By Lauren Rinehart Meredith Moss – Staff Writer
The Dayton International Peace Museum is America’s only brick-and-mortar peace museum. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the doors to the museum have been closed to visitors. However, the museum has been active with virtual events on social media and through its website.
One great thing about living in the city where the Dayton Peace Accords were signed: we can visit one of the only museums in the country dedicated entirely to peace.
The Dayton International Peace Museum is America’s only brick-and-mortar peace museum with the important goal of teaching people — especially children — nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution.
Dayton’s museum, founded in 2004, honors the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia. Its mission is to inspire a local, national, and international culture of peace.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
The Dayton Peace Museum’s motto is “A Space to Make Peace.” “We literally mean that,” executive director Kevin Kelly said. “We offer free mediation, yoga, a children’s summer camp, a new program for teens to learn how to be peacebuilders in their communities, and quarterly exhibits and receptions.”
Located downtown, The Dayton International Peace Museum features rotating exhibits on various peace topics. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the doors to the museum
have been closed to visitors. However, the museum has been active with virtual events on social media and through its website.
The museum highlights positive work people are doing all over the world to promote peace. It’s especially interesting learning what Dayton Peace Heroes have accomplished in
the past and what they are doing now to encourage peace. So what exactly is a Peace Hero? It’s often an ordinary person who accepts risk and succeeds in making the world a less violent, more just place.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
One of the best rooms in the museum is definitely the Children’s Room. There are games and other fun ways to learn about peaceful resolution of arguments and encourage an interest in cultural diversity. There’s even a kid-sized guitar and other instruments for kids to make some noise.
The lending library is a great place to find tons of resources on peace. It has cozy couches and chairs, allowing you to comfortably curl up with a book.
