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German Peace Trains 

So, there I was in Copenhagen with the peace train material and it was sure, I would invite the kids of my family and friends to make new cars.

I had ideas for much more, writing letters to our children of Baghdad, share dreams and thoughts on peace and war.

So much in my mind, I was so excited about it all. I have never done projects like these, and not with kids. I didn't want to manipulate them and force them to do anything. But I guess there was no real danger, they are all quite self confident and then there were two of the mothers with them.

I announced the meeting and the making of peace trains, but it was also a good chance for my son Alex - who does live with his mother most of the time - to meet his cousins and friends. 

I had dreams related to the peace train meeting showing, that this was also for me bringing up issues of self confidence, creativity, anger, war and peace. But this wasn't only due to the peace train activities, but a result of the intense dreamwork related to the Copenhagen conference and the World Dreams Peace Bridge.

I'll quote here one dream of mine, which inspired me to do dream - art during the meeting, too:

Dream Ralf Penderak: "Ripping Red Rag", Sunday, July 13th

There is a deep red cloth right before my face, that fill's my entire field of vision. I grab it with both hands and tear, until it is beginning to rip in the middle. Through the rip I see blue skies.

Now I see myself sitting there on a table with the cloth and passing on my work on to a boy. He is supposed to continue, what I have begun.

End of Dream

My hope springing from this dream is, that the peace work we are doing, our overcoming of anger, will be continued by our children.

"Ripping Red Rag"

So, this is mainly my part in the preparation, not forget to mention all the good things my darling spouse Astrid did in thinking over some details and to make it a convenient and tasty meeting.

Peace

Ralf

More on the Peace Train Creation

So, finally we met and enjoyed tea (coffee) time together.   I didn't say much to the project, but presented the peace train cars in front of my fish - tank (you saw the photos).  And I had the PC running, displaying the different peace train website.  Children and adults came and looked and asked, so everything started in an  easy way without me having to do a lecture...

Only thing I said later on, was that children could express something around  the subject of peace. But I also said, it is no MUST, but they can also simply send a "hello."

I started painting my "Ripping Red Rag" dream and said some words to that (but hardly anyone was listening... they were busy with making their cards.)

The boys (including my son) didn't want to join in the artistic activities, but gave some clever comments instead...

Ah, I forgot to mention my son told me a dream he had two nights before our meeting, he was willing to share in online groups, too.

I'll quote it here:

Alex' (my son) dream of Monday, July 12, 2004:

I get a letter saying I must go to the army.  I am eighteen.  It is just seven days of school left. I have nightmares every night in that week. I don't know, what will happen, I'm fearful. I fear I'm going to die. I awake after the seventh night and think, now I have to go. Then I awake one more time, and wonder, what is going on. Is this reality or is it another dimension? I dawns on me, that I actually am eleven years old and don't have to be a
soldier now.

Some comments:

Ralf: Alex' dream I think interesting, cause it simply shows, what is going on in some children's hearts.

Kathy: And as for the dreams - it seems your boy is definitely carrying on your work of dreaming (he seems to be dreaming like you - very sophisticated for an 11 year old).

Jean: Anyway, the thought I had was that in Alex's dream, he sees himself as just seven days from having to join the army. At eleven, he's just seven YEARS from the decision about having to join the army. And for all of us, much of the time, the years go by so quickly they can seem like days. I don't know if that's what Alex's dream was telling him, but for myself I found it a very poignant thought.

This is the car of Lena, my niece. 
Another horse and on the left side you see Russian letters! She has a Russian piano teacher and learned some words.

This is the car of Mika, the youngest artist (few months). 
You see him in Nico's lap in the picture with the kids before Peace Train.  His mother Nadine helped him, of course.   I already wrote, that four petal clover and lady bug are symbols of luck in Germany.

This is car of Neele, Lena's friend.  
Love, friendship and peace seem to go
together naturally...

click on images for large view

 
Making of Peace Train cars and
other creative activities:
Left side of table, beginning from close to window:  Astrid (my spouse), Nico (a friends son), Mara (a friends daughter)
Right side: Me, Lena (my niece), Neele (my niece's friend)

 

Children and peace train
From left to right: Neele, Lena, Mara,
Nico and Mika (Nico's brother)

A new part of PT, the locomotive, tried to stay close to Jeremy's PT dream.
Created by Ralf, Nadine (Mika's mother),Mara, Lena and Neele.

Tea Time

All those shoes!

Hands of Peace
nephew Jan-Ole

Mara's Peace Train car. 
On the back is a four petal clover and a ladybug (symbols of luck in Germany)
There is a horse in the locomotive, too! 
Have you seen it?

Hope seeing this little peaceful action can raise your energy!  Ralf