peace - Global Exchange

This summer, we will feature the words from enthusiastic winners of our What About Peace? contest and we’ll share their thoughts behind the incredible art they presented and what this big win means to them. These anecdotes not only showcases their art pieces but also encourages fellow students to come up with great entries for the upcoming school year. The following is the fourth installment of our What About Peace? winner story series.

Photo courtesy: Casey and Jerred Photography

We all have seen movies and heard songs that juxtapose two similar yet very different events to point out ironies in the world, but to read something like this can definitely make you very inquisitive about the author’s thought process. And that is something I felt while reading the essay by our Second Place winning entry by Scott Ward for the written category titled ‘What About Peace?’.

In the first part of the essay, he portrays a boy going to school while the second part describes a soldier who is heading to patrol. The characters are different but are placed in similar situations leaving it up to the reader to establish connection and impose a meaning.

When asked what made him write an essay that captures similar yet different situations, Scott says: “I’ve always liked to think about differences in the world–how weird everything is. I thought an essay built around similar juxtapositions would be a good way to pose the question, “What is Peace”?

When I was younger, one of my favorite songs was “Funny the Way it Is” by Dave Matthews Band. The song does a fantastic job of juxtaposing two very similar yet very different events to point out ironies in the world. For example, the song says one person is dropping out of school and at the same time another kid is walking 10 miles to school. I definitely drew inspiration from this song.”

When you say ‘He is awoken by a loud voice’. Who does ‘He’ represent in your story?
I didn’t really want the “he” to be a specific person. I wanted “he” to be vague so the readers could fill in the blank of “he” using their life experiences or imagination.

When did you first start writing and what do you really like about writing?
You have no idea how ironic that question is. One of the first memories I have of writing is descriptive writing in fourth grade. The class was given a prompt to write about their pets. I proceeded to write four words- I have a dog- and turned in the paper. I thought it was a silly assignment. As the years went on, I’ve had the good fortune of being taught by many great English teachers who have taken my writing from “I have a dog,” to something that has been called a Peace Anthem. Since that fourth grade assignment, I have found ways to make writing fun, and because of that, my writing seems to be amusing to others as well. If you are bored by your writing, no one else is going to be entertained either.

Photo courtesy: Casey and Jerred Photography

Who are your favorite authors?
I have never found one author to stick to, but I have enjoyed a lot of books over the years. Some of my favorite books were Monster by Walter Dean Myers and The Giver by Lois Lowry. I liked The Great Gatsby, Canticle for Leibowitz and some essays (like Fat of the Land) from Rick Reilly. Honestly, a lot of what I read is from ESPN.com. about the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

What do you have to say about ‘What About Peace’ contest by Global Exchange. Do you think the contest comes as a valuable opportunity for you to showcase your writing talent to larger audience?
I enjoyed writing for this contest because the prompt was so open. It is a nice change of pace to have my work judged by a non-teacher audience. It was one of the few opportunities I have had to truly format a story or essay in a way that I wanted to. The hardest part of writing this piece was cutting it down from 1000 words to 500 words.

What will be your message/suggestion to students who aspire to be a great writer?
I would just say: Have fun with what you write and everything else will follow.

Scott’s essay opens your eyes to think of different ways in which ‘Peace’ can be described. Your writing may not only be narrative or descriptive but to put two contrasting viewpoints or descriptions and then to put them close to each other can be fun and inspiring at the same time.

Indeed, a terrific way to add depth to your writing. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Scott!

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What About Peace? is a Global Exchange international arts contest for youth ages 14–20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression.

This post was written by social media intern Sakshi Pathania.

Photo: www.peace-not-war. org

This summer, we will feature the words from enthusiastic winners of What About Peace? contest and we’ll share their thoughts behind the incredible art they presented and what this big win means to them. These anecdotes not only showcases their art pieces but also encourages fellow students to come up with great entries for the new school session. The following is the third installment of our What About Peace? winner story series.

The world seems to be a messy place these days. It is indeed in a state of turmoil. Many U.S. observers look at the world- downing of Malaysia airliner being a target of ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, deadly violence in Gaza, deteriorating civil war in Syria-and see a planet unraveling. The tumult is scary and to see thousands of innocent lives confronted with bloodshed is indeed heartbreaking.

While friends and family gather around the streets, hold candle light vigils calling for peace, one of our winners of the ‘What About Peace’? contest also extends his ‘Peace Anthem’. His message has a different style altogether but it completely resonates with the present situation.

