Count Down to International Day of Peace

We are at the 6 month countdown to Peace Day 2010!

On the weekend of May 1-2, let's begin by simply connecting with local neighbors and residents, to prepare for Peace Day on the week of September 21. Start meeting new people who are interested in Peace issues, by organizing a group meeting or event. Ask friends or fellow co-workers to help. Here are 9 ways to get the ball rolling:

1. Have coffee... or tea.
2. Host a film screening.
3. Invite a guest speaker.
4. Setup a volunteer event.
5. At events, crowds or classrooms, pass around a contact sheet for those interested in Peace Day.
6. Invite local nonprofits who work on "Peace" issues in your community.
7. Meet at a home, school, office, church, bookstore, bar, yoga studio or cafe!
8. Call the event/meet-up "Peace in (your city/town)".
9. Organize a monthly "Peace" themed event.

Suggestion: Create a new Facebook page to promote meeting(s) and the build-up to Peace Day 2010. For example: "Peace Day in (city/town)". Share with us your page if you do! We'll link to your page, to help others find you!

CPI will continue to share ideas, updates and highlights of the build-up to Peace Day online and through our newsletters. By the way, our Facebook page has nearly 19,000 participants! www.facebook.com/peaceday.

UN Observances and theme: Representatives from organizations within CPI are working with the United Nations Deptartment of Public Information on this year's theme for the International Day of Peace. Human rights, environmental sustainability and the Millennium Development Goals are all being considered. We will keep everyone informed when a theme is announced.

Peace Day Global Broadcast: The Unity Foundation is seeking submissions for the 2nd annual Peace Day Global Broadcast, subtitled: Building Peace Through Sustainability. This year's focus will be on the Millennium Development Goals. To learn more go to www.peaceday.tv. For video submission forms, sponsorship applications, affiliations, and other information please contact Bill McCarthy at unityfoundation1@aol.com.

The Music4Peace Initiative and Tour aims to educate, empower, and improve the world, by striving to eradicate hunger and violence while providing clean water. The first events announced for the 2010 tour include: a Hip Hop Summit in South Africa during the World Soccer Cup in June, and the Gandhi Tour in Brazil on the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21st. Music4Peace has also announced the launch of a Film 4 Peace Contest. Visit www.music4peacetour.com for more details.

You are a pathway to Peace,
Your dedicated Team at CPI

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi
________________
This newsletter is presented by Pathways To Peace, the International Secretariat of the Culture of Peace Initiative, a UN designated Peace Messenger program, that includes thousands of organizations across the globe. Pathways has been involved with the International Day of Peace since it's inception in 1981 and has nurtured this occasion into an annual global observance, that is intercultural and inter-generational in nature, and reaches hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Governments, religions, educational institutions, businesses & professionals, non-profits, the media, grassroots organizations and people from all walks of life are involved. To learn more about our programs, networks, campaigns and support materials see our websites below.

Acting in concert, we do make a difference in the quality of our lives, our institutions, our environment and our planetary future.

Through cooperation, we manifest the essential spirit that unites us amidst our diverse ways.

Pathways To Peace
PO Box 1057
Larkspur, CA 94977
http://www.cultureofpeace.org/
http://www.pathwaystopeace.org/
www.internationaldayofpeace.org

When does an act of service become an act of peace?

I attended a free webinar sponsored by edutopia.org. about Three Cups of Tea. It was a great experience to share my computer with 5,000 teachers and students around the USA. I hope the webinar will be made available to teachers because it had great pictures and a powerfull Q/A with Greg.

Greg focused on placing importance of learning from elders. This is alive and well in Pakistan and Afganistan, he said, but seems to be a lost treasure in the USA.

Another image he left in my heart was "some of the balls kids play with in America are made with "Afganishtan slave child labor."

I wish I was able to recall all his words, but the ones left in my memore are about some of the lessons the military learned from Three Cups of Tea:
Listen more
Respect
Build Relationships

Greg also stated that if you educate a boy, you educate the individual; if you educate a girl, you educate the community.

Another statement he made that I want to remember was: "When your heart speaks, Take GOOD NOTES.". This was his answer to a kid who wanted to know where he found his inspiration.

He talked about Pennies for Peace and service-learning projects generated from Pennies for Piece for local causes like the Little Red Wagon Foundation, an 8-year old kid who will walk for one million dollars to help homeless children.

He also mentioned that American pennies have the power to erradicate illiteracy.

Greg stated that the Taliban is afraid to destroy some of his schools because they were build by free labor from the communities where they stand.

He ended his presentation with a few suggestions

1. Empower elders in Afganistan
2. Do not shelter our kids from the realities of the world

He ended with a quote from MLK "Even if the world ends tomorrow, I will plant my see today."

I look forward to his presentation at Lloyd Noble, APRIL 21, 4:00 P.M. FREE ADMISSION.


The Pinwheels for peace and the Pennies for Peace Project will be the Casady YAC projects-all school project- for next year in the month of September. The project will start in August and culminate on September 21, International Day of Peace.




Circle the World
By Dana Lyons

What if we could circle the world
Flying peace doves beneath the sun
Giant twenty foot wings of fabric
That are hand made by everyone
Pmce a uear we circle the world
Saying ain't it time to burry the guns
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

Its a dream and its a vision
Its a prayer that we may see
When every person, every creature
Will be treated with dignity
When every war will be a memory
We never shall repeat
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

Its a parade and its a party
Giant puppets with many drums
Its a song with many rhythms
That is sung in many tongues
Its a giant snake dance
In every country beneath the sun
Our time has come and we have begun
To Circle the World

www.cowswithguns.com