Where Peace Lives

The Prayer of the Children

2008-10-23T21:02:00.003-05:00

Peace for Kids

2008-10-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Danny Garcia of the GlobalWalk Foundation Completes 25,000 Miles for Peace With a Trek from D.C. to NYC on Oct. 17-26

2008-10-09T19:40:00.005-05:00

Where Peace Lives Supports the Final Leg of Garcia’s Round the World Odyssey

Leesburg, VA – When Danny Garcia, founder of the Global Walk Foundation, took his first steps toward a global commitment to peace 12 years ago, he had no idea how far the road would take him. On Oct. 17-26, the final leg of his journey will lead Garcia home to New York City, where he will culminate a trek the length of the circumference of the globe that has shined a beacon on the cause of peacebuilding and the issues of providing for children.

For this final leg, Garcia will walk with support from and on behalf of the nonprofit group Where Peace Lives. He will begin his walk for peace in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Oct. 17, by joining his close friend Tim Miner, along with hundreds of people from around the world at the U.S. Freedom Walk Festival. Miner created this walk to foster fun, fitness, and international friendships. What’s great about it is that embassies from around the world are opening their doors to the walkers who will then be stepping on “foreign soil” each time they cross the threshold of a different embassy. The walkers will be completing a symbolic trek around the world along with Garcia! As he concludes that walk around the world, Garcia will then begin his walk to New York City to complete his own trek.

“This walk is a celebration of all the people and organizations who have helped me during this 25,000 mile walk,” says Garcia who is an ex-marine and an ordained minister. “I could not have done it alone. I’m grateful to God and to each and every person who has been with me along the way. My message has always been ‘love one another.’”

Garcia’s walk concludes at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan on Sunday, Oct. 26 from 2pm to 4pm. A celebration of peace will welcome Garcia, 63, and those who accompany him to St. Paul the Apostle, at the corner of 59th Street and Columbus Avenue.

“We want to invite children and adults in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark and all the other towns along Danny’s route to join in this walk for peace,” says Donna Clapp, executive director of Where Peace Lives, which trains children and teens in conflict resolution and peace-building through art and media.

“We would also love everyone to come to the event at St. Paul the Apostle, which is celebrating its 150th jubilee year this year. We envision an event at St. Paul the Apostle that captures the love, spirituality, and joy that comes from creating a culture of peace,” says Clapp. “It will be a day filled with song and celebration for adults and children alike. Singer/songwriter, Bruce Foster is coming to sing songs of peace with the choir at St. Paul the Apostle. Last but not least, this is a celebration of Danny’s completing walking the circumference of the earth—25,000 miles for peace!”

Garcia, who began his trek in San Francisco in 1996, has been sharing stories of faith, redemption, and peaceful coexistence as he has walked his path of peace. The journey has taken him to Australia, where he walked from Perth to Sidney in celebration of the 2000 Summer Olympics; to Europe, where he has made walks through Ireland, Scotland, Belgium and Holland. His journey includes a 26-day journey through the Philippines to raise funds for the Red Cross, and a trek from Jordan to Jerusalem to aid the plight of an 11-year-old boy who needed heart surgery. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, Garcia walked to New Orleans, to raise money for relief and rebuilding efforts.

Along the way, Garcia has received extensive coverage from the print and electronic media, and presented gifts of peace to presidents and dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II, but he says he is mainly inspired by the many ordinary people who join him and support him during his walks.

“For me, this whole journey has all been a miracle,” says Garcia, a native of New York’s Spanish Harlem community. “At 63, after walking all these miles, to be able to celebrate at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, it’s the perfect way to end this chapter in my life. I will thank God and thank everyone for all of the help I have received, because there’s no way I could have done this by myself.”

The Global Walk Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Leesburg, VA. Global Walk Foundation is a non-sectarian, non-political organization. The work of the Global Walk Foundation encompasses the globe in ways that support peace. Founder, Danny Garcia, has been walking for over 10 years and traveled over 25,000 miles to raise awareness for children's rights and world peace. To learn more visit www.globalwalk.cc

To learn more or to schedule an interview contact either Danny Garcia, Global Walk Foundation, prayerwalker007@yahoo.com, or Donna Clapp, Where Peace Lives, dclapp@wherepeacelives.org.

Pampering for Peace - a wellness fair fundraiser

2008-10-09T19:35:00.004-05:00

Where Peace Lives held a successful fundraising* event on September 20th in Red Bank, N.J.. The wellness fair encouraged over a hundred guests to treat themselves to massage therapy, reflexology, or reiki, try raw foods, visit wellness vendors, enjoy great live music, win $$$ raffle prizes, view kids peace murals, all while helping raise money to teach our kids to make the world a better place.

