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First Peace Ambassadors graduate from Höfði Peace Centre
A graduation ceremony for our first Peace Ambassadors was held at Höfði house this morning. 23 young Peace Ambassadors graduated there.
They had been attending a week long summer course which was hosted by Höfði Peace Centre and held in collaboration with the department of education and youth of the City of Reykjavík, the Red Cross and the University of the young. The course was held in Fellaskóla and the children who attended were 10 – 12 from Fellaskóli and Hólabrekkuskóli in Breiðholt. The aim of the course was to strenghten the diverse neighbourhoods of Reykjavík by promoting increased communications between children of different backgrounds.
By attending the children gained a deeper understanding of different cultures and an enhanced capability in analyzing and solving conflicts by peaceful means. They also learned the importance of mutual respect and cooperation and were taught about human rights, causes of conflict and peaceful solutions.
The teaching and learning process was based on team building, games, projects that demanded collaboration. The kids worked with new technology such as Ipads and video to express their projects and made artwork based on a theme from the book The Fly that stopped the War by Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir.
The Peace Ambassadors were handed their graduation certificates from Líf Magneudóttir, president of the City Council, who hosted the ceremony, and Jón Atli Benediktsson, rector of the University of Iceland. Eliza Reid, the first lady of Iceland, also attended the graduation ceremony and read from a handwritten letter that the children sent to the president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson where they had written down numerous good ideas which they want to be realized.