Recently it dawned on me that we each can have our own Personal Peace Gardens. In looking on the internet this is not a new thing.

There are schools implementing the Peace Garden Ideas to help children help resolve conflict.

Here are some thoughts about Peace Gardens:

• Dedicate, maintain and nurture the peace garden as a symbol of hope for the future commitment to peace – peace within ourselves and our school community, peace within the global family, and peace with nature.
• Encourage cross-cultural understanding, environmental studies, and alternative conflict resolution.
• Use our Peace Garden for celebrations of peace and the environment, and in appreciation of the rich cultural heritage and our community
• Nurture the soil through scientific knowledge and environmental protection of the local
  Eco-system.
• Celebrate peace through music, dance, language arts, sculpture, symbols, design and other art forms.

Here are some ideas of what you might have in your own personal Peace Garden.

• The Dream Bench and the Friendship Bench for friendly conflict resolution. The Friendship Bench is a place to learn the skills of breathing to relax, and for solving conflicts through compassion, communication, and friendship – all lessons from nature.
• Planting vegetables and fruits for food security which can help the food banks. Plant a “pizza garden” – green peppers, tomatoes, basil, onions, mushrooms etc.
• A healing garden – eg: herbs that can be used for stopping the itch from mosquito bites, a cancer garden, plants that have a soothing smell.
• The path of peace could be walked with eyes closed, to identify species by touch, smell, or rubbing a leaf. It could also have a series of sounds, both natural and sculptured, that can be recorded, listed, and written about
• Other gardens could be Rooftop gardens, an indoor tropical garden with a place for special objects, or a water garden.
• Consider having a dedication ceremony for a birthday, anniversary, special occasion, and invite your family and friends to participate and enjoy your garden too.

Have fun looking through these fun pictures of ideas on how you might build your own Personal Peace Garden.

Resources: the-peace-garden

May peace be with you and your environment and our world always.

Best,

Manal