Compilation of Good Practice on Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the fields of Learning and cultural awareness
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The project
Summary
The KIDS’ GUERNICA International Children’s Peace Mural Project was inspired by the famous
Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso who painted “Guernica” out of protest against the brutal bombing of the
town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The main purpose of the KIDS’ GUERNICA project is
to promote peace consciousness among people in the world through paintings realised on huge
canvases (of the same size as Picasso’s Guernica 3.5 x 7.8m). These paintings are created by
children, youth and adults in different places around the world. Through these paintings, children
convey powerful messages of peace with their creativity and imagination.
One of the elements leading to war
is
the
lack of dialogue and
mediation between different parties. Children need to
develop, from an early age, notions of peace and dialogue.
KIDS' GUERNICA facilitates this by letting children, young
people and adults enter a collaborative learning process by
painting a peace mural on a canvas. Through these artistic
activities, the project initiates bottom-up peace processes in areas of conflict and/or war to prevent the
abuse of children and promote intercultural dialogue. The main target group is composed by children
suffering the consequences of war, but it also includes children with special needs (the Blind Boys of
Kolkata), youth (particularly those not integrated into the local community as in Martinique) and adults.
KIDS' GUERNICA project was initiated by ART JAPAN NETWORK in 1995,
on the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II. KIDS' GUERNICA
includes both workshops and exhibitions organised all over the world. In Greece POIEIN KAI
PRATTEIN, a non-profit making organisatio