The Peace Initiatives Institute is using a mix of TV advertising, animation, and activism to make a difference in regions dealing with social strife. It’s the first organization to combine TV ads with comprehensive in-class teaching to teach young children to move against the tide of deeply rooted social prejudices that have had (and continue to have) devastating and infectious effects on societies worldwide. Pii’s first program, called the ‘Media Initiative For Children– Northern Ireland,’ was successfully launched throughout Northern Ireland in 2005. It has shown initial signs of success, reaching 200 schools to date, and aims to reach all preschool age children throughout Ireland by 2008. The Northern Ireland project was just a first step– Pii hopes to take its Media Initiatives for Children to other regions in the near future. Each initiative is launched with significant input from local partners, ensuring that it reflects the local culture and is sensitive to the entrenched beliefs of the adult community in any particular culture. While Pii is certainly not the be all end all solution to achieve world peace (as the founders will readily admit), it’s addressing the problem from the right angle by focusing on children. Pii is a non-profit organization and accepts donations if you want to give.


David McCay Friday, 03.09.07 @ 1:22 pm

It was great to see this article on the Media Initiative for Children. As I am the Chairman and one of the founders of the sponsoring US organization, Peace Initiatives Institute (Pii) I am happy to see that it is getting some traction in parts of the world, including the US, other than in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. For those looking to be in support of peace efforts of any kind, let me add to the above by explaining why this works so well. Our efforts are with prechool children, ages 3 to 5. We know that what children of this age learn, they take with them through life. Although for various reasons, they may not always use what they learn, lessons learned at this age become a part of their world view to be called upon if and when they are needed. Our work teaches children to respect differences, and our research shows that the program works. Adults who have learned to respect differences simply make better citizens, and it is our expectation that we are training tomorrows citizens, on whom the state of the world depends, to adopt attitudes of inclusion and to act responsibly towards those who, under different circumstances, would be targets of discrimination.




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