Over a thousand raffle tickets were purchased by guests who had a chance of winning from over 20 beautiful gift baskets that included health and wellness items, theatre and concert tickets, books, dvds, cds, gift certificates to local vendors, and much, much more. The success of the event was so palpable that many asked when the next event would be. The event will be hosted as an annual fundrasing event in the Red Bank area and the group is investigating hosting an event in northern N.J. in the future.

The Where Peace Lives staff would like to personally thank the following people—
Where Peace Lives Board/Advisory Board: Jane, Laura, Pat, Virginia, Jessica

The event committee: Ivone, Colleen, Amy, Susie, Pat, Barbara, Walt, Billy, Roseann, Jessica, and Lisa -
without you there would be no event!

To all the massage therapists, reflexologists, facialists, reiki masters, and raw food specilaists who donated their time, love, and energy.

To our fabulous vendors from around NJ and New York who provided such great resources for our many interested guests.

To all the incredible people who so graciously donated the hundreds of dollars of items to be raffled off during the event.

The United Methodist Church of Red Bank and the custodian, Rich, for really supporting our event.

And of course to all our guests who made the event so exciting and fun. We'll see you all next year!

*All proceeds from the event are going to fund Where Peace Lives programs both here in the U.S. and abroad.

2008-09-24T15:44:00.002-05:00

THIS IS A POWERFUL VIDEO THAT SPEAKS TO THE ENERGY OF PEACE AND HARMONY THAT IS SURFACING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. TAKE A LOOK... Zoe Kravitz, the authour, is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet.

View it live here.
http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/wato/

Walsall’s 3rd Annual Anti Bullying Conference – Being Different, Belonging Together

2008-09-24T15:40:00.002-05:00

To Whom It May Concern:

Walsall’s Anti Bullying Conference has been held for 3 years consecutively. It gives the children and young people of Walsall and their schools an opportunity to show what they have been doing in relation to bullying. It also provides an opportunity for local business to come together and discuss this important issue and what can be done with regards to the prevention of bullying.

The day consists of performances from choirs and a cultural dancing group and offers the opportunity to participate in workshops during the day, finishing with a balloon launch on the football pitch (at Banks Stadium, Walsall football club where the event is being held) alongside the closing ceremony.

This event has been widely supported and last year received support from Dame Kelly Holmes, Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

Could you send me leaflets/ posters and booklets to have on display at our annual Anti-Bullying conference please?

Address: FAO: Louise Downey
Walsall Children’s Services
Education Development Centre
Pelsall Lane
Rushall
WS4 1NG

2008-09-24T15:21:00.003-05:00

10 Ways to Take Design Action and Make a Positive Difference in the World
In Articles by Sean Hodge

Can we make a positive difference in the world through the use of design? If so, how? Let's look at ten ways to take decisive action through the use of design.

Designers deliver messages with impact, and are trained in conceptual and high-value visual thinking. They can use these skills to assist non-profits, eco-friendly companies, and active charity groups. We can raise funds through the sale of our donated design work, launch projects with big concepts that are grounded in practical campaigns, and more. Let's discuss some of these ideas.

1. Sell Your Design Work and Donate the Funds to Charity

There are numerous models to follow here. In the example below a large assortment of talented designers put together a book featuring their work. The book is titled, "Designed To Help." The proceeds went to help the tsunami crisis in Asia.

With the recent "Solving Poverty" Button Design contest here on PSDTUTS, we'll be using the winning entries to set up a store where proceeds of the button sales will go to Kiva.org. This leverages the PSDTUTS community to empower individual designers to create artwork for a worthy cause.

2. Deliver a Message with Impact and Give it Exposure

Whether you're creating the message, or working within an existing campaign, as a designer you can communicate with impact. Ultimately, the message should make you think or be something positive that makes people want to grab onto. You can also get creative with your method of delivery or use of social media. Of course, this is what we do best as designers - give ideas shape, form, and strong visual appeal. Choose the right cause and jump in.

Shepard Fiery has created numerous critical political designs, has participated with delivering messages on the street, and worked to deliver strong messages. Here is an interview with him where he discusses his beliefs, artwork, and how they work together. His Obey campaign is well known and for a good overview of his work see the Shepard Fairey Wikipedia entry.

3. Choose to Work with Companies or Organizations that Make a Difference

You could choose to work directly for a charity or non-profit organization. Thereby, contributing daily to assisting the groups cause. This could be on an individual project or permanent basis. Or, as a freelancer choose to only take on work from organizations and companies who's polices and practices you agree with.

