Children’s Peace Festival

by Anna Whitely
Chatham-Summit Meeting

Children sang. Kids played. And art was created. 

On November 4, 2023, we transformed the Chatham-Summit Quaker Meetinghouse into the Children’s Peace Festival. 

There were tents full of activities, from stringing beads to creating a tile mosaic. Inside the Meetinghouse, there were kid-friendly meditations, experiences, and The Empanada Lady food truck. It was inspiring to see the community, not just Quakers, come together and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon. 

I founded the Children’s Peace Festival with the guidance and support of all the members of the Chatham-Summit Quaker Meeting. Arlene Johnson served as our advisor, steering us along the way to a successful event. 

The festival was originally thought of in 2022, when we were brainstorming ideas to bring the youth and young families the opportunity to experience Quaker ideals. We also wanted the community to know us as a hub for peace. 

Through the help and kindness of many volunteers we were able to plan the festival for November 2023. We knew that we wanted the festival to have activities centered around the themes of peace, sustainability, social justice and other Quaker themes. So we considered everything from the backdrops in the booths, which were made of recycled items (such as CDs,) to the games led by Beth Kelly, where cooperation and fun were the winners. 

We integrated these themes into activities such as painting peace rocks, writing postcards for social justice, music, and other meditative activities. The festival offered high energy activities with also reflective activities such as forest bathing and meditation. One of the most special parts of the festival was music coming from the Kent Place School choir. It was amazing to watch everyone listen to the music. Afterward the performers were able to step back and enjoy themselves at the festival.

I especially appreciated how the members of the meeting came together. Each one brought a different skill to the festival, from leadership to logistics to craft making. Every single person played a hand in the success of the event. I am so grateful. 

The date of the festival (which had been postponed to avoid a conflict with another event in town) ended up working out in our favor. It ended up being held just as the conflict between Israel and Palestine was in full force. Our Festival became not just a celebration for peace, it shed light on the importance of peaceful resolutions in global conflicts. And while not the answer to such a complicated scenario in the Middle East, it was a glimmer of hope that peace can live within us and can be fostered. 

This event was built beyond our meetinghouse with the support of local businesses including The Farm in Chatham, who supplied mums that we shaped into a peace sign on the lawn; Fusco Brothers, who contributed the rocks for painting; and GCI Outdoor, who supplied two of the tents. 

In fact, it was inspiring to see how many people wanted to help and be part of a peaceful activity. They just had to be asked. 

The event has inspired me to move forward with the notion of peace and how one individual can inspire many on the path of peace. 

I saw how it was creating change. I could tell the children were learning lessons of peace through the activities. We could create change—even a small amount of change—for these kids and their families. Even this local event could be the spark of global change in the future. 

Anna Whitely is a sophomore at Summit High School.