Yelling and profanity burst our joyous family union like a needle stabbing a balloon. What was once a warm, inter-generational breakfast became a cauldron of fury and recrimination. Months passed until forgiveness and apology began the process of healing. A careless comment from my spouse hurt, but letting it go became the balm to […]
At this time of year people think about peace. They send holiday cards with peace written on them in attractive lettering and seasonal colors or which have idyllic scenes of snowy nights and animals in the woods or which have gleeful snowman or motorcycle riding Santas. And yet there is no peace on earth. Joshua […]
If you were going to make the biggest book in the world, what topic would you choose? What would you have the most to say about? What would you want to tell people that would take thousands of dollars, many years, and the efforts of hundreds? A group of fifth graders chose PEACE. Here is […]
What does it mean to be an effective ally in a social movement? To be an ally means to be someone from outside an oppressed group who comes to help those who are discriminated against. The following ideas are summarized from a roundtable discussion broadcast on the radio program Making Contact and reprinted this week […]
April is National Poetry Month. What books are you reading to your children? Are they full of hippity hoppity bunnies and spring flowers? Nothing wrong with that. But how about trying one or more of these. Here are three poetic books to share with your children. Each one is completely different from the other, but […]
Do you love torture? Do you watch TV shows and movies where characters are subjected to intense physical pain? Do you play video games where you stomp on characters and mutilate them? Do you read books where evil minds and law enforcement design new ways to extract that important bit of information from the hero or the criminal? Seems […]
by Joan Koster, author Growing Artists: Teaching the Arts to Young Children We may not understand the words in a song or the techniques in a painting from another time or place, but we can feel the artist’s humanity and feel what is important to him or her. In this way we can cross boundaries […]
There was once a boy named Nikolai who sometimes felt uncertain about the right way to act. “I want to be a good person…but I don’t always know the best way to do that.” So writes Jon J. Muth in a retelling of a story by Leo Tolstoy: The Three Questions. When is the best time to do […]
Modern man inherits all the pugnacity and all the love of glory of his ancestors. Showing war’s irrationality and horror has no effect on him. The horrors make the fascination. War is the strong life. William James Last Friday, September 21, was the International Day of Peace. Did you honor the day? I did. Thousands […]
The following Peace Pledge was written by teachers Hillary Squier and Joan Koster for their students. It is intended for young children, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if our world leaders took this pledge too? I pledge respect to everyone Not just to those I know. Family, friends, and neighbors All need my help to grow. […]
Working for Peace “It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it, one must work for it.” Eleanor Roosevelt Watch unsupervised children at play and most people will come to the conclusion that human beings are not by nature peaceful creatures. Being peaceful inside oneself […]
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