Summertime Reflections

luyen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:22:13 -0600

I've often heard it said that how you experience life depends on your perspective. In fact, it's almost a cliché to say “it depends on your point,” unless you really, really try to understand what that means. I can't say I really understand what it means, but recently, certain events have helped me examine that idea more closely, and how it relates to peace -- more specifically, peace inside of me.

Parenthood

Roughly two weeks ago some friends visited from Montreal. They had been trying to conceive for a number of years, and had given birth to a beautiful baby boy a few months ago. I was extremely happy for them, and I looked forward to seeing them, and expressing my joy for their newfound family.

They stayed for four nights with me, and I took them around town, showing them the sights. Everywhere we went, the logistics were a bit different with a baby; stroller, diapers, feeding time, sleeping time. I have to admit, I was a bit overwhelmed at what it might mean to be a father, but I was duly impressed by the patience and compassion that my friends radiated towards their newborn; what would normally seem like an obstacle to me, such as getting somewhere on time, wasn't a big deal to them.

Of all the baby emergencies, feeding time was the most difficult for me. It rolled around precisely every two hours and it was like taking a forced break. Ready or not, you had to stop what you were doing, chill out, and let baby do his thing. At times I felt slightly annoyed, wondering if it bothered others that this baby was wailing at the top of his lungs, but there was a kind of graceful acceptance on my friends' part – they seemed happily resigned to accept something they couldn't change, and transformed it into something they happily accepted and wanted to nurture.

Looking back upon those few days, I felt privileged to be around the kind of unconditional ease with which many parents turn difficulties into treasured moments.

Four Days Off, Four Days Sick

The last four days have included the weekend, a day off, and a statutory holiday. Rewind to last Thursday when I caught a cold from my wife, which usually doesn't bother me, as I feel there's a kind of stoic chivalry involved! However, it was the first time in weeks that we finally got some hot weather, and while I hadn't made specific plans, I surely hadn't planned on nursing a cold.

It's the oddest of things, to hang out in the backyard with scorching temperatures, and to feel ill at ease. It's almost like looking at a postcard of a nice day when some of your senses aren't working properly, and your mind is in a congested haze. I kept telling myself, I just hope I don't get anybody else sick. With my parents staying over for two weeks, that was the last thing I wanted. Their arrival certainly helped, and I have to say that aside from some physical discomfort, I felt very loved and taken care of. And instead of going out, I stayed at home with my parents and got to know them better.

Now, maybe not everyone can relate to this, but the interesting thing is that, looking back, I remember times when I've been sick, and how bleak everything looked, and how this time with similar circumstances, I didn't feel too mentally bothered by it. In summary (sounds more formal this way), it seems like there's some clout to the whole peaceful perspective thing, not just hearing it or saying it, but observing it, and trying to look at things in a different way, especially when they aren't going the way we expect them to. I'm hoping I can keep this observation practice going, as I feel that it did bring peace of mind in situations that I usually experience as “not very peaceful.” I'll anxiously await the next obstacle, which should happen well before I write my next blog. Until then!

The Olympic Flame

peacemaker — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:40:59 -0700

The Olympic Flame, the iconic symbol of the International Games, will be brought from Athens to Beijing on March 31st, and will then begin the most ambitious round-the-world torch relay in Olympic history. The Torch will be passed from runner to runner on a 130-day trip that will cross all five continents and even scale the summit of Mount Everest, before it arrives at the National Stadium in Beijing for the August 8th opening ceremony.

Imagine if the Olympic Flame were truly a Torch of Peace, setting people’s hearts aflame in every country it passes through, inspiring them to reach out to family, friends, neighbors, even strangers, in ongoing Acts of Peace!

Imagine if everyone who saw the Torch really felt its heat, its message of hope, and then did something about igniting Peace -- without waiting for politicians to make deals, or armies to fight it out -- by starting immediately with the circle of people right around them. Imagine if all over the world, we lit our own flames of Peace directly from the Olympic Torch.

What if the five colorful Olympic Rings, that symbolize five continents of the world, were truly open circles -- like the three half rings on the logo of this website – so that the Bird of Peace could fly straight through the rings of anger, hatred, and revenge that separate families, neighborhoods, tribes, states, religions, and nations?

What if everyone who stood in line to see the Olympic Torch pass by, then turned around and committed an Act of Peace toward the person right next to them – or someone in need at home, in school, at work, at play? Imagine if all of us could catch the peace fire in our hearts – and become vibrant men and women and children of peace? Not tomorrow or the next day: but right NOW! What would change? Very Little? Or a lot?

We know Peace is not a magical thing. It takes daily work and commitment and courage. Sometimes, in the name of Peace, we will even have to protest against injustice, racism, and political repression, in all its forms. We will have to stand strong (or kneel down), and sacrifice bravely for what we believe in. Otherwise we don’t really believe in it. Peaceful resistance can also be an Act of Peace. It demands that we become stronger in mind and heart than injustice itself – in our willingness to face off against the enemies of Peace. But always, we must look for the most peaceful means of resistance, lest we become as violent in our peace-making as others are in hate-mongering. It’s a fine, fine balance.