Photo: culturesofresistance.org

16 year old Mac R Whaley from Minnesota, USA writes:

Without world peace the world is falling to pieces
Without our beliefs, man, nobody preaches
Without a cease fire, the fame never ceases
Without the death of war, the death number increases
Why’s the world gotta be like this?

Through his beautifully crafted poem with rap lyrics, Mac questions the present state of affairs and encourages all to take action.

Mac R Whaley was the winner in the written category of our ‘What About Peace’ contest. He is no ordinary writer but is a rapper in the making. He writes verses to instrumentals and pens down his experiences in life. He says his strength lies in hip hop music which is definitely evident from his poem. What needs an applaud here is that he is only 16 and is coming up with his mixtape titled ‘A Record of Therapy’ next month.

Congratulations on your great win! Tell us your first reactions when you got to know that you have secured the first prize.
I was told through my friend Brennan. He texted me after I was getting fitted for a tux saying “You won 300 dollars”. I was incredibly confused and he told me it was through the WAP contest. I thought it was really cool.

The Peace Anthem written by you has a very different style to it. It all rhymes in a rapper style which is quite interesting. What made you write a peace message in this style?
I like to create my own music whenever I have time to. I was sitting in study hall one day and I decided that I would write for the Peace contest. I already had experience writing verses, so I thought I would do it in that structure.

If you were to define Peace in one line without using rhyming words-How would you do it?
I define peace as the period of time where two opposing parties no longer struggle against each other. Peace is a state of being, where struggles have been overcome, and agreements have been reached.

What is your preferred writing style and on what issues you enjoy writing about the most?
I write verses to instrumentals, which usually call for 16 bars. I just write to whatever the beat calls for. If it’s 20, I write 20 bars. 12, I write 12. But normally, instrumentals are 16. I write whatever I feel, or whatever is going on in my life. I cannot write about experiences I haven’t gone through, and I encourage other writers/rappers/poets to avoid doing so. In August, I will be releasing a mixtape titled “A Record of Therapy”, which will include songs about tough times of depression, anger, and, most of all, loneliness. In the past, I have written on drug use, suicide, love, heartbreak, and stories.

What do you think makes a good poem?
Although I am unfamiliar in the art of poetry, I enjoy hip-hop music. I critique verses, songs, and even full albums based on 4 components- lyrics, flow, delivery and production.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
My two favorite things outside of writing are sports and hip-hop. The two intertwine together. Much like sports, hip-hop has a sense of competition and debate that I find in no other genre of music today. Some of my favorite albums are The Eminem Show by Eminem, Illmatic by Nas, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by KanYe West and Together/Apart by Grieves. In order to improve myself as a lyricist and technical rapper, I have to study those who succeeded as such. My influences are Nas, Grieves, Tech N9ne, Eminem, and Slug of Atmosphere.

As I finished interviewing Mac, my belief in music and its power to bring peace only grew stronger. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love, music proves: We are the same.

We wish Mac R Whaley success in his life and may we all take a step forward to pray for peace and make this world a peaceful and beautiful place for all…

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This post was written by social media intern Sakshi Pathania.

The following is the second installment of our What About Peace? winner story series.

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

The above quote by Ansel Adams falls so true when we spoke with our visual art winner- Afshin Valani from Tennessee, United States.

Afshin who believes that books teach a greater lesson whether it be about redemption, loss, faith, or death came up with idea to click ‘The Story of Peace’ by putting together a collection of books.

She says “I decided to focus on the more positive effects of war rather than the destruction it leaves behind. All the books in my photograph are direct derivatives of the events occurring in the authors’ lifetimes. It’s interesting to see how some authors use their experiences to write funny, satirical pieces of literature while others compose sullen, tragic stories.”

Her contemporary visual art characterizes her as a talented photographer but she claims that she is an amateur in photography and doesn’t call it as her hobby. For her, its an art that she doesn’t practice much but enjoy doing. Let’s get her talking…

Congratulations on your great win! How does it feel to win the first position in the Visual Arts category and that too competing with so many international array of entries?
Thank you so much! It’s an unexpected honor to win, especially against so many other great pieces of art.

How did you find about the contest? Were you confident of winning the contest?
I found out about the contest through one of my teachers, Mrs. Coe. She showed my entire class the Global Exchange website and several of us thought it was a great organization. I wasn’t confident in winning because I only dabble in photography, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. It was well worth it and for a worthy cause!

