Creating Peace

Saturday Art Camp at In Movement

2010-04-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

Nakirebe Primary School , Mpigi - April 8th

2010-04-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday March 23rd ~ Akor Primary School - Peace Pals with 148 Students

2010-03-29T05:56:00.003-07:00

Tuesday 10am Bacali drives me to meet Bernard and his colleague Walter. Thankfully today we only have to drive for about 40 minutes, not 90. That, and a night of rest, had me feeling excited and groovy in anticipation of today's Peace Pals workshop.

When we arrived at the school, we walked to meet the Head Teacher and as we got close to the building, there was a single whistle. Students all over the yard stopped and kneeled down. It was instantaneous and absolute. Every student in the yard, about 4 or 500 stopped in their tracks and kneeled down. I stopped in awe and watched. There was total respect and poised control by each student waiting for the next signal. And then, after about 3 seconds, two quick sounds of the whistle, and everyone went running for class.

I was filled with a joyful amazement. From a quiet and calmed stillness to a chaotic frenzy in split seconds.... I knew this was going to be a fun day.

The Head Teacher greeted us with open arms, asked us how many students we wanted to work with and quickly directed us to the tree at the corner of the building to set up. We had initially discussed working with 100 students, and then found out that there we going to be more like 120. I smiled and agreed such a number would be fine.

Once we had gathered and began, it felt to me like there was a lot more than 120 students sitting before me. We did a nice long meditation while seated and talked at length about what it means to create peace in our lives.

And then I asked the group to stand and create a large circle. It became even clearer when we stood up to form a circle, having made circles with 80 - 100 several times, that there were more, but would have to wait until we were finished to get an accurate count.

This circle was one of the most powerful experiences of all the Peace Pals workshops I have led. The group was large and the energy was high. The students were warm and playful, fun and engaged. As I showed them postcards from the U.S. students I asked them to consider the different slogans: "Walk Peace" "Talk Peace" "Think Peace" and "unity".

There were a couple of things that happened during this workshop that stood out.

The first was something I had experienced before, but hadn't put my finger so precisely on, was the fact that these students very rarely make eye contact with an elder. There is a submissive, subordinate behavior that represents their way of showing respect. As we talked, one student spoke of "greeting another" as a way of showing peace. And so naturally, I stuck out my hand for a shake. He responded and we held a grip for a moment. I was waiting for him to look me in the eyes and he wouldn't. So, like many Ugandans do, I continued to hold the shake. He tried to pull away, and I held lightly, until finally, his discomfort was clear and I let go.

But what I felt and what I found was my ticket into talking about the power of eye contact and what it really means to "see" another person.

By looking someone in the eye, you acknowledge them. You see them. You share that moment of soul connection. Hearts open with eyes exposing the vulnerability of that deep inner you. You allow someone to see "in" and in doing so, show them that you too are a human being, full of love. This is a powerful practice and it proceeded to walk around the circle making eye contact with as many of the students as I could.

I expanded on the topic by sharing these thoughts: In war and in violence, there is only blindness. There is no sight. There is no love. There is a visionlessness of destruction and despair where fear blocks sight and anger enables one to act in an in-humane way.

So the only way, is to SEE each other and acknowledge that ability to open our eyes to look and be, simply be with and therefore accept each other for exactly who we are, as we see another before our eyes, without story, judgment, or evaluation. This is a powerful act of peace.

To see more pictures:http://picasaweb.google.com/createpeaceproject/AkorPeacePalsLira?feat=directlink

Ogeno Peace Pals - Lira

2010-03-29T04:16:00.000-07:00

Monday March 22nd.

We woke at 6am for a 7am pick-up in preparation for a long drive north to Lira, 5 hrs north of Kampala. Along the way we picked up Lynn's colleague Penelope and her 8 yr young son, Sam.

I think we made good time along the way and arrived in Loro, about 30 minutes outside Lira to drop the two Hewlett Foundation Employees at the Teachers College there. Sam and I continued to Lira with Bacali, our driver, another 30 mintues up the road to meet Bernard and Tony of Art for Children - Uganda, the NGO I was going to be partnering with this week.

Art for Children - Uganda is under the umbrella of War Child Holland, and uses art and creativity to support the healing and education of young people in this war torn Northern region of this country.

