07/01/2008

��I HAVE A DREAM.... I WANT A PEACEFUL WORLD...�

I don�t like war because it makes children have to run..., I want the world to be cleaner with no crime anymore...,�I feel sorry for those who sleep on the street, I want them to sleep at home with their mom..., �we from the Rainbow Land want all children in the world to be happy.

Those are some expressions uttered by Rainbow Land Children in many regions. Rainbow Land is one of the actions that is generated by Sant�Egidio Community, which has been trying to work on the protection and accompaniment for children , teenagers and youth for 30 years.

They rally solidarity actions, peace, and recognition for the different, protection for nature, etc. Briefly, the children and teenagers are invited to accept, comprehend, and understand the difference.

The story begins from the prophetic mission as taught in religions. The story about Prophet Noah, Jewish, Christian, and Islam tell a new relationship between God and human that involves the nature and the other creatures. The sign of the relationship is a rainbow which means the end of war and violence, the beginning of the new world signed with respecting each other and brotherhood.

This caring movement then spreads to different parts of the world. There are in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. In every country, this movement was born from fraternity and respecting each other. For example, children education in handling ethnic separation issue (like in Africa), religion issue (in Indonesia), or social issue (in Europe). There are about 10,000 people joined in this movement, including children, teenagers, and youths from all over the world.

Each year, Sant�Egidio Community holds a party for the Rainbow Land children in some country, including Indonesia. In Indonesia the Rainbow Land party this year was held by Sant�Egidio Community in Yogyakarta on 28th October. The party that took place in St. Paulus Seminary Hall Kentungan invited some foster children of the Sant�Egidio Community who came from Wonogiri, Wonosari, Kotagede, Baciro, and Boro. There were also the children from Pondok Harapan and Prayan orphan house.

This party went on with various programs, such as group dynamic, in order to make the children and teenagers from many backgrounds know each other and be closer. This was also colored with singing and interesting games to give the understanding about the importance of team work, communication, and helping each other.

The children also showed various performances. The children sang, read poems, vocal group, shalawatan (Moslem prayer) of the children from Kotagede region, even the Poco-poco attraction of the teenagers from Wonosari Region. All participants were even tempted to dance. The program was also filled with drama performance from the Yogyakarta Community associates entitled: My Land, The Rainbow Land.

In the end of the party, the children, teenagers, and all who involved in those program approached the stage and sang together accompanied by the band. The atmosphere was cheerful with colorful papers held by all participants. Everybody seemed happy in this program. A peaceful brotherhood picture, respect each other in any condition and background.

As in Indonesia, the children and teenagers of the Rainbow Land in other countries hold similar party. In Europe, for instance, there were many activities that done, such as getting signature to refuse death penalty, collecting toys or souvenirs from recyced materials and creating story for the friends in other part of the world.

Beside that, the children also save their money to help other children such as in Mozambique who they known from slides and videos. That money was used to buy snacks at the Mozambique peace school. They often visit the elderly in nursing home and make party for them.

This is the movement to build a more human and just world, with more solidarity for others and respecting the nature even more. We want a world for everyone, where people respect each other and their environment. A country that symbolizes a peaceful world in the future.

The purpose of this movement is to teach children, teenagers and youths to respect and to live with others in solidarity, and also to teach them about other�s problems, earth problem, and ecology. That helps the development in the region and teaches the friendship spirit with their peers through team work and gives understanding.

The children of the Rainbow Land want to tell the world that they want their voices to be heard to help their friends who are in difficulties in the other part of the world. They want to build a beautiful world like the rainbow, with the side by side color.

White : We want to clean the world.

Red : Friendship and solidarity.

Yellow : The sun with us.

Green : The grass where we play.

Blue : Like a night that is not frightening for us anymore.

Mayelus D. Bastian