Peace Club Marathon | Gandhi Peace Foundation | Madras

GANDHI PEACE FOUNDATION, MADRAS (Regd.)

PEACE CLUB MARATHON & PEACE AMBASSADOR PROJECT

Servasev Vidhyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kunnavakkam

18–21 August 2026

FINAL REPORT

Theme: PEACE BEGINS WITH ME

The Gandhi Peace Foundation, Madras conducted a four-day Peace Club Marathon and Peace Ambassador Project at Servasev Vidhyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kunnavakkam, from 18 to 21 August 2026.

The programme reached students of Classes VI–XII through class-wise interactive sessions. Rather than teaching peace merely as a subject, the sessions encouraged students to explore peace within themselves, experience it through interaction, and translate it into small actions in everyday life.

The central finding that gradually emerged from the programme was:

«PEACE BEGINS WITH ME.»

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1. AIM

To build a world of Peace and Harmony through the youth.

The programme was founded on the conviction that peace cannot simply be imposed through rules, instructions or moral advice. Young people need opportunities to discover their own inner resources and take responsibility for their relationships and actions.

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2. MISSION

The mission of the Peace Ambassador Project is:

To enable every young person to explore the Peace Ambassador within, nurture it innovatively and express it creatively.

The facilitator therefore does not attempt to manufacture a particular kind of student.

The child is encouraged to observe, explore, discover and evolve.

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3. THE CENTRAL FINDING

Throughout the sessions, students explored peace through discussions, activities, games, interaction and reflection.

The central realization was simple:

PEACE BEGINS WITH ME.

Instead of beginning with questions such as:

Why did he do this?
Why did she say that?
Why don’t others change?

the exploration gradually turns towards:

What can I do?

This movement from blaming others to observing oneself is the beginning of self-awareness and responsibility.

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4. THE WAY

The process introduced to the students may be expressed as:

Self-Observation → Self-Awareness

Self-Made Rules → Self-Discipline

Self-Empowerment → Micro Actions for Macro Peace

Peace within → Peace in Relationships → Peace in the World

Thus, a Peace Ambassador is not merely someone carrying a badge or title.

A Peace Ambassador is one who begins to live peace.

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5. FROM REACTION TO RESPONSE

An important part of the programme was helping students distinguish between immediate reaction and thoughtful response.

Through group activities and discussions, students demonstrated their capacity to examine situations constructively.

The group discussions were particularly encouraging. Students were divided into six groups and given different situations and topics for exploration. Their presentations showed constructive and positive thinking, with emphasis on response rather than reaction.

This became an important indication of the potential already present among the students.

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6. THE “NO” EXPLORATION

Students were encouraged to examine whether peace could grow when we gradually reduce certain tendencies in ourselves:

– No blaming
– No unnecessary complaining
– No gossiping
– No judging others
– No moral policing
– No imposing pressure on another person

Stress, sadness or difficult emotions are not treated as personal failures; instead, students are encouraged to notice them, understand their causes and respond constructively.

The emphasis throughout was self-observation rather than policing others.

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7. THE “YES” EXPLORATION

Alongside the “No” exploration came a positive direction:

– Yes to reality
– Yes to discovering and celebrating one’s inner resources
– Yes to listening deeply
– Yes to respecting everyone
– Yes to accepting one’s own mistakes
– Yes to learning from experience
– Yes to responsible action

This leads to an important movement:

From the realization of “I” towards the responsible “We”.

The individual is not lost in the group. Rather, a self-aware individual becomes capable of building healthier relationships.

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8. LEARNING TOGETHER

One significant observation during the Marathon concerned interaction among students.

In their normal classroom environment, boys and girls were often accustomed to sitting separately. During some of the participatory activities, hesitation could initially be noticed when students were invited to mix, interact or participate together.

The programme did not force such interaction.

Instead, activities created natural opportunities for students to participate, communicate and work with classmates beyond their usual circles.

This became an important exploration of shyness, inclusion, friendship, equality and mutual respect.

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9. STUDENT FEEDBACK

On the concluding day, students were invited to reflect freely on their experience.

