Fifty years ago on a cold, grim Easter holiday, a protest was meant to be a watershed: a global call to ban the bomb.

People marched from London to a factory in the countryside where Britain built its atomic bombs. Pat Arrowsmith was among those early campaigners for nuclear disarmament.

"It was quite clear that we were not just against the tests, and we were not just against the British bomb," Arrowsmith said. "We were against the Soviet bomb and against the U.S. bomb."

The nuclear weapons industry at Aldermaston is still very much alive. But so is the spirit of that protest fifty years ago. It lives on in a symbol born here that became an icon.

Gerald Holtom was the artist and textile designer who created it.

A conscientious objector during World War II, he was driven to the nuclear disarmament campaign, he said, by a feeling of despair.

Holtom's daughter Anna Scott, also an artist, remembers the image of her father's despair, in the paintings of Goya.

"He used the Goya painting of the despairing image of the person who was being shot, in Spain - I don't know whether the despair was to do with his personal situation or whether it was to do with the world situation, and sometimes these can be muddled up, can't they?"

Working in his West London studio, Holtom sought to transform that muddled despair into something tidy and neat: a symbol for the campaign for nuclear disarmament, based on the Naval sign language of semaphore.

Michael Randle was there in 1958 when Holtom explained his idea: matching the 'N' for nuclear & a straight up-and-down 'D' for 'Disarmament,' with a circle around it. "That's the symbol, very simple and straightforward," Randle recalled. "It was that explanation coupled with his vision of what the march would be like, his sketch of what the march would be like, that really sold it to us and we said, 'Right, we will adopt that.'"

Not without controversy. It was inevitable that Holtom's simple three lines and a circle would bewilder at least one of the anti-nuclear campaigners.

"He looked at it and he said, 'What on earth were you three thinking about when you adopted that symbol? It doesn't mean a thing and it will never catch on.' Of course, he was thinking of the traditional things of a broken rifle, or a dove or something that would be immediately associated in people's minds with peace, and if you're looking at it now it's impossible to separate it from all the history that has gone on since."

Impossible, almost, to imagine some history without it.

The 'n' and 'd' of nuclear disarmament were its source, but its meaning quickly embraced a bigger cause: as a symbol for protest in the broadest sense, more specifically as a sign for peace.

An international brand that became as familiar as a stop sign - from grim and gritty, to groovy, like a universal trademark, according to design consultant Richard Williams.

"The clever thing about it is, it's a mark we can all remember," Williams said. "Because we can all draw it. You have to see it once to be able to draw it and there are very few marks that work that way. That's why it can grow so quickly, why so many people can adopt it, because they can just scribble it. So when people were making placards they didn't get it wrong, they knew what it was."

And because Gerald Holtom and the anti-nuclear campaign deliberately didn't copyright the symbol, no one owns it - or, perhaps everyone does.

"We believe that brands don't belong to companies, they belong to people, they're made in people's minds," Williams said. "This isn't a brand, this is much more than that. This is a movement and an attitude of mind.

"It's the dream of every brand owner to get in there and own the territory, and [this] happened to do it and did it very well."

CND, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, is still doing it: printing signs, preparing for another march. It never managed to ban the bomb. But the spirit of its symbol is still booming.

"It's been used as a badge against tyranny in Greece," recalled Arrowsmith. "It's been used as a badge against apartheid in South Africa, it's been used just as a general peace logo, it's been worn by U.S. U.S. troops opposing the war in Vietnam, it's become very much an anti-war symbol, but also an anti-tyranny symbol.

"I think it's a good symbol because it is actually quite simple"

Simple, as simple as the three lines and a circle, etched on the headstone of Gerald Holtom's grave.

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Students paint for world peace

West Chronicle Orange, West Orange, NJ
Thursday, March 27, 2008

"Students paint for world peace"
By Tony Edelstein Correspondent

The goals of high school students these days are quite impressive as the competition to be admitted into the best universities is at a record high. Other goals are perennial, such as landing a first choice prom date.

