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CPI is stewarded by Pathways To Peace
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Children and Youth as Peacebuilders
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Dear Peacebuilding Community,
This newsletter is dedicated to honoring, developing, and celebrating the power of children and youth to create a World at Peace.
This time of year marks a sacred season for many people around our world
: a time of renewed light and new beginnings. Throughout the world and in many cultures there are ancient texts and stories about the birth of a child that becomes a savior of the world. So, we are thinking about children. We say, "children are our future" and that we "must create Peace for future generations
." But do we truly see our children as powerful Peacebuilders today? How would our behavior change if we recognized that every child has the potential, right now, to change the course of humanity? What would change in our relationships with our children, if we knew they are or could be Peacebuilders NOW? In this newsletter, Pathways To Peace (PTP) highlights a few examples of children and youth who are actively engaged in changing our world. But before we do that, we have an announcement!
The New Pathways To Peace Website Highlights Your Pathway To Peace
It has been a long time in coming,
but we think it's worth the wait! A special thank you to all of you who contributed to the development of our new site, we appreciate you more than words can express! You'll find the new site to be interactive and easier to navigate. As you know throughout our history, PTP has lifted-up and supported Peacebuilders and their respective and diverse pathways to Peace. You inspire us,
and we wish to "Pay it Forward
." So, we're particularly excited about the opportunity for you to post your "pathway to Peace" on the new site, it's easy and quick, so check it out and share your pathway to Peace:
https://pathwaystopeace.org/your-pathways-to-peace/
Children and Youth are Changing Our World
"We want to strengthen and restore the Hope that refugee children once had. Their current situation should not define who they are or their future."
- An excerpt from the video "A House Divided"
PTP UN Youth Delegates and Global Leaders Continue to Rock Peace
around our World!
George Anthony, Pathways To Peace Representative to the United Nations and the extraordinary group of youth leaders in the Global Leaders Institute, are changing lives and changing our world.
Welcome Jessica Hoefer, Stephen Gironda and Marlenis Rosa to the Pathways To Peace Circle of Humanitarian Peace Builders!
A House Divided ...
George Anthony, Students from The Global Institute, led by Elizabeth Sheridan, Karen Nortz,
and Joseph Stanton, with support from PTP, recently completed and submitted a video "A House Divided" for the upcoming International Day of Tolerance to be held at UN Headquarters this Nov 16th. The video has garnered the attention of the UN and is one of the few videos selected for viewing at the whole UN Assembly. It truly speaks to the global commitment and impact of our youth! You can view the video
by clicking here
Katie McAvoy is on the Move ...
PTP Youth Representative Katie McAvoy is described by her mentor, George Anthony, as the "quintessential humanitarian road warrior spending time in Uganda, Kenya, Bangladesh, London, and New York as a Global Crisis Response Nurse." PTP is indeed fortunate to have Katie on our team! Kate recently returned from Bangladesh working with Rohingya Refugees and London where she was a PTP Representative at a Women's Leadership Conference on Mental Health. Katie celebrated the International Day of Peace (Peace Day) on September 21st with children in the Kutapolong Refugee Camp. Your heart will be warmed.
Please click here.
Sustainable Solutions
to Global Problems ...
George Anthony, Lindy Crescitelli, and Katelyn Grano, as well as students representing The Global Institute at Mater Dei Prep, represented Pathways To Peace as featured speakers at The DPI/NGO Global Conference in New York on August 21, 2018. The 67th UN DPI/NGO Conference focused on finding global solutions for global problems through effective communication and sustainable negotiation strategies. The UN Youth Delegates and Global Leaders hosted their own conference workshop where they introduced key components to conflict reduction and promoted vital effective communication tactics to assist UN NGO'S in establishing productive relationships in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
"The selection of the Mater Dei Prep Global Leaders Institute to present at the 67th United Nations DPI/NGO Global Summit
clearly demonstrates the strength of our program as a factor in preparing our students to enter the global stage. I am beyond proud of their professionalism and dedication to building a better world," said Mr. George Anthony, Head of the Global Leaders Institute, and PTP UN Representative.
Girls Rule ...