Who do you most admire in your life/ Who or what inspires you the most?
I admire my father the most in my life. He’s got the best work ethic I’ve ever seen and he’s a man with a ton of integrity. I aspire to be more like him everyday. He definitely inspires me but so do influential women throughout history ranging from Cleopatra to Malala Yousafzai.

What do you like to click the most? Your favorite themes?
Photography isn’t really a hobby that I practice a lot, but it is one I enjoy. I don’t take pictures much. However, I love a good landscape or nature shot. I live in Tennessee in a mountainous area, so the scenery is just captivating and I can’t help but take a picture sometimes!

How do you plan to celebrate this win?
My family took me out to dinner when they found out I won which was nice treat! I’m actually on summer break currently which is even more cause for celebration. I’ll definitely do something really fun to commemorate this win!

What are your plans for this summer?
I plan on going on vacation, and spending time with family/friends, and all that usual summer fun. I also intend on volunteering a bit at different events an locations.

What are your thoughts as far as promoting peace goes? Do you use photography as a medium to promote peace?
I think promoting peace is quintessential to strengthen global relations as well as domestic ones. For example, because of living in the United States, I’ve seen my fair share of hatred (or misguided ignorance) against Muslims due to events in the Middle East. Without the promotion of peace no advancement can occur. I don’t necessarily use photography to promote peace, but I would love to in the future. As of now I just use my own background as an American Muslim to answer any questions or concerns to hopefully break the constructs that make social injustice possible. In addition, I sign online petitions that I frequently see on social media. It’s not much, but I hope to do bigger and better things to help when I’m older.

Afshin’s idea of peace definitely proves that ‘Peace begins at home’. It indeed is an inspiration for all to see how through our intentions and actions, we can bring about positive and healthy change in the community.

We wish Afshin good luck for her bright future. Thank you for being a part of ‘What About Peace’ program and making it bright with your significant contribution.

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This post was written by social media intern Sakshi Pathania.

Soon after we announced the winners of our What About Peace? contest in April, reports of tragic acts of hate, violence, and intolerance began to unfold in Nigeria. These heartbreaking stories were a stark contrast to the stories of hope that we received from a school in Nigeria that were submitted for the What About Peace? contest.

One of those stories came from Grand Prize winner, 15 year old Ebuka Ikeora. We reached out to Ebuka and his teacher, Chima Emmanuel to share their perspectives.

This summer, we will feature the words from enthusiastic winners of the contest and we’ll share their thoughts behind the incredible art they presented and what this big win means to them. These anecdotes not only showcases their art pieces but also encourages fellow students to come up with great entries for the new school session.

Ebuka’s words for peace really inspired the judges. What struck Grand Judge, Carleen Pickard the most was “it encourages us all to take action daily in our community to make peace at home.”

When asked to comment about the ongoing conflicts in his own country Ebuka says, “Let there be peace, let there be true harmony, let us all refuse to be enemies, let us build a Nigeria for tomorrow, let us make a new history for our children today that we have wiped our ugly past and let us feel peace in our arms again. The message of peace relevant in our time is ‘WE REFUSE TO BE ENEMIES’

Here are their stories…

In conversation with Grand Prize Winner- Ebuka Ikeora

Congratulations on your great win! How does it feel to win such a grand prize and that too competing with so many international array of entries?
Thank you so much. I want to express from the depth of my heart my gratitude to Global Exchange. I never knew it was a reality till my teacher Mr. Emmanuel broke the news to the entire class. I was short of words. I am a Nigerian, black, and yet made headway in this competition. Thank you God.

The essay written by you- ‘They Learned to Kill’ is definitely a very thought-provoking read. What inspired you to write about how peace can be promoted?
Nigeria is a story and case study any day. Our class teacher Mr. Emmanuel loves to discuss about peace. He has told us many stories of war and would always tell us that peace is the best way of life.

How did you find about the contest?
I heard it from Mr. Emmanuel Ugokwe. It was thrown open to every student and we knew already what to write and were all geared up for the contest.

Your first thoughts of participation?
I did not write the essay to be the grand winner, but like I said, I have a story that needs to be told and when the right time for it came, I did write.

Were you confident of winning the contest?
No.

How do you define peace in one line?
It is the true union of hearts that gives man the opportunity to live a more meaningful and productive life with others.

Who do you most admire in your life?
Mr. Emmanuel Ugokwe. He is such a goodhearted man who came as a gift to this generation. As a writer, he has put up many things for public, yet he is humble. He is behind every move I make and helps me all the way.