The feedback was not designed as a test or an evaluation of what they had memorised. Eleven open-ended questions were used to understand what had actually happened within them:

1. Before these sessions, what did PEACE mean to you? What does it mean to you now?
2. Which activity, game, story or discussion touched you most? Why?
3. Did you discover anything new about yourself during these days?
4. Was there any moment when you felt shy, uncomfortable, left out—or especially happy and included? What happened?
5. Did you speak or work with someone whom you normally do not interact with? How did you feel?
6. What is one habit in yourself that you would like to change for greater peace?
7. If a disagreement happens tomorrow in your classroom, what might you do differently now?
8. What is one small action you can begin today to make your classroom more peaceful?
9. What should teachers or the school do to help students live peacefully together?
10. What should we change or improve when we conduct this programme for other students?
11. Would you like the Peace Club to continue? If yes, what activities should it organise?

These questions enabled the students to look at the programme from the standpoint of their own experience rather than the expectations of adults.

Their feedback will also provide valuable guidance for the next phase of the Peace Club.

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10. PEACE VOLUNTEERS / PEACE AMBASSADORS

During the sessions, students showing interest, participation, responsibility, openness and leadership potential were identified.

The selection was not intended as a competition for identifying the “best” students.

Rather, these students can serve as the initial group of Peace Volunteers / Peace Ambassadors, who may receive further opportunities for exploration and leadership.

They can gradually help take the Peace Movement from a facilitated programme towards a student-owned movement.

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11. THE 30-DAY EXPERIMENT

The completion of the four-day Marathon is therefore not the end of the programme.

It is the beginning of an experiment.

For the next 30 days, students may be encouraged to:

Spend five minutes every day on one small peace-related action and record the experience in a personal journal.

The action should arise as far as possible from the student’s own observation and decision.

It may concern listening, helping, apologising, sharing, conserving resources, controlling anger, including another person, resolving a disagreement, doing one’s work responsibly or any other constructive action.

Micro Actions for Macro Peace

At the end of 30 days, the journals may be submitted or shared voluntarily.

The experiences recorded in them can form the basis for the second stage of the Peace Ambassador Project.

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12. FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

During this period, students should be given space to explore.

They may observe the different pressures influencing them—from peers, expectations, customs, beliefs, rules, social influences and their own habits.

The purpose is not to reject parents, teachers, faith, rules or society.

It is to develop the ability to understand influences, think independently and act responsibly.

The young person gradually learns:

**Freedom is not doing whatever I want.

Freedom is becoming responsible for what I choose to do.**

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13. ROLE OF THE FACILITATOR

The philosophy underlying the programme can be expressed simply:

“I am only a Facilitator for Peace.”

Peace cannot be inserted into a child from outside.

The facilitator can create an atmosphere, ask questions, provide experiences and open possibilities.

The student must ultimately discover peace personally.

The teacher therefore gradually moves from being merely an instructor towards becoming a:

TEACHER FOR PEACE

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14. FROM A MARATHON TO A MOVEMENT

The four days provided an opportunity to meet the students, listen to them, observe their relationships and introduce some simple tools for peaceful living.

The real success of the programme, however, cannot be measured by the number of sessions conducted.

It will be seen in what happens afterwards:

when a child chooses dialogue instead of quarrelling;

when someone accepts a mistake without fear;

when a student includes someone normally left out;

when gossip stops with one person;

when a disagreement becomes an opportunity for understanding;

and when a student quietly says:

“The change can begin with me.”

That is when a Peace Club ceases to be merely another school activity.

It becomes a culture.

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HEARTFELT GRATITUDE

The Gandhi Peace Foundation, Madras places on record its sincere gratitude to the Management of Servasev Vidhyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kunnavakkam, for opening the school community to this experiment in Peace Education.

Our heartfelt thanks to the Correspondent, Principal, teachers, Teachers-in-Charge, staff members and all others who extended their cooperation, encouragement and support throughout the four-day Marathon.

Above all, our appreciation goes to the students.

Their openness, questions, hesitation, laughter, participation, discussions, disagreements, insights and willingness to explore made the programme alive.

The Foundation looks forward to continuing this journey with the school through the Peace Club, the 30-day experiment and the development of young Peace Ambassadors.

Let Peace not end with this programme.

Let it begin with each one of us.

PEACE BEGINS WITH ME

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GANDHI PEACE FOUNDATION, MADRAS (Regd.)
Gandhian Life-Style Based Peace Education Since 1995

LEARN PEACE • LIVE PEACE • ACT FOR PEACE • LEAD FOR PEACE

gpfmadras.org
gpfchennai@gmail.com

BE THE PEACE • SHARE THE PEACE • SPREAD THE PEACE