Summer 2006, Volume 11 Number 3

Table of Contents

It was the day before the bombs began falling on Iraq, and we had just spoken about Afghanistan at Palo Alto High. Having traveled to Afghanistan in June 2002, we had promised we would carry stories home with us, telling them far and wide. We’d done about 40 talks, and planned for this to be our last, given a new war looming. Through story-telling, pictures, and poetry we had brought realities of war into the classroom.

The students had been riveted, asked wonderful questions, some cried. As we headed to our car afterwards a young man came up to us, saying “I don’t know what you do for a living now, but this is what you SHOULD be doing.” Moments later, he was gone. We never got to know his name.

My name is Craig Wiesner. Until that day, my partner Derrick and I had been running a successful technology education company. When a call came out of the blue in April 2002, asking us to be part of this interfaith peace delegation, we had no idea how profoundly it would change our lives.

One of the most powerful stories we tell is about Narisula, a boy who nearly lost his arms and legs to a cluster bomb. We’d sat in the rubble of his home as he told his story. At one point, he left the room, coming back moments later only in his underpants to show us his terrible wounds. “I usually charge people to take pictures,” he said, “but you’re really here to help my family so you don’t need to pay.” This eight year-old was the family’s only breadwinner.

Later, when he had dressed, he seemed so sad, his eyes lacking any sparkle. Trying to find the child in him, I asked what games he liked to play outside. “I don’t go outside, something might hurt me. Besides, all my friends are dead.”

At that moment I wondered why I was there. What could one person possibly do about all the pain and suffering, especially his? One small idea came to mind. I taught Narisula Tic Tac Toe, which he could play with his cousins, indoors. Soon he was giggling, smiling, not just the family breadwinner but an eight year-old boy again.

A few days later when we saw him again, he waved a paper in the air shouting “TIC TAC TOE” with a huge grin. Telling his story when we returned helped create U.S. compensation funds for Afghan and Iraqi war victims, making a difference for him and tens of thousands like him.

As we drove home from the High School that day, the idea for Reach And Teach was born. We would use our passion and talents to weave peace and social justice into people’s lives.  Today we create and distribute books, games, puzzles, music, kits, and curriculum for people of all ages who are curious about the world around them and want to make a difference. We’ve built up an amazing collection, partnering with non-profits, publishers, teachers, religious leaders, parents and children. We focus on key themes like anti-bullying, non-violent conflict resolution, protecting the environment, and treasuring diversity. With war still raging in Iraq, one of our key goals is to continue our work in educating people about the true costs of war.

Recently, on my way to Congressman Lantos’ office to discuss the situation in Darfur with his staff, I passed a group of children playing bang bang shoot-em-up. A mother called to her son to stop playing so rough. He didn’t stop and she looked frustrated. I told her about a book we distribute called “Playing War.” Some kids decide to play war on a lazy summer day, but one of the new kids, Sameer, has really lived through a war. By sharing his stories, he helps his friends understand what war really means and they decide to play something else. Sameer reminds us of Narisula, especially when he explains that his buddies needn’t try to collect so many pine cones as grenades. “You only need one.”

Perhaps we only need one more child to choose peace instead of war and that one book will have made that choice possible. After all, it was just one young man who steered us onto this path with a few passionate words. We hope some day he’ll see what we are doing now and be pleased. Thanks to him, we like to say Reach And Teach is educating for a change!

                Craig Wiesner is co-founder of Reach And Teach. He can be contacted at craig@reachandteach.com

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