The International School of The Hague Celebrates Peace with Collaborative Exhibition and Book Release

The Hague, 19 September 2024 - The International School of The Hague (ISH) is proud to partner with the Bertha von Suttner Gymnasium in Oberhausen, Germany, for a powerful project exploring the meaning of peace in today's world.

This collaboration between students and teachers from both schools has resulted in a unique exhibition at ISH, and the release of the booklet Peace People at Work, showcasing interviews with every day peacemakers, accompanied by portraits created by professional artists Pieter Vlasblom and Charlotte Pasveer. Simultaneously, an exhibition of similar work is on display at the German school.

In celebration of the UN International Day of Peace on 21 September, a graphic novel titled Searching for Peace: Jazzy and Bertha von Suttner will also be launched. ISH students played a key role in its development, contributing to the storyline, set up, and translations. Published in Dutch, German, and English by Syndikaat Publishers this 80-page book will be available for order from this September.

As an IB school committed to promoting peace, ISH values this opportunity to highlight student agency and deepen engagement with peace education.

"An important part of this project was hope. Although it feels like the systems are preventing change, we want to see in the world that there are people fighting for our future, and there are infinite ways of joining these efforts," says Varvara, one of the ISH students involved in the project.

Ms. Tabak, a teacher leading the initiative adds: "Working with students in Y7 up to Y13 on this intriguing – and complicated – project has been very inspiring. I loved the way the students were exchanging ideas and challenging each other to dive deeper into such profound and emotive issues. We started three years ago and are extremely proud to now present the results. We see collectively as only the start of learning how to become peacemakers ourselves."

ISH hopes this project – sharing values attributed to the International City of Peace and Justice – will inspire other schools in the Netherlands, and all other Bertha von Suttner Schools in Germany and Austria to learn and teach more intentionally and explicitly about peace.

Bertha von Suttner would be proud to see the young people of today wholly embracing her legacy. Contact: communications@ishthehague.nl or visit https://www.denkroutes.nl/en-gb for more.