After picking these two men up, we drove for another difficult 90 minutes further North into the bush on rough dirt roads. Being tired, hungry and uncomfortable made it a challenge for me to maintain my composure and not get upset, considering the further we went, the further Bacali was going to have to drive back to pick up Lynn and Penelope, who were equally exhausted and expecting their driver to be there when they finished. Needless to say, I had to surrender to the road and the journey we were on to Ogeno Primary School.

March 18th Peace Pals at St. Henry's Primary School, Muyenga

2010-03-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up nervous. My heart was beating fast and I felt a little shaky; uneasy in anticipation of my upcoming workshops. Perhaps it was because I had hired my friend AK to come a film the experience. Perhaps because I was scheduled to do two workshops in one day with 100 students per session. Perhaps I was just feeling shy, unprepared, and empty bellied hungry.

It was not a foreign feeling. Definitely a place of familiarity, not necessarily of comfort, but more of a feeling of nervous excitement and my mode of doing double-check mental preparations being expressed in the body as a hollow, scared emptiness.

Perhaps I will always experience this feeling, on some level, whenever I am preparing to step into the unknown, open my heart and share myself and this Peace Pals, or any project I started, for that matter, with a new group of participants.

Once in the car and in motion, I was almost immediately out of my own way and in route to pick up AK, get some minutes for my phone, and off to the school, ahead of schedule and on-time. We were on our way to St. Henry's Primary school, the second private Catholic school of the week, and also the second school introduced to me by my new friend Laura Frederick of Global EChange. www.globalechange.com

We arrived at the school, met the Head Master, a nice man named Peter Okoth, who graciously received us and showed us around. We settled into a room in a building under construction at the top of their property to set up for doing workshops with the P4, P5, P6 and P7 classes.

These students were brilliant. Our plans to have two groups of 100 (P4 & P5's and P6 &P7's) was a bit ambitious given the size of the room, so we opted to work with one class at about 50 per session.

We started with the P5 kids who were very well behaved and dropped in quickly. They were warm and attentive, quiet, calm, and courteous. Their receptivity to the project was great and we moved easily along into a discussion about what "peace" meant to them

Here are some of their replies.

A sharp young boy of 12 said: "Peace is being humble."

A lovely young girl of 10 said: "Peace is a warm light in your heart."

Another smart young girl shared that: "Peace is sharing food or something to drink with someone who has nothing.:

And a quiet boy in his teens, said: "Peace is having love in your heart."

I was already moved and we hadn't yet begun to make art.

When I showed the group the postcards from the students in the U.S. I talked with them about the various slogans: think peace, walk peace, and talk peace. At one point I asked the group, what does it mean to walk peace?

One boy raised his hand and said, "to walk with love in your heart." I was "wow'd" I asked him if he would demonstrate that. He agreed. I smiled. Shuffling from his bench, he began to walk down the center of the room, head held high, moving slowly, deliberately down the middle space in the room. Some of the others began to laugh and I quickly asked them to be quite and observe. I asked the young boy, perhaps 12 years old, to close his eyes and really demonstrate what i meant to "walk with love in his heart" and he did. This boy was amazing. He closed his eyes and with a slight smile, walked slowly down the center of the room. I was moved. Chills running throughout my body. As he approached me I invited him to turn around and continue back towards his desk table. He was a remarkable example for the room and there was a quiet and calmness in everyone as they observed.

Then I showed them the Om card. And I explained to them that this was the sound of peace. We practiced together. I find that when you get a room of 50 or 100 Ugandan students to Om together, it's quite a powerful and beautiful thing.

And so we did just that. I had them close their eyes again. I demonstrated the sound of Om, and then we practiced a bit of call and response, before collectively Om'ing together three times. This was super fun and they found it both amusing and enjoyable.

And then the second group came in and we got right into it. We breathed together in silence. Eyes closed and introspective for about 5 minutes. (I try to extend this experience as long as I feel the energy in the room calming, watching for eyes opening or signs of restlessness, and really allowing the students to drop in.)

I tell them things like this. Eyes closed. Going inside. You are safe. Everyone here is friends. There is nothing to worry about. Feel at peace. Feel your heart. (some students put their hands on their chest) Relax. Notice your breath. Breathe easy. Relax your body. Be calm. This is the practice of being peaceful. All the while chiming my Tibetan hand cymbals three times.

