Violence Reduction
Toys and Tee Shirts for Peace
VENEZUELA

The Christian Community "Manantial de Vida" (Spring of Life) is a radical church, several members of whom were formerly addicts and delinquents.  Now these people are serving youth and children of the streets, who are involved in drugs, assaults, etc. In addition, some members of the church, who were former prisoners, go to the jails to preach and share their witness, telling of new life, new relationships, and feeling like a new person.

Trying to reduce the violence among children and youth, the Church began a project in 2008 against buying violent toys for children. This year the campaign ran from November 1- 20, 2010. The church held workshops in Public Elementary Schools, Private Schools, Libraries, and urban public parks. Members and teachers shared peace teachings, taught about conflict resolution, acted out dramas, and taught how to make toys with imagination and things that might be thrown away.

The campaign worked in 4 counties of the island. The goal was to reach 12 schools in each county (4 state public schools, 4 national public national schools and 4 private schools), plus the Public Library Network. The campaign reached a total of 36 schools, 80 teachers, and hundreds children. Several workshops were shown on Venezuelan Public Television with teachers and students participating. Nine local radio stations daily informed the public about the campaign. Seven articles or interviews were published by local newspapers. The closing of the Campaign was celebrated in the Central Public Park from 8am to 4pm, and each school showed off their "recycled" and no-violent toys and offered them to people and families attending.

Next year the Department of Education of the State of "Nueva Esparta" on Margarita Island wants to reach all Elementary Public Schools in that county with the same campaign.

Two international non-profits helped with this champaign: "The Teaching Non-Violence Association" (Spain) and EPIC (US).