On what issues you like to write about the most, other than peace and democracy.
I like to write about the violence against women, equality of humans, health issues for the minor and pure freedom.

In conversation with Ebuka’s Teacher- Chima Emmanuel

You have been an important part of this win. How does it feel?
I feel like a newly crowned king, so happy for my student Ebuka winning the grand prize.

How did you convey ‘What about Peace’? contest to students?
I told the students about the contest during the class. Many expressed interest and wrote.

Students write best about what concerns them the most. Is this why Ebuka chose to participate in the contest or was it you who promoted/persuaded him?
We have writing class and many of our students over the years have won many awards. They like to write on global issues like peace, pollution, security and the rest. I promote these issues to my students. I encourage them to make their voices heard, but I don’t persuade them. We won juror award winners and honorable mention last year and this year as well.

What do you like the most about Ebuka?
He is humble and wants to learn. He was not good in writing before but when I brought to his attention that writing can take him to places and expose him to many fundamental facts, he picked from there. We relate as friends like all my students. He has been invited to United Kingdom to receive his essay award by Living Forest.

How do you plan to celebrate this win with Ebuka?
Already our graduation ceremony is on the 27th July and school management is planning it big to applaud Ebuka. He will be crowned writing ambassador for the year and we plan to celebrate this all year long for this pride he brought home.

Could you share with us some real life experiences where you have actively promoted peace among people.
I like to promote peace to my students. We also practice peace, preach it in our school and educate our children to see peace as a way out of the many mistakes in the society. I make peace with people whenever the need calls.

Do you think Global Exchange’s ‘What about Peace’ program is an inspiring platform for students like Ebuka to creatively write about peace and share their feelings.
Absolutely. Global Exchange is providing the entire world with the message of peace.

What will be your message to the Nigerian government which is currently facing widespread violence and crisis?
It is really bad to see what all is happening in Nigeria. The government needs to do something to bring back our girls. We have to fight for the respect and equality of our women and stop the violence.

Ebuka and Chima’s peace messages encourages us all to act everyday and become aware of our universal connection. Their stories underlines the ongoing conflict that has been a large part of their life as Nigerians. But it is not the theme of violence that dominates their stories, but rather a sense of hope for a better tomorrow and the need to come together in times of conflict to bring hope and call for peace.

Congratulations to Ebuka on his win, as well as to his teacher Chima Emmanuel for also taking the time to share their words with us!
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What About Peace? is a Global Exchange international arts contest for youth ages 14–20 to express ideas and thoughts about peace by responding to the question, “What About Peace?” through artistic expression.

This post was written by social media intern Sakshi Pathania.

Global Exchange staff & founders “then”

In 1988, four friends co-founded Global Exchange to fight a worldview based on greed, domination, and unvarnished worship of power. We envisioned building a robust U.S. movement capable of creating change from the grassroots, powered by people-to-people ties.

Now here we are celebrating our 25th year, sharing visions of peace with thousands of supporters, and revving up for a fresh new batch of What About Peace? art submissions.

With two big anniversaries coming up, there is no better time to get started on your submission for the 2014 What About Peace? contest:

We celebrate International Human Rights Day this month. The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 14th marks the anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings and all over the country groups will be marking the day with vigils, marches, and meetings calling for an End to Violence, more sensible gun legislation, and a weeklong “Acts of Kindness” program. Coat and clothing drives, soup kitchens and “Buddy Benches” for lonely or alienated school kids are possible ways to get involved.

Now is the time to think about Peace. Whether you want to think about Peace in your school, on your community’s streets, or in the international arena we want to hear from you. You have just about two months to get your pieces ready!

Peace on Earth Action Kit

Or if you want to share peace this holiday season, you can order a Peace on Earth Holiday Action kit for you or a loved one to inspire more visions of peace.

TAKE ACTION!

What About Peace? is calling youth ages 14 – 20 to submit their work; painting, short story, photography, graphic, poetry or essay to answer the question: ‘What about Peace?’ February 17th is the deadline for submitting your work.

On August 27^th in 1928, nations of the world sent representatives to Paris, France to sign a treaty banning war and committing to the peaceful settlement of all disputes. The treaty is still listed as in force on the U.S. State Department website! (open the document, scroll to page 454)

The event is almost forgotten and the treaty has certainly not been honored but more cities are thinking about creating a new holiday to remember the day and a new generation of youth are ready to take up the call to think about peace.

