Days and Counting

As the departure date draws nearer (two days in fact, three days till arrival to Liberia), last minute errands for materials, quick emails between myself and my partners in Liberia, and checking and re-checking packing lists have been my priority. Questions have also come to mind.

Small ones like: Do I have everything? What will I take to read? Will I forget anything?

There have also been big ones.

Will the Peace Project be beneficial? Will the information be understood by the participants? Will it make a difference?

While I don't know the answers yet, I hope that my second-guessing is only temporary and unwarranted.

What I do know for sure is that the Peace Education Project for Hope for the Deaf could not have been possible without the prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support of friends and family. I am forever grateful, and appreciative of being a part of a community of people that believe in the cause I am passionate about; people who believe in education and peace for all.

Thank you all, and I will see you in Liberia.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

There are only 17 more days till we leave for Liberia. It is hard to believe it is so close. I have finished compiling the manual for the peace workshop, and am getting other last minute materials together.

While compiling the manuals, I included lots of information from different organizations that work towards peace. Like I said before, I have been getting ideas and information from the Hague Appeal for Peace. I have also used a lot of documents from the United Nations. One important document that I have included is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This convention was adopted by the UN in 2008. While I was in Liberia in 2008, I was able to participate in a march to the capital building in Monrovia to present a petition to have the convention ratified by the Liberian government. I was able to march alongside the students and staff at Hope for the Deaf School and show my support for all Liberians who have a disability. It was exciting to be a part of such a monumental demonstration, but there is still a long way to go. It currently is still not ratified by the Liberian government.

Even though it is not ratified, Liberians who have a disability now have an international document that states their rights, and such document provides them with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves.

The Peace Education Project aims to provide the staff of Hope School the opportunity to learn about the Convention and their rights in their own language (Liberian Sign language), as well as with the skills to teach their students with developmentally appropriate games and activities about their rights and peace.

My hope is that this will allow their voice to be heard amongst the rebuilding of their country.

New Sign Language Programs

Outside the capital, Monrovia, education in Liberia can be very limited. For persons who are deaf, education outside the city is non-existent. Deafness in Liberia is most commonly caused by natural or preventable causes-diseases or from the war. Families do not understand what is wrong with their child, thinking it is something that they must burden with alone. They do not have truthful answers, a support group, or a way to fully communicate with their child.

These boys from a rural village were all identified as having hearing problems (there were possibly more, including girls, but these children were there at the moment). Though they attended the local village school (more than 60 students with one teacher with 11th grade education), they did not have a language to learn with or to communicate.

There are children and families like these all around Liberia. The Hope for the Deaf director and staff have always had the goal to start programs in the rural villages, like the one in Monrovia. They're hope is to begin a sign language tutorial program, then expand to educational services. They have identified two villages, Kakata and Gbarnga, where there is parent interest to start a sign language program for their children.

Even without consistent financial funds to support the program, the Hope staff are dedicated to bringing education to the Deaf in rural Liberia. They understand the importance of having a language, and are passionate about giving a voice to Deaf Liberians. I am proud of the staff of Hope and so glad to be a part of an organization that is helping to rebuild their country in a positive way, one student at a time.

Hague Appeal for Peace

In 1999, civil society organizations from around the world gathered in the Netherlands to discuss what could be done to create a culture of peace among the nations of the world. Their hope was to lay the groundwork for instilling peace within the minds of men rather than violence and war. The conference led to the Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice in the 21st Century, as well as resources to promote educating towards a culture of peace. This led quite well into the United Nations' Decade for a Culture of Peace that was discussed in an earlier blog post.

It is the Peace Lessons from Around the World, compiled by the Hague, that serves as a valuable resource as I prepare for the Peace Education Project this summer. It will provide lesson ideas, as well as history of peace education and discussion of culture of violence and culture of peace.

For further information, please visit the Hague Appeal for Peace website.

Dates Set

Dates have been set for the Peace Education Project this summer.

Arrival: July 11th

Workshop Part 1: July 13-16

Workshop Part 2: July 20-23

Family & Community Day: TBA

Logistics are starting to come together, as well as the materials that we will be using. Look forward to information on topics that will be covered.

Peace

Liberia, Child Soldiers & Peace

Recently, I found a couple of videos about a young Liberian who was a child soldier during the civil war. He became a refugee in Ghana, went through counseling and training, then returned to his home country. As in other countries, child soldiers were heavily used during Liberia's crisis. For youth who were involved in the war and do not receive rehabilitation, like Augustine, face isolation and torment from past experiences. While rehabilitation programs exist in the country, it may take years to reach all the youth that were affected.

I also created a video of my own.

The Peace Education Project aims to bring a piece of the rehabilitation process to Hope for the Deaf school, providing the students with language, knowledge, and a safe environment to have their voice heard so that they may participate in the rebuilding of their country.

Thank you!

It is great to see the support that continues to come in. I have officially reached my goal (and then some) for funds for the workshops specifically. I cannot describe how much I appreciate your willingness to become a part of the peace story in Liberia.

As much as it is important to have further training for the staff at Hope, it is also important for the school to have supplies and materials, and for the staff to receive income for their work. Since there is no public education services readily available for students with disabilities in Liberia, private schools serving persons with disabilities are found within religious organizations, as well as non-government organizations. This means that they most likely choose high fees for the students to attend, or run on very little to maintain an educational environment. The Hope for the Deaf School is technically under the umbrella of the Liberian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The school has held the believe that education should be accessible for deaf students and has kept their fees low compared to other schools in Monrovia. They run on sporadic donations by generous people in and outside Liberia. Staff income and funds for materials happen by chance. Staff morale is typically low, and it is often difficult to come to work to teach everyday (especially if it costs more than a weeks pay to travel to work). It is through their determination and passion for education that they continue to work, though pay is little.

With this in mind, if you would like to give to the school for staff salary and materials, please continue to use the Chip In button or give through the UMC Advance. When I go, I will give the funds directly to the school.

If you would have any questions, please leave a comment.

Stay tuned for further development of the Peace Education Project.