A Letter from Miss Sheets
As a teacher who has been “at it” for quite awhile, I can attest to the fact that many times the students become the teachers and the teacher becomes the student! In 1999, I assigned a project to my 7th and 8th grade art students…design an artwork that would educate the public about a global social justice issue. A group of students led by Charles asked if they could choose “landmines”. I had to admit, I knew little about landmines. I did know that the International Campaign to Ban Landmines had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. The students, Tyler, Kevin and Matthew researched the issue and even invited Vietnam Veteran, Dr. Larry Schwab to speak to our class. The students cleverly designed a sculpture of 500 painted shoes with facts about landmines attached. The sculpture was displayed at our school and eventually traveled to other locales. Why 500? Because at the time, that was the amount of victims claimed by landmines EACH WEEK…26,000 A YEAR…a victim every 22 MINUTES. Little did I know that such a small idea could have such life-changing consequences!
I will never forget a student named Ryan bringing me a binder of information on the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Landmine Survivors Network and telling me I needed to study it. The students pushed for a school organization that grew to become PSALM. Rachel, Kate, Molly, Adam, Katherine, David and a host of other students too numerous to name followed. These students had such initiative…I could barely keep up! We soon found ourselves traveling to Iowa to the presidential debates and a conference on landmines. It is there we met Nobel Laureate, Jody Williams, Landmine Survivors Network founders Ken Rutherford and Jerry White and Cambodian Campaign to Ban Landmines, Tun Channereth. What inspiring role models these folks were! They really went out of their way to educate the students and myself about the issues. Ken (who lost both legs in Somalia and was Princess Diana’s mine-field guide) and later Jody even came to our school to speak.PSALM students were invited to attend conferences in Washington, D.C., where they met with national leaders, Nobel Laureates, Ambassadors and even Queen Noor of Jordan.
Sixteen years later, and they are still at it. The students have not only educated their own families, classmates and school, but reached out to others nationally and internationally. PSALM youth leaders are excellent ambassadors of our program objectives. They are amazing in their understanding of complex issues and their expression of faithful compassion and concern for those who suffer. It is a true testament to the perseverance of children who only want to see a world that is more just and peaceful for ALL!
An important aspect of our mission of educating others is to document the issue in affected areas. This allows PSALM students to not only see the effects of landmines and cluster munitions, but more importantly it shows the students they have a voice and their actions can have a positive impact on others… an invaluable lesson in hope and determination. The students are the reason I periodically find myself in mine fields in distant lands. I have been honored to represent PSALM in Bosnia, Kenya, Croatia, Jordan, Norway, Colombia,Cambodia, Laos, and at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
PSALM students have been recognized by the International Bureau of Peace in Geneva, Switzerland as well as the Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2011, PSALM was awarded by the NCEA the INNOVATIONS IN CATHOLIC EDUCATION AWARD. Students have made presentations for local state organizations and at the Pope John Paul II Center in Washington, D.C. PSALM students have collected medical supplies for landmine victims in Nicaragua, provided a prosthetic device for a young Bosnian landmine victim and Laotian cluster bomb victim, raised funds to train mine detection dogs and sponsored three water wells in mine-affected regions of Cambodia. Last March for LEND YOUR LEG Day, St. Francis School Community and PSALM tookup a collection for demining in the HOLY LAND in honor of Pope Francis’ visit there last in May.
As we celebrate the 16 year anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty and 16 years of PSALM at St. FrancisSchool, I want to take a moment to extend my sincere appreciation for your support of PSALM. It is said that it takes a “village” to raise a child. Your dedication in teaching our students Christian values, social justice, love and respect for our brothers and sisters in need make PSALM’s work possible. It is an honor to know and work with you all.
We have come a long way since the days where landmines were in widespread use by armies around the world claiming victims every 22 minutes. Only a very small number of countries still use antipersonnel landmines, production and trade have dramatically decreased, there are fewer and fewer casualties, hundreds of thousands of people have access to safe land that has been cleared of antipersonnel mines, the rights and needs of landmine survivors, and of their families and communities, are being recognized, and efforts are made to fulfill them. Most amazingly, the United States has announced it will move towards eliminating all anti-personnel landmines and join the Mine Ban Treaty.
There is a lot of work ahead of us but please join us in savoring this special moment in time when the seemingly impossible became possible! To paraphrase a Margaret Mead quote, never doubt that a group of committed citizens can change the world!
Thank you!
-Ms. Sheets