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Caliifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Created: October 4, 2001
Latest Update: October 4, 2001
E-Mail jeannecurran@habermas.org
E-Mail takata@uwp.edu

Art for Peace Deadlines Extended
October Newsletter

journal entry by jeanne

Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors: October 2001.
"Fair use" encouraged.

Because the goal of Dear Habermas is to build a worldwide forum for public intellectuals (Edward M. Said's definition) of all ages and all professional callings and pursuits, I posted the whole Art for Peace Newsletter for October. We are all teachers in many walks of life. We all have opportunities to use the power of art to transform discourse towards peace, respect for dignity and for life. For that reason it seems particularly important to me that we become conscious of the extent to which we are empowered to create a better world. If you have a child in your family or neighborhood, invite her/him to participate in our Art for Peace project. If you have an older adult in your family or neighborhood, invite him/her to participate in our Art for Peace project. If you have a friend who's feeling unusual sadness or anger since September 11, invite her/him to participate in our Art for Peace project. A college needs to be a part of its community to be truly effective.

Yesterday, we started at CSUDH working on our handmade books. Look at the first file up on the Journal and The Language of the Unspeakable. Notice the difference a picture makes. Visual imagery is an integral part of our communication. We ask that your handmade journals include art of some kind, art that evokes for you memories of scenes, of thoughts, of words you'd like to recall some years from now. We will make simple books, on art paper, so they will last. Share one with a friend, a child, an older adult, a professional with no time for these gentler moments. Create your own local network of peace.

On October 4, 2001, Dear Habermas received the Art for Peace October Newsletter:

From: "Charlie Buehler, Administrative Assistant"
Subject: Art for Peace October Newsletter
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 10:19:32 -0400

ART FOR PEACE NEWSLETTER: OCTOBER 2001

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you and the rest of our growing Students' Art for Peace family informed on ideas, news and developments.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO OUR WORLDWIDE FAMILY OF TEACHERS FROM ART-FOR-PEACE

And now, how do you, a caring teacher, turn your precious kids away from the fear, the anger, the vengeance and the confusion that surround them? The world your kids live in is as shattered as is our own.

Students' Art for Peace can help.

First, make sure your kids clearly understand the idea behind our program:

Kids around the world exchanging friendly greetings, not through words, but through their creative artwork showing what is in their minds and hearts about peace, about friendship and about international brotherhood.

Then you as a teacher might say something to them like this:

"Let's pretend something, class. Let's pretend something about those Arab terrorists who bombed our buildings. Let's pretend that it is back in the time when those Arabs were children, the same age that you are now. And let's pretend there was an Art for Peace program then, just like the one we are working on together now. And let's pretend that the American kids made some really nice pictures about peace and sent them off to those Arab kids with a message of love and friendship. And let's pretend that the Arabs were so happy to get the pictures made by kids in America that they decided to send their own peace pictures back to America. And let's pretend that in this way the Arab kids and the American kids became friends. They started thinking of each other as brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, not foreigners or enemies. And let's pretend that when those Arab kids grew up somebody came to them and said, "Let's blow up some buildings in America." And what do you think those Arab kids are going to say? Well, they are probably going to say, 'No! We don't want to do that. We have friends in America. We don't want to do anything to hurt them.' And wouldn't that be a big step toward more peace in the world? It certainly would.

"Well, kids, you know what? You-each one of you-can do the same thing now by using the pictures you create to make friends around the world and prevent people from becoming enemies with each other.

"Isn't that something? The pictures you send to kids in other countries now can help make peace in the world when you are grown up. Isn't that something to be proud of?"

Dear Teacher, I just thought this little idea might help.

HOW TEACHERS ARE USING THE ART FOR PEACE PROGRAM

Are you using Art for Peace in any special way to promote the program throughout your class, your school, your community, etc? If so, we would like to hear about it. Send us an email at Artforpeacenow@aol.com.

Our Teacher of the Year for 2001, Mary Ann Haley from Tipton Middle School in Tipton, Iowa, took the basic Peace Picture exchange project and turned it into not only a school-wide program, but also a community-wide program called "Celebrate Diversity" for her middle school of 200 students. Mrs. Haley invited ethnic students to her school from the nearby University of Iowa to answer questions about their countries and cultures. She organized a door-decorating contest where every classroom was decorated to represent a different holiday around the world. For the school's year-end celebration she arranged for a Latin and an African American dancer to perform ethnic dances and requested help from over 60 restaurants in the Iowa City area to donate items for their ethnic food tasting party.

Ada Zimmerman from Pleasant View School for the Arts in Canton, Ohio is using the Peace Picture exchange this year to teach her students about design, balance, the formal properties of art, and art criticism-and how they can communicate with art and share their ideas with the world.

Sue Meier from South Elementary School in Ithaca, Michigan has her class publish books that they have illustrated with the words to songs ("What a Wonderful World," "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," . . .). She says, "With everything that is happening in our world right now, I want my children to know that PEACE starts with us and can spread throughout our school, home, community, state, etc."

STUDENTS' ART FOR PEACE - GLOBAL ESSAY CONTEST

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ESSAYS HAS BEEN EXTENDED!

As a convenience to schools around the world, the deadline for submitting essays has been extended to midnight, December 30, 2001 with earlier submissions preferred. Judging will be completed and winners announced by February 28, 2002.

Subject of the essay:

WHAT CAN KIDS AROUND THE WORLD DO TO HELP BRING ABOUT MORE PEACE IN THEIR HOMES, THEIR SCHOOLS, THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEIR COUNTRIES, AND IN THE WORLD AS A WHOLE?

For a complete teacher's guide, rules, and an entry form send a request to Artforpeacenow@aol.com

Please include teacher's name, school name and address, and grade level participating.

There is no entry fee.

PEACE PICTURE CONTEST

Art for Peace Headquarters has been busy signing up hundreds and hundreds of teachers eager to participate in the Students' Art for Peace program.

Don't forget to select two or three pictures from those you are sending overseas and send them to us as your entries in our annual Peace Picture Contest. Mail your pictures to 5350-A Riverfront Drive, Bradenton, FL 34208 USA. Pictures must be received by December 31, 2001. Winners will be announced in January. Blue, Red and Yellow ribbons will be awarded and if your school is a winner you will receive a suggested new release for your local media.

Please be sure to notify ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com as soon as you receive pictures from students overseas.

Also, the overseas school may not be aware of our annual Peace Picture contest so you can help them enter. Select two or three pictures from those they send to you and forward them to us, fully identified. Since awards will be made on a regional basis you won't be reducing your own school's very favorable chance of winning. If you are reluctant to give up the original artwork, scanned or color photocopies will do (but we'd prefer the originals).

ANGELS DESPERATELY NEEDED

In the face of worldwide violence and terrorism like the attacks on the United States the student peace picture exchange program continues to grow at least at a ten-fold rate. As our program multiplies in size, and our services expand, our need for funding becomes more and more critical. If you know of someone able to give us some significant, tax deductible financial support, please tell them about us and the work we are doing to help kids around the world communicate through the universal language of their creative, peace-oriented artwork. We have a funding proposal ready to send to any foundation or others to convince them of our success and our need.

Peacefully, Richard Riley Conarroe Founder/Director ART FOR PEACE 5350-A Riverfront Drive Bradenton, FL 34208 USA Email: ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com Website: www.art-for-peace.org Fax: 941-746-9886