And then we open our eyes and carry that energy into the writing and art making for peace. As I instruct them to consider what peace looks like and feels like, sharing their thoughts and feelings with that anonymous person in India a little something personal about themselves and their lives on the postcard.

Peace Pals at St. Kizito Primary School

2010-03-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I was in a local private school here in Kampala. A short walk from In Movement in Kansanga. The school, St. Kizito, is a catholic primary school serving approximately 350 kids.

The students were very well behaved, very friendly, and pleasantly communicative....something I rarely find. Often, there is a pervading shyness....and a real hesitation to talk with the strange teacher in the room.....but today was a bit different and the students were much more forward and talkative with me, which I appreciate.

For a little more than 2 hrs, I facilitated a Peace Pals wrokshop with about 100 P4, P5, and P6 students in an age range of 8 - 16 year olds. The kids were great. They were attentive and eager to share, more so than I had experienced in previous schools.

In each workshop I lead, I ask the students what peace means to them. In this workshop, I got many familiar answers such as "peace is love" and "peace is freedom" But there were a few spoken with confidence and embodied understanding that felt solid and different from other students. A young girl raised her hand and replied "Peace is loving your family." Another young boy stood up and said "peace is being kind and friendly to everyone."

The hilarious part of this day was my Vado HD video camera was out of battery and my camera ran out of battery in the first half hour. So I pulled out my mac and opened photo booth and the kids got a total kick out of seeing themselves on the screen and having their photos captured right before their eyes.

Luwunga Church of God Orphanage and Primary School

2010-03-12T01:45:00.001-08:00

Wednesday March 10th. I took a 90 minute ride out of Kampala to the village.

I went to a place called Kakili to visit the orphanage and primary school run by a guy named Joshua who I met on the stairs of the Imperial Royale hotel in downtown Kampala.

He asked me if I was a volunteer ( a category of white person in Uganda there on service) I told him about my project and that I might be able to come. He called me a lot....a lot a lot to get me to come to his school. I had no idea where I was going, but I should have when my driver told me that he was going to charge me 80,000 schilings.....which was more than a trip to the airport. I even texted Lynn to confirm that I wasn't getting taken.

But you know what, for the 90 minute ride, his 3 hrs waiting on site, and the return trip home, $40 wasn't too bad. Plus, it was the only way I was going to get to this village about 3 miles off the main road on a broken and crackling dirt road into the distance.

This main room where three classrooms met was the only not earthen structure on site.

The other structures were either made out of mud, or bamboo with reeds as walls. I believe this is about as primitive as you can get in 2010 on planet Earth, although I am sure there are places that have even less. If you would like to support this school, or any school for that matter, the work I am doing in the cause of spreading art and peace across the globe, please feel free to make a contribution on this blog, or on our web site @ www.createpeaceproject.org

This photo shows you two classrooms. Broken chalk boards on the ground leaning against the reed walls. No books. No nothing. Students barely had things to write with.

And so I asked Joshua if we could gather in the main room. Bringing all the students, even the wee babies, learning their ABC's off a yellow poster board in their mud room, into the main space for a little art making and peace time.

It was quite a setting. Benches were situated like a classroom facing the front....and I quickly requested that we rearrange the around the outside of the room and make a giant rectangle/circle where everyone could see each other.

We organized that quickly and then found that there were too many students to make one large group. So onto the floor went a tarp and the P6 and P7 students seated on the ground. And so it was time to begin.

I love to put a group of 120 excited and energized Ugandan students ~ fascinated by the tall white man in the room, curious as all get out about what in the world we are doing ~ into a moment of silence....a group meditation.... contemplating peace in their heart, breathing deeply, and sitting quietly for several minutes. I find this place to be an energizing and exhilarating moment where even I struggle to close my eyes because I want to see all of them in this state of calm, breath aware, and introspective. There is so much energy swirling. So much excitement. It's great fun to ask everyone to close their eyes and breathe peacefully, if even for only one minute.

I meditate on my own before I arrive.

Have you ever been swarmed by mosquitos? Or accidently hit a bee hive with the tractor? You know that feeling of being surrounded by that pure intensity and energetic force of life pulsing towards you?

