Grandpa's Peace Stories: The Power of Maybe

In the spring of 2017 my oldest granddaughter, Kayla Drudge, asked me to tell some of my personal "peace stories" to a group of about 15 homeschoolers in Winnipeg. It's not exactly clear why they would be called "peace stories" but many have their origin in my experiences in settings of conflict. It had not occurred to me that it might be interesting to children ages 10 to 15 to hear of my past involvements in the Middle East. Sure, my grandchildren are interested in my stories because I am their grandpa. But others? Yet Kayla believed my stories to be powerful examples of conflict dynamics and peacebuilding and that they deserved to be heard by others. So I obliged.

These are not merely stories for children. For the book wrestles with basic ethical questions like, how does one tell stories of conflict without inciting anger and thereby perpetuating further violence? How does one remain hopeful and active in times of crises when our options are curtailed and futures look dark?