World Peace Begins at Home!
Peace, harmony, balance, generating feelings of relaxation and well being.
Being centered and relaxed with the Mind at rest. These are the Gifts of Mandala, a Sanskrit word meaning Circle.
I created the following Mandala poster for Women living in the domestic violence shelters where I was working, after a newly arrived resident pointed out that the shelter walls were covered in anti-violence posters but all she saw was the word violence all around her and negative imagery and it didn’t feel like a safe place to be on account of that. Shelters often have posters that are considered ‘educational’ but her observations brought into question their true value and worth.
It was a very important message she gave to the staff and I thank her for her invaluable feedback. We invited feedback from other residents and they too made comments such as “that one that says ‘domestic violence hurts kids’ made my little boy frightened especially that one of the woman cowering with her kids in the background”.
We listened to what we were being told through the eyes of women who had come to live at the shelter at a point of chaos and danger in their life and systematically removed all of the words and images that were not aligned with Peace and positivity.
We refocused on Peace to create Peace no longer using the word violence in order to reach its opposite and the other posters and pamphlets that dealt with issues of violence and poverty were in the filing cabinet and only brought our if necessary during group conversations.
The World Peace Begins at Home poster continues to be one of the most popular of what became my ART of Change tools and now lives in many houses on fridges and bathroom doors, each one coloured differently from the next.
It is not only Women living in domestic violence who are leading busy, chaotic lives though It is important for all of us to take some time to breathe, relax, play and create! That’s why Mandalas for colouring in are received so well by women who are living in shelters and women who are looking for some balance in their busy busy lives.
If you would like a copy of the black and white World Peace Begins at Home template, leave me a message with your email address and I will happily and freely share it with you.
*Please see note below for the Dedication of this poster.
This Mandala is freely shared in dedication to the special memory of my friend Janet who lost her life in domestic violence in 2001.
We used to sing “Give Peace a Chance” when we were young and loving life back in the 70′s and neither of us could have known where Janets path would take her.
Travel in Peace my beloved friend….
