the Diocese of Atlanta has added the World Peace Village project as an educational tool to promote compassion, tolerance and understanding of different religions.

The package creates an educational center with stations that give an introduction to six spiritual traditions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Native American. The Peace Village was developed by the Child and Family Institute and is used all over the country in different churches as well as secular organizations.

The Peace Village project includes beautiful banners, religious articles and hands-on prayer activities, Instruction Manual, and educational supplies. The beautifully done silkscreen banners measure 3 feet by 5 feet and come with stands for displaying. The religious objects include labels describing how each is used in the particular religion (Tables and table covers are also provided.) Prayer Activities take this experience home with you with hands-on crafts provided for the different traditions, i.e., prayer rugs, prayer beads, mezuzah, prayer flags, prayer sticks, and candles. See Pictures!

During Annual Council 2003, held in the South West Atlanta Convocation, Resolution R03-5a was adopted that read “Resolved, that this Council applauds the interfaith initiative of the Kids for Peace and the World Peace Village Mission and further commends the actions of those parishes in this diocese that have offered educational programs on world religions and interfaith dialogue promoting a spirit of understanding and tolerance of different religious traditions. We encourage parishes in the Diocese of Atlanta to continue offering such programs….”. Since then, workshops were held at the Ministry Fair 2004 and several parishes have reserved the Peace Village to use at parish retreats, Vacation Bible School, Christian Education, summer outreach camp and other events. The Diocese of Atlanta intends to uphold the spirit shown by council members by extending this beautiful educational tool to as many parishes as possible.

The Peace Village can be simply used for meditation, prayer and reflection, or the project can be expanded and used as the subject for a Lenten series, retreat, Christian education series, vacation bible school, or spiritual growth. The project is easily adaptable for all ages. If your parish or group would like to use the Peace Village, the cost is $1 per person to replace supplies used for the prayer activities.

To Reserve the Peace Village, contact Wynn Callaway

New Children's Book on World Religions Added

A Faith Like Mine: A Celebration of the world's religions through the eyes of children written by Laura Buller (published by DK publishing) is our newest addition to the World Peace Village. It has useful information and wonderful pictures which provide an exciting visual experience for children as well as adults. It covers other world religions besides the ones focused on in the Peace Village. It does not have a section on Native American faith however, so if you know of a good book for children on Native American faith practices, please let us know!

Possibile Ways to Use the World Peace Village:

Education for Ministry / Spiritual Formation
Episcopal Church Women / Daughters of the King
Brotherhood of St. Andrew / Christian Education for all ages
Peace and Reconciliation / Youth Program
Family Vacation Bible School / Intergenerational Events

We also play to display it each year at Annual Council and the Ministry Fair

Facilitators are needed to accompany the Peace Village project to event sites, to set up and to lead participants through the experience. We feel that once you’ve experienced the Peace Village project, you will feel moved to tell others and volunteer your time as a facilitator.

To reserve the Peace Village, please contact Linda Scott, Resource Center Coordinator at 404-601-5353; or Wynn Callaway, Benefits Administrator at 404-601-5351. If you are interested in becoming a facilitator, please contact Wynn Callaway. Check out the World Peace Village website!

View the Religious Set-ups that make up the World Peace Village

The descriptions of faiths other than Christianity can be further explored at the Interfaith Education Initiative website, a joint project of Episcopal Relief and Development and the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations.

American Indigenous Spiritualities or Native American

The Medicine Wheel, also called the Sacred Circle is divided into quadrants representing the four directions.

Islam

Islam means “making peace” by submitting to the will of God. A Muslim is a person who submits to God, the Source of peace.

The crescent and star symbol is a reminder that each month of the Islamic calendar begins with the sighting of the crescent moon—itself a reminder to the Prophet of his faith in God, the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Hinduism

Hinduism is a Western label. This ancient way of life calls itself

Sanatana Dharma (the eternal law).

The symbol is the Sanskrit word Om. Om is said to embody the origination, reverberation, and dissolution of all sound—and the silence which follows. Om is first mentioned in the Upanishads.

Judaism

A sense of history is foundational for understanding Judaism. It traces its ancient roots to the migration of Abraham and his family from Mesopotamia to Canaan (c. 1900 BCE).

The six-pointed Star of David dates from the 600s BCE, but has been a universal Jewish symbol only since the late 1800s. The menorah (candelabra)—the oldest Jewish symbol—was in use in biblical times.

Buddhism

Buddhism is a Western term for a vast number of expressions of the philosophy of Siddhartha Gautama (c.563-483 BCE).

The Dharma Wheel represents the totality of the Buddha’s teaching and the interconnectedness of all things. The eight spokes denote the noble Eightfold Path. Each phase of the Buddha’s teaching is described as another turning of the dharma wheel.

Christianity

The Cross is the symbol of the crucifition and resurrection of Christ.

The Bible is the Word of God which provides us with the Hebrew scriptures or Old Testament, and the story of the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.