"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." - Henri Nouwen
"Peace begins with a smile." - Mother Theresa
The theme for this week's CST activities session is 'Peace, Perfect Peace'. This is because it was 'National Relaxation Day' on 15th August and will be 'International Day Of Peace' on 21st September.
'The International Day of Peace' (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21st September. Established in 1981 by unanimous 'United Nations' resolution, 'Peace Day' provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
Each year the 'International Day of Peace' is observed around the world on 21st September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarization."
IDIOMS ABOUT PEACE
Begin the session by completing the following idioms about peace together (by way of a shout out) ...
Peace perfect - PEACE
Make love not - WAR
A peace - OFFERING
Anything for a quiet - LIFE
As quiet as a - MOUSE
At peace with - THE WORLD
Bang out of - ORDER
Breach of the - PEACE
Calm before the - STORM
Cool, calm and - COLLECTED
Domestic - BLISS
Flower - POWER
Give peace a - CHANCE
Hold your - TONGUE
Knock your heads - TOGETHER
Justice of the - PEACE
Make one's peace with - SOMEONE OR SOMETHING
No rest for the - WICKED
Peace and - QUIET
Peace in our - TIME
Peace of - MIND
Piece of - CAKE
Piece of the - ACTION
Ship shape and in good - ORDER
Keep calm and - CARRY ON
Continue the session by asking what helps members to feel at peace with the world?
Here is a list of possibilities ...
HOW I LIKE TO RELAX
Informal approaches
- listening to classical music
- reading a book
- walking in nature
- stroking their dog or cat
- a nice hot bath
- a glass of wine
- a cuddle (or cwtch) from a loved one
- a few quiet moments of reflection.
Formal approaches
- yoga
- tai chi
- massage
- meditation
- mindfulness
- playing an instrument
- knitting
- painting
- swimming
- prayer.
Next, we asked members to list some 'Signs Of Peace' ...
- handshake
- hug
- smile
- kiss on the cheek (or two)
- bow
- curtsy
- reverse 'v' fingers
- dove
- olive branch
- white flag
Next, complete the quiz together. Give clues and prompts to help people succeed and feel a sense of achievement.
If you click on the first photo, a slide show will commence.
PART 1. MEN AND WOMEN OF PEACE
Show members the faces of these men and women of peace. Ask them to name each individual and discuss how these people have inspired us and generations of citizens of the world.
 | Clue. Indian activist who led the Indian independence movement against British rule. 1. What was his name? 2. What was his religion? |
 | Clue. British Prime Minister from 1940-45 and 1951-55. He led Britain to victory in the Second World War and defeated Naziism. 3. What was his name? 4. What was his nickname? |
 | Clue. German industrialist credited with saving 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them secretly in his factories.
5. What was his name?
6. What was the title of the 1993 film starring Liam Neeson about his life?
|
 | Clue. American Baptist minister who led the Civil Rights Movement in America from 1954 until he was assassinated in 1968. 7. What was his name? 8. Who assassinated him? |
 | Clue. Catholic nun who founded the 'Missionaries of Charity', which provided care for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and TB and refuge to homeless people and orphans. 9. What was her name? 10. In which Indian city was her work centred? |
 | Clue. South African anti-apartheid revolutionary who was imprisoned for 27 years then served as first black President of South Africa from 1994-99. 11. What was his name? 12. What did Archbishop Desmond Tutu call post-apartheid South Africa? |
 | Clue. 8th and last leader of the Soviet Union who instituted major reform after Chernobyl and worked with Ronald Regan to end the Cold War. 13. What was his name? 14. What was the word for his policy of openness to the world? |
 | Clue. She married into the royal family aged 20 and later became known for her involvement with HIV/AIDS charities and the 'Int Red Cross' campaign to remove landmines. 15. What was her name? 16. What are the names of her two sons and five grandchildren? |
 | Clue. First black US President, serving two terms from 2009-17. A strong advocate for international diplomacy and instigated the 'Affordable Care Act', which made healthcare accessible to all Americans? 17. What is his name? 18. Where was he born? |
 | Clue. First Jesuit Pope, first from the Americas and first from the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout his public life, he has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor and commitment to interfaith dialogue. 19. What is his name? 20. Where is he from? |
 | Clue. Pakistani activist for female education and youngest 'Nobel Prize' laureate. Shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012, but recovered well after surgery. 21. What is her name? 22. Which university has she recently graduated from? |
 | Clue. Spiritual leader of Tibet - 14th incarnation. Represent Buddhist values and traditions worldwide. 23. What is his name? 24. What is the name for Buddhist heaven, when the fully enlightened person no longer needs to be reborn? |
 | Clue. British broadcaster best known for 'Life On Earth' & 'Blue Planet' BBC natural history series and his advocacy to preserve and restore biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change. 25. What is his name? 26. What is this bird called? |
 | Clue. Swedish student credited with raising global awareness of the climate crisis to young people and with holding politicians to account for their inaction. 27. What is her name? 28. What international protests did she lead? |
 | Clue. Longest reigning British monarch from 1952-2022. Leader of the country and the Commonwealth of 56 countries committed to democracy and peace. 29. What else was she famous for? 30. Who succeeded her in 2022? |
Can members think of any other men and women of peace that I have missed?
