Peace Leaders Program

The Peace Leaders Program of Al Fatih Academy is a unique conflict resolution and peace building program for Pre-K through elementary grades. Peace Leaders teaches students, families, and communities to build and maintain peaceful relations with each other by living our Islamic values and practices.

Objectives:
 

The program provides opportunities for students, families, and communities to:

  • Learn the teachings and practices from Qur’an and Sunnah as related to peace building and conflict resolution;
  • Reflect on their experiences of themselves, their interactions with other people, and Allah SWT’s creation;
  • Practice skills such good manners, listening, and anger management;
  • Engage in community service to help improve our communities, promote understanding, and increase peace throughout the world.

Islamic Peace and Conflict Resolution

Peace Leaders will convey the following aspects of Islamic Peace and Conflict Resolution:
AFA staff contributed as writers

  • Good Character:
    • With Prophet Muhammad SAWS as our best example, we discover the Islamic character traits, including: Humility, modesty, kindness, brotherhood/sisterhood, generosity, patience, and fairness. Each month, we cover an Islamic character trait and its opposite (e.g. humility and arrogance).

  • Leadership:
    We learn that every Muslim is a leader or guardian who takes responsibility and encourages the best in others. The program links leadership with the pursuit of personal, family, and community peace.

  • Cooperation:
    As Muslims, we strive to work well together to achieve goals that please Allah SWT. We learn how good manners and positive communication help us cooperate. We also learn how to negotiate and offer each other sincere advice.

  • Emotional Maturity:
    Islam recommends specific steps for controlling anger and other strong emotions, such as envy. We learn these steps and implement them in a supportive environment.

  • Community Service:
    • We exert effort for peace and understanding in the community and the world in a variety of ways, including involvement in community issues, service-learning projects, presentations on Islam, and humanitarian campaigns.

    Program Elements

    Peace Leaders consists of the following program elements:

  • Our Peaceful Classroom Pledge:
    At the beginning of each year, students and teachers discuss how they will make their classroom peaceful. They write down rules, behaviors, and activities for a peaceful classroom and all pledge to abide by these during the year.

  • Character Education Time:
    Students discuss Islamic character traits and role-play behaviors associated with those traits. In their own words, they talk about how character is relevant in their lives and come up with specific tasks they can do to show good character. Homework assignments further enhance learning around these talks.

  • Monthly Newsletter:
    Each month, Peace Leaders sends home a newsletter with the Islamic character trait of the month, quotes from the Qu’ran and Ahadith about the character trait, summaries of student discussions and role-plays, and an idea for a 5-minute family halaqa based on the character trait of the month.

  • 5-Minute Family Halaqa:
    Families talk together about the character trait of the month at home – if only for a few minutes at the dinner table or during the morning drive to school – using the discussion idea we offer in the monthly newsletter. This helps reinforce the program outside school.

  • Sakinah Space:
    Each classroom has a designated “sakinah” space. Sakinah is the Arabic word for tranquility. Students can choose to go to this quiet area when they feel they need to calm down and reflect.

  • Buddies and Helpers:
    To encourage leadership and bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood, students in the upper grades are paired with younger students to offer them mentoring and help in areas such as reading. Younger students are given helping roles in the classroom.

  • SALAAM Steps:
    Upper grade students learn how to help each other discuss conflicts and to offer each other sincere advice.

  • Kids Giving Salaam:
    This is the name of the Peace Leaders program element that is connected with community service. Through Kids Giving Salaam, students have organized relief kits and school supplies to Iraq, winter coats for Herndon day laborers, mini-walks for the homeless, food donations for a local homeless shelter, and many other outstanding service projects.   

  • Peace Leaders Resources:
    Peace Leaders develops and maintains a variety of classroom resources for students and teachers, including posters, library, and reading lists.
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    Al Fatih Academy, 12300 Pinecrest Road, Reston, VA 20191; email: info@alfatih.org;
    Ph: (703) 437-9382 ; www.alfatih.org