Then there are the students in Diane Tol's Art 3 class and Art Club. They have added one more goal to their list - help achieve world peace. The students have spent a good part of the year working on peacerelated activities which have all led up to the culminating project of painting a peace mural that will be sent to a youth organization in the West African country of Ghana. In return, the youths of Ghana will send their own peace mural to West Orange High School.

The art swap is part of an effort called the Global Mural Exchange for Peace, which bills itself as " the largest cultural art exchange ever in history." It is a project of the non- profit organization Where Peace Lives, which was created by a West Orange resident, Jeff Rudy, and his two partners. " We wanted to create something that would alter the conversation about peace," said Rudy, the development director of Where Peace Lives, and a graduate of Mountain High School, the former name of West Orange High School.

The idea for the organization grew out of a six- month leadership course that Rudy and his two partners, Jeff and Donna Clapp, a married couple from Red Bank, attended. Prior to the course, Rudy did not know the Clapps, but they bonded over their common desire to try to make the world a better place. Rudy said they now call themselves "Donna and the Jeffs."

In the hope of furthering their collective vision, they have created a curriculum that encourages students to think about peace at three levels: the individual, the community and the world. The lessons lay the groundwork for the creation of a peace mural that can be exchanged with that of a group in another country.

So far, two other New Jersey schools, one in Somerset and one in Wall, have exchanged murals with groups in Egypt and Peru, respectively. The creators of the murals are encouraged to depict their personal visions of peace.

"The murals are an expression of what is possible," Rudy said.

But the process of agreeing on a mural design can test the conflict resolution skills of the participants. At West Orange High, approximately 40 students are involved in the project, and just as many opinions had to be considered.

"I never knew that creating a peace mural would not be peaceful," Tol said. "It required a lot of digging for everyone's personal visual sign of peace."

Tiana Dorner, an 11th grade student, observed that the participants had to practice what they preached.

"At times we had to stop and say, 'Remember, we're working on a peace project,'" Dorner said. The students finally settled on a tree as their symbol of peace. The mural will show people reaching for branches of the tree to symbolize the universal desire for peace and will also contain quotes from famous peace activists.

It will be created with acrylic paint on two canvasses, each measuring 4 feet by 9 feet. The canvasses will then be rolled up and shipped to the youth club in Ghana. "It's sort of neat that it will travel halfway across the world and be seen in Africa," said Elise Powers, an 11th grade student.

While the students do not expect their mural will bring world peace, they see it as a contribution to the larger effort of creating a worldwide culture of peace.

" It's one of the components to make the world a more peaceful place," said senior Garrett Harvest. "It's a first step, but a big step."

"The impact will probably take a while," Powers said. "We just need people to see it and then peace will sort of grow through time."

The students also recently attended the United Nations' Gandhi- KingChavez Season of Non- Violence Youth Conference.

Harvest observed that the most moving part of the experience came when all the attendees waved flags from nations around the world to represent the wish for international peace. Last year at the same conference, the first peace mural was unveiled. Rudy imagines that the world would be a very different place if youths regularly had a voice at the United Nations.

"What if instead of politicians, kids spoke about what it is like to live in conflict," Rudy suggested. "Wouldn't that shake things up?"

Of course, peace is an elusive goal. "I wonder if the world will ever be a peaceful place," Tol said. "It's burning in my mind, and it must be burning in their minds. They are the future." The West Orange High students have at least contributed something toward the goal of achieving peace. Now it's up to the rest of us to get on board.

Tony Edelstein can be reached at wochronicle@thelocalsource.com

All the art students are saying is give peace a chance

By Katerina Athanasiou Correspondent


While the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes peace as harmony in personal relations, West Orange High School students are attempting to expand this meaning by bringing about peace through art.

For the past eight months, talented West Orange High School artists, members of the art club, as well as New York City professional artists from a collective art group known as SOSIC, worked together to create a peace mural which will be exchanged with the artistic creations of students in a village in Ghana - the township's new adopted village.

