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. * * * * * START '02 WITH SOMETHING NEW
Under your teaching direction you and your students have already become proud World Peace Ambassadors. How do we know? Well, you are receiving this newsletter because you have conducted one or more of the Art for Peace global peace-making projects. If your kids are like most, they have had a blast becoming Peace Ambassadors. And probably had their perceptions changed as well, thinking of the kids they "talked to" not as foreigners or "enemies," but as global brothers and sisters. We put "talked to" in quotes because mostly we get kids around the world communicating through their creative artistic expression, not words.
So, with the New Year started, why not give your kids another chance to bond with kids in other cultures? You can do it by repeating the project you have already done or by trying one of the three others.
Following is a rundown of the four most popular Art for Peace projects. Please read about the ones you have not yet used and let us help you get started with one or more of them. Just email us (artforpeacenow@aol.com) for a teacher's kit on any of the projects you choose.
This is a contest for classes who make Peace Pictures and send them to other kids in schools around the world. Every time a teacher packs up her/his kids' pictures and sends them off as tokens of international peace and brotherhood, two or three of the best pictures can be sent to Art for Peace headquarters for entry in the contest. Every class and school has a strong chance of winning; winners are picked for all age groups and regions. Winners get blue, red, or yellow ribbons. Deadline for the current contest: January 31, 2002. If you miss this deadline your entries will be judged in next year's contest. See your Teacher's Kit for details. Need a Teacher's Kit? Email: ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com
Increasing numbers of Music Teachers are jumping into the Art for Peace bandwagon. Like graphic arts, music is a universal language. So we have set up a global program for American schools to exchange cassettes of their student music with schools around the world. The purpose is exactly the same as the Peace Pictures exchange: get kids around the world thinking of each other, not as foreigners or "enemies," but as global brothers and sisters who will soon enough be running things. The more they think of each other as friends, the less likely they will end up fighting each other as soldiers.
Need more details about the music exchange? Email: ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com
Our goal is to obtain 100,000 Peace Pictures by American kids, teachers and others to be put into the hands of Muslim and Arab children-especially those in regions where children are commonly taught to Hate America. Most children in the Middle East cannot read or write. Thus communicating with them through Peace Pictures becomes especially significant. The pictures-especially those by younger children-need not be works of art. As long as the pictures are colorful and have some identity with peace, that's all that is required.
If your kids did a Peace Picture exchange it should be easy and fun for them to do Peace Pictures to Muslim Kids. Please have your own classes-and as many other classes in your school as possible-create Peace Pictures and address them to us as follows:
Art for Peace Pictures for Muslim Kids,
5350-A
Riverfront Drive, Bradenton, FL 34208 USA.
On the back of each Peace Picture for Muslim Kids received at headquarters, we will add a brief written message of friendship. In addition to English and French, the message will be in three major Middle East languages: Farsi, Urdo and Arabic.
This is the message that we at headquarters will add to the back of each Peace Picture before it is delivered to a Muslim kid:
"This 'Peace Picture' was created for you by a student or other young person in America. Please accept it as our message to you of peace and love. We cannot speak your language so we speak to you in pictures. We want to be your brothers and sisters, not enemies. If there is to be peace in our world tomorrow, those of us who are children now must lead the way. We are your friends. Please be our friends."
We have nearly two thousand Peace Pictures for Muslim Kids so far. Please help us meet our 100,000 Peace Picture goal.
As a convenience to teachers and students alike, the deadline for submitting peace essays has been extended to January 31, 2002 (from December 31, 2001).
There are three unique features to this essay contest.
There is no entry fee for this peace essay contest. If you haven't already, ask us to rush you contest rules and entry forms (one entry form for each participating class): Email ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com
See end of this newsletter for a few quotes from essays received so far.
With the huge success and interest shown in the current Students' Art for Peace Global Essay Contest we will be launching a new contest. Watch for details in the February newsletter. * * * * *
NO WORDS IN PEACE PICTURES, PLEASE!!!
Many kids, unless instructed not to, put the word PEACE or other seemingly appropriate words in their Peace Pictures. This is understandable-but self-defeating. Remember that kids in other countries speak languages other than English-and in some cases (especially in the Middle East) cannot read or write at all.
So when you start your class creating pictures for other schools, or for Muslim countries, urge them not to use words. Challenge them to reveal what is in their minds and hearts with drawings and colors alone. * * * * *
DON'T FORGET HQ. WHEN RECEIVING PEACE PICTURES FROM OVERSEAS SCHOOLS.
Whenever a class receives a bundle of Peace Pictures from an overseas school, a couple of samples of the pictures should be forwarded to Art for Peace headquarters (5350-A Riverfront Drive, Bradenton FL 34208 USA. Sometimes, in the excitement of receiving the pictures, we are forgotten. But we like to share your excitement and good fortune. Furthermore, sample pictures you send us from overseas can be entered in the annual Peace Picture contest (see above). This gives schools overseas as much of a chance to win a ribbon as schools in the U.S. * * * * *
PEACE PICTURES TO WORLD LEADERS
Have you taken advantage of our program to put your kids in direct touch with world leaders around the globe?
When we give you the names and addresses of the schools to send your pictures to we also give you the name of the top leader of each of those countries. You can perhaps send one or two or more of your Peace Pictures to these world leaders with a request for a response to this question: What can we kids do now to help bring about peace in the world? You may create real excitement in your school and community if you get a response back from a well-known leader.
To name a few-responses have been received from world leaders in Germany, Taiwan, Scotland, Denmark . . .
Please remember to send us copies of letters you receive from world leaders. * * * * *
TIME FOR SOME MORE DESSERT
Here are some brief excerpts from essay contest entries we have received so far from around the world:
". . . we realize peace can only happen in the world if we are willing to bring about peace in our own lives." Lincoln Elementary School, New London, WI USA
"The rules for peace keeping are the same for children and adults." Algonquin Avenue Public School, Thunder Bay, Ontario CANADA
"Birds fly over countries and continents and see no barriers or obstacles brought about by borders, language, religion or culture. Gleneagles Campus Eumemmerring College, Victoria, AUSTRAILIA
"One definition of peace is freedom from anxiety or annoyance, or a feeling of inner calm. A peaceful country has everyone living in harmony." Allendale Association, Lake Villa, IL * * * * *
ANGELS DESPERATELY NEEDED
Students' Art for Peace programs keep growing at least at a ten-fold rate this year. As our programs multiply 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.
Art for Peace is a non-profit organization funded by contributions.
Peacefully,
Richard Riley Conarroe
Founder/Director
5350-A Riverfront Drive
Bradenton, FL 34208 USA
Website: www.art-for-peace.org
Email: ArtforPeaceNow@aol.com