On Thursday, October 25, 2018, the Mater Dei Prep Global Leaders Institute and students from St. Mary Elementary School, in partnership with PTP, had the privilege of attending the "Who Rules The World" DPI/NGO conference at the United Nations in New York City.
Marlenis Rosa (ECOSOC) attended and supported the PTP message that "Girls Rule" at the Summit, as well as The NJ Governors Conference on Service. George Anthony and Lindy Crescitelli were lead presenters at this conference on "Developing Productive Work Place Environments."
Youth are Educating Global Children and Youth ...
The Global Leaders Institute has recently released their new global education
toolkit. The toolkit provides free lesson plans for students ages K-12. The program
is offered to all those who are in need of education, specifically those who have lost their homes due to war and other global issues. It's an impressive program, check it out here:
www.prep4peace.org
Peacebuilding Wisdom from 8th-Grade World Peace Flame Keepers
The commitment these young people have made and the wisdom they impart is an inspiration for all of us. They are true Peacebuilders! Brought to us from our partner program, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (ACPC), here is a little piece of their story ...
The World Peace Flame was lit at the Thalden Pavilion on the Southern Oregon University campus on Peace Day, Sept. 21st. The lighting of the World Peace Flame brought well-deserved international recognition, and to many of us, the most significant part of the ceremonies was the role of the 8th-grade students from Kristina Healy's class at nearby Ashland Middle School. These 8th-grade students volunteered to be Flame Keepers, which is a mighty large commitment! They will be keeping the World Peace Flame lit by refueling the oil lamp every Friday during the school year with 100 percent sustainable biomass lamp oil, as wells as keeping the lamp and enclosure clean. After three months, they were asked to share why it is important to have a World Peace Flame and what they liked about being a Flame Keeper. Here is some of the wisdom from those 8th Grade Flame Keepers:
"The Peace Flame gives hope for peace
and it can help change the world and make it a better place for new generations.
It is a big honor and there aren't very many in the world, and you get to be part of something so big!
"
"The World Peace Flame brings people together and it helps everyone know there is peace in the world. The Peace Flame represents how everyone is one in the world."
"Having a World Peace Flame, especially in our small community, is really nice because its being part of something bigger. There are only two in this country and we are helping and being the representatives in the United States and the Northern Hemisphere. ... I feel so good about my actions, it is a big responsibility, and it is really nice because it feels like we are helping peace around the world."
"It is such a reminder for people to stay peaceful where they are and it is a constant thing going that you can always look to."
"It is a reminder every day. Every time I see it I am reminded, "oh ya, be peaceful every day and don't forget about it." It is being part of something bigger than myself, it is about community and it is not just about me, it's about everyone".
"It is important because it shows us that peace isn't just one day of the year. It is every day. And it is always there in the background and we should focus on making the world a more peaceful place. It feels like I am doing something important that changes the world. It's just a good feeling".
We apologize for not having space to share all the quotes as they are all equally powerful reminders of the importance of putting commitment in action. You can get the bigger story by clicking here.
Pathways To Peace Unveils a New Program for Children
A Journey to Your Heart
"Somewhere, not far from here, there is a place we all can go. It is a journey to your heart
and there is a wonderful white spirit bear named One Song, who will take your hand and guide you there.
Atop a hill that looked out over a meadow sat an old apple tree. Every evening One Song sat under that tree. It was his favorite place to be.
A wise, old friend had taught One Song about being true to his heart and the importance of love. So, every evening in honor of the wise man's teachings, One Song sat under that old apple tree and thought about the choices he had made that day.
He asked himself, 'Did I care for others today the way I hope to be cared for?' Then he closed his eyes, went inside himself and listened to the quiet. The peacefulness filled his ears. Spending time this way helped him find his way to his heart."
From A Journey to Your Heart
PTP would like
to introduce you to One Song, a White Spirit Bear, who along with his lightning bug friend Flint brings a heartfelt message of love, compassion, and life-affirming values and behaviors. These characters are featured in the first fable in a new series called A Journey to Your Heart. The Journey to Your Heart program is for children and adults from all walks of life that need hope, healing, and to hear they matter. We all know that, at all ages, healing is needed for us to be able to bring Peace to our world. Whether you are connected to a child in need of healing, or whether you wish to heal your own "inner child," A Journey to Your Heart resonates within the Heart and brings forward ancient wisdom through a voice that whispers "you are special."
