In November 2021, a second project was completed in Peacepainting Iran. The project and workshops were led by Peacepainting Instructor Ali Badri.
The Project
During the project in Iran, Ali held a Peacepainting Instructor course with the painter Hachem Badri in a restaurant named Reef in Ahvaz for the adult leaders who would be involved in the project. These were Mazomeh Ameri who collected the children’s stories, Inas Abdoulhani who was a fascilitator and contact person who took care of the children. Involved in the project were also Said, the driver and three photographers. When the project was completed, all the adult leaders were given meals and received gifts as an appreciation for their work.
The Painting Workshops
The project took place in two small villages located 80km away from Avhaz. In these villages there were no schools, no clean drinking water nor electricity. To get there we rented a boat to cross the Kahrun River.
A total of 22 participants participated in the Peacepainting courses, and we brought food, water, fruit and books for the children as small gifts.
Ali also visited two nomadic camps in a desert that had been hit by earthquakes 120 km north of Ahvaz on the way to Andimesht. Next to oil pipelines, the nomads lived without anything. This time we were not able to conduct workshops in the nomadic camps, but Ali told fairy tales and gave clothes for the children. This was a way to established contact which will allow Ali to carry out workshops the next time he is in Iran.
Ali also established contact with working street children in Iran who he wants to conduct workshops with in the future.
"The seeds Catrine has given me, I have planted, and I am sure they will grow to become trees that bear fruit for the whole world. Contacts have been established throughout the province and unfortunately I have not been able to offer all these children to participate. Together with Peacepainting, I hope to go back and hold more workshops. I am a child of poetry who says that: Humanity belongs to the same body and when a member suffers we all suffer.”
- Ali Badri
Paintings Created
Peace
Life and nature around me and my village. I have peace with all this around me.
- Mahdi, Iran
The Butterfly Home
After rain, the butterflies fly from flower to flower.
- Mahdieh, Iran
Friendship
A swallow that carries the message of friendship to the whole world with a rose branch.
- Kulsum, Iran