Well that's kind of what it's like when you pull out the art supplies in a rural (or any) school in Uganda. There are the moments when all is calm. Students are engaged and listening to the tall caucasian guest. Everything is peaceful, for it is peace we are discussing and the practice of being peaceful is what I am there engaging with them. The attentive, quite, calm, curious, shy, hesitant to speak, slow to raise ones hand, nearly fearful of speaking up in front of the class is quickly and almost instantaneously dissolved when a can of markers, or box of crayons gets opened.

As soon as the Art supplies come out......kids swarm. Hands fly. Reaching. Grabbing. "Master! Master! Master!" I ask them to sit. I gently usher them back to their seats, so that I can pass things out neatly and carefully into the hands awaiting.....but as soon as you begin to distribute them....the hands and bodies quickly come flying at your face.

I find it kind of enjoyable, exciting.....you are wanted and deeply sought after. You have something that they desperately want. Ten to fifteen pairs of hands flying in your face can be kind of overwhelming.....and somewhat fascinating.....because it is that pure excitement, a primal urge, and eagerness to get involved that has me smile back at them.

Namuleasa Muslim Primary School

2010-03-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

This was an amazing workshop.

My first experience in a Ugandan School.

30 minutes outside Jinja

Namulesa Muslim Primary School

an empty room

sweep the floor

a quick wipe down

lay mats and pads to cover

enter 120 students

welcome

an introduction

a group circle

create a context

geography lesson

show maps

everyone sit

discuss peace and what it means to create peace in our lives

students share thoughts and feelings

group meditation

play a bit of music

open eyes

explain the Peace Pals project

pass out postcards

pass out art supplies

get creative

sharing messages

decorate postcards

clean up and collect supplies

group circle

share our creations

reinforce the practices

inspire and empower

be the example

pass in finished postcards

distribute postcards from U.S.

thank you

Peace Pals at Lawanda Primary School in Jinga

2010-03-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

Last week was an amazing week. Along with doing the mural project in town, I was fortunate enough to be connected to two local primary schools just outside of Jinga. Thanks to Soft Power and my friend Sharon, their director, for connecting me to these schools. You can check them out here: www.softpowereducation.com

On Friday afternoon, my friend Moses and I headed over to the Lawanda Primary School. A nice little school situated on a beautiful grassy knoll with an amazing tree in the middle of the hillside leading up to the school.

I was there to work with their P7 students. In Ugandan schools, unlike in American schools, students attend classes, not grades, labeled as P for primary, and S for secondary. There are 7 primary levels, and 4 secondary levels, plus 2 additional secondary pre-collegiate levels.

There are really no parameters of age for a given class level. If you pass your year-end exam, you move on to the next class level. And if not, you stay behind. So in any given class, you could have a 5 or 6 year (or more) age range between students depending on how quickly they learn and move forward.

In this P7 class there were about 120 students ranging in age and size from small little 12 year olds, to grown boys of 16. This is quite an interesting scenario, given that the younger kids are often quicker to understand what is going on and equally, if not more, capable to write and read as those 5 years older.

I shared with them about the Peace Pals project. As I have done in each of the five workshops I have led. I tell them about where I come from, showing them a map of the U.S. and where in California I reside. Given that in each of the five settings I have worked there has not been a map on the walls (nor any additional educational material, for that matter) I give them time to look at the map and really see where places are.

After showing the map of the U.S. I either show them a map of Africa, and/or a map of the world. I begin to explain to them how they are part of a huge project involving thousands of students and that not only are they receiving postcards from students in America, but they are going to be creating postcards, sharing their art and messages of peace, with students in India.

Using the world map, and also a map of India and the sub-continent, I show the students how the project is really world wide ~ connecting the U.S. to Uganda, Africa, and onto India.

Eyes wide, attentive, and eager to see the world, the map proves to be a highly effective tool to showcase the vastness of the geography of this planet, as well as the scope of this project they have randomly been selected to participate in.

During this afternoon workshop, I had the idea to take this group of 120 out of the classroom and talk to them about Peace and the expression of being peaceful outdoors. Having initiated the conversation in the classroom, a few of the students sharing their thoughts on peace as "freedom" and "Friendship", "being kind to each other" and "sharing love", I reminded them that peace is also a state of quite, of silence, of being at ease and calm within.

It was at that point that I asked them to single file their way out of the classroom, row by row, and make their way down to the magnificent tree in the yard bellow.