Time for our first song ...
'Imagine', John Lennon (Lyric video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=907-MBGOk9A
PART 2. ORGANISATIONS OF PEACE
It is 'International Day Of Peace' on 21st September. Ask members to identify the logos of these international organisations concerned with and about peace and answer a question or two about each.
This is an intergovernmental organisation tasked with promoting international co-operation and creating and maintaining international order. There are 193 member states. The headquarters are in Manhattan, New York.
31. Name the organisation?
32. What colour helmets do their peacekeepers wear?
This is is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. It is home to 2.4 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. Members work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace, amplify the voice of small states, and protect the environment.
33. Name the organisation?
34. Who is its head?
Fighting to end human rights abuses, especially for people imprisoned for their beliefs or lifestyle, this organisation also campaigns internationally for an end to the death penalty.
35. Name the organisation?
36. True or False. Members are asked to send letters to prisoners of conscience, so they know they are not forgotten?
This organisation helps people in crisis, from natural disasters to vulnerable people in home countries. When there is an tsunami, earthquake or hurricane etc, causing loss of life and severe destruction, a 'Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal' is launched.
37. Name the organisation?
38. Where is the organisation based?
Fighting to protect the earth and for a peaceful future, this organisation's campaigns have included 'Save The Whales' and 'Save The Rainforests'.
39. Name the organisation?
40. What was the name of their famous ship, which was sunk following a French secret service attack in July 1985?
Concerned with 'Banning The Bomb' and preventing nuclear war through peaceful protest, this organisation established the 'Greenham Common Protests' in the 1970s.
41. Name the organisation?
42. What do the initials stand for?
This organisation works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
43. Name the organisation?
44. What do the initials stand for?
This leading international sporting event occurs every 4 years, featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. More than 200 nations participate.
45. Name the organisation?
46. What do the 5 rings represent?
These games are a major international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power (e.g. paraplegia and quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, spina bifida), impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency (e.g. amputation or dysmelia), visual impairment and intellectual impairment.
47. Name the organisation?
48. What do the three colours represent?
These games are an international adaptive multi-sport event, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sports, including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing.
49. What is the organisation called?
50. Who founded the Games?
RELAXATION SESSION
If you have time, you might like to guide members through this mindfulness or relaxation exercise.
Close the curtains, turn the lights off, have members sit conformably and play some quiet background relation music - there are quite a few choices here
Script ...
Brief Mindfulness Exercise
Start with Tibetan chimes
Sit comfortably in an armchair.
Place your hands in your lap, palms up.
Put your feet firmly on the floor, so you feel grounded.
Close your eyes.
Take a few deep breaths and enjoy this time, this space which is a few minutes just for you to relax, to reflect and just be you in this present moment.
Here and now.
Breathe in... and out.
Focus on the sounds you can hear. Just take them in and let them fade into the background.
Breathe in... and out.
Now focus on the things you can feel. The floor under your feet, the chair you are sat in, the air in the palms of your hands.
Breathe in... and out.
Now pay attention to your mind. Where is it at? What are you thinking about? Let any worries or concerns drift away for now. This is your time, your space.
Next focus on your breathing.
Breathe in... and out.
Feel the cold air enter your nostrils, the warm air exit your mouth.
Slow your breathing a little. In... and out.
Breathe in... and out.
You may have aches and pains.
Try and let these fade into the distance for now. This is your time, your space.
Breathe in... and out.
Now place yourself in your favourite place for a few minutes.
It could be a deserted beach, an open meadow, a quiet garden.
Breathe in... and out.
Imagine the sound of gently rolling waves, the warm breeze in the grass or a babbling brook.
Breathe in... and out.
You have been at your most content here in the past. Now you have come back to visit and feel that calm and contentment again.
Breathe in... and out.
Take a few deep breaths while you listen, while you feel and while you are present in this moment of quiet reflection.
Breathe in... and out.
While we are relaxed our minds are more open to suggestion.
So there are some important things I want to tell you.
Breathe in... and out.
You are a unique individual. Be proud of who you are. You are the best version of yourself that you can be at this time.
Breathe in... and out.
You can gain strength from moments like this to better cope with life and the challenges it brings. Be as positive and optimistic for your tomorrow as you feel now, today.
Breathe in... and out.
