Hope after Peace Day

9/21 2012 Collaborative Reflection

Personalize your own free photo slideshow International Day of Peace 2012 in OKC   On September 21, 2012, International Day of Peace, students throughout Oklahoma City participated in a variety of activities that culminated at the annual Oklahoma City University Multicultural Festival and a 1,000 Pinwheels for Peace Garden sponsored by a diverse group of Oklahoma artists, educators, the Respect Diversity Foundation, and the Friends of the United Nations of Greater Oklahoma.   Students from Dove Academy at Oklahoma City University learned from activities facilitated by festival chairs, Mikel Ibarra, Joan Korenblit, and Japan America Society education coordinator Dr. Gigi Hu. After viewing and reflecting a short trailer on “Peace One Day” and “On a Paper Crane, Tomoko's Adventure,” students made origami cranes for peace and wrote Haiku poetry. Before planting pinwheels made at their school, they walked through a peace labyrinth, learning about the importance of quiet meditation from labyrinths in Oklahoma writer Gail Peck.   By 5pm on 9/21/2012, a dozen co-sponsoring organizations and a large drumming circle welcomed hundreds of participants to the Multicultural Festival. Participants in Shinnyo-en Foundation’s Six Billion Paths to Peace T-shirts enjoyed artists from a variety of ethnic traditions. The grand finale was a dance of peace with audience participation. Said author Michael Allen, “This festival and the many activities during the eleven days of unity, 9/11-9/21, happened because people of diverse cultures worked together and decided that we CAN make this a more peaceful world.”  From creating pinwheels for peace encouraging a global truce on violence, to participating in service-learning projects, thousands of Oklahoma students were immersed in dialog and action of a shared sustainable culture of peace, economic justice, and environmental stewardship from 9/11-9/21!   Oklahoma Centennial High School observed the shift from “I” to “WE” with curricular connections. “It was challenging and rewarding to collaborate with core teachers and administrators. My students created peace key chains, because they are the key to change, a "new green" cleaning product, and are currently finalizing their service-learning project reflection on how to make a real difference and impact the world in which they live” said Career and Technology instructor, Carrie Renfro. Kindergarteners at Mercy School enjoyed a diversity story-teller and discussed what they learned. “We’re all different, just like the crayons in the story, and we’re all important!” exclaimed five year old Mohamed. At Piedmont Middle School and Western Oaks Elementary School, students learned about the impact of choosing a path of kindness over bullying. Piedmont Art teacher Frances Williams explained, “From their discussion, it was obvious that this unit had a great impact on our students!” “This conversation is making an important difference; it will continue,” stated Western Oaks art teacher Staci Craven. From K-12th grade, Casady students pledged their commitment to SEE PEACE in acts of kindness, service, and non-violence.” Older students also viewed the video by Jeremy Gilley, PEACE ONE DAY before pinwheel making. Carmen Clay, Service-Learning Director, stated, “Students realized that this day is working because it is saving lives and creating a desire for intentionally kinder communities and a self-patrolling non-violent way of life."  Anne JOsette Hill, Casady freshman, commented, “I personally befriended a former rival over a pile of half finished pinwheels.”  Primary Division Director, Mrs. Jane Sharp stated, " Dr. Montessori said, ""Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education." Every day our teachers are involved with this important work of peace by showing grace and courtesy to each other and to the children so that they may then show peace to others. We will be celebrating this important date every year with our youngest students here at Casady."

A message from Jeremy

Dear Friend,

I hope this finds you well. I wanted to update you on the successes of Peace Day 2012 as well as introducing you to two exciting new initiatives as part of Peace One Day’s education programme.

2012 was an incredible success; the coalitions as part of the Global Truce campaign united NGOs, students, schools and organisations that work towards tackling domestic violence, as never before.

The Schools’ Network alone represented nearly 800 schools and thousands of students in over 90 countries and we are aware of many more who were active on the day.

Our focus now is to measure the impact of Global Truce 2012. We would like to report on our combined efforts so that we can all own these results and build on them year on year. To this end it would be wonderful if you could complete the post-Peace Day Feedback form.


Thank you so much if you already have. I would now like to invite your students to take part in an amazing new initiative to build peace in their community. The Microsoft Spark Peace Movement enables young people (between the ages of 13-25) to develop projects that seek to create meaningful change in their immediate environment. Whatever your students are passionate about; it can be anything – Sport, music, art or any activity your students believe has the capacity to spark peace in their community.


Peace One Day will select the most engaging and innovative projects and give each the opportunity to raise funding for the projects on GiveforYouth.org, with an upper limit of USD$10,000 per project. It could not be simpler to join. Visit the Peace One Day Facebook page and click on the SPARK PEACE app to submit project ideas and for more information. The deadline for entries is the 21st October 2012. We have created a Spark Peace poster to help you spread word of this initiative to your students.

The second exciting development I wanted to update you on concerns our Global Education Resource. For teachers and parents, Peace One Day has partnered with Skype to create an innovative crowd-funding platform, Skype for Peace. Contributions to this platform will help to realise our goal of seeing Peace One Day’s Global Education Resource in every classroom around the world. Please share this with other teachers and parents as appropriate; donations can be as small as USD$10 and every contribution helps. To help you promote the Skype for Peace campaign we have created a poster that you can print out to share with your community. Many thanks for all of your support, Warm regards, In peace Jeremy

Peace one Day 2013

International Day of Peace 2012 Reflection

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OKC INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 2012

On September 21, 2012, the 31st birthday of the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, hundreds of students throughout Oklahoma City participated in a variety of activities confirming that there are many paths to peace.

