International Day of peace

“Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion.”  Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace

On the International Day of Peace, we’re being asked to keep the peace despite any differences we may have, and also to play a role in creating a culture of peace. We’re being asked to imagine a world where all people live together in harmony.

 Jane Goodall has advocated on behalf of the natural world for decades. As it turns out, what’s good for the natural world is good for humans, and visa versa. Our health and well being are interconnected. So if we humans are peaceful, that helps out the natural world too. As the supposed smartest species, let’s use our smarts and our hearts to make wise choices that respect all life forms. 

Here are a couple of ideas of ways to celebrate Peace Day and to build a culture of peace:

1. Participate in the Peace Wave. Observe one minute of silence at 12 noon. As this is observed across all time zones, a ‘Peace Wave’ moves around the globe.

2. Learn the history of Peace Poles, then build, decorate and plant your own

History: https://www.worldpeace.org/history/ and https://www.worldpeace.org/founder/

Here’s how to build, decorate and plant one: https://peace-pole.com/make-your-own/

For a kit, here’s the Youth Art Peace Pole Project: http://yappp.org/