As pictured, along with the storybook, One Song is handmade and signed. One Song comes with a pen and an invitation to write feelings and stories on his coat. His beautifully beaded and feathered staff can be used as a talking stick for groups of children to share in a talking circle. A Journey to Your Heart heals through the power of story, love, kindness, and heartfelt truth. "I Matter" is central to all children and all people. If you are interested in learning more about A Journey to Your Heart and the One Song Package, you can check out the website:
www.FLINTANDONESONG.com
The LiveaMoment App: A Peacebuilding Tool for Children
Children have an inherent emotional intelligence that, if nurtured, creates "open heart connections" with others. We cannot bring Peace to the world when we aren't in touch with it in our own lives. The LiveaMoment app is used with children as a tool to help them identify their emotions, building emotional intelligence, and to then "see" that others in other parts of the world are also experiencing those emotions. Check out this LiveaMoment video:
We're Asking for Your Support ...
In this season, Peace is on the lips and in the hearts of us all. Around the world, Peacebuilding has never been more important. We are in gratitude for your past support, and we need your help to continue our work.
If Pathways To Peace has touched your heart in any way, we are asking you to donate to support our collective work. We are a Social Profit organization and your gifts are tax deductible. We can't do it without you!
We know that real Peace works through relationship, collaboration, and cooperation - person to person, organization to organization, and through the synergy that comes from collaborative action. We are grateful for our continued partnership with you.
Together, we are building a sustainable culture of Peace for all.
Thank you from the Pathways To Peace Team!
We wish you Peace!
About Pathways To Peace
Pathways To Peace expands the understanding and expression of Peace, fosters Peacebuilders and Peacebuilding activities, and builds an integral movement for a Culture of Peace.
Pathways To Peace (PTP) is an international Peacebuilding, educational, and consulting organization. For over four decades, PTP has been actively making Peace a lived reality. PTP is an UN-designated Peace Messenger Organization and has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). PTP works locally and globally, inter-generationally and multi-culturally, to support Peacebuilding, Peacebuilders, and to collaborate with other organizations in initiatives that advance the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI).
Since its inception in 1981, PTP has worked with the UN to expand awareness of and engage in the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), which is held annually on September 21st. Peace Day has grown from a single event of a few hundred people into a global movement that reaches hundreds of millions of people. Peace Day, as established by unanimous United Nations resolution in 1981, provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
http://internationaldayofpeace.org
With participants from around the world, the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a cooperative local-global Peacebuilding Initiative, uniting the strengths of organizations, networks, projects, and people to realize a Culture of Peace for the Common Good. The CPI also serves as a vehicle for bringing to light many previously unseen and unheard Peacebuilders working along diverse paths, who are embodying the emerging Culture of Peace within Humanity. The annual highlight of the Culture of Peace Initiative is the International Day of Peace, which provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and nations to work together, on a shared date, to create practical acts of Peace with a year-round impact.
"Peace is both an innate state of being and a dynamic, transformative, and evolutionary process."
This is how PTP defines Peace. Peace begins within, and as others discover inner Peace, they will radiate Peace and engage in a Peaceful way of life. At PTP, we see this happening around our world, as seen in the spread of the
International Day of Peace and the growing
Culture of Peace Initiative.
We are moving beyond separation and recognizing our common humanity. We are acting to end violence and to embody the Peace our humanity cries out for and demands. We are envisioning and creating a world at Peace.
This newsletter comes to you from Pathways To Peace (PTP),
steward of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) newsletter. PTP is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, whose work would not be possible without our volunteers and your support. If you would like to support Pathways To Peace and Peace Day activities around the globe, you can do so by clicking the Donation Button above. A heartfelt thank you from the Pathways To Peace Team!
Thank You!
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Pathways To Peace, P.O. Box 1057, Larkspur, CA 94977
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