Let’s think about it. Let’s not just watch the Olympic Torch be passed from runner to runner in country after country on TV, amid protesters on all sides. Let’s allow the Torch to ignite a flame in each one of us, deep within our hearts. Let’s ask questions about how a more peaceful approach to any given situation could really make a real difference in our lives. And then let’s personally commit in word and deed to passing on the Flame in a living way, through our daily Acts of Peace.

Wellsprings of Peace

peacemaker — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:32:51 -0700

Rujul Zaparde is a typical 13 year old, living in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Except for what he's doing. He's committing Acts of Peace far beyond what we adults usually try to do...even at our best. And they're already making a big, big splash. A year ago, Rujul traveled to his father's village - Paras, India - for the first time in his life. He knew his mother's former city, Mumbai (formerly Bombay.) But that was nothing like Paras, which is very, very poor. Mud and tin-roofed houses, no electricity, no running water, cows and buffaloes roaming the streets -- everyone steaming in 120 degree heat. Women walk two miles each day along dry, dusty roads to get water from the nearest well, wait in long lines, and then have to carry as much water as they can manage in clay jugs on top of their heads all the way back home. Every day. And this is all the water they have to cook with, bathe in, AND give to the animals on the farms where they labor. The villagers are themselves landless.

Rujul had never seen poverty like this, 7,840 miles from his Plainsboro home. According to a recent New Jersey Times article, he compared it to his life in New Jersey and just "couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like living there", where his uncle and grandfather still live. The stark differences really got to him. And then he DID try to imagine how he could "change that..."

He came back home to Plainsboro, and with his friend, Kevin Petrovic, both eighth graders at Princeton Day School in Princeton Township, set to work: they washed cars, had bake sales of pizzas and cakes, held sports tournaments with fifteen other friends -- all to raise money. It took the two boys a full year, but they managed to raise $1,000 to build the first tube well in the village. They even filed tax-exempt forms with the IRS to register as a not-for-profit, so they could become a legal charity and continue raising funds for more wells. They built a website, too: www.drinkingwaterforindia.org , full of pictures, news stories, information, and a way to donate.

This past December, Rujul and his parents returned to Paras. They hired workers who brought massive machinery that was able to incinerate rock down to 250 feet in search of water. The village elders chose the exact spot, said prayers, and the machinery started the big dig. Rujul was treated as a guest of honor -- old women kissed his feet in the traditional sign of respect -- but he was scared. What if they didn't find water? "Should I just sit in the car?" he asked his father...

Some 300 villagers watched and prayed for four hours. Then, at 70 feet, the soil suddenly became damp, muddy, wet, wetter...and when everyone realized they had "hit water", the crowd lifted Rujul up into the air in their happiness. Rujul gave the first jug of water to a village woman. Everyone drank from the new well. Fresh, clean water never tasted so sweet.

"It felt good," says Rujul. "We were working towards it for such a long time. It really felt good that we could achieve something." And back in New Jersey, his friend Kevin agrees: "They can actually feel it -- the water coming out. We've actually built the well there. That drives us to raise more money so we can build even more wells and change the lives of even more people."

Rujul just wrote me that they've already raised funds for two more wells that should be up in a month's time. "We've also started the Drinking Water for India Club at our school, where we have brought together a group of 15 students fundraising for the charity and raising awareness about the water crisis in India. We are also in the process of starting chapters of this club at other area schools. I don't think much has happened other than that."

No, not much. Just ongoing Acts of Peace that are dramatically transforming hundreds, eventually thousands, of people's lives -- every time they take a drink of water. Over 80 million people in India are without clean, drinkable water. Rujul may not even realize the full impact of what he's doing, as he and his friends build (according to his logo) "One Well at a Time." We never know where our Acts of Peace may lead. We just do what seems necessary in the moment.

I first heard about Rujul, not from the news media that have gobbled it up, but during a phonecall from one of my closest friends, Barbara Osburn, a dedicated teacher, who has known him for two years. She was the FIRST teacher to introduce our KIDS' TAP program -- journaling three Acts of Peace a day -- into her classroom last Spring. And she's contributed greatly to our Teachers' TAP guidelines as well. She is so proud of what Rujul has already accomplished!

Three Acts of Peace a Day...like three drinks of fresh water a day...will add up to over One Thousand a year. For every man, woman and child in our global village. Funny how fast Peace travels...just like running water...bubbling up from the ground. Changing peoples' lives.

At the site of the new well in Paras, there's a hand-painted sign: Well #001. For Rujul and his friends, it's just the beginning.

"And I shall have some Peace there..."

