By Shebnem Niazi, YES 2013-2014, Bulgaria, hosted by World Link in Kalona, IA

The International Day of Peace is observed annually on September 21. Hundreds of millions of citizens in cities, towns, and villages worldwide, along with governments and thousands of NGOs, take part in various activities and organize events centered on the theme “peace.” From education to the arts, social justice to sports, health to the environment, neighborhood issues to service for others, there are myriad ways in which people celebrate Peace Day.

In honor of this global day, I decided to organize a peacebuilding workshop for young students, because they are the next generation that will work to build a more peaceful future for the world. The event was a success, due in large part to the assistance of my friends and with the generous help of both the Community Cultural Center “Prosveta” and St. Cyril and St. Methodius Elementary School.

To open our workshop, I wrote a simple, three-word question on the board.

“What is peace?”

Silence. Stumped by this tiny question, no one spoke. Fifteen curious first graders, seated around the room, were staring at me with their big shiny eyes. They did not have an answer, and I would later discover why: it was the first time in their life someone had asked them to define peace.

I felt responsible for explaining this complicated concept, which is made even more difficult by the amount of violence and conflict the children are exposed to – not just from catching snippets of TV news, but from sitcoms, cartoons, video games, and toys. I began by giving examples of peaceful actions and soon after I received various definitions of the world “peace”. “Peace is picking flowers for my mom!” responded a smiley girl. “Peace is petting my dog and giving him food and water,” added a dark haired boy. “Peace is when we hold the door open for others,” everyone agreed. We continued discussing tales of compassion from real life experiences, and brainstormed acts of kindness for animals and fellow humans.

While my little friends were drawing doves, olive branches, flowers, happy families, rainbows and butterflies, and enjoying some snacks, the next question came naturally.

“How can we make the world a better place?” I asked.

To my surprise, everyone had ideas. Among their many suggestions were, smiling to strangers, standing against unfairness and bullying, helping with chores at home, sharing meals and warm clothes with those in need, throwing our trash to the garbage can, and saying ‘Thank you!’ on a regular bases.

I was stunned by their answers. I felt incredibly thankful for having had the chance to meet these kids and to spend some time with them. They reminded me of one very important thing that I had forgotten as an adult – even the small acts of kindness have the power to brighten someone’s life and, by doing so, to contribute to peace in the world.

People often say that children’s core character traits develop in early childhood. Their basic beliefs and moral values are fostered by their parents. While I absolutely agree with this statement, I feel that I need to add one more thing. After the children start attending kindergarten or enroll in school, other factors and relationships reinforce their beliefs and, as they are exposed to the real world, they get to practice what they learned from their role models. In saying this, I request that all of you reading this article also demonstrate and perform random acts of peace and compassion each and every day. A child may be watching you.