YMCA Peace Week asks people in Canada to "Build Community. Act for peace." Activities have been hosted by YMCA throughout the week, including a Peace Medal ceremony that took place on Nov. 22.
YMCA Peace Medals recognize the achievements of Canadian individuals and groups that reflect in the way they live their lives the values expressed in the World Alliance of YMCA's 1981 Statement of Peace, which reads: “Peace has many dimensions. It is not only a state of relationships among nations. We cannot expect to live in a world of peace if we are unable to live in peace with those close to us – even those who differ from us. The responsbility for peace begins with each person, in relationship with family and friends, and extends to community life and national activities.”
This year, the adult and youth Peace Medals were received by a father and a son: Christian Howald was awarded the Adult Peace Medal, and Soren Howald was awarded the Youth Peace Medal.
“They participate, they give back, they're empathetic and they carry that with them all the time,” said Sherry Ricci, the YMCA's manager of Children's Services, of the pair. “It's in them, they just want to give back.”
Christian Howald is vice president of the Human League Association, which sponsors children's registration in organized sports, as well as vice president of Le Phenix, a charity that promotes inclusion and accessibility for members of the Francophone community who live with disabilities.
For many years, Howald has taught judo (which includes lessons of self-respect, discipline and community values) to hundreds of children in Greater Sudbury. He volunteers his time to organize fundraisers in support of the Sudbury Infant Food Bank and the Blue Door Cafe. The YMCA acknowledged this work and his helping local organizations to raise over $1,000,000 and sponsor more than 6,000 children in organized sports with the Adult Peace Medal.
“It's not just money that counts. It's about making sure that everybody can be part of the community. That seems to be getting harder and harder,” Howald said.
Asked how it feels to have his son receive a Peace Medal with him, Howald offered an interesting perspective. “It closes the circle, I was taught by the YMCA the importance of giving. To help teach my son is just paying it forward. It's a good feeling,”
The YMCA defines the word 'PEACE' as an acronym for: Participation, Empathy, Advocacy, Community and Empowerment. Embodied in Christian Howald, these attributes have not fallen far from the family tree in his son Soren Howald.
Soren has contributed hundreds of hours of volunteer time with the Nickel Belt Budokan Judo Club, the Human League Association, NEO Kids iCanBike program and the YMCA. At the YMCA, he helped start a judo program on Thursday nights where he taught 30 to 60 children every week for five years.
The École Secondaire MacDonald Cartier student council member said that receiving the medal was extremely overwhelming in a good way and that he could not stop smiling after receiving the award.
“What I do is just paying for the things that people have done for me. I'm still not done. There's still so many more things that I have to do to pay it back,” Soren said.
“Where I am at right now, the person I am is because of the people in my life who were there and that? That is priceless. You have to give that, what people have given to you, to other people as well.”
YMCA Peace Week continues until Nov. 24.
