One participant said that before this PFP day, he did not realize that peace-building could be done through games and positive experiences.
Against the backdrop of the most free and fair national election in decades, Play for Peace (PFP) certified trainers Swati Bhatt and Agyat Mitra, were in Mandalay, Myanmar for another round of training sessions. Located in the northern region, Mandalay is a strong Buddhist center. One of the city’s biggest distinctions is that it is one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia with over 15 temples from the 11th to 13th century (see pictures of 14 Stunning Buddhists Temples in Mandalay). It is against this backdrop that 30 participants, ages 16 to 22, came together at Phaungdawoo Monastic Education High School for a day of laughter, fun, and games. Founded in 1993, the school provides free education to children who are forced to drop out of school due to the financial status of their families. The first hour of the day was spent doing a “Practice Peace Session” where Swati and Agyat role-modeled skills and values that are essential for successful co-existence.
The next part of the session involved a discussion of core values. While discussing the core value of “inclusion”, one participant inquired how the visually impaired can be included with able-sighted people. This was an opportunity for Swati and Agyat to offer their experiences of involving people who are different. For the remainder of the morning, the participants created a PFP game book in English and Burmese that documented 20 games that could be played and encompassed core values like inclusion. While practicing the game of Tom & Jerry, the team demonstrated how rules could be changed to include others. One of the participants who had a bandaged ankle and was not able to run was still able to participate in the game with the addition of a new rule.
After a delicious lunch, time was set aside for questions and answers. Participants wanted to know more about the Play for Peace organization, how long ago it had started and with whom does PFP partner with. One of the participants wanted to know how Play for Peace works to sustain peace. Swati and Agyat explained how the Play for Peace model is based on consistent continuous contact and facilitating positive experiences for people who are different from each other. The day ended with a number of interesting revelations. One of the youths who is a Pa-O nationalist (an ethnic group based in Shan state), said he would take some of the teachings to his group. Another participant was very surprised that there was a peace process that involved children. Finally, another said that before this PFP day, he did not realize that peace-building could be done through games and positive experiences. Another successful PFP day.