You feel calmer and more focused spending some quality time like this for your inner self. After this session you will feel refreshed and uplifted.
Breathe in... and out.
Now spend a few moments imagining yourself just being in your favourite place, not thinking just relaxing.
Breathe in... and out.
Notice again the smells, sounds and images that your imagination conjures up.
Breathe in... and out.
Let your happiest thoughts and memories wash over you and fill you with contentment.
Breathe in... and out.
When you are ready...
Say goodbye to your special place, for now.
Breathe in... and out.
Don't worry you can visit again soon, in your imagination.
Take a few deep breaths and come back to present reality when you are ready.
Open your eyes, stretch and yawn.
Look around you.
Shake your arms and legs a little. You have enjoyed a brief mindfulness session aimed at enhancing your well being.
Finish by saying together ....

FINAL SONGS
'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)', George Harrison - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLsKWWF94cw
'One Love', Bob Marley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0NentNBRlQ
'Blowin' In The Wind', Bob Dylan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58XWF6B3AA
'Harvest For The World', The Christians - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hRbzaP4H3U
'Pipes Of Peace', Paul McCartney - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwyFTRGiIUU
'Across The Universe', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKP82AZ9zmE
'For The Wings Of A Dove', Madness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReDjx1FIaE
An option here is to get the group up and holding hands in a circle as this song plays. Members can come closer together raising their hands for the chorus, or free dance as they wish.
If people wish, you might also like to read out the following messages of peace given to us by Jesus Of Nazareth in his 'Sermon On The Mount' ...
The Beatitudes - Matthew 5: 3-10
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here are a couple of religious songs to go with the above prayer ...
'Peace, Perfect Peace', Divine Hymns - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DWa8oWu1nQ
'Of, For The Wings Of A Dove', St Paul's Cathedral - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCIKdjVooQ0
SINGALONG. 'Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace', Susan Boyle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUI2EyYIEKs
Make me a channel of your peace Where there is hatred let me bring your love Where there is injury, your pardon Lord And where there is doubt true faith in You
Make me a channel of your peace Where there is despair in life let me bring hope Where there is darkness only light And where there's sadness ever joy
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek So much to be consoled as to console To be understood as to understand To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace It is in pardoning that we are pardoned It is in giving to all men that we receive And in dying that we are born to eternal life
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek So much to be consoled as to console To be understood as to understand To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace Where there's despair in life let me bring hope Where there is darkness only light And where there's sadness ever joy
PRACTICAL ACTIVITY
Make a dove mobile.
Draw a dove template. Cut out dove shapes from card.
Have each member decorate a unique 'Dove Of Peace'. On the reverse side, have them write a message of peace.
Hang them from a branch for display.
ANSWERS
1. Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi (Lived 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948)
2. Father (Of The Nation)
3. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (Lived 30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965)
4. Conservative
5. Oskar Schindler (Lived 23 April 1908 - 9 October 1974)
6. 'Schindler's List'
7. Martin Luther King Jr. (Lived 15 January 1929 – 4 April 1968)
8. James Earl Ray
9. Saint Teresa (Lived 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997)
10. Calcutta
11. Nelson Mandela (Lived 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013)
12. 'Rainbow Nation'
13. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Lived 2nd March 1931 - 30th August 1922)
14. 'Glasnost'
15. Diana Princess Of Wales (Lived 1st July 1961 - 31st August 1997)
16. William & Harry / George, Charlotte & Louis - Archie & Lilibet
17. Barack Obama (Born 4th August 1961)
18. Hawaii
19. Pope Francis (Born 17 December 1936 with the name Jose Mario Bergoglio)
20. Buenos Aries
21. Malala Yousafzai (Born 12 July 1997)
22. Oxford University
23. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso (Born 3 July 1935)
24. 'Nirvana'
25. Sir David Frederick Attenborough (Born 8 May 1926)
26. Toocan
27. Greta Thunberg (Born 3 January 2003)
28. School Walkouts
29. Queen Elizabeth 11
30. King Charles 111
31. UNITED NATIONS
32. BLUE
33. COMMONWEALTH
34. KING CHARLES 111
35. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
36. TRUE
37. THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
38. GENEVA
39. GREENPEACE
40. 'RAINBOW WARRIOR'
41. CND
42. CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
43. UNICEF
44. UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY FUND
45. THE OLYMPIC GAMES
46. THE FIVE CONTINENTS - ASIA, AUSTRALIA, AFRICA, AMERICA & EUROPE
(Note they all start and end with the same vowel!)
47. THE PARALYMPICS
48. RED, BLUE & GREEN AARE THE COLOURS WHICH APPEAR ON MOST NATIONS OF THE WORLDS FLAGS
49. INVICTUS (MEANING - UNDEFEATED OR UNCONQUERABLE)
50. PRINCE HARRY
