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2007 Creating a Culture of Peace

Creating a Culture of Peace Through the Eyes of a Child, by Meredith Hall (PJC Member)                         Last night I sat down on my bed and began reading a book to my niece. We were reading the book Imagine a children's storybook with beautiful illustrations drawn for the lyrics of the equally beautiful peace anthem “Imagine” by John Lennon.    As I read she listened intently with her little head nestled on my shoulder.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw tiny fingers feeling for the pages. She stared at the images before her. A look of wonderment crept upon her face, hiding behind her rosy cheeks.   I stopped reading and looked at her.              “What's the matter?” I asked.  As she waited a few moments, I was trying to figure out what could possibly be the matter. One of the pages read “Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion      too...”  I was hesitant about this page, for she often asked about death and what it meant to die.       Another question about death, I presumed and began to prepare for what she might say next.             “Why isn't the world like this?” She said looking up at me with a look both of sadness and intrigue. I found myself in awe that such a complex question came from a four year old, but none the less I quickly began to rack my brain for an answer.              “I don't know.” I answered with an instant thought of dissatisfaction.  All the questions she had asked before seemed so simple, like “Why does Cinderella have a blue dress?” The common answer in a house full of feminists was “Cinderella feels the need to break away from society's restrictions by wearing the color blue as opposed to the color pink, for she feels the color pink limits her to the idea of gender characterization by certain colors.”  At this response, she would simply nod and continue coloring in her princess coloring book.  At this question however, I knew her young mind would be dissatisfied until there was an explanation she deemed appropriate and  no amount of princess coloring books could detain her interest.  The sad truth was, I really didn't know why our world had become what is has.  When I was her age things seemed so different.  I never had to live in fear of going to preschool because someone threatened to bomb the building (my only fear was the occasional “accident”) or being afraid just stepping outside my door like many young women in the nation of Iraq have to feel everyday. Never did I have to seek refuge in the streets knowing I would be abducted and made to be a child solider if I were to stay in the convenience of my own home, just like the children of Uganda do every night.  Where has peace gone? If anything we have bred a culture so far from peace, we do not remember what it is anymore. My hopes for peace are days  when there are no longer fictional story books depicting the world without war, poverty and indifference, but a day in fact when these books can be nonfiction. I'm sure everyone would love to live in a world where the only real problem was the occasional fire breathing dragon, but sadly “to most people, peace is just a fairytale” as someone once told me.  It doesn't have to be this way.  Peace is not something we can try to go looking for, but instead something we can create.   It can start small just by something as little as holding the door for someone, yet when you keep in mind that we can always hold open more doors until we no longer have doors or walls of confinement, we instead will have hands holding one another and supporting the structures of peace.              I  looked at my niece and she looked at me.              “I changed my mind,” I said. “Our world can be this way,” I said.  With a look of confusion she glanced into my eyes.  She had more love and peace within her little heart than most of the world had.  “And we can be the ones to change it,” I told her. She smiled.  “But remember, it starts right here.” I pointed to her heart and she giggled.                                                              “Imagine all the people, Living life in peace...”                                                                                                   -John Lennon We turned the page and prayed for change.   Creating a Culture of Peace 2007 Call for Essays Invitation to Participate   Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Peace and Justice Coalition, in connection with the May 19, 2007 Second Annual Peace and Global Citizenship Fair, is sponsoring an essay contest.   All adults, 18 years of age and up who live in the Bluegrass of Kentucky are eligible to participate. In 1000 words or less, articulate your vision of how we can create a culture of peace in Lexington and the Bluegrass of Kentucky.   The United Nations defines a Culture of Peace as “a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations (UN Resolutions A/RES/52/13 : Culture of Peace and A/RES/53/243, Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace). For peace and non-violence to prevail, we need to: foster a culture of peace through education; promote sustainable economic and social development; promote respect for all human rights; ensure equality between women and men; foster democratic participation; advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity; support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge; and promote international peace and security.”   Please complete the entry form printed on the back of this information sheet. Entries will be accepted at Bluegrass Community and Technical College between April 1st and April 16th.  Two $50 prizes will be awarded and the entries will be displayed on May 19th, during the Second Annual Peace and Global Citizenship Fair, at the BCTC campus (directly north of Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington). The best essays will be displayed publicly and recognized with the winning entries sent to the newspaper for publication.   If you have any questions about this contest, please contact Rebecca Glasscock, Associate Professor of Geography and faculty advisor for the Peace and Justice Coalition. Contact info: rebecca.glasscock@kctcs.edu, (859) 246-6319, and www.peace2day.org.   We thank the Shambhala Center of Lexington and several community-minded citizens for their support of this contest.         Creating a Culture of Peace: 2007 Essay Entry Form     Name: _____________________________________   Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Telephone number __________________________   Email address:_____________________________________   Are you 18 years of age or older? _________   Title of your essay: ______________________________________________________________   Deliver or mail entry to Peace & Justice Coalition, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, 221 Moloney Building, 470 Cooper Drive, Lexington, KY 40506. For pick-up at your school, call (859) 246-6319.   Entries will be accepted from April 1-15, 2007.       text