ShelliJoye — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:31:24 -0700

Peace can be elusive in our 'each day' world, unless we find a way to consciously, choice-fully, overtly practice an 'Act of Peace'. We find ourselves so easily being but observers: sometimes angry, sometimes shocked viewing the 'news', numbingly indifferent at best. Which is why this idea, this movement toward peace actions, is so refreshing, practical, powerful in its simplicity. It reminds me of something that all the religions should include in their primer for daily right action: Three Acts of Peace.

I'm finding lately that one or two of my daily Acts of Peace are simply to let the aggressive driver to my left or right go for it, to have my spot in the lane. In fact, whereas I used to find myself becoming irritated, if not downright angry, when someone tried to 'cut me off' in an aggressive manner, with no turn signal whatsoever, in a dangerous way, I now smile, realizing, "Here is an opportunity for an Act of Peace!" And I gently tap my brake and motion for him to move in with an authentically friendly gesture (as opposed to previous gestures I might have used) to have the place ahead of me. Wow, does this change my mood! I feel at once that I've defused a source of potential disturbance in my emotional heart and at the same time have been able to interject a little bit of peace into the world, rather than anger or resentment. Instead of clenching and becoming a bit uptight at the unfairness and aggressiveness of the world (of the person "trying to cut me off"), I smile at the thought that maybe my unexpected action has also had a peaceful effect on the other driver.

Also since beginning these Acts of Peace, I try always to raise my hand and wave in a friendly gesture in the rear view mirror when another driver lets me merge in to the space in front of his car. I remember in the past seeing a very rare driver do this to me and always thought, "How friendly the other driver is to acknowledge and thank me for letting him go ahead, without anger, but rather with a real and cordial acknowledgement that I am human, and we are not dehumanized by driving four ton contraptions of industrial metal, glass and carbohydron fuel...that roar!"

I've easily expanded this Act of Peace to being overtly friendly more often with sales clerks and checkout counter people. They must have a very stressful time many days, with so many customers often in a hurry, irritable, often on the verge of snapping unkindly. So I just try my best to smile and talk about the weather or find something positive to say a few words about, at the same time engaging them in a small conversation and making them feel like the other human being, child of God, that they are. I think it helps us both remember what a gift life is and what a wonderful gift our angels have given us, bringing us together like this to help one another.

It's easy finding ways to do an Act of Peace with my family and friends and colleagues, but it is these Acts of Peace done for strangers, the 'anonymous' driver and the 'anonymous' clerk, bringing them into the sphere of my friends and family, and treating them like the brothers and sisters on our planet that they are, that is an AMAZING experience. It takes so very little to do, but is, it feels to me, like a real drop of positivity invested in our lives, that, if taken collectively by more and more people, will undoubtedly have an outcome in our world, working to counter and offset the daily acts of violence and terror that we are regularly bombarded with when we read or watch the news.
It feels like I'm finally taking my peace into my own hands.

I'd like to close with a quotation from my favorite poem ...... by W.B. Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the mourning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Peace Rain in New York City

michael stanley — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:44:08 -0700

Hey all - I looked at my last entry's date and saw that it was almost a month ago. Either time flies or I'm very lazy, or a combination of both.

My topic is NYC. I visited last week. What a great city, I believe. A light of integration among the craziness of daily life. What a wealth of cultures -- I went to a restaurant last Friday night, I think every race and religion was present. I notice it more now than I used to. Where I currently live, the great majority have my color skin, and believe in the same religion that I believe in (and yet, sometimes I feel we are more different). I truly truly miss the diversity. NYC has MANY things to improve on, but it can be proud that so many different backgrounds walk the same streets.

Nonetheless, NYC is thirsty for Acts of Peace. The rhythm is so hectic, so fast paced -- that a few Acts of Peace a day would make such an impact. It was a Tuesday, it was rainy and cold. My pants, from the knees down, were soaked, thanks to a small umbrella. I had a cold. I was miserable. All I wanted to do was get a cab, go to my brother's and faint on what at that time seemed like the most comfortable, luscious sofa-bed ever. Around the corner, I could see an empty cab at the red light. I raised my arm, and he saw me waiting for him, and as the light turned green, the cab turned and stopped where I was standing. I could also see a woman running for the cab, probably hoping to try and catch it before the light turned green. When she saw the cab turn and stop where I was, she slowed down. She too, seemed miserable. So I signaled to her to take it. The interesting part of all this is that she seemed to be almost afraid to take it! She probably thought it was some sort of hidden camera joke.

Anyway, I realized that people in NYC aren't used to Acts of Peace. If any New Yorkers are reading this, you know what you need to do.

I waited another 10 minutes for a cab.

Chau - Michael

A Parcel of Peace

Robert Englund — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:19:13 -0700

It was over a year ago, on a cold wintry night in early January, that I gathered with a circle of friends in the home of the inspirational person who brought forth the concept for the work of One Thousand Acts of Peace. The concept of committed Acts of Peace that start individually, bringing about a change in our lives, and thereby spreading to the lives of others through daily acts of peace, intrigued me as a revolutionary idea that could be a template to start a grassroots movement for peace. And to change a world so full of hatred to a world moving toward peace. The evening lifted all of our spirits, filling us with a hope for this opportunity to be seized, and to make a positive change in our world.