Standing in this circle around this glorious tree, we stood together in one giant circle. I asked them to consider what we had talked about inside and to feel where that "peace" resided inside. I then led them in a single rotation around the tree. Taking three steps back to make room, we slowly walked around the tree in silence. This was a powerful moment for me, watching as this group of students certainly did something they had never done before. Some laughed, others questioned the tall white man orchestrating this silly game around their tree.

But after completing the entire circle, the students arrived. They dropped in. We tightened the circle and stood in silence. I chimed my Tibetan cymbals and we took several breaths of peace together. There were tears, there were hearts opening, and there was a feeling of ease and relaxed joy on the faces of these students.

Upon completion of our meditation, we returned to the classroom in that same single file, and made out way into the creative aspect of this Peace Pals workshop.

JInga Mural ~ A Week of Creative Collaboration and Fun

2010-03-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing week.

Working along side my friend Maddy from Scotland, her pals Bob and Georgie from England, local artist, and director of the Community Based Organization working with these 20 plus street kids, Moses, two other Jinga-based artists Angelo and Dillah, and contributions from Lynn, our mural really came together nicely over the course of one week.

We were prepared to paint most of the day, everyday, but due to the unpredictable rain, we were only able to paint for half days on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesady morning we were out and gearing up to start when these ominous dark clouds rolled in. I tell you, the rain came down in buckets. It was like someone had flipped the switch, from a drizzle to a dump, and in a matter of minutes it was pouring. Thankfully we had made our way to cover in time.

That afternoon, Maddy and I and a few of the boys were prepared to get into motion only to find the compound where we were storing the ladders locked and no one home. So...there was only one alternative....Hop the wall. So up in went, climbing the door and over the 9ft wall into the residential space of several families. I passed the ladders across the wall to Maddy and strategically beneath wires before climbing back across to the other side.

This fun predicament only occurred one other time, and by that point, we simply laughed at the reality of doing a project in Uganda and the troubles of logistics and coordination that seems to be all present wherever you may go.

Our efforts we steady and consistent, working with Mother Nature to ensure we met our goal of a completed mural by weeks end.

Each day was a fun and adventuresome experience working with the boys, and entertaining questions and curiosities from local passer-byers. The boys loved to paint. They were eager and excited to see us arrive each day and thrilled to watch the mural evolve. More than anything, they loved watching themselves appear on the wall.

After tracing them in funky positions with chalk, we blocked out the background to highlight the negative space of their bodies. There were certain laughs in doing this as the boys and one girl had to be held up and balanced on this narrow little ledge for tracing. The final boy, the youngest and one of the most joyful, was flipped upside down for a bit of a variety. During the first flip we lost his shorts, and quickly set him down. Then tying a shirt around his waist, we hoisted him up again. This time, certain to keep his wee peeper under cover.

Aside from a moment of indecent exposure and a bit of creative ingenuity The project went smoothly and with ease. Many people coming out to contribute and participate made this a fun and exciting collaborative effort. On Saturday, Lynn arrived and brought in some new paint, and with the efforts of Maddy, Bob, Lynn, Dillah, Angelo and myself, we wrapped things up on Saturday evening.

Our mural is titled: Our Future Dreams : Abliloto Biafai Abiommaso and is in honor of this group of 20-odd street kids and their vision of a brighter tomorrow.

Our Future Dreams

Jinga Mural ~ Day 3

2010-03-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

Ten days ago I met Maddy, a friend of Lynn's, who has been working and making art in Uganda and throughout East Africa for the past many years. She and I had lunch and talked for about 2hrs. The topic of mural painting came up, as did the name of a local artist, Moses, who works to support about 20 street kids here in Jinga, Uganda.

After a breif talk on Friday, we met Moses on Saturday and we were into the discussion about how to get a mural project going in the next week. I went back to Kampala and Maddy secured the wall for us to paint on. I bought paint and gathered my things and a week later took a crowded Matatu (mini-bus-taxi) ride from Kampala back to Jinga.

On Monday we met with the group of 20 street kids and did a design workshop with them, including some breathing exercises, peace talk, and inspiring their involvement in the painting of this mural. Then we asked them to draw their dreams.

Each child drew things like images of a home, or a farm, or community living space. Some drew their desired profession and future career. Maddy and Moses and I met that evening to combine their ideas into a cohesive vision for this mural.

