Culture of Peace: Ideas for Peace Building for the Common Good

June 13 marks the beginning of the 100-Day Countdown to Sept. 21,

International Day of Peace.  There are many events occurring all across the planet – both globally and locally; some were shared in previous newsletters; some will be in upcoming newsletters. We appreciate your participation as we work together to observe this occasion and to help transform society to one of a culture of peace. Please distribute this powerful and inspiring message from the Secretary-General to your networks as of Wednesday, June 13th, to launch the 100-Day Countdown to the UN International Day of Peace on September 21st.

May Peace Prevail on Earth!

Pathways To Peace is again co-sponsoring The Planetary Week for a Better World June 9-17, 2012, as a special program of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI).  Planetary Week, a Europe-based event, occurs worldwide & is a unique opportunity for businesses, associations, and

educational institutions to actively and concretely contribute to making changes that are urgently needed.  The last Sunday is the Universal Celebration of Better World, inviting every person to contribute to a Culture of Peace, leading up to the 30th annual observance of the International Day of Peace, September 21st.   For further information

On June 13th, in honor of the start of the 100-Day countdown to Peace Day 2012, a special pre-view program will begin airing on Peace Day TV ~ it includes updates on the Millennium Development Goals, videos from U.N. agencies released in 2012, music, and a special activity from Lin Evola, Artist and Founder of the Peace Angels Project and the Art of Peace Charitable Trust.  

Then, on June 22 is the opening event for the Summer of Peace series which will also be livestreamed from Oakland, CA.  The two-day festival begins with the “VOICES for PEACE” benefit concert from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.(PST).  All profits from the concert will go to support the Urban Peace Movement.  The festival’s focus on creating a culture of peace will continue on Saturday, June 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with the “VOICES for PEACE” Conference. This all-day event will feature dynamic keynote speakers, including Marianne Williamson, Barbara Marx Hubbard, James O’Dea and Peace leaders from Oakland and the San Francisco Bay area.

Mobilizing for an Equitable, Resilient and Thriving Future.

Accelerating a whole-systems, global women’s climate movement!

Vandana Shiva, Marina Silva, Rose Marie Muraro, Ted Turner 

+ two of the “Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers” and others.

UN Side Event Rio + 20 Earth Summit, June 19th 4:00pm-6:30pm

Women are at the nexus of a thriving and just global future: they are disproportionately impacted by environmental and economic problems and yet demonstratively central to the most important solutions. In this side event, we will be highlighting women worldwide as innovators and agents of change in mitigating and adapting to climate change and environmental

degradation, while also demonstrating a way forward with cross-sector and cross-cultural solutions from the grassroots up.

How will we leverage women’s vital sustainability contributions and climate solutions at speed and scale at the local and global level? How will we further empower a rights-based approach to sustainability and climate change solutions to respect Women’s rights, Indigenous rights and Nature’s rights?

Breakthrough alliances in women’s networks are critical at this time. The complexities of the environmental, economic and climate crises require systemic change in how we are living with each other and our Earth. This change will only be achieved through full representation of women in decision-making processes, deploying necessary resources for women, and developing a comprehensive women’s network to aid in implementing economic and environmental solutions.This side-event will serve as the official launch for the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative.

The Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus (WECC) is honored to be co-hosting this event with Brazilian partner, the Instituto Democraciae Sustentabilidade (IDS) and USA partner Pathways To Peace.

The Gaiafield Project, in collaboration with Pathways To Peace and the Institute of HeartMath, and inspired by the Summer of Peace initiative, invite you to celebrate the Summer Solstice by joining with spiritual peacebuilders worldwide in a unique 90 minute Global Attunement for Peace. This event will link via tele-conference and audio webcast multiple hub-sites around the world at locations of spiritual and political significance in a profound expression of planetary spirituality and global subtle activism. Confirmed hub sites include: Findhorn Community (Scotland); World Peace Prayer Society’s Allanton Sanctuary (Scotland); Safed (Israel); Helsingborg (Sweden); Bucaramanga, Colombia; San Francisco Bay Area (USA); Los Angeles (USA); Washington D.C. (USA). The call/webcast will be on Friday June 22, 2012: 9:00AM to 10:30AM PDT / 4:00PM – 5:30PM GMT. Convert to local time here, or click here for more information, or to registerfor the teleconference/webcast. Registering for the call provides you with a personal call in number which allows us to identify you (helpful for the sharing part of the call) and enables us to stay in touch after the event. However you can also participate via the general call in number: +1 (530) 216-4363 PIN: 672434, or the back up number: 

+1 (916) 469-4750 PIN: 547219. The Global Attunement for Peace Facebook event page. If you cannot join the teleconference, please participate according to your own creative inspiration, and then afterward share your experiences at http://fb.com/GaiafieldProject.

Minute of Silence – Moment of Peace

The International Association of Peace Messenger Cities is now set up to take registrations on its website by cities that want to participate in internet streaming.  Several cities have already signed up and a number of others have indicated they will be registering.

Helping a village, BARKA brings water to Burkina Faso.  It has been a long time in the making, and many hands have joined together to answer the call of the women of Tantiaka in Burkina Faso, Africa, who asked the BARKA Foundation to help them address their critical need for clean drinking water.  This included students of all ages at over two dozen schools, 6 rotary clubs in numerous communities in the US, Canada and Africa – and over a dozen Walks for Water (fundraisers).  In May, BARKA along with the villagers of Tantiaka, members of the US and Burkina Faso Governments and representatives of the private and non-profit sectors inaugurated both a new drilled well and composting latrines.  These facilities will impact this village on levels ranging from livelihood and education to human rights and health.

Peace Day Postcards

Attached is an International Day of Peace postcard that was created by the UN.  

It contains the following quote by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “The global effort to achieve sustainable peace requires sustainable development… We desperately need to think and act together to build a sustainable future.” 

Following is a link to our newly updated International Day of Peace promotional video for 2012.  It is only 3 minutes long, and is informative and entertaining.  Please watch it; and, more importantly, please share it via social media, in newsletters and elsewhere.  Thank you.