After that evening, I considered how I could implement One Thousand Acts of Peace in my own life. I have often grappled though many layers of disbelief and the seeds of doubt that negative thoughts will sow in a person’s mind. How can I possibly bring about peace in my own life let alone cultivate peace in other people’s lives? I am not strong enough, and I am too selfish a person, were some of the many intruding thoughts discouraging my spirit from acting. I believe that inner peace is a lifelong endeavor, but have been reminded through instruction that staying with a discipline can bring about results.

When I thought about how to create an environment for peace in my life that would positively impact others, I thought about my travels. In my business of real estate, I have been traveling around the world for the past seven years. Two years ago, I traveled to Nicaragua and was captivated by a country so enchantingly beautiful but also gripped in miserable poverty. I immensely enjoyed my time exploring the southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, with many miles of pristine, secluded beaches, perfectly curled waves that beckoned to a few intrepid surfers, breathtaking volcanic islands arising from lakes that I viewed against a backdrop of an incredible sunset, the charming colonial city of Granada, the warmth and hospitality of the Nicaraguan people -- many of them very poor, but rich in spirit. Nicaragua is a place that is changing, moving forward with basic infrastructure. New highways and coastal roads are going in, plus power plants, residential and commercial real estate development projects, golf courses, schools, hospitals, ports and marinas.

Nicaragua is a place I have decided I want to spend time in. Last year, I purchased a parcel of land a few miles from the fishing village of San Juan del Sur. I am slowly developing the property with the idea that it will be a place of peace, for meditation and retreat. I have carved in a road to the top of the hill, planted mango, almond, guava, avocado, orange, and lemon trees. When my manager called me last week with the wonderful news that we hit a great amount of water where the chosen well site has just been drilled – some thirty gallons a minute! – I could only think it was a gusher of living waters of peace. I am planning to build the meditation center this year that will overlook the Pacific Ocean. The project name is Actos de Paz. I hope some of you will be visiting!

Peace in a Bottle

peacemaker — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:03:16 -0700

Taha Nawa is a fourteen-year-old Sunni boy living in Fallujah. He lost his father and uncle to sectarian violence. Has he turned inward to thoughts of hate and revenge? Is he volunteering to be a suicide bomber? No, he’s drawing beautiful, colorful pictures of a united, peaceful Iraq because he considers all Iraqis – Sunni, Shia, Kurd – to be his brothers. He wants Iraq to be one. He writes messages on his drawings such as: “To whomever picks up this letter, please help in unifying Iraq.”

According to a recent CNN report, Taha and thirty of his friends – a veritable Army of Peace – draw pictures of peace and write messages on them in their schoolyard. Then they roll the pages up tightly, place them in old plastic bottles, twist on the tops. When each teenager has completed four bottles, they all walk – arm in arm – down the embankment of Fallujah that used to be a dangerous war zone. They cross onto the bridge that was only recently decked with burnt bodies. And then, from the middle of the bridge, this little band of brothers throws their bottles over the edge – 120 at a time – into the Euphrates River that flows through all the sections of Iraq. And from which both Sunni and Shia drink.

Taha and his brothers return and continue to draw and color and write what Peace would look like – in the hope that someone along the great Euphrates River will pick up their messages in the bottles and do something to improve the security situation throughout Iraq. The bottles carry these kids’ ardent desire to change the violent world adults have thrust upon them. It may seem futile. It may also be the start of something big…

So let’s think of Taha the next time we commit an Act of Peace…or jot it down in our notebooks. We may not draw pictures and place our journals in bottles and send them downstream. But we sure can choose to be in unison with kids around the world like Taha who believe that, one by one, our Acts of Peace will make a difference. And though it may take time, our Acts of Peace will eventually get picked up by others – noticed, received, shared, appreciated, imitated. Then Peace will start flowing like a river…

Michael Stanley goes south

michael stanley — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:01:20 -0700

Happy New Year!

I was in Argentina these past holidays with family and friends. I did the usual things I do when I go back to my adolescent home. Party, Eat and Sleep. I eat another piece of meat, and I guarantee you I will turn into a cow. Which probably wouldn’t be a bad thing, perhaps then I will learn to eat less of it. Barbecue…mmmmmm….

Anyway, I found a project worth talking about. Talk about a Peace project. I discovered it because a cousin of mine runs the project. It’s called Mediapila. This literally means “half a battery”. In Argentina, it is used when you tell someone all they need to do is apply just a little energy. A few years ago, a group of friends, my cousin among them, got together and pondered the dire economic situation surrounding this beloved country. They thought of donating money, of helping food kitchens, you know, the typical things we all do (and should).

Yet, one of them, pounced on a brilliant idea. The idea was life changing, LIFE CHANGING, for 38 women. These friends decided to pitch in some cash, about $5,000 in all, and buy some sewing machines, materials, rent a space to start a t-shirt business. But they only employed women who they found collecting garbage.