On Wednesday, August 21, a resolution was introduced and voted on by the St. Paul City Council in celebration of the 85th anniversary of the signing and a petition has been set up to urge more cities to recognize the treaty and sign onto the Peace Pact Holiday action. St. Paul is leading the way; but your town can join them and use the What about Peace? contest as a way to mark the celebrations and bring more youth to the table.

Are you a teacher? Do you work with young people ages 14 -20? Are you a young creative person yourself? It’s time to get started. The What About Peace? contest will officially re-open for the 2014 contest on Sept 15^th with six categories in visual and written arts and cash prizes.

With seven years of art, poetry and essays from around the world, we’ve decided it is time to expand the visibility of the contest.

This summer Global Exchange has hosted an intern to curate a new exhibition of What About Peace art! Mariana, a junior year from Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts with double major in Juvenile Justice Youth Advocacy and Political Science/Global Studies as well as a minor in Visual Arts, sorted and organized all of the beautiful What About Peace contributions and curated a show that can be sent for display to schools, community groups and events. Let us know if you’d like to show the work. Email Kirsten (at) GlobalExchange (dot) org.

Our first exhibit will be this weekend at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for their first Peace in the Park festival which will bring together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities for a rejuvenating day of peaceful activities for all ages and backgrounds.

TAKE ACTION:

Are you a teacher? Start planning your lessons around What About Peace? Find out more details.
Are you between the ages of 14-20? Enter the What About Peace? contest for a chance to win $1,000. Enter by February 14.
Get your city to sign on to the Peace Pact Holiday Action.

Scott Graber, an inspired art teacher from Pennsylvania

After our winners were chosen for this year’s “What About Peace” contest, we discovered something very interesting about three of the top winning artists; though they used different styles and mediums, they shared one thing in common – their teacher: Scott Graber of West Lawn,Pennsylvania.

Contest rules require that all What About Peace? contest participants must have a teacher/sponsor in order to participate in the contest. And this year out of hundreds of entries, our Grand, First, AND Second Prize Visual winners all came from artist teacher Scott Graber’s class (not to mention a substantial number of Honorable Mentions!)

Here are the winning pieces from Mr. Graber’s class:

2013 Grand Prize Winner
“Untitled”; Kaitlyn Reber

2013 First Prize Visual Winner “Untitled”; Tyler Reppert, 17 yrs

2013 Second Prize Visual Winner “Untitled”; Cristina Serban, 18 yrs

We wondered how this teacher inspired such thoughtful work and decided to give him a call.

It turns out Scott Graber has been teaching art for 14 years and has one of the most dedicated and inspiring teaching styles. We asked him what he did to open his students up to the message of peace. Here’s what he did:

He started with a class discussion about peace – from inner peace to world peace and then showed a slide show of the vibrant, anti-war pop culture posters of

A Few of the classic pieces that art teacher Scott Graber shared with his students for inspiration

Peter Max to experience how to make art with a message. They listened to John Lennon’s “Imagine” and listed the emotions, moods, colors and images that came to their minds. The students loved to talk about Peace, Graber reported, exploring conspiracy theories, dream-like utopias and world affairs.

Then he had the students prepare three or more thumbnail sketches of their ideas, keeping to the question: Is my message evident? They displayed their sketches and the whole class discussed which composition worked best. Then each student chose her or his medium, the size of the piece and got to work.

As they worked Graber continued to encourage and ask if the students were working to their full potential – reminding them that their name would be on the finished piece and represents them, teaching strategies he learned from the biggest influence in his life – his own high school art teacher.

All in all the process lasted 3 weeks from start to finish, with lots of great conversations about peace and some really creative answers to the question: “What About Peace?”

Inspiration can be passed from teacher to student to the world in more ways than you always know. Thank you Scott Graber for your inspiration!

TAKE ACTION

Calling all teachers! Are you a teacher (or do you know one?) Encourage your students to take the time to make art with a message and build that creative dialogue that will make a difference in this world. Here’s a flyer you can download all about the What About Peace? art contest.
“Like” What About Peace? on Facebook. You’ll see things like “Staff Picks”, shout outs to past participants, and vibrant photos of peace-themed artwork.

Delicious Peace Grows In a Coffee Bean. Photo credit: Thanksgiving Coffee Company

Fair Trade coffee is about to get an extra shot of deliciousness in Washington DC with the screening of the award winning documentary film Delicious Peace at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store (inside Busboys and Poets @ 5th & K).