You may choose to work for a corporation or business though. Before accepting a design position with a company, you should review their policies, evaluate what they contribute to making a difference, and what your role might be in these initiatives.

This is something I didn't consider when starting to work for Envato, which was Eden at the time I can to work here. It's really inspiring to be writing this post, and contributing to Blog Action Day, which is a nonprofit, grassroots movement of thousands of individual bloggers coming together for one cause.

4. Create a Website or Video Dedicated to Solving an Issue or Spreading Awareness

Now this requires a bit more technical knowhow than visual design alone, as it requires you to pursue more technical knowledge, or find someone to partner with, but it's far from outside the boundaries of what we could pursue. Many of us are savvy web enthusiasts and could really pull together a unique website dedicated to solving issues or spreading awareness in support of a cause.

A one person driven initiate called the UnculturedProject has been popular for quite some time. It's a YouTube channel put in place to change the conversation about poverty. The channel has had much more success than any other Global Poverty channel on YouTube. Shawn, who runs the project has touched many lives and educated numerous people on ways to assist with solving poverty issues.

5. Train in Working with Eco-Friendly Practices or Making Graphics for Green Companies

Educating yourself on up to date standards regarding eco-friendly practices will allow you to serve as a resource to help your clients make good decisions. Here is an introductory article on Green printing to get started on this topic. There are certainly many more topics that will allow you to serve as a resource for your customers.

Also, consider your role as teacher. How can you help other designers with their client projects geared toward eco friendly customers. Ryan one of our regular writers at VECTORTUTS, wrote a tutorial on creating an environmentally friendly type treatment that gives some great techniques that could be used in branding this type of company or organization.

6. Apply Your Conceptual Design Experience to Solve Local Issues and Impact Global Issues

The Art Center College of Design has an interesting program called Designmatters. In it students take part in project where they work with agencies toward making a real world difference.

One such project had students working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Safe Motherhood Initiative to create an awareness campaign on maternal mortality, which is an often overlooked issue within third-world countries. This project offered no direct calls to action and required deeper solutions. "Designing for the UNFPA challenged students to think beyond just a client’s vision or brand, but to consider how to effectively communicate to the global public about a real-world problem."

7. Launch a Good Project with Great Intentions

Doing some good in the world is a noble mindset. Creating a good project can make a tangible difference. The makers of Good Magazine have raised over $800,000 for various charities with their hybrid online and bimonthly print magazine. It offers a unique model whereby %100 percent of subscription costs go to charities of your choice. The magazine offers a combination of inspiring, thought provoking, and informative content about pushing the world forward through progress and change.

8. Donate Your Design Skills Directly to a Non-Profit Organization or Charity Group

This is a fairly simple model to follow. Take on a client project pro-bono for a non-profit. This is a great way for young designer's to build their portfolios with real projects and experienced designers to stay connected to the community.

About a month and a half ago Mark Hayword, one of my blog friends, mentioned a non-profit project he planned to launch that had some really interesting concepts behind it. Here is a link to a post that describes the model he was proposing. What also really caught my attention was that social media savvy individuals and popular bloggers were behind the project. They had some great launch and long-term plans.

9. Run a Donation Driven Design Contest on Your Blog

If you have your own design blog, no matter the size, then you can run a contest to drive donations. Here is a post on running graphic design contests to get started. Styletime is running a contest in support of Blog Action Day and has amassed quite an impressive array of prizes. To be eligible requires you to donate a dollar at a minimum.

Really you could run any kind of fundraising event as well that is design driven. Here on PSDTUTS we just launched the "Solving Poverty" Button Design contest, and on VECTORTUTS the accompanying "Solving Poverty" T-Shirt design contest, which uses both a competition and sales of designed items to provide funds toward Kiva.org, a micro-loaning non-profit group that helps entrepreneur in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty.

10. Create a Mission for Your Design Business That Makes a Difference

Aside from being listed within numerous web design galleries as having a high-impact site design, Studio 7 Designs Inc. also stand out based on their focus on working with eco-friendly practices. They seek out environmentally conscious companies. This is stated on their about page, but can also be viewed in their portfolio, which indicates they practice what they are saying. There page on environmentally friendly web design indicates that they donate to Kiva.org and myclimate.org, it also shows the eco-friendly standards they adhere to.

Peace One Day - A Short Video Explaining Peace One Day

2008-09-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

Peace One Day - A Short Video Explaining Peace One Day.

Jeremy Gilley is an actor turned film maker, who in the late 1990's became preoccupied with questions about the fundamental nature of humanity and the issue of peace. He decided to explore these through the medium of film, and specifically, to create a documentary following his campaign to establish a day of ceasefire and non-violence.