Only women off of the street. I've seen these people myself. After the economic crisis, thousands of people rummaged through the city trash to find recyclable items, which they would in turn, get money for. They were taught to sew and stitch. The founders' job would be to design and sell the t-shirts. All the money would be re-invested into more job creation. Teach more women a craft, a skill. Don't let any politician tell you that Education isn't worth investing in!

So they began with 6 women, two years later they have 38. They sell over 6,000 Tʼs a year. But it doesn't stop with a T-shirt company. They want to move on to other businesses, like other clothing, and other industries completely different.

38 women who earn a dignified wage, who can support their families. Whose lives are changed! This is what Peace should be about. Changing lives.

In a world where war, corruption and violence make front page, this is about as refreshing as it gets.

Until next week,

Michael

The Power of Peace

peacemaker — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:27:38 -0700

Osama bin Laden – or one of his mouthpieces – again demands ''blood for blood, destruction for destruction.'' Benazir Bhutto and dozens of others are killed by a suicide bomber intent on the destruction of the democratic process in Pakistan. And Pakistani people riot in anger, destroying cars, banks, police stations, setting fire to anything and everything. Over and over again the cycle plays out, ever more deadly, ever more despairing: “blood for blood, destruction for destruction.” Is this any way to effect a cause or solve a problem, however horrific? “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?” Have we learned nothing? Yet we know there is another way. There is the Power of Peace that is greater than all the suicide bombers and madmen bent on perpetuating violence and suffering and death. There is the Power of People who come together committed to finding solutions to the enormous problems and radical disagreements of cultures, religions and politics. There is the Power of Persistence that is committed to effecting a workable compromise instead of another war, by allowing both sides to benefit, and refusing to give in until the violence stops… We are that Peace, that Power, that Persistence. If we choose to be. Every deliberate Act of Peace we make – hour by hour, day by day – thwarts the voices of violence and revenge, the “blood for blood, destruction for destruction” mentality, in a real way. Every time we refuse to respond to anger with anger … to meet violence with more violence … to answer an unkind word with another unkind word … we become part of the solution, instead of part of the problem. We become Peacemakers. We take up the banner of “Peace at all cost!” and dare to carry it with the daily commitment of our lives. It isn’t easy. Sometimes we do explode. But then, we can realize how our anger accomplishes nothing in the end. We can think of another way to express our hurt or pain or frustration. We can also ask forgiveness. We can also try to heal the rift created by us or by another … on the family or local level, just as we expect our leaders to do on the international level. And in so doing, we activate the Power of Peace in the world, big time. We set resonances in motion that reverberate around the globe. As we come to the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, let us re-commit to three intentional Acts of Peace a day. To writing them down in a notebook to keep track of our efforts. To seeing them add up to One Thousand Acts of Peace in 2008. Imagine if everyone did this? We could start a peaceful revolution right from our own homes, workplaces and schools … a great movement of humanity toward Peace that no dictator or terrorist could stop. If only we dare.

Peace of the Puzzle

peacemaker — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:12:40 -0700

It’s the holiday season. Everyone is short on time, space, energy, patience, and temper. It takes an hour to cross a ten minute bridge, half an hour standing in line to check out at the grocery store, even online takes longer – your server’s down and order processing is backlogged. So much for speedy technology.

You thought this year would be different. You planned ahead, made lists, even shopped early. Or didn’t. Either way, it’s always a last-minute rush with unforeseen circumstances that stretch your nerves to the breaking point. Three cars were broken into in our neighborhood two nights ago. Windows smashed, computers and cell phones taken. And now, instead of last-minute trips to the mall, the owners have to get their windows replaced before they all freeze to death. Happy holidays!

Ever think what an opportunity this season is? Just when you and everyone else has given up on getting through the holidays with any kind thoughts about Peace on Earth, good will to one’s fellow human beings, here’s this outrageous new website reminding you: Three Acts of Peace a day can change your world. And we’re not talking about heroic deeds of any kind. Just simple, thoughtful Acts of Peace done with the intention of making someone else’s life a little more peace-filled -- especially when you feel you haven’t got anything left to give.

It works like magic. Try it and see. Next time you’re ready to go ballistic, lose it totally, throw a tantrum, or chuck the holiday spirit for a stiff drink…look around you. Really look around you. Who else is on the brink of war besides you? The grumpy guy standing next to you? The old woman struggling with too many packages and two hungry kids ahead of you? Your shut-in Aunt in Minnesota? Offer a kind word or helping hand or get out your cell phone and make a call (even if it’s the last thing in the world you have time for!) Think of someone who really needs encouragement at this very moment even more than you do. It may sound loony, but we guarantee it will change your mood, lighten the stress load, remind you what the holidays are supposed to be all about…and maybe even give you a good laugh in the bargain. Money back guarantee.

