Newsletter - Fall 2008

Lessons We Have Learned in our First Year

1. International mail delivery times vary greatly and in some places mail never arrives at all;
2. Handwritten letters with cool stamps are wonderful souvenirs...but only when they actually get mailed;
3. When letters are delayed a long time (3-5 months) or never arrive, students feel really disappointed;
4. To move forward in the process of creating friendships and peace, getting letters every couple of months really helps;
5. Communicating about our hopes and expectations for a reply timeline really helps.

With these lessons under our belt we have come up with a plan for the coming school year:

1. Send letters by FedEx, which is usually a seven day guaranteed delivery;
2. Classrooms will organize their letter writing so that all student letters will be sent at one time in a single large envelope;
3. All PeacePal participants will agree to reply to their letters within one month of receiving a letter.

We will be approaching FedEx with a grant proposal requesting assistance with the expense. In the meantime, we ask for your help in making this timely and efficient process possible.