In 1999, Jeremy founded Peace One Day, a non-profit organisation, and in 2001 Peace One Day's efforts were rewarded when the United Nations unanimously adopted the first-ever day of global ceasefire and non-violence on 21 September annually - Peace Day.

In 2007 according to the UN, over 100 million people were active on Peace Day, in 192 countries. There were life-saving initiatives in 14 countries, and over 80 activities in Afghanistan alone where 1.4 million children were vaccinated against polio.

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO MAKE PEACE
ON 21 SEPTEMBER?

Peace Being NOW! - Trailer Preview

2008-09-24T15:07:00.001-05:00

"PeaceBeingNOW!" - The Film, was conceived as a way to get young people - who, having emerged from adolescence into young adulthood, have known nothing but WAR for the last 7 Years - into a conversation on how to bring about PEACE in the World in their lifetime. The film's message will bring YOU, the Audience, to a startling and provocative realization!

Cheryl Crow Spreads the word. PEACE BE UPON US!

2008-08-18T12:46:00.001-05:00

Global Peace - Changing Hope to Action

2008-08-06T12:25:00.002-05:00

PowerPoint for Peace is launched

We are very excited to share with you the launch of a new peace initiative called PowerPointforPeace!

Conceptualized by Glenna Shaw, the PowerPoint magician and facilitated by Geetesh Bajaj from Ppted.com, this is an ambitious project, where the hope is to create a universal presentation on global peace with contributions from people who wish to promote World peace. Check it out today.

Contribute Your Slide to World Peace

2008-07-21T14:20:00.001-05:00

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.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Students paint for world peace

2008-07-08T14:51:00.001-05:00

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

2008-07-08T14:24:00.002-05:00

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.

A brand new program!

2008-06-10T11:20:00.002-05:00

This spring I developed a brand new program with Virginia, the counselor at Conerly Road Elementary School. The program, which we are christening Reel Peace: Kids Teaching Kids Peace Through Moviemaking, is a really fun new way to train kids in conflict resolution and problem solving. For 12 weeks I went to Conerly Road Elementary every Monday morning and worked with 25 third and fourth graders. They chose five topics that were common problems kids their age deal with everyday. The topics were Bullying, Getting Along with Brothers and Sisters, Gossip and Rumors, What to do When Parents Fight, and Help I'm Hooked on Video Games. Then we spent several weeks doing improvisational acting to work out scenes and even more important, solutions to those problems. The kids then wrote scripts that included a scene that showed the problem and at least three solutions for the problem. We spent an entire Saturday from 10 in the morning to 6 pm videotaping the movies the kids wrote. Each movie starts with a teacher talking about the problem, then goes to two documentary-style interviews with kids who've had the problem themselves. After that the scene that was scripted was acted out and that was followed by different students giving suggestions for solutions to the problems. The videos and a workbook were given to each counselor in the school district to use to help the kids in their school. Plus the kids in the Moviemakers' program spent a week going from class to class at Conerly Road Elementary, showing the video and discussing the topics with the kids in the class. It was a great experience for everyone involved! So much fun and lots of learning involved! --Donna

An Unveiling!

2008-06-10T07:58:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday we unveiled one of our newest Peace Murals!! It was an awesome night of art, camaraderie and inspiration at West Orange High School where 25 teens from the art club and Ms. Tol's Art 3 class worked on the activities and mural all year. They even had a team of artists/taggers from the local area and New York City helping them (they spray painted the background of their mural. Well, as they say a picture's worth a thousand words so I think the best bet is to post a few photos to introduce you to the newest mural.

PEACEWATER names Where Peace Lives June Donation Recipient

2008-06-09T16:37:00.002-05:00

PeaceWater, located in Montana, has been created to help fund non-profit organizations actively participating in both local and global efforts. Peacewater has chosen Where Peace Lives to be the recipient of 30% of their June water sales as a donation to our organization. Please visit their web site to find out more about this incredibly inspiring startup company.

The Founders
Patrick Collins and Greg Gould came across each other by chance and ended up sparking a revolution.

Greg Gould
Greg likes to think he’s pretty smart, and we know this because, well, he is! As a recent graduate from Carroll College in Helena Montana, Greg is dedicated to making an impact on our world through progressive thinking and more importantly, progressive action. Greg is dedicated to setting the bar for responsible organizational practices and becoming a leader on the forefront of change. In collaboration with Patrick Collins, the two decided it was time for a change.

Patrick Collins
Patrick, what can we say about him? Patrick has a difficult time keeping his head on his shoulders as great ideas constantly spring up and down. He balances his vivacious imagination with his uncanny ability to know what people want. After leaving San Francisco and moving to Helena, Patrick has developed a burning desire to change the world by becoming an active peace advocate and developing the image for PeaceWater.

