Spotted in India: Indo-Pak Peace Project

I arrived in India on New Year's Day and was pleasantly surprised to learn about Aman Ki Asha, a new Indian Pakistani peace project initiated by The Times of India and the Jang Group. I spotted these giant signs in Mumbai and saw this entertaining ad on the local TV...

Yesterday was The International Day of Peace

Somehow I missed that this was happening yesterday, but at least you can see what it was all about in the 24 Hour Peace Day Broadcast that's still available and you have plenty of time to prepare for next year!...



Find out more about the International Day of Peace HERE.

Tales of a 4th Grade Something...

There are teachers that you never forget, teachers that change your life for the better and make the world a better place one student at a time. For people going to public school in Richmond, Virginia in the 80's (like my sister and myself) John Hunter was one of those teachers. So it isn't surprising (but completely delightful) to discover that he's still at it all these years later in Charlottesville, Virginia. He and a cooperative game he developed are now the subject of a new documentary by Rosalia Films called "World Peace: and other 4th-grade achievements". World Peace requires young students to grapple and resolve real-world problems in a way that ends not with a bang but with a cheer. The trailer, which is quite moving (though not embeddable), can be seen HERE.

Here John talks briefly about the game:



For more about the game and John read this recent Christian Science Monitor article HERE.

Call for Entries: Imagine Peace

A call for art and writing for a "visual encyclopedia" about peace, specifically in relation to Gaza from Institute Design2context in Switzerland...

At the Institute Design2context, of the Zurich University for the Arts, we are working on an international and socio-politically highly ambitious educational and creative research project titled "Imagine Peace! A visual and critical encyclopedia". It is at the heart of the project to collect world wide representations and imagery of the peace and to gain the collaboration of well known designers, theorists, writers and critics around the world to discuss and exchange critical visions and visualizations of it, without catering to any specific religious belief/history or sectarian creed.

The publication will be a collection of historical, contemporary, posters, drawings, symbols, signs etc. with representations of peace based on the thesis that today’Äôs discordances and hostilities express the absence of proper imaginations of peace.

We are calling for images about Peace, in the context of the recent Gaza Assault. We would like to know whether you could post our call for it.

Imaging Peace! is aimed as an exchange project, a source and networking knot for everyone active for the cause and creation of peace, be it in a political or personal context.

We'd be happy to answer any concerns you might have. Hereby you will find embedded the link to our database (in progress) for more information about the project. http://peace.zhdk.ch/

(deadline May 2009)

Linkage: Bad Water, Living Signs, etc.

VitaminWater sued for fraudulent health claims by Center for Science in the Public Interest. via

Signs come to life in the Pedestrian Project (image shown) via

Post Obama Shepard Fairy uses xConstructivism to sell for Saks (image shown)

Guantanamo's dark cloud as manifest by artist Julia Mandle via

Reallife: the latest social networking fad! via

Call for submissions: Essays from Jewish and Arab-Americans on peace in the Middle East. Thanks Mim!

Speak of Peace

I was sent these images from Milan, Italy, with the following note:

More than 3000 comic balloons saying "Peace" were placed on top of the city's posters: now from the mouth of every single testimonial comes one single message. The promotions don't scream "cheap" or "new" anymore - "peace" became the key word this Christmas.

Pace, paz, paix, frieden, as-salaam, shalom, he ping, heiwa and mir. Different ways of saying the same thing: Peace.

Peace was the subject of a guerrilla operation to promote the social role of graphic design. The pacifist campaign hit the outdoor posters of Milan, Italy, between the 19th and 21st December, with explicit peace messages.

A silent army of socially concerned designers wishing to do raise awareness of social issues put up one of the most interesting operations of guerrilla graphics to have happened recently in the city of Milan. A universal wish for a peaceful Christmas, to be understood in every part of the world.

The project is a part of Good 50x70.

I Met The Walrus

"In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it. Using the original interview recording as the soundtrack"

Ono's 100 Acorns

Artist/Activist Yoko Ono is offering 100 days of conceptual art instructions on her blog 100 Acorns. She started posting June 15th, which was the 40th anniversary of planting two acorns at Coventry Cathedral with John Lennon, which was the first of their "Peace Events". Unlike the ones in her classic book of conceptual art instructions, Grapefruit, this project features much more feasible directions ("On the Flag Day, put out a flag that has a message that conveys your emotion: such as 'I LOVE YOU,' 'YES!' and 'HELP!'"), and since it's a blog there's immediate feedback from her audience. Check it out HERE.

Thanks Melinda!

News Roundup

Getting caught up here from a very busy spell, I have lots to post, plus it's Blog Action Day so definitely want to get some environmental links out there. Here's a smattering to start you off...

From the Christian Science Monitor:
Amazon Farmers work with Corporations to Save the Forest
New Yorkers Using Biodiesel for Heating

From Ode Magazine:
Sesame Street working for Middle East Peace
Organic Agriculture CAN Feed The World
How Hospitals Make You Sick

From Mother Jones:
The Problem with Plastics (including a handy chart for your fridge)

Planting Peace

Planting Peace is a handy new resource from the folks at the Organic Consumers Association. It collects news stories about the intersection of the anti-war, environmental, and organic activist communities in an attempt to forge a better alliance between the groups.

PeaceMaker the game.

Think you'd do a better job solving the problems in the Middle East? PeaceMaker, a new video game created by a former Israeli soldier, gives you the opportunity to try. Watch the gameplay trailer below or visit the site to play a demo.



Thanks Jen!