September 21st is the International Day of Peace. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, this day is supposed to be a day of non-violence and cease-fire. Combatants everywhere in the world are asked to put down their weapons. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982. That’s thirty-three years ago. A […]
International Flag of Earth
Flag day is approaching. How will you celebrate it? Consider waving a flag that joins us all together. Here is one proposal for a Flag of the Earth. Do you like it? Can you and your children design a better one? Send us photos of your ideas and we will post them on our website.
Another Song for Christmas
By Joan Koster You may be familiar with Stevie Wonder’s Song Someday at Christmas. Here is version you may not have seen. The war in East Congo has been going on for over twenty years and is being fought over copper, tin, and coltane (tantalite) – over 24 trillion dollars worth – all important components of your smartphones […]
A Christmas Carol for the World
There can be no peace on earth until we are at peace with the earth. Please join in singing this song with your students, your neighbors, your friends, your relatives, and your children. Then take action. Save the Whales Save the Rainforest Save the Polar Bears Save the Elephants Plastic in our Oceans Ban Fracking […]
What are you doing for International Peace Day?
This coming Sunday, September 21, is the 33rd International Day of Peace. Established in 1981 by the United Nations the Day of Peace was intended as a time for us to strengthen our commitment to peace. In 2001 the United Nations established this day to be an annual day for non-violence and cease-fire. There are […]
A Resolution for Peace
It’s a new year. Following in the tradition of the ancient Babylonians and Romans, it is time to make those pesky resolutions. What will you resolve to improve this coming year? Research by Richard Weisman on Quirkology has shown that the failure rate is 88%. However, when men set small goals such as losing 10 […]
The Gift of Mindfulness
A recent study done by the New York University College of Nursing found that after only 4 months of mindfulness training incarcerated boys between the ages of 16 and 18 improved their ability to pay attention and deal with social situations in positive way. This is the largest study yet on the effect of mindfulness training […]
Nelson Mandela: A Life from which to Learn
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela has passed from this world leaving it a better place for having lived and fought for freedom and peace. He stands as a model for us all as a person who saw injustice and dedicated […]
4 Children’s Books about War
~ The Foolishness of War ~ Armistice or Remembrance Day November 11 was designated a holiday to recognize the ending of WWI hostilities in Europe in 1918. Would that had been the end of all wars as people hoped back then, instead of the beginning of modern warfare. Here are four children’s books that address the […]
A Big Book of Peace
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 […]
Syria Retaliation: What are we teaching our children?
The new school year has started. Teachers are busy educating their new students about how to behave in the classroom – How to make friends. How to help others. How to deal with bullies. In some school districts and states teachers are implementing new and tougher policies against bullying. These policies are very strict. Here, […]
How to be an Ally
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 […]
