Christmas is meant to be the season of peace, love, and goodwill to all. If you are a Christian, think of your favorite carols and their messages. None of them says, “spend, spend, spend, buy, buy, buy.”
If you share the belief that the holidays have become too commercialized, and that the main purpose of the season seems to have become the pressure to buy toys that will be broken within a month, think of ways to give the gift of peace.
For example, consider family activities that promote cooperation–such as volunteer service, non-competitive board games
Pose questions such as:
- What do the terms “peace” and “goodwill” mean in our daily lives?
- What prompts us each to feel peaceful, and what fosters antagonism?
We also encourage you to learn more about ways to green your holidays and gift-giving that is environmentally friendly.
The gift of peace education
As wars continue to bedevil and destroy both human lives and the environment, there is a growing movement towards peace education that has produced books and other materials designed to promote peace and reconciliation in children and adults, and to foster awareness of the need to resist the destruction of our environment in the endless pursuit of money.
We provide below a sampling of books for children and adults, as well as films that are season-appropriate gifts. For additional suggestions, see our pages of resources for adults and kids. As you do your holiday shopping, please consider these suggestions.
Children’s books about peace
101 Relaxation Games for Children: Finding a Little Peace and Quiet In Between (SmartFun Activity Books)
Can You Say Peace?
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World… One Child at a Time ( The Young Reader’s Edition)
Books for adults about war and peace
The Book Thief
The Lacuna: A Novel (P.S.)
Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think
Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War (American Empire Project)
Films about peacemaking
Joyeux Noel (Widescreen)
Forgiving Dr. Mengele
Howard Zinn – You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train
Invictus
Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology
Pat Daniel, Managing Editor of Engaging Peace