Harmony

"In this photo I see TCMC. TCMC brings me peace because the people there are friendly and welcoming. I feel like if I’m having a rough week at maybe school, TCMC is a place where I can relax and let go of my thoughts. In this photo there are also flowers, which usually symbolize growth and new beginnings… everybody is amazing and accepting… I chose this photo because TCMC is a really important place to me. Whenever I’m feeling stressed at school, going to TCMC allows my brain to relax and takes most of the stress away. This sounds repetitive (x3) but TCMC relates to peace because the TCMC community is really friendly and welcoming. And there are always people here which you can talk to and rely on, which makes me feel at ease."

Michael

"I chose this photo because it shows how I feel when I am at peace physically. It is very calming and the sun shining through the stained glass windows makes the photo look really cozy. This relates to peace because in my mind this is what it looks like to me..."

Jaxon

"This day we took some time to take photos during a break period. So I decided to head to the sanctuary of our church [TCMC]. The empty pews and light shining through inspired me to take the photo. It made me feel serene and at peace. This shot catches a time of stillness in a place that’s usually populated. Seeing places at different times creates very different moods & vibes. I felt tranquility & clarity: both emotions I correlate with peace. This photo captures being in the moment and present with yourself."

Siqi You

"When this photo was taken everyone was finishing up their zine magazine and a few people went to take photos… I thought that being at church and coming to it to praise the Lord brought me a sense of peace… I chose this photo because it includes a cross and it reminds me of Jesus and how he died so that his people could live everyday at peace, fearing nothing. Being able to come back to a familiar place is peaceful and being able to freely believe in whatever religion you want brings me peace as well."

Joanna

"As you can see in the photo, there is a pin wheel planted with other plants. There’s even more mysterious plants behind the one in front. It looks like the photo was taken under a tree with lots of shade. The white polka-dotted and colorful pin wheel is spinning against the wind. It was very windy during [when] I took this photo. I thought that the spinning [of] the pin wheel would make the photo blur, but it didn’t. This pin wheel reminded me of the windy weather. This was also right outside of our church [TCMC]. This photo relates to Peace by showing freedom in the wind. It always spins when winds blow, that’s why I chose it. "

Henry

"When this photo was taken I had just gotten to camp and only half the campers were there, and I went to play piano in the church and I was inspired to take this photo because I love music and playing piano so it was [a] great opportunity to take a photo of this. I chose this photo because I love to play piano, listen to music, create music, and singing along to music and when I play or listen to music that is all I can hear and it bring me peace, which I love."

Michael

"I chose this photo because the sun shining beautifully off the windows really grounds me and gives me a (somehow) nice sense of me being useless in the grand scheme of things and this really calms me."

Siqi You

"The photo brings me peace because everyone was able to sit down and eat together… I chose this photo because it brought out a sense of community. To me, peace is when everyone is able to come together and enjoy the time spent together."

Joanna

"The weather wasn’t too hot in summer, it was kinda windy. I took a picture because it was cool that we had a playground at our church. I remembered going here when I was younger. When I took this photo, it made me feel nostalgia for when I was younger. I used to play at my church’s playground a few times at that time."

Amber

"To me, this photo of the youth room is a reflection of peace because of its inviting and calm atmosphere. The colour of the room itself puts the mind at ease, as blue is scientifically proven to calm the human system, decrease heart rate and reduce stress. This room is a gathering place where youth and adults alike discuss important topics, reflect on their own knowledge, learn new information, take part in initiatives and actively strive to be peacemakers. This is a safe place.."

Toronto Peace Academy is an initiative of Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church.

Toronto Peace Academy is an initiative of