The fact is, Peace is not hard to come by. It’s free and available for the asking, giving, taking. It just needs an active, vital place in your life. Regularly. And once you start thinking about committing one, two, three Acts of Peace a day, you start to keep a lookout for opportunities. Peace becomes a way of life. You get to like it. It makes you feel better – about yourself and frankly, about other people. You start noticing other people’s Acts of Peace toward you and toward others, as well. And that makes the world look a whole lot brighter. More festive. More like a holiday!

Put the missing Peace into the puzzle of your life…by giving it away to others.

Three times a day. Every day. The whole picture will begin to look different.

Michael Stanley 1st entry

michael stanley — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:22:07 -0700

So I start this blog on a somber note. Another teenager, in a moment of raw and blinding desperation, takes the lives of innocent people in a shopping mall in Nebraska. On my side of the ocean, two police officers are shot outside of a coffee shop by Basque separatists. Pause.

I noticed a peculiar pattern to my response to the Omaha shootings. I didn’t want to read about it. It is on the front page of my web searcher. I clicked on all the news but that one. This morning, they even have picture of the kid (yes, at 19 you are still a kid!), with the juicy news of the suicide note being made public. I didn’t click on it. I saw the 911 transcript link. Didn’t click.

Then I went into my email account, and saw the email from my, well, I’ll call her “The Peace Sherpa”, with my login details. I blushed and my avoidance of something else turned into a physical experience. My face felt warm, my mouth tingled. I knew what had to be done. I had to write something. Now.

What a perfect moment to write for a Peace blog. Both shooters (the kid, and the organized group) have causes, have genuine intentions. They will argue that their cause is justified. They all have a “true reason or a cause”.

But I don’t want to argue. I don’t want to sit down and talk about it with them, if I could.

Our “argument” is ACTING PEACE. Doing three of them a day. Perhaps, had Robert Hawkins done Three Acts of Peace of day instead of what he did, he would have saved himself from his unbearable rage. Needless to say, he would have saved 8 peoples lives, if not his own.

What is our cause? What is our reason? Why are YOU, ME, US going to spread ACTS of peace? My answer to you is as plain and simple as this: I don’t care. You don’t have to have a reason. That would make the Act of Peace about you. Just DO the Act of Peace. Make it about Others.

Now, since this is a personal blog entry, I’ll tell you a story: My lovely wife will give birth to a baby girl in March. A month ago, we called our family members with the news that we had decided on the name. I called my Dad. When I told him the name, he says, and I’m quoting: “That is the most aweful name I’ve heard in my life. Are you serious?” Any other day of the year, my Dad and I would have had it out over the phone. I would have reacted, then he, then me again. And we wouldn’t have talked for days. My wife, who was sitting next to me, saw my face turn extremely red. But I made a choice. I breathed in, and simply told him that I would have liked for him to like it, and that I hope he grows to like the name. And we said goodbye and hung up. This, for me, was an Act of Peace. I can tell you within a few hours we were talking again. We made amends. He thanked me for not reacting. I prefer this type of relationship.

Take care of yourselves, Michael Stanley

PS: I promise my entries won’t be so long. It’s the first entry...

Wildfires Spreading Peace

peacemaker — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:00:00 -0600

In the midst of the hundreds of thousands of acres of burning and fear and worry and homelessness, volunteers at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, are spreading their own wildfires – of PEACE! They’re giving welcoming hugs to thousands upon thousands of evacuees, walking on stilts and making twisted balloon animals to entertain the children, giving free tutoring lessons for kids who can’t go to school, offering free massages, acupuncture treatments, and spiritual counselling, friendly reassurance...and hope. They’re also unpacking and dispensing mountains of food for Food Banks that just keep growing and growing and growing. There’s even kosher food available and of course, aspirin and antacids for all. Catholic Charities have set up their own tent as have insurance companies. In other areas, food, blankets, pup tents and baby formula are being offered.

If anyone ever wonders: “What IS an Act of Peace?” just consider the response of ordinary people reaching out to bring some peace and comfort and friendship – free of charge – to others in a crisis like this. Volunteers are actually being turned away, there are so many of them. They say that volunteer teachers outnumber kids three to one. Donated food and water are being stored in tents in the parking lot. There’s so much food, it’s like the multiplication of loaves and fishes – the more people eat, the more is left over!

What a different scenario from the debacle at the Stadium after Hurricane Katrina when there was neither enough food or water or medical help or sanitary conditions or emotional and financial support. Not that there weren’t plenty of volunteers and goodwill agents in New Orleans. But the difference seems to be in the level of preparedness and even more, in the tone of leadership from Governor Schwarzenegger – and his personal willingness to take action and be in charge of making the calls for help himself, rather than waiting on FEMA or another government agency to give the orders. And the people of San Diego – and all across the State and beyond -- have responded stupendously. Just shows that it doesn’t matter who organizes a food bank – city, state, federal, private institution, local business, a few individuals – all it really takes is PEOPLE WHO CARE about doing Acts of Peace…or Love…or just plain old-fashioned Compassion for their neighbors in crisis.

