Pace e Bene

“The evidence was there for all to see. Ugly words scratched on walls, broken windows, smashed doors. The school in Patagonia, Argentina had been vandalized by some of its own students the night before,” says Pace e Bene staff-person Veronica Pelicaric. “At the time I was in my native country leading Pace e Bene trainings, when I received an urgent call asking me to meet with about thirty parents, teachers, and board members about this situation. When I arrived, people were quite upset. I decided to begin our meeting with a centering meditation. Soon we felt our hearts coming together to a shared meeting ground, a place of soothing silence and kindness, a sheltering circle. Then I asked a simple question: ‘What is present now?’ Tears flowed as people expressed disbelief, feelings of violation and betrayal. The school’s founder felt it important to separate the action from the actors and to find balance between action and inaction, overstating or understating. After two hours of fruitful dialogue there was consensus that the school community needed to incorporate nonviolence education into its programming, starting with preschoolers. Those gathered began designing this plan right then.”