Mural Arrives in U.S. from Indiana, Peru

2007-10-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

The students from the Indiana School in Indiana, Peru, along the Amazon river, just recently completed and sent their mural to the U.S. for exchange. The mural will most likely be exchanged with the Communications High School in Wall, NJ in November.

The mural expresses the students concerns over environmental issues, violence, and abuse of Mother Earth. The positive side shows friendship, faith, respect, and harmony as the key aspects of creating a peaceful world.

El Saffa Mural arrives in U.S. from Egypt

2007-10-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

The El Saffa Society for Special Needs Children recently exchanged their beautiful mural with the students at Conerly Road Elementary School in Somerset, NJ. Below is the resulting mural that came out of the visit Donna and Jeff Clapp, along with Jessica Walter, did in May 2007. Check out the Where Peace Lives Web site for more details on this extraordinary exchange.

First International Mural Exchange Egypt/USA

2007-10-22T19:54:00.001-05:00

What would $5Million make possible toward peace?

2007-06-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

STARTING JULY 3rd YOUR VOTE COULD IMPACT OVER 4 MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH A $5M AWARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS MEMBER'S PROJECT...

HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE MURAL PROGRAM REACH YOUR CHILDREN AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR LIFE!

Click the banner above to see our program on the American Express Member's Project site. "Kid's International Peace Mural Exchange"

Starting July 3rd, if we are selected as one of the top 50 SEMI-FINALISTS voting will begin and we need your important vote. Below are the specifics about the upcoming voting elimination rounds. It will take a village to make this dream a reality and we thank you for being a part of our global village!

Who is Eligible to Register and Participate: You must first register at The Members Project Website in order to participate. To be eligible to register in The Members Project you must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and at least 18 years of age and the holder in good standing of an American Express Card issued by American Express in the United States. This program is not open to individuals who have an American Express Card issued by a third party bank issuer. Click here for a list of eligible Cards. Employees of American Express Company and its subsidiaries and their immediate family members are not eligible to submit a Project Idea.

Register
How to register: To register, visit www.membersproject.com ("The Members Project Website") during The Members Project which starts on May 15, 2007 and ends on August 5, 2007 ("The Members Project Period"). American Express will donate $1 for each Cardmember that registers (up until 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time ("EST") on August 5, 2007), with a minimum of $1 million and a maximum of $5 million. You must have a valid American Express Cardmember online account and register at www.membersproject.com in order to participate in The Members Project. If you have an American Express Cardmember online account, you will be asked to log into your account prior to registering. If you do not have an American Express Cardmember online account, go to www.membersproject.com and follow the registration link to create an American Express online account. Register and make a difference!

Explore

How to Participate in The Members Project: As a registered Cardmember you can submit Project Ideas, rate other Cardmembers' Project Ideas and participate in message board discussions.

Message Boards: Discussions can be found at The Members Project Website and will be available during the The Members Project Period.

Vote

Advisory Panel Judging: Idea Submissions which are popular with Cardmembers based on interest and high Cardmember ratings, as determined by the Sponsor, will be reviewed by the Sponsor to determine if the Project Ideas are achievable. The Sponsor's decisions will be final. Project Ideas that are deemed achievable will then be rated by Advisory Panel Judges in each category based on the following equally weighted criteria:

(1) Innovative

(2) Achievable

(3) Broad, Positive Impact

Round One Voting Period: (12:00 AM EST on July 3, 2007 through 11:59 PM EST on July 15, 2007): Cardmembers can vote for their favorite Project Idea among the 50 semi-finalists. At the completion of the Round One Voting Period the top 25 Project Ideas with the highest Cardmember vote totals will advance to the next Round Two Voting Period.

Round Two Voting Period: (12:00 AM EST on July 17, 2007 through 11:59 PM EST on July 22, 2007): Cardmembers can vote for their favorite Project Idea among the 25 finalists. At the completion of the Round Two Voting Period the top 5 Project Ideas with the highest Cardmember vote totals will advance to the next Round Three Voting Period.

Third (and Final) Voting Round: (12:00 AM EST on July 24, 2007 through 11:59 PM EST on August 5, 2007): Cardmembers can vote for their favorite Project Idea among the 5 remaining Project Ideas. At the completion of the Round Three Voting Period the Project Idea with the highest Cardmember vote total will be selected as the Winning Idea.