Oklahoma City youth and adults planted approximately 1,000 Pinwheels for Peace at the Oklahoma City University (OCU) Pinwheel Garden, the unifying symbol of our commitment to a self-patrolling non-violent way of life. All day long, random people of all cultures stopped to make their own pinwheels and planted them in the Giant Pinwheel Garden. Little children played happily around the pinwheels as they blew gently on the blades of the pinwheels, coaxing them to spin with their hope of PEACE ONE DAY.


The first group to arrive to OCU were students from DOVE Science Academy. They learned about Peace One Day, an initiative that in 2012 called for a global truce on violence. Then, they viewed On a Paper Crane, Tomoko's Adventure sponsored by the Japanese American Society of Oklahoma, made origami cranes for peace, and wrote imagined peace Haikus. After walking through a peace labyrinth, learning about the importance of quiet meditation, students planted their school-made pinwheels. The SIA Comanche Nation Ornithological Society shared a spectacular Eagle and White Hawk as the drum circle began to welcome hundreds of participants to the OCU International Day of Peace multicultural festival. The magnificent birds had attended a special assembly at Dove Science Academy and were the opening act of the OCU Festival reminding audiences that all sentient beings have a right to exist peacefully, and that all creatures are connected.


Throughout the International Day of Peace, on the campuses of OCU and Casady Schools, hundreds of youth and adults could be seen wearing a t-shirt with a colorful message,"6 Billion Paths to Peace" generously donated by the Shinnyo-en Foundation. The t-shirts are a lovely reminder to “think and act peace.”


A few examples of connections to the billions of paths to peace through kindness and service along with pinwheel making during the 11 Days of Global Unity (9/11-9/21) in Oklahoma city were:




1. Centennial High School observed the shift from I to WE with curricular connections to the 11 Days of Unity (9/11-9/21), pinwheel making, and a school wide initiative for a CALLED2CHANGE and service.

2. At Saint Anthony Hospital’s Human Restoration Unit, students considered the impact of having at least one day of peace throughout the world while making the highly admired giant stained glass pinwheels featured at OCU.


3. At Mercy School kindergarteners enjoyed a diversity storyteller, discussed how everyone is unique and everyone is important. They participated in an art integration project and made pinwheels. The Mercy School Vice-Principal attended a pinwheel making opportunity as part of a Youth LEAD OKC meeting.  Then, she empowered her school to participate in 9/21 for the first year.  Mrs. Buthaina Jwayyed stated that her school will have greater participation next year.

4. The Respect Diversity Foundation invited students to the Downtown Library to enjoy a story-telling event with a diversity author who shared her books, emphasizing the fact that everyone deserves to be respected and that everyone has a story. Participants then created colorful pinwheels.

5. At Piedmont Middle School, art teacher Frances Williams, shared with students the value of a Global Truce and the impact of choosing a path of nonviolence.

6. Western Oaks Elementary School, art teacher Staci Craven, has a 99% poverty rate and a 79% transition rate amongst their students. They discussed the importance of honoring each other and how peace can make the world a better place with emphasis on bullying.

7. At Casady Schools, Upper and Middle Division students viewed PEACE ONE DAY realizing that celebrating this day is working because it is a call to change, a call to create a culture of peace through kindness and service.  It is a day that is saving lives around the world.

From K-12th grade, students pledged their commitment to SEE PEACE in acts of kindness, service, and non-violence.
The Primary Division Director, Mrs. Jane Sharp stated, " We have 109 happy children who celebrated this past September 21st. The children made pinwheels and wrote on them what gave them peace. We all went together to the chapel where Father Blizzard blessed our pinwheels. We sang songs together and then we enjoyed the moment when our pinwheels spinned with the breeze. The joy of looking at these 3-6 year old children celebrate this day was profound. We are a Montessori based program at Casady School. Dr. Montessori emphasized the word peace in her teaching. Montessori said, ""Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education." Every day our teachers are involved with this important work of peace by showing grace and courtesy to each other and to the children so that they may then show peace to others.  We will be celebrating this important date every year with our youngest students here at Casady." 

In the Lower Division art classes, the Silence Foundation started an art integration project addressing complement mentoring as a bullying prevention activity.

The Middle Division English and History classes began a year-long project with a visit to the Oklahoma National Memorial Museum where 7th and 8th graders paused to reflect in the calming waters of the reflecting pool and left their hand prints and thoughts of peace one day in the memorial's walls of fear and hope.

 The high school YAC (You-nite A Community) promoted weekend interfaith family service opportunities throughout the month of September and the MD International Club unveiled a peace symbol a day at their chapel service during the 11 Days of Unity. Anne JOsette Hill, a Casady YAC freshman Chair and volunteer at the OCU Festival from stated, "This is a day the world unites. The thinnng threads of humanity holding us together strenghten. Bonds are formed between countries and individuals alike. This year, for Peace Day 2012, my school made hundreds of pinwheels. We decorated our campus with them and shared ideas of peace with each other. I personally befriended a former rival over a pile of half finished pinwheels, and even if it is only for one day, that day is worth any sacrifice. But it is fragile, like a butterfly's wing, violence will tear it apart. Also like a butterfly's wing, if we care for it, nurture it, and strenghten it, we will fly. What will you do to eliminate violence on Peace Day?"

 By 5pm, inside the OCU Student Center, a dozen co-sponsoring organizations had an array of literature and give-away items. Outside, a large drumming circle began, creating a festive atmosphere with a primal beat.

By 6pm, the performances began in the Great Hall where participants enjoyed the talents of singers and dancers from various ethnic traditions. The grand finale was a dance of peace in which all audience participants were invited to dance to a Pinwheels for Peace song created for this special day. This spectacular day (and the 10 days leading up to it) was a result of many volunteers who believe that "Never before have so many voices spoken out so clearly about building a shared sustainable culture of peace, economic justice and environmental stewardship. http://we.net/11days" It takes a change from I to WE! It takes a Village!