The hope of the creators of “The Peace Village” is that through mutual appreciation of faith traditions, peace can be achieved. Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Native American spiritual practices are represented by individual shrines. Each shrine is defined by a banner, a unique Peace greeting and artifacts from that tradition.

At each shrine participants are invited to:

 

a.     become familiar with the sacred items by touching them and reading about them on the back of the various name cards.

b.     pause for a moment of quiet and pray the peace prayer from the copy provided at each shrine.
c.     explore and create an article used in a prayer practice of each faith tradition.

The Golden Rule is a common thread, woven through the spiritual traditions of the world. It is this commonly held belief that can lead us onto the path of Peace through compassion tolerance and understanding.

Peace Village has been used in a variety of settings: parish education hours, weekend retreats, community festivals, school settings, vacation day camp, at conferences and as the foundation for interfaith worship experiences. The Peace Village was originally designed to be used in intergenerational settings where children and adults learn together. It has been used successfully in all same age groups as well.

The Peace Village can be customized to meet special circumstances. Additional enrichment materials are available such as books, games and dress up clothing from the cultures associated with the various traditions.

Staff is trained and can be available to assist in set up and/or facilitation of the Peace Village experience. On the other hand, the requesting group may wish to discover the entire “village” on their own. The only requirement for requesting the Peace Village is a commitment to being responsible and respectful with the materials and the traditions represented.