Winning Idea: American Express will provide a minimum of $1 million up to $5 million, which amount will be determined by the number of Cardmembers who registered with The Members Project, to whatever institution, business organization, corporation, or other entity that is best qualified to fulfill and implement the requirements of the Winning Idea (the "Fulfilling Organization"). American Express will, in good faith, take all Ready For Action Suggestions for fulfillment of a project idea into consideration. However, American Express reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to select the Fulfilling Organization. The Winning Idea and Fulfilling Organization, as well as the eligible Cardmember who submitted the Project Idea that was selected, will be announced on or about August 7, 2007 and posted on The Members Project Website.

Where Peace Lives Goes to Egypt

2007-06-14T08:32:00.001-05:00

Where Peace Lives completes its first international mural with the students of the El Saffa Society for Special Needs Children in Suez, Egypt. Grreted by Madame Sayeda El Sherbeny, the school founder and the Governor of Suez, Where Peace Lives makes a huge impact on the vision and outlook for the school.

Where Peace Lives Works With Peacemakers

2007-06-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

Where Peace Lives worked with the Conerly Road Peacemaker School in Somerset, NJ this year in creating an international mural that the students will be exchanging with a school in Suez, Egypt in August. The children brought and shared their mural at the United Nations on March 16 for the tenth anniversary of the Ghandi-King Season of Nonviolence Conference hosting hundreds of Tri-State area students.

Amazon Dental Project

2007-06-06T14:33:00.001-05:00

Donna recently completed editing a 3 minute short on Dr. Jeannette Grauer's, DDS Amazon Dental Project. Take a look. For more info on Dr. Grauer's program please visit The Amazon Dental program Web Site for details and donation info.

Where Peace Lives - THE BOOK!

2007-05-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

“Where Peace Lives”is a book of timeless wisdom for people of all ages. Both children and adults will delight in the adventure to free the angel Peace who has been locked in an unbreakable glass box and can’t get out. The only hope for the world; to find the three keys to set Peace free. Inspired by the universal teachings of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Buddha, Jesus Christ, Moses and Mohammad, the story teller (who is never mentioned by name, gender or age, so each reader can make this journey their own) discovers that the “Three Keys to Peace” are not physical keys. To learn what they are, Robins invites you to read the book.

This book was written to inspire the world to study, learn and practice more peace. To encourage parents to become their children’s peace teachers and insist that our educational system include the study of peace. “Peace can be right after English, just before history and not on the days kids have science and math.” “Where Peace Lives” is a call to action to strengthen our peace ‘muscle’, and make it our most dominant, global trait. Written in the vein of “The Little Prince” and beautifully illustrated, “Where Peace Lives” is a classic in the making.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of “Where Peace Lives” will go to City Hearts, a non-profit dedicated to healing the effects of violence and discrimination through the inclusion of Art in the inner city classrooms (www.cityhearts.org), and Earth Rights Institute, working to ensure a global culture of peace and justice. (www.earthrights.net)

World Peace Organization

2007-03-26T15:00:00.000-05:00

Our Vision: "Peace Begins with Me".

Our Mission Statement:
We hold that a lasting peace will not be found in the world, until it is developed in the hearts of humanity.
Our goal is to inspire the brothers and sisters of our human family with an achievable vision that is not bound by politics or religion or economics but an inevitable, triumphant victory of the heart.
We believe that our responsibility for peace begins within each of us. The peace we offer to ourselves, our families, our communities and finally to our world family is the harbinger of tomorrow's oneness-world of peace.
We believe there is a simple choice for each human being between war and peace, between laying blame and increasing anger and conflict, or opening our hearts and sharing peace and love within our global family.
We hold that violence and aggression will not create peace at home or in our schools or communities.
We envision an irresistible wave of peace, a critical mass that will not stop until the world is free.
We proclaim proudly "PEACE BEGINS WITH ME!"

Taking Steps For Peace- Peace Cereal

2007-03-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

You can become a peacemaker without leaving your home! If you'd like to get started on the path to peace, here are some websites that will inspire you to take action. From participating in environmental projects to adding your voice in the struggle against domestic violence, peace is in everyone's hands.

At Peace Cereal our mission is to serve you by making deliciously natural and healthy cereal, as well as to serve the world community by utilizing responsible business practices and donating 10% of our profits to peace.

A Peaceful Vision is Born
Peace Cereal was introduced by Golden Temple in 1997 as a way to support a more loving planet. It was an instant success, and has grown from four delicious flavors to our current twelve varieties. More importantly, at Peace Cereal, we have an organically good idea to share. We believe peace begins at the grassroots level, one person at a time. If people can discover deep inner peace, then slowly, we can begin to create more peaceful working environments, homes and, finally, communities.