The big question is: why does it take the State’s worst firestorm in history to activate this kind of outpouring of generosity to those in dire need? Couldn’t we keep the cooling waters of Acts of Peace flowing freely to all those around us – in our own neighborhoods -- even when the wildfires are brought under control?

The Monks of Myanmar

peacemaker — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:12:31 -0600

The Monks of Myanmar. We have watched it build over the past month: barefoot monks in maroon and saffron-colored robes with shaven heads, begging bowls turned upside down in protest, marching through the streets of Yangon, in Myanmar (formerly Burma.) They have walked in peace, chanting…bearing witness to their cause of democracy and free speech in a country living under extreme repression and economic hardship.
At times, these monks used bullhorns to exhort onlookers to join them. Hundreds of thousands of civilians did join these protest marches against the military junta that has ruled the country since 1988. Today, a foreign diplomat said, “It was ‘an amazing scene’ as a column of about 8,000 to 10,000 people flooded past his embassy following a group of about 800 monks.”
Now the inevitable has happened – the junta called a curfew and forbade gatherings of more than five people at a time. The monks and protestors defied the restrictions, the military cracked down. It is a familiar scene: troops in riot gear out in full force, tear gas, shootings, beatings, reported deaths, trucks carrying off monks and protestors to prison. Government soldiers have even surrounded the monasteries, preventing thousands of monks from marching.
Earlier uprisings in 1988 were brutally crushed by the mighty hand of the military junta, killing an estimated 3,000 people. For the past nineteen years, the citizens of Myanmar have been intimidated, arrested, tortured, and killed in an effort to quash all political opposition. The Myanmar pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has been under house arrest for twelve of the last eighteen years. The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu have repeatedly spoken out against the junta and in support of their fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
It is the ultimate test of personal conviction: The unarmed versus the armed. The weak outnumbered by the strong. The peaceful being beaten and gunned down by those who make war. And still they march, these monks of Myanmar in their maroon and saffron-colored robes, ready to lay down their lives for Peace.
The whole world is watching. The United Nations is meeting today. China is very concerned that the disruptions will reflect badly on its 2008 Olympic plans, since it has close ties to and heavy investment in Myanmar. China needs that country’s raw materials, especially timber, minerals and natural gas. China, perhaps remembering the world outrage against its own crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, is reluctant to defend the junta publicly. And the Chinese diplomatic envoy is reported to have said that Beijing wanted Myanmar to move toward “a democracy process that is appropriate for the country.” Interesting how Peace – and democracy -- can become economically expedient.

The Myanmar military call themselves The State Peace and Development council. The word “Peace” can be equally adopted by tyrants as well as civil rights protestors. But we know what the face of the “real thing” looks like: barefoot monks in maroon and saffron-colored robes with shaven heads, begging bowls turned upside down in protest, marching through the streets, ready to lay down their lives for Peace.

Makes one wonder yet again: What would I be willing to do for freedom of speech, for democracy, for the right to march, for Peace…if it came to a showdown? I’m not at all sure I would have the monks’ courage. But I keep trying to build it – by three Acts of Peace a day. Maybe just by doing what I can, rather than what I can’t, I walk in tandem with those monks and protestors. And maybe the habit of Peace will take root in me, so that someday I won’t know any other way to react to violence…except peacefully.

Peace never comes easily. In Myanmar, in Iraq, in the Sudan, anywhere. But we can all try -- one step at a time -- to walk side by side in support of the monks in their maroon and saffron-colored robes...wherever we are. And send them our Acts of Peace every day.

Real Peace is not Passive

peacemaker — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 11:48:23 -0600

Peace doesn’t get much good press. It doesn’t make big headlines; “PEACE BREAKS OUT!” No ad would dare promote a new film as: “No violence, No anger, No guns, No rape, No war…Just a love story about Peace.”

Yeah, Peace gets a bum rap. Peaceful non-aggression still sounds wimpy, weak-kneed, spineless, definitely not the preferred approach for the macho guy or competitive woman. Yet how many times have the strongest world leaders been men and women of Peace – from Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King to Mother Teresa of Calcutta?
We’re often told we’ll be healthier -- even happier -- if we learn to be more peaceful. Or that we need some kind of peaceful stability at the center of our lives if we’re to grow and thrive as human beings, much less hold onto our sanity.

But how can we begin to make Peace a priority – when most of us haven’t a clue what Peace feels like, or how to acquire it?

First, I think, we have to get over this idea that Peace is somehow soft, mellow, spineless, tranquil, quiet, dreamy, non-active. That’s passive peace: call it pleasure, relaxation, contentment, feeling good, giving in, giving up, whatever. This kind of peace may simply mean a temporary lack of conflict or crisis in our lives. But we all know it won’t last. It can blow up at one thoughtless remark, one angry look, one personal rejection, one rude gesture.

Real Peace is anything but passive. And it’s not dependent on how we feel today, or who does what – good or bad -- to us. Real Peace is a personal commitment to a particular mode of thinking about life. It’s highly engaged, involved, dedicated, determined.

