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National PeaceBuilder |
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| As our way of honoring PeaceBuilders who go beyond all expectations, PeacePartners, Inc. recognizes several
“National PeaceBuilders” throughout the year. These exceptional people work unselfishly to
build peace in their homes, in their schools and in their communities; and in so doing they make the world a
better place for all of us. Join us in celebrating each and every one of them for their contributions in creating
safer, more peaceful learning environments. |
| August 2007 |
| Our PeaceBuilder of the Month for August has been building peace her whole life—in each separate career she has had and in her personal life as well. Peace has been a constant theme and building peace a continuous mission. |
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| Meet Karen Feller, Mission Outreach Manager - Mercy Medical Center and Director of Camp Akwaba. |
As director of Camp Akwaba, a summer camp experience for urban children in Canton, Ohio, Karen Feller has many opportunities to build peace and she does it with vigor and with a sincerity that is all too rare.
Camp Akwaba serves urban children living in subsidized housing. It offers them an opportunity to experience nature and a PeaceBuilders environment. Ms. Feller says that using the common PeaceBuilders language gives the camp counselors and the children a solid framework to build upon.
Activities each day center on practicing the PeaceBuilders Principles in a “family setting.” Campers are divided into six families at Camp Akwaba, with six children and two camp counselors in each family. This wonderful set up gives children a sense of belonging and a comfort level that encourages them to build peace with one another.
Throughout the year, monthly postcards which include ideas for continuing the practice of PeaceBuilders in their home and neighborhood are sent to campers and their families.
When Ms. Feller speaks of the community and the children she serves, her words are full of love and hope for the future. She says, “It certainly is my hope that we have made a difference in our community of choice by continually seeking ways to bring peace to the lives of folks whose lives are often lived in crisis and chaos…Our work with the children continues to be our greatest hope for the long term—that what they have learned and what they experience will impact their future.”
And she does indeed impact their future! This year, she had three high school students and one college student who were Camp Akwaba campers long ago return to serve as counselors. She says, “Being with them, listening to them, watching them interact with the children and share their memories was a GIFT!”
We consider Karen Feller to be a gift. We praise her lifelong commitment to building peace and to working with children and families who see and experience much too little of it. We are inspired by her mission and honored to share her story. |
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