Why this work matters
We live in a time of increasing division and polarisation, including here in Britain. Children and young people can be drawn into narrow or oppositional ways of seeing others.
Drawing Hope offers a simple but powerful alternative. By creating and sharing self-portraits and messages of greeting, children are encouraged to recognise their shared humanity with others – locally, nationally and globally.
This kind of connection is at the heart of peacebuilding.
What is Drawing Hope?
Drawing Hope began in South Korea with the organisation Okedongmu – a word describing a friendship where people put their arms around each other's shoulders.
The project was first developed in response to the deep division between North and South Korea. Historically, children in South Korea have been encouraged to depict children in North Korea as devils. Drawing Hope challenged this by inviting children to draw themselves and send a message to a child across the border. Through this simple act, children could begin to see one another as people rather than stereotypes.
The project has since grown internationally. Exhibitions now bring together children's artwork from different countries and contexts, creating spaces of shared humanity.
Find out more: https://www.drawinghope.net/
Our work in Britain
Following an exhibition at Friends House in London in April 2025, Quakers in Britain's Peace Education team is developing Drawing Hope with partners across Britain.
We are inviting schools to take part in the project and contribute to a growing collection of children's artwork.
This will include:
- Classroom activities exploring the project and its message
- Children creating self-portraits and messages for “a friend they have not yet met"
- Local exhibitions in Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester
- A national exhibition in London
- Contributing artwork to an international exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva in summer 2027
What we hope to achieve
Through Drawing Hope, we aim to:
- Help children recognise their shared humanity with others
- Create opportunities for dialogue about hopes for peace
- Bring people of different generations together through exhibitions and conversation
- Support schools to engage with peace education in meaningful ways
- Build new relationships with schools and communities, strengthening our wider peace education work across England, Scotland and Wales.
Get involved
We are currently developing resources for schools and building partnerships to support the project.
If you are a school, educator or organisation interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you.
Sign up your school now to take part (offsite link).