Golden Temple, our parent company, is privately owned by a nonprofit organization and was founded by Yogi Bhajan. Golden Temple started Peace Cereal with the wisdom of 30 years of creating quality natural cereals. As a result, we have always used organic oats and spices and made sure our products were certified Grown and Processed without genetic engineering. Our

125,000 square foot factory in Eugene Oregon is also fully certified by the FDA and the Department of Agriculture, with a superior rating for food hygiene, safety and quality control from the American Institute of Baking.

In 2002, we added three cereals specially formulated to make "Heart Sense." This year we were pleased to increase the organic percentage of our cereals: 7 are now 95% or more organic and the remaining 5 exceed 70%. In addition to our concern with your good health, we are also concerned with others. Golden Temple hosts the annual Socially Responsible Business Awards breakfast, honoring socially responsible businesses in the natural foods industry.

Kids Peace

2007-03-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

Kids in crisis... they're everywhere. Faced with physical and emotional abuse, drugs, peer pressure and the like, many kids today just don't have the resources or support to handle the pressure. That's why KidsPeace offers a wide range of residential and community services, including a free-standing psychiatric children's hospital, juvenile justice programs and specialized foster care. And for those who share our passion for helping kids, we offer a variety of continuing education seminars, as well as volunteering and donating opportunities, to help fulfill the KidsPeace mission: To give hope, help and healing to children facing crisis.

Visit the web site for more information.

Teach Kids Peace

2007-03-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

Teach Kids Peace™ is a project of Honest Reporting dedicated to highlighting the culture of hatred that is being taught to children in certain parts of the world. TKP encourages the promotion of peace education for children in conflict zones, through raising public awareness and calling on world leaders to take necessary action to prevent this form of child abuse.

As terrorism stands at the center of world challenges for the 21st century, Teach Kids Peace maintains that reforming education is the most important and often most ignored key to eliminating terror. Terrorists are not born, they're taught. September 11 and other attacks were only possible through years of indoctrination in schools, media, and mosques. Hateful teachings produce hateful actions. Stopping incitement is the only way to stop terror.

The world media often ignore this subject, which is why Teach Kids Peace monitors and documents instances where children are being used for militaristic purposes. We work with college campuses around the globe to generate public awareness of this problem.

Teach Kids Peace is a project of HonestReporting/Middle East Media Watch, a section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit educational organization.

Education is the primary source for influencing and shaping society. We need to ensure that we are harnessing the full potential ofour education system, to educate today's youth toward a culture of peace. The programs and activism generated by Teach Kids Peace will encourage leaders of today along with the future leaders of tomorrow to value the dignity and rights of every human life, recognize injustice, and respond to conflict with methods other than violence.

True peace can only be achieved when children are taught to love peace.

Help us in our campaign to create a better world.

For the sake of the children... for the sake of our future.

Season of Nonviolence Event 2007 at the United Nations

2007-03-26T14:26:00.000-05:00

Here are quotes from students who have completed their global peace murals and what they wanted to share with you...

From the Ghandi-King Season of Non-violence Conference, March 16, 2007 at the United Nations, New York, NY

Jon "Deveraux" Laing and Claire Mastellar of Communications High School in Wall, New Jersey share their experience of working on the peace mural with hundreds of students attending the United Nations on March 16th, 2007 for the 10th Anniversary of the Ghandi-King Season of Nonviolence Youth Conference recognized by the United Nations. A Season for Nonviolence is a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. It was inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. It was organized by The Permanent Mission of The Philippines to the United Nations in cooperation with The Temple of Understanding, The Association for Global New Thought The Interfaith Center of New York, The M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence The International Mahavir Jain Mission, and The World Peace Prayer Society.

" Since the day I was born", says Jon, "my parents always told me 'Our generation screwed up this world, and your generation is going to fix it.' I've heard it about a million times since then and after hearing it so many times I became desensitized to the idea. I became very accustomed to the thinking that my generation was no different. We're just as greedy, selfish, ignorant, and pugnacious as all the countless generations before us. What could we possibly change? What's so great about us?

Then I started working on this mural. During the brainstorming process I had the privilege of hearing what my peers had to say concerning the state of the world, and how they thought the world should be. Hearing the relentless optimism of my fellow students gave me a new perspective. Sure, making a difference isn't going to be easy, but hey, why not? There's nothing stopping us.

The two canvases of our mural depict the world as we see it, and the world as we feel it should be — the problem and the rectified scenario. However, this mural is unfinished; do you see it? Right there, between the two. That's where the solution goes. It's not finished because it's a project that we as humanity are continuously working to paint. As the future scientists, educators, architects, artists, and politicians, we the youth add a little more to that canvas everyday. It's a daunting task, but it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.