Real Peace is a personal choice about specific ways of acting and re-acting in any and all circumstances. It’s always on the offensive, always trying to defuse conflict, create a negotiating tactic, explore alternative approaches to solving a problem or rebuilding a relationship. This kind of Active Peace takes constant practice…like training for the Olympics. It means daily doing for others before they do for you; thinking what others might need to make them happy before you think about what makes you happy; pausing to consider if the price of another argument is worth the loss of even one moment’s Peace. Most of all, it inspires constant creativity that expands the mind and opens the heart and produces results that will astound us.

As I said, Peace is anything but wimpy. Too bad it doesn’t get enough credit for being the ACTION ADVENTURE Story it really is!

Shock and Awe

peacemaker — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:05:43 -0600

Peace is a lot like the weather: everybody complains about it, but nobody does anything about it. Now don’t get defensive. Just think a minute. When was the last time you gave up your long-awaited parking space at the supermarket to a total stranger as a simple Act of Peace -- with a wave of the hand and a smile? Or didn’t make a rude gesture or mutter a choice word to the guy in the 4x4 who tailgated you all the way up the hill at night with his headlights blinding your rearviews, then zipped around you on the curve and cut you off in style? Most recently – yesterday – did you call that person who really needs to hear from you, even though you just didn’t have (or didn’t want to make) the time? And did you take out the garbage without complaining?

Fact is…we can blister all we want about those guys (male and female) in our governments who louse up the world with wars and rumors of wars, and then turn right around and knife each other at the office, on the street, or around the kitchen table. We nurse grudges for years (like tribal feuds), spread nasty rumors (to rile up the enemy), or deliver blistering one-liners (like inept politicians), that -- in another country -- could start a war. It’s gotten cool to be rude; savvy to be cutthroat; clever to be cruel. It doesn’t take much – either to make peace or to make war. I suggest a global campaign of SHOCK AND AWE: Acts of Peace that blow people’s expectations right out of the water. When someone snaps at you – give him (or her) a smile and ask how you can help. That’ll produce instant shock. The next time you want to criticize a co-worker, how about taking the blame yourself and cleaning up the mess? That’ll be awesome. When you have an argument, let ‘em have it with both Peace barrels: be willing to compromise and even apologize for your anger – before the other guy does (or doesn’t.) That’ll sure disarm the opposition. And I dare you to give a compliment to your direct competition. And mean it. It could be cosmic.

If we all stop complaining about the state of The World and start taking a little more responsibility for how our world looks ten feet away from us in each direction, we could finally do something about Peace instead of just complaining that it never seems to arrive. At the very least, we might begin to feel less helpless in the face of so much TV and real-life violence – and start to take calculated Peace Risks. One shock at a time. Go ahead: Show ‘em what the Face of Peace looks like!

About our Logo

admin — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:52:17 -0600

Peace takes time. Peace develops slowly. Ancient rings of anger, hatred and revenge must be broken down or, as our Bird of Peace indicates, broken through…until we realize they were not prison walls at all, but open circles. Transparent.

Peace gathers momentum. A small act we might do for someone near or far today may not come back to us for months – even years. But the Bird of Peace flies, day and night, around the world, with great determination, wings pinned back…and never rests. Likewise, every peaceful act we commit will come back to us and bring a gift of peace in our lives. Inevitably.

Peace knows no boundaries. It lives in the air we breathe and moves at the speed of light, if we get out of its way. Peace spreads its message by the very act of peacemaking, in myriad colors: gold, turquoise, orange. No speeches necessary. All languages, all cultures understand its message. Peace is irresistable….especially to children.

Peace is positive, active. It is not only the opposite of war, hatred, and a desire for revenge. It is also the creation of a new way of living, an atmosphere of compassion and kindness, a willingness to work to choose peace in all circumstances, rather than its opposite.

Peace is sometimes simple. Sometimes excruciatingly difficult. How did the Amish parents whose children were shot and killed in that one room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania, gain the peace of heart to reach out to the wife and children of their own daughters’ murderer? Only by lives that had long been shaped by the habit of peace. And forgiveness. And a thousand small choices not to perpetuate any tinge of anger or hatred. And so, they did not turn their horrific grief into blame and acts of revenge on the wife and three children of the murderer and ostracise them from their community. On the contrary, they were able – in ongoing acts of superhuman peacemaking – to reach out, giving unconditional comfort and support. Local high school soccer players visited the soccer games of the gunman’s young son (because his father was also dead.) The whole Amish community “took care” of the family as if it were their own. Instead of feeding hate, they worked to heal all their broken hearts at once.

Peace is always successful. No matter how clumsy our first efforts to reach out may be, if we keep at it – in our families, our schools, our workplaces, our communities – the Bird of Peace will break through the barriers of mistrust, age-old hurts, grave misunderstandings, even ill will. Peace is inveterate.

Unlike War, Peace never surrenders.