Help us get Peer Mediation Conflict Resolution Skills into 160 more schools nationwide.

Since we launched this crowdfunding project, we have received some hugely generous offers of support and encouragement:

Raising $150,003 will unlock a very generous donation of $100,030 promised to us by a private New Zealand donor, so that we reach our grand $300,033 target. enabling us to:

1). Recruit 4 additional half time teacher trainers so that we can deliver Peer Mediation to 160 schools up and down the country;

2). Provide the resources to develop further our website of practical tools for schools, workplaces and to the public, on practical ways to reduce conflict through Peer Mediation (We offer two-day trainings in schools to ground the peer mediation practices with the teachers and pupil leaders).

3). Enable us to develop a project with other Peace Partners to get Peer Mediation into every school in New Zealand.

Just imagine the difference this could make to our levels of violence, bullying and harassment. New Zealand has the worst rate of family and intimate-partner violence in the world (NZ Herald, 13 May 2016). Yet we have our own NZ-developed Peer Mediation tools that really work. Kids love them and so do the teachers. Because they work. We want to get them to every school and community. Please support us to make this happen.

We are looking for pledges upwards of $4.50 ( = a cup of coffee) but please pay whatever you can afford. Every little bit helps.

if you pledge

$27 - you know you are making a big difference to peace in our schools, whanau, work places and communities.

$54 - your name gets mentioned on the Peace Foundation website, and you get one of the Peace Foundation's own Peace Dove lapel badges.

$108. All of the above, plus get free membership of The Peace Foundation for a year.

$254. All of the above, plus you get a Peace Foundation T-shirt.

$504. All of the above. Plus you get invited to our Summer Celebration Reception in Auckland late 2016.

$1008. All of the above, and we invite you to join our new Peace Foundation Advisory Council. Your donation covers half the cost of of a 2day peer mediation training to a school.

$2007. Your donation covers the costs of one 2day training to a school. We'd like to mention you to a school as the donor, and you get invited to a special Peace Reception in 2017 to mark 30 years of nuclear-free New Zealand.

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The end impact of this crowdfunding project is that 160 schools and communities nationwide will enjoy and benefit from a 2 day training in peaceful conflict resolution skills, focussing on peer mediation, and benefit from follow up support from the Peace Foundation office and new digital resources and downloads and ideas including digital apps that they can use and feel supported and listened to.

In addition, with $300,033 raised, we will be able to organise secondary schools symposia in a few more cities, not just Auckland. Interest has been expressed to have them in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin in 201. This will give secondary school peer mediators/Peace Ambassadors the chance to come together with others in their wider local area to share and discuss peace-related issues and learn from inspiring speakers. We are looking at how we can further support these young peace ambassadors to become changemakers in their communities after leaving work.

[See the crowdfunding video clip on the crowdfunding site, to hear secondary school pupils from 2:05 to 3:06 , and Donna Hourigan Johnston from 3:06 to 3:51 speaking about why the programme should be extended. ]

Plus, in addition, we want to work with other peace providers to develop a project to reach every single school and community in the country, and ask Government/Ministry of Education to come back and support us. We would like to do ourselves out of a job and get peer mediation into all schools so that it becomes like a seat belt issue in cars: everybody accepts it and does it. After that, we can take the peer mediation training overseas.

Other impacts we expect, based on research we commissioned, are that student standards go up in schools as students appreciate and understand the diversity of people better, and are more responsive and responsible and work harder. There is less aggression and bullying and more mutual respect and tolerance and so they work harder.

Another anecdotal example heard recently was from the mother of a student in Auckland whose son intervened in a dispute between two mothers outside school and used the tools of peer mediation so that both got heard and listened to, and a mutually- agreeable way forward was found. This is fantastic to hear - that there are already benefits in our communities! Just imagine if every child learned these skills!! We would end the violence and aggression so prevalent in NZ.