The Peace Movement and the Fair Trade Movement meet in Uganda with amazing farmer and activist JJ Keki, who fearlessly crossed religious boundaries to build economic prosperity and peaceful community. This inspirational documentary film tells the story of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish coffee farmers in Uganda coming together in the wake of the Idi Amin regime of terror and intolerance.

JJ Keki Founder and Chairman of the Cooperative, Jewish

JJ Keki Founder and Chairman of the Cooperative and his youngest son Aaron look over the Namatala River Valley, and the slopes of Mt. Elgon. Photo Credit: Thanksgiving Coffee Company

In Uganda today, small-scale coffee farmers account for over 90% of the country’s revenues. These farmers face small profits due to inefficiencies within the Ugandan government and exploitative market intermediaries.

With the support of US-based non-profit organization Kulanu, JJ Keki and a revolutionary group of farmers successfully organized The Peace Kawomera Cooperative; and rightfully named their coffee Mirembe Kawomera, meaning Delicious Peace in the local Luganda language.

They’ve partnered with Thanksgiving Coffee Company, an artisan coffee roaster in Northern California, to make Delicious Peace Coffee available to you. The coffee is available at our Global Exchange Stores.

The Peace Kawomera Coffee cooperative, which has grown to over 1,000 members, is the first Fair-Trade certified Ugandan coffee to be sold in the United States.

With the United States consuming 1/5th of the worlds’ coffee, our purchasing power has strong impact in Uganda. When consumer choose Fair Trade coffee, we’re helping to ensure that coffee farmers receive just compensation, competitive prices, access to financial stability, equal distribution of benefits among the cooperatives, and the opportunity to be apart of a sustainable business that supports their community.

TAKE ACTION!

Deena Shadrack is a leader in the Abayudaya (Jewish) community, strong advocate for womens’ rights, a coffee farmer, and a mother to many. Photo credit: Thanksgiving Coffee Company

Come view a powerful film that follows these farmers and their amazing work!

What: A Special Film Screening of Award Winning Documentary Delicious Peace

When: April 2, 2013 from 6-8pm

Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade Store (inside of Busboys and Poets); 1025 5th Street NW Washington, DC 20001

The 40-minute film will be followed by a panel discussion with Jeff Goldman (Executive Director of the Fair Trade Resource Network), myself (manager of the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in DC & VA), and others. Don’t miss out on a post discussion FREE tasting of Delicious Peace coffee!

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RSVP: Let us know if you’re planning to attend, Rsvp on Facebook. Or just show up!

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As the world gets more and more complicated and peace seems more elusive, new voices, ideas and commitments are needed. Youth art contest “What About Peace” is looking to hear from you if you are 14 -20 years old. What is your answer?

Prize money is available for the winners of the contest for 14 – 20 year old youth who want to answer the question: What About Peace?

Grand Prize is $1000!

Sponsor/Teacher’s prizes are available too.

Want to enter? Visit our information page.

But don’t delay, the deadline is February 15th and we don’t want to miss your creativity.

Paint a picture, take a photograph or write a poem- the world needs you to think about and act for peace.

What do you believe? Tell us in an essay or short story or cool new graphic – your creativity is the limit. But don’t let the clock run out on this opportunity.

February 15th will be the last day we can accept your submission, so don’t put it off!

Young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they’re our leaders today, as we work for peace around the world.

P.S. Check our Facebook page to see a gallery of last year’s beautiful work.

The following blog is a guest post from Michael T. McPhearson, National Coordinator, United For Peace and Justice:

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Americans demand good paying jobs; corporations and the rich pay their fair share; protection of our social safety net; significant cuts to runaway Pentagon spending; and an end to the War in Afghanistan. We must not let up – we must continue to remind our elected officials who they represent. Together our voices can make a difference.

The next few weeks are critical as Congress and the President negotiate over the budget. Wall Street CEOs and war hawks have descended on Washington, DC and are all over the news telling Americans we must lower our expectations – that we need to understand that the U.S. simply can’t afford to maintain programs like Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. We can’t let the money and power of CEOs and war hawks influence our election mandate.

Please take action today with United for Peace & Justice petition and call your Congressperson to remind them that America needs jobs, not wars! More information is available at our website, www.jobs-not-wars.org.

TAKE ACTION on and after December 5th:

Thank you for taking action and speaking up!

United for Peace and Justice
Veterans For Peace
Military Families Speak Out

Interview with Scott Ward: Writing about Peace