A wonderful start to the day this morning when I joined the High Sheriff, Director of Education and Norma Glass MBE at Terrace Road Primary School for their morning assembly.
The school were being awarded the Peace Mala bronze award for their work in promoting peace and inclusion. As the website says, A Peace Mala is a symbolic double rainbow bracelet that promotes friendship, respect, and peace between people of all cultures, lifestyles, faiths, beliefs, and none.
Peace Mala focuses on the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would wish them to treat you". Its intention is to educate and remind everyone that this rule is recognised by many scholars, teachers and philosophers. Each coloured bead represents a spiritual path.
The central bead represents the wearer who may or may not have a spiritual path.
Running through the Peace Mala is a simple thread which holds all the rainbow beads together. This may be called the Golden Thread of Spirituality which connects us all through the love in our hearts - acknowledging the Golden Rule and our spiritual unity opens up the pathway to peace.
Becoming a Peace Mala School is a whole School Development Plan, approved by staff and the Governing Body. It commits the school to education for global citizenship, the promotion and encouragement of community cohesion, demonstrates the schools support for human rights and the prevention of bullying and all forms of prejudice and raises awareness of issues of global interdependence.
Peace Mala also encourages the celebration of cultural, racial and religious diversity through art, music, drama and dance and promotes environmental sustainability, healthy eating and respect for all animals and wildlife. It also encourages peace education by forming a school peace council and engaging in peace activities.
Terrace Road School has very much embraced this philosophy and as well as a peace garden, has produced a very impressive peace mala mural in association with a local artist. It was an outstanding event.
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