My parents told me that my generation was going to fix the world. Before this I didn't believe it, but I think I can call myself an optimist again, and can safely say that I'm looking with great anticipation toward the future that my peers and I are going to create."

Claire Masteller's shares with hundreds of students at the United Nations, March 16th, 2007 for the Ghandi-King Season of Non-violence Youth Conference

"It is often said a picture is worth a thousand words", says Claire Masteller. "A picture is something universal that everyone around the world can understand. It has the ability to bridge the gaps between different races, religions, languages, and cultures. The Where Peace Lives Mural Exchange utilizes art as a medium to communicate peace. In a world full of so much turmoil and unrest, the discussion of peace is always open for new views and ideas. For years we have spoken of peace, but this project allows us to express ourselves in a new way that people all over the world can relate to. By taking our visions of peace and transforming them into concrete images we are able to communicate with others through the universal language of art.

Coming from Communications High School we have been taught to communicate through not only words but also images. So, when I first heard about the project I thought what better message to communicate than that of peace? This project was a great way to put all of our schooling to use in order to truly make an impact and create a positive change in the world by opening the eyes of many others to important world issues. This project will truly help the youth of the world to build bridges to universal peace.

As we worked to complete this project it became more than just a mural. With each hour devoted to it, and with each brushstroke we each put a part of ourselves into the mural. It was not just an image on a canvas anymore, it was so much more. It was a possibility, it was a future. The mural helped open our eyes to the world and to what the world could be.
We made the mural to make an impact, and in turn, it made an impact on us. It showed us that we were what the world needed to change. It showed us that peace truly lives inside us."
Communications High School, Wall, NJ

"Painting the mural showed all of us how peace is achieved. Even though we didn't always agree, we learned to compromise and in turn, we created peace between each other. " — Alexa Squillaro

"Sometimes, I still like to close my eyes and pretend that we had never finished painting the mural —For that, my friends, is an experience that I will not soon forget. " — Skippy Smith

"Aside from having a great time and getting in touch with an artistic side of myself that I rarely get to see, what I really feel that I am taking away from the mural project is a true idea of progress. We often worry so much about the details in life that it becomes difficult to keep the big icture in mind, but in this mural, every little detail, every little stroke of the paintrbush, was a step in the right direction. " — Shina Alads

"Working on this mural taught all of us that people with different ideas can come together and move toward peace. " — Samantha Jasanovsky

Conerly Road "Peacemaker" School, Somerset, NJ

"Working on the mural was a big thing for me because it made me feel happy and it explains what peace is." — Jasmine Blades, Grade 3

"Working on the mural made me feel joyful seeing big and small working together, it made me feel peace." — Shannon Lauder, Grade 3

"When I was working on the mural it felt like I was helping someone so I feel happy for when were giving our mural to someone else so they know what peace is to us." — Kyra Erel, Grade 3

"I think the mural helped bring out the peace in everyone." — David Earley, Grade 4

"Working on the mural made me feel happy because I got to be part of something big, and it was like seeing what peace means." — Michael Velez, Grade 4

"Working on the mural project made me feel very peaceful and happy. It made me happy and peaceful because I got to be with my friends and I got to learn how to make a mural." — Alayna Fuller, Grade 4

"Working on the mural made me feel happy because I was part of a very big thing with peace and love." — Emily Riha, Grade 3

"Working on the mural made me happy. I liked doing it because it was fun and everyone was able to do it."— Juliana Kosty, Grade 3

Peace from the Quantum Level

2007-03-26T13:51:00.001-05:00

A diffferent view point on getting to peace. It is always important to be informed and open to points of view and choose for one's self.

Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon

2007-03-26T13:48:00.001-05:00

What can the voice of one do? Well, just ask those who try....it takes a stand to make a difference in the world. It takes an ordinary person willing to be extraordinary to make a difference in the world.

Welcome to the PeaceBlog from Where Peace Lives

2007-01-12T19:32:00.000-05:00

We are building a world of peace. We are creating a conversation for a future that invents a whole new world—a world where peace is alive and real for all humanity. We see that future arising through young people. Our organization is committed that the world of the children and young adults we work with will never be the same. We choose to make our personal business peace for all humanity. When we stand there everyone jumps in.

The concept is to create a lasting non-profit organization that sheds light and focuses on people, events, and organizations around the world that are forwarding the conversation for peace. To take the conversation of peace and have it be one at the forefront of society rather than in the background. To bring a reality and tangibleness for people to the possibility of peace now rather than some day.

We will be sharing about the schools and students we will be working with here so check back often for updates, videos, new photos and exciting stories about children all over the world creating peace for humanity. Thanks for joining us.

Peace,
Jeff Clapp
Program Director, Where Peace Lives