AllinPeace Decleration

The AllinPeace Movement strives to bring together diverse multicultural groups of children as part of building Ekecheiria communities locally and internationally, by employing a holistic approach featuring athletic, artistic and communication experiences.

Declaration

The spirit of the ancient Greek Olympics is embodied in the word ekecheiria, i.e. Sacred Truce. This truce was observed so that the Olympics could take place in an atmosphere free of conflict, aggression, and war. For 1200 years ekecheiriawas observed around the games in all the Greek world. The purpose of the AllinPeace Movement is to revive this spirit among youth and communities especially in conflict areas as demonstrated in the First Peace Olympia-Delphi Festival for Children in July 2001, in which twelve communities participated from around the world. Our objective is to create an opportunity to build bridges beyond flags and countries, through the universal language of harmonious, athletic movement and the arts. We strive to sow seeds of mutual respect that build solidarity between participating communities. AllinPeace provides the soil for such development. There are two vehicles in this process: the Pentathlon and the Arts. The five disciplines of the pentathlon formed a complete, holistic training of body, soul, and spirit for the youth of antiquity. The arts have always allowed expression of deeper feelings, understanding of the “other,” empathy and healing for the individual and the group. The focus of training teachers and youth leaders is to create a movement of holistic, non-competitive, peace education that could be implemented in every school. We are meeting and exchanging experiences and expertise. Our effort is to develop aesthetic values, skills of non-violent, effective communication, and respect for cultural diversity. We encourage participants to actively experience the ideals of peace, dignity, and mutual understanding. We are inviting the children to discover paths that lead to new ways of relating to one another. This affords them the opportunity, if they wish, to attempt a more active role in their communities and their individual development. Hopefully, such responsible action will lead to more dynamic and empathetic societies.