SOSIC consist of four artists who also exist under their alter ego artist names. Scott Andre Patterson is also known as The Me Nobody See PEACE, Page 7 A group effort, including West Orange High School art students and New York city professional artists, worked to create a peace mural that will be exchanged with the creations of students in a village in Ghana - the township's newly adopted sister village. Peace murals hoped to bring world change through art.

(Continued from Page 1)

Knows or TMNK, Anthony Vasquez is also known as Avone, Mike Baca is also known as 2ESAE and Fernando Romero is also known as SKI. Jeff Rudy, West Orange High School alumni and co-founder of Where Peace Lives, a non-profit organization which is focused on conflict resolution and peace building training for children and teenagers, introduced the idea for the peace mural and will sponsor the project. In 2006, the organization began an International Peace Mural Exchange Project. The project's goal is to be the largest cultural art exchange ever.

Students were asked to draw what they envisioned as a peaceful world. One particular student's vision stood out.

"A student by the name of Diana Siegel sketched an idea that everyone took to and used as a springboard for the vision," said West Orange High School art teacher Diane Tol, who supervised the mural and supervises the art club Together, students worked as a cohesive unit to achieve the goal of creating a peace mural that would appeal to an international audience. The project not only allowed for team work between students, but for life lessons to be learned.

"The experience was beneficial to the students because the skills used to make important decisions as a group can be used in any real life situation," said Tol. Sharing a vision for peace with another country is really special in itself."

As one would expect, the students' enthusiasm to work on such a large and positive project was apparent.

" I was excited to have the opportunity to exchange my work with another country," said Lizzy Storm, one of the students who worked on the project, "and I'm still eager to see what they'll give us in exchange."

Gaby Bravoco, a junior at West Orange High and an art student, agreed.

"The experience was incredible. I didn't realize how much you could express yourself through art. It was nice to come together with other students to convey such a amazing message."

Other students were unsure about how the project's goal would be achieved, but found it to be a beneficial experience. "I thought it was a very rewarding experience," said student, Ivorine Fung. "Originally, I never thought peace could be spread through artwork."

Even students not involved in the project felt that enthused about it. Fellow art student and senior Sally Hammer said, "Although I did not work on the peace mural, it was impressive to see such a diverse group of students use their talents to create something so beautiful."

On June 3 at the West Orange High School art show, after many months of hard work, the peace murals were finally unveiled and the results were incredible. Tol was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of such stunning creations and to be able to work with the New York artists and her own students towards peace. "I have had the privilege to work alongside the infamous SOSIC art group, who have recently participated in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and were featured in The Daily News.

Working with the SOSIC collective on this project has not only inspired us as artists, but has brought light to the fact that we can all work together to achieve a common goal: peace." Also at the art show, an eclectic mix of artwork was displayed and awards were given. Students Malachi Cameron, who won the award for best advanced placement art portfolio alongside friend and fellow senior Zeke Decker, who won the award for best use of art, are appreciative of the support and experience that their participation in the art program has given them.

These advanced placement art students both expressed they enjoyed working with such talented artists and will both be attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City in the fall. Senior Molly Wachtel, an advanced art student, designed a piece which had five clay masks aligned in a series of blank to complex expressions. Her artwork was meant to show the progression of expression.

Wachtel won an award for this piece and will be going to New York University this fall. Another senior, Lizzy Storm, has been enjoying art since elementary school and, since the beginning of high school, has taken art lessons in New York City at the Art Students League. Storm, now an advanced placement art student, shared that her favorite part of art is the reaction that people have. She is also the art club treasurer and plans to attend Rhode Island School of Design and major in illustration.

Baca helped with the peace mural by lending his graffiti skills. "The students are really talented. I went to a specialized art high school, Art in Design in Manhattan, and it was nothing like this."

Seeing a community come together over the talent of its youth is inspiring. Generations of parents, students, teachers, administrators and artists gathered to not only see the beautiful art on display, but to see the beginning of using art as a vehicle for a lofty goal - the attempt to achieve peace.

Katarina Athanasiou is a West Orange High School student.