Reflection On My Peace Action

World’s Peace is one of the most popular topics of the social issues worldwide. Peace, one of the most important abiding topics under discussion for centuries and it’s a topic that has always continued to haunt the succeeding generations. The world needs to do something to save themselves and their future generations. World peace is an idea of respecting other and their beliefs and ideals. This also means having patience towards other’s concepts and their values no matter what skin color they have, what language they speak, or what their social status, ethnic group, race, sex, age or sexual preference they have. Having peace at one’s home and surroundings starts with respecting the opinions, thoughts, actions, beliefs and values of one’s family members and the people he lives with. Summary of The Peace Action: In my peace action, I spoke up against the “bullying” of a person by others. It is one of the most serious and current issue of this generation. Bullying comes in many forms from physical to verbal and the cyber bullying. It poses very serious effects on a person’s mental health and wellness.

In my opinion, bullying is all wrong and it must be controlled and stopped with iron-hands. Many individuals, especially students are a target to it and has very negative effects on the victim’s life. It disturbs a person’s peace of mind and affects his relationship to those around him so, I chose to stand up against bullying as my peace action. The main objective of my peace action was to put light to the vitality of this aspect of making an impact in creating peace in the whole world by starting it at my own high school where I studied and in my surroundings. The events took place in the month of September and we are still working on it. I, with some friends and colleagues, contacted the concerned departments to help us in creating an anti-bullying campaign, “The Bullying Guardian” which is going to be a network of students for those who are target of bullying. We arranged seminar on bullying and a rally, encouraging students to speak up against bullying, also, we got a contract signed by the students to not support bullying in any case. We were also succeeded in gaining twenty-three voluntary members of the network and they were entitled as ‘bullying guardians’. A devoted email portal, “Anonymous Bullying Guardian” that was made especially for those don’t want to report the incidents of bullying with them.

The Part I Played in My Peace Action: I initiated this effort. As I have been assigned to do a peace action, so in my search of finding an injustice and attempting to create peace and justice non-violently, I chose to speak up against bullying because as a child, I have also been a target to bullying where I could not take any step against this injustice because I used to get frightened and was afraid of the bullies. As for now, I tried to initiate this good cause to not let any other child be a target to this mental violence. I talked to some of my friends and we decided to go to the high school to talk with the authorities and concerned departments. After talking to the principal of the high school, I was surprised and very enthusiast because we got a positive response. I scheduled two meetings, one with the principal and the other with the discipline in charge. I described them my plan and the objectives and necessity of this action. They both agreed to support my cause and the principal, also agreed to sponsor the events that we would organize. Major issue was the funding and it got resolved after my meeting with the principal.

First, our motive was to create awareness among students and youngsters that how mental health is so important for their healthy life and how bullying negatively affects a person’s life. On September 20th, we organized a seminar on “negative effects of bullying on a person’s mental health” that was conducted by a renowned psychiatrist Mr. John Bruce, who got his degree from London and now lives in the same city. All the students, together with their parents and institute’s faculty attended the seminar. I also announced in the seminar that we also want to create an anti-bullying campaign, “The Bullying Guardian” which is going to be a network of students for those who are target of bullying. In the campaign, we also arranged some skits on how does bullying happen and what should everyone do to stop such acts and how to help someone who is being bullied, such as befriending with the one being bullied. On 21th September, that is celebrated as International Day of Peace, we held a rally after school which was a bullying kick-off, we encouraged people to come and share their bullying stories. I also encouraged students on being the voluntary members of this network and thus, we succeeded in gaining twenty-three voluntary members of the network and they were entitled as ‘bullying guardians’. A devoted email portal, “Anonymous Bullying Guardian” that was made especially for those don’t want to report the incidents of bullying with them. This email portal is now being handled by me, in collaboration with the discipline in charge in the high school. My Activities’ Peace-Making Evaluation and Implications: In my opinion, the activities were very much beneficial because this was purely for the students in the high school who are going to be the future of the world.

There mental health is our top priority. And to my surprise, the selected bullying guardians are all so enthusiastic about the bullying committee in their high school that in their free time, they have been reported to spend their free time in the bullying cell- a classroom allotted to the bullying guardians for their meetings and discussions- discussing about further spreading this committee in other schools. Two other high school professors have also been in contact with my high school to collaborate with them in creating The Bullying Guardian in their institutes as well. In my online portal, I have had received 15 emails regarding the bullying incidents directly to the sender or to one of his friends and we have been working to resolve the issues with the discipline in charge. The discipline in charge does not take any disciplinary action against the bullies, she just calls the bully into her office and does counselling regarding the rights of others and how as humans, we should love and take care of others instead of bullying them for the flaws they have. Since the creation of The Bullying Guardian, the anonymous online portal, I have received seven emails from students, who confessed that they used to bully others, but after being counselled by their instructor, they have stepped out of this. Another component of the bullying guardian campaign will include signing a social contract consenting to not take an interest in bullying of any sort, to go to bat for the casualties or victims of bullying, to not be a spectator to bullying, and to report bullying to authorities, or to teachers and adults.

Hence, this small step that I took means so much to me even if it on a small scale as I believe that ‘small acts bring big changes to the world’. I believe in playing my positive part and encouraging everyone to play their role in bringing peace and harmony into the world. After the conducting the campaign, I recommend that every month schools dedicate one day to spook awareness and to give reports about the advancement and progress they've made to quit bullying. I believe that my peace action would be successful and would easily be implemented and after that, other institutes could also implement this plan. Other Activities I Could Take Part In: Peace starts with one’s own self, so in my opinion, one should make a commitment to non-violence with himself as a first step towards creating peace in the world. Other peace-making activities in which I could take part include taking actions against animal violence, or I could join some campaign against racism, the status quo, illegal drug production, oppression of the women, or energy crisis in our society and ultimately, the whole world.