Peace Education in Boston
ANGLO AMERICA, 7 Apr 2014
Daniel Horgan – TRANSCEND Media Service
“Bang, Bang, Bang!”, goes the sound of the alarm. A direct quote from Chyna Randall’s memoir. Chyna is a ninth grader at Urban Science Academy in Boston Massachusetts. Her memoir is an essay about the resolution of one the oldest struggles known to any young student on the planet. Going to a new school. Her colorfully descriptive and extremely real memoir was entitled, “Growing Up!!!” Despite the readers doubt the conflict is resolved in one day. The story ends with this sentence: I love high school.
A sample essay given to students by teachers that was taken from a 9th grade student last year describes a reunification with a brother he never met before:
When I seen him I seen eyes of pain and sadness but also happiness. I know he wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see him. I ran out of words. I didn’t know what to say. Also when I hugged him I didn’t know if I should let go. I was scared if I was to let him go I’ll never see him again and I cried non-stop. My brother also did….
That inspired a 9th grader Rodney Cooper to write a story about meeting his father on his birthday after not seeing him for 3 years. In this memoir the conflict is not quite resolved but the roots of reconciliation are planted…
My five goals in life: To go to college, to be a good person for my sister and brother too, to help others, to always be able to be there for my family, and to always challenge and push myself to be more than I can be…. Came from another incredibly powerful, well constructed, inspirationally written memoir that was given as a sample by teachers and written by a USA 9th grader from 2013. Conflicts resolved: substance, love and integrity, triumph materialism and a consumer culture that promotes it.
This memoir project created and implemented by the 9th grade Humanities Team at Urban Science Academy (a Boston Public High School) was in full swing this early spring. It contained so many memoirs in which students described in depth description of a resolution of a personal, familiar, or societal issue.
That’s what life, and peace education looks like in Boston. It also serves as a stark reminder that the citizens, teachers, and students of any nation are often far removed from the militarism and violence that their federal governments promote in their foreign (and/or domestic) policies. The students and teachers of Urban Science Academy, as well as the citizens of Boston are no different.
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Daniel Horgan is former student of Johan Galtung and Dietrich Fisher at the European Peace University where he earned a graduate degree in Conflict Transformation. He has worked three years in international human rights and is currently a ninth grade study skills teacher at Urban Science Academy in Boston Massachusetts.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 7 Apr 2014.
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Re: 9th Grade Humanities Memoir Project
“In planning the unit, we had an idea of student voice and community building as well. It seems that our students have variety of trauma that they have gone and go through, and, thus, writing here is a healing process for those students who choose to be honest. In addition, there is a chance to build their language skills and improve their vocabulary while telling their stories, so they commit to practicing their skills on a deeper level because they want to be heard.”
Yanina Minchenko (9th Grade Humanities Instructor at Urban Science Academy)
Recorded by author Daniel Horgan