Storytelling can be a means to connect strangers and in the process foster empathy and kindness.

While there is , Mike Boudreau understands how through sharing stories, and listening to the stories of others, one can build connections with their community and through these connections a path to peace.

鈥淚f we want there to be peace in the community we need to understand people in the community,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淗ow do you do that? You have to sit down and tell them your story, and then listen.鈥�

A practising Buddhist who offers meditation sessions, Boudreau is also the Peace Building Committee Chair with the Shuswap Rotary Club.

This year, Shuswap Rotary became a Peacebuilder Club, a club mandated to play a vital role in 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of people think about peace building as international, like resolving conflict between countries and stuff like that,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淎nd really, we need to be peace building right in here (pointing to his heart), and then our family, and then our community and our country 鈥� it kind of works out from that.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the approach our club has been taking. What can we do to help people become not just peace advocates, but peace builders, have an interest in it and do something about it, because a lot of people feel there鈥檚 nothing they can do. They turn on the TV and see what鈥檚 going on in Gaza and Ukraine and feel helpless.鈥�

One way to be a peace builder, Boudreau explained, is through acts of kindness. In February, the club reached out to people in the community seeking stories of acts of kindness, about things people did for others or were done for them. The club later shared some of these stories publicly for Pink Shirt Day.

Wanting to keep the momentum going, the club set up a QR-code accessible database at , where one can find suggestions for acts of kindness to do for others. It also welcomes suggestions for acts of kindness, and invites people to share personal stories/experiences involving acts of kindness.

鈥淲e鈥檙e working with a number of groups throughout the Okanagan right now who think this is really cool and wish to adopt it,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淵ou can also report kindnesses that have been done to you and we鈥檒l publish those.鈥�

Another of the club鈥檚 peace-building initiatives will begin in the summer in partnership with Rev. Jenny Carter at First Community (Salmon Arm鈥檚 First United Church).

鈥淭he third Friday of each month, starting in June, we鈥檙e hosting Peace and Pizza,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淭his is by donation so it鈥檚 accessible to everybody, and what we鈥檙e going to do is have a fireside chat.鈥�

The first speaker will be Neskonlith knowledge-sharer Louis Thomas.

鈥淟ouis and I will sit in front of an audience and I鈥檒l say, 鈥楲ouis, tell me your story,鈥� and then let him tell his story, and then I鈥檒l have a list of questions to kind of probe the corners and depths.鈥�

Boudreau pointed out it can be easy to simply label a person instead of taking the time to listen to and understand them.

鈥淪implifying creates polarization and division, and it鈥檚 the wrong way to grow because society is fracturing around us with all of this division so we need to do the opposite, we need to start listening to each other,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淲e need to listen to each other鈥檚 story. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do with this Peace and Pizza. We鈥檒l teach everybody how to be curious about other people鈥檚 stories鈥� and after people will go away with the skill of learning other people鈥檚 world view.

鈥淟earning somebody else鈥檚 world view does not mean you have to agree with them, but it does require you to develop some understanding of them. When you understand someone else鈥檚 world view, you鈥檙e less likely to be polarized and labelling and that sort of thing.鈥�

Boudreau noted the Peace and Pizza chats may not bring people at 鈥減olar extremes鈥� together. However, they may still be reached through a ripple effect.

鈥淚f we get enough people saying, 鈥榟ey, do you understand that person鈥檚 story?鈥� that will spread,鈥� said Boudreau. 鈥淪ociologically there鈥檚 six degrees of separation. That means six ripples and you鈥檝e got everybody in the world. So if you鈥檝e got one person doing the right things that鈥檚 going to ripple鈥� we just need to influence enough people to say 鈥榟ey, what鈥檚 your story?鈥欌��

The Shuswap Rotary club is also looking for ideas, other ways people/groups are encouraging acts of kindness and/or steps towards peace.

鈥淎nybody that has a peace building idea in the community or is already doing something along those lines, we would like to know about it, about them and what they鈥檙e doing and if they need help or whatever.鈥�

The first Peace and Pizza event will be at First Community, 5:30 p.m. on June 21. To learn more about upcoming events, and to share or report acts of kindness, visit peacebuilders.world. For more information about the Shuswap Rotary Club, visit shuswaprotary.org.

Read more:

Read more: