Merle Forney

Merle Forney is a living example of what one person can do to promote peace among children.  He has long been concerned about violence in our society. In the past six years, he has focused his efforts on reducing violence among children. 

Merle's work was inspired by his pastor at the Columbia United Christian Church in MD, who in 1994 challenged his small congregation of 45 families to develop a one year program to reduce violence. A retiree in good health, Merle felt compelled by this call of action. Ninety-five percent of the congregation also stepped up to the plate. They decided to focus their efforts on families with young children in the broader community, rather than limiting the program to their church.  Merle took a leading role in organizing these activities which included: 

• Violent Toy Trade In  All the young children in Columbia, MD were invited to turn in violent toys in exchange for a non-violent one. A number of toy manufacturers contributed non-violent toys.

• Peace Sculpture The violent toys that were turned in by the children were used in a peace sculpture. The Arts Council in Howard County provided Merle's group with the name of two sculptors who could provide help. These artists were on their way to Mexico City. However, they were so moved by the idea, they canceled their trip. The artists built a steel skeleton and helped the children turned it into a serpent using the violent toys. This serpent symbolized the transformation that the children were making by changing their toys from violent ones to peaceful ones. The sculpture was taken to various sites, including schools, the county court building in Howard County, MD, and a church convention in North Carolina. It has a permanent home at Children's Hospital in Washington D.C.

• New Ways to Play Day This event was held at an interfaith center in Columbia, MD.  About 15 activity centers were set up where children played non-violent games.

Two years ago, Merle and his wife moved to Massachusetts to be close to their grandchildren. There he joined the Central Congregational Church. One day during a bible study, they were discussing the parable of the sower: when one sows seeds, some of the seeds fall on rocky ground and some fall on fertile ground. In this context, Merle discussed the peace activities he had done in Maryland. This inspired the members of the bible study to create a similar program in Newburyport. Joining with other churches and synagogues, the local schools and government, they called their program the Dove Campaign.

 Some of their activities include: 

• Peace Month  May, 2000 was designated as Peace Month in Newburyport. During this month a Violent Toy Trade-In and New Ways to Play Day were held. 

• Peace Quilt  During the New Ways to Play Day, the children made patches which were pieced together into a quilt. It now hangs in the Peace Corner at the Newburyport Public library.

• Holiday Gift Flier  This flier was a result of Merle's observation that many parents don't have enough information to identify violent toys. During the recent holiday season, The Dove Campaign disseminated a flier encouraging shoppers of gifts for children to reject toys, videos and entertainment that promote violence. The fliers provided guidelines to help shoppers discriminate between desirable and non-desirable gifts. These fliers were distributed to churches and synagogues.

• Holiday Gift Advertisement  The group also placed an advertisement with the same information as the flier in a local newspaper. Ravensburger Toys provided half the cost of the advertising.

 The Dove Campaign had a busy 2001.  In addition to another Peace Month with a Violent Toy Trade-In and News Ways to Play Day, the group is organizing new activities.

• Workshop on dealing with anger   Working with elementary school teachers, the Dove Campaign put together a program to help children learn constructive ways of dealing with anger.  Local adults and children experienced in theater were recruited for role playing activities.

• Peace murals  Merle is taking a leadership role in trying to get  local schools, churches and synagogues to paint peace murals on peace of plywood to display on their building during Peace Month. This was one of Merle's ideas that came from his activities in Junior Achievement long ago.

Merle has a few words of advice for others who want to organize a program in their community. The first is to form a core group at least six committed individuals. The second is to make a program grow beyond one's house of worship to the broader community. The third is to stay focused and plan early.

A healthy 76-year-old, Merle feels obligated to “give back.” He is certainly doing that.

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