Emissaries of Peace

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Background

In 2002, Brynn Stalvey (the little girl who started the Children's Cloth of Many Colors), Linda Stalvey, Brynn's mother, and I went to visit the Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, Ohio. At the time, Linda's mother and Brynn's grandmother was dying, so it was a particularly poignant time for the family.

Linda and Brynn stayed at the family home with their mother and grandmother, while I spent most of the time at the Catholic convent connected with the school. It was an exceptionally healing time for all of us in our individual ways; with the depth of family love, and the healing of some of the Catholic issues that Linda and I had both experienced as children (this project appears to be incredibly healing and transformative for each person who becomes involved.)

Children from Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, Ohio.

The entire Incarnate Word Academy school (about 600 children) had a program for us while they presented a number of sections for the Children's Cloth of Many Colors. City officials were present for the program, along with the school officials. Brynn spoke to the children about her having started the quilt project, and where it was now going. There was a special alert attention that we could feel from the children when a child spoke to them about what was possible for them regarding peace – very different than the feeling when the children listened to an adult.

It was at that point that Linda and I decided that it was time to create a next step to the Children's Cloth of Many Colors program. That step is now called the Emissary of Peace program. I remember us using the computers and printers in the convent to help bring this into form. It highlighted our observations that there appeared to be a Divine hand guiding the project, although not from a specific religious orientation. That hand was obvious at the Pentagon, at the US Capitol, the United Nations, various places of worship, civic groups, and secular as well as religious schools.

Children from Highland School in Warrenton, VA present their section titled "Freedom."

In the spring of 2003, we experimented with the first model Emissary of Peace program, at the Highland School in Warrenton, VA. (as the first declared Community of Peace, Warrenton is the place where a lot of the “firsts” are done.)

At Highland, we had a session once a week for 12 weeks, for 4 th grade children, beginning with an exploration of what “inner peace” meant to the children. It was lovely to watch the children gradually open like flowers as they began speaking of their experiences with peace. So many of them spoke of being in nature, and with animals.

The idea to reach out to children in Afghanistan came from one of these children in that 4 th grade – also, the idea to back their section with the American flag, standing for the American highest value of “Freedom.” This idea sparked an exploration of the highest values held by children in other countries.

Fahima Vorgetts speaks to Afghan children about the program.

Fahima Vorgetts, founder of Women for Afghan Women, came to speak to the children, showing them films of Afghan children, some of whom were sharing shoes to walk miles to school. The Highland children were touched, and wanted to help. They also wanted to know more about who these children were – what they think; what they valued.

Afghan children from Aisha Durrani School give "peace cheer" upon receiving gifts and letters.

The Air-Serv humanitarian airline, located just outside Warrenton, was asked if they would personally fly the Highland children's gifts and letters to the Afghan children. They were excited about the possibility. I especially remember the fun when the chief international pilot came to show the Highland children where their gifts and letters would go -- he spent time describing their humanitarian mission, and answering the children's questions. Everybody got to be the “good guy” in this creative scenario.

Afghan section of quilt with "Peace" over Afghan flag and symbol for peace in Afghan Dari language over U.S. flag.

The Warrenton section and the Afghan section that came back from the children (with “peace” as their highest value) were featured at the Chautauqua Institution on July 4, 2004 , along with the rest of the peace quilt. Warrenton children representing different countries participated in the event, which drew some 11,000 people during the day.  

Chautauqua area children present section for Children's Cloth of Many Colors in honor of Gretchen Park Fahey.

Children from the Gustavus Adolphus Children's Home in Falconer, NY where my mother grew up as an orphan, presented a section for the children's quilt at the Chautauqua event. It was a deep connecting time for my own family, who all came for the ceremony.