The next morning we rounded up some equipment being loaned to us, a couple 50 gallon drums, some wood planks to stand on, the two ladders ( including the one we had built for about $4) and our supplies to get painting.

And away we went.

A brief interlude from Pakistan

2010-02-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

In early November I got this email from a teacher in Pakistan.

I am Mrs Cyprian from Pakistan. In Pakistan terrorism creates fear every where. People can not go out from their house due to fear of a bomb blast. Now the target of the terrorists are schools and universities. School are closed in Pakistan. There is great need of peace promotion in children. I want my school children take part in the peace pal project. Regards, Adeline

She send me their mailing address and I shipped off 50 postcards and a bunch of art supplies to a place called MC Girls High School is Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Recently she sent some photos back of the girls participating. I wanted to post those photos here now to show the continued global reach of this project and the importance of spreading peace as we consider this a cross-cultural celebration of creativity. This is more than an art-for-peace project, this is a dialog between students around the world about what it means to create peace in our lives.

In Uganda, young people I have talked to use the term "ENOUGH" in response to being fed up with living in a state of war and violence for so many years. It is my hope that more people can catch on to this way of being and being to take steps in their lives to create peaceful positive change.

Let's put the messages out there. Let's spread love and uplift people with the art in our hearts.

Let's take the time to see and listen and be with each other in an accepting and loving way.

Let's Create Peace....and it is my hope, intention, and purpose to do just that.

Wednesday Feb. 17th ~ My First Peace Pals Experience

2010-02-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was the third and final day for the ladies of Off the Mat, Into the World, on site,helping to build the school with Building Tomorrow. It was my second day with them and indeed a pleasure to be able to share the joys and excitement of their amazing experience.

We were in the rural district of Mpigi Villiage, about an hour west of Kampala and the locals were all out for this final day with this group of Westerners. The ladies had brought a number of gifts for the kids: balls, stickers, frisbees, books and other fun things to share. They also were enthusiastically engaging the hundred or so kids in numerous fun activities....drumming with them, doing yoga, movement play in a large circle, and extending their hands to continue supporting the ground work on this six room school.

Around 1pm I laid out a small tapestry as the central art space and almost immediately the kids started swarming. I think there were around 120. Kids of all ages, the majority between 10 and 15 years of age. They were so excited and super curious about what I was doing they kept crowding closer and closer to the center. Thank fully our friend Jimmy, one of the site coordinators and community leaders for this project, stepped in to translate and assisted in creating a touch more space.

Having borrowed 35 art boards from In Movement, and carrying enough supplies for 20 kids to work, it was quite the intimidating sitting there on the ground, surrounded by hungry eyes, curious to what was going to happen, trapped behind a language and cultural barrier, but committed to the craft I had laid out before me.

To gift these kids postcards created by students in the U.S. and have them create their own to be delivered to students in our next destination.....INDIA....later this year.

I was fortunate to have the support of a few of the ladies. Megan and Seane quickly came into the middle to help orchestrate and our friend Suzanne brought her drum to calm and connect the students to the collective experience being created.

After explaining the project and what we were going to do, showing them a map of the world and explaining where the cards they were going to get came from and where their art work was going, I asked them to close their eyes. Like most young people this can be a challenge. But from the looks of the group, many were able to drop in. I asked them to breathe deeply, to feel the excitement, to feel their hearts, and notice their breath. Breathing quietly for about a minute felt like a long time and then we chanted the sound of OM. This was a magical moment and it lasted for more than a couple minutes as we repeated the sound of OM continuously.

I felt deeply moved by this and was quickly aware of the tears in a few kids eyes, the depth of connection and passion shared by many. This was the perfect transition into the art making.

There on the dirt, students in the front spread out. We asked the crowding group to back up, to create some space, and the kids took turns. They had boards laid out before them and about 20 or so were able to get into the art making at a time. Having instructed them to draw things that made them feel happy, or represented Uganda to them, they had no time picking up any of the variety of supplies and drawing on their Peace Pals postcard.

The process lasted for about 90 minutes. It was totally intense. Cramped in a tight little space on the earth. Students gathered closely around eager to get involved, to draw and express themselves, and excitedly awaiting their US postcard.

I am going to continue to watch and listen to the behavior of the Ugandan youth in relation to art supplies and the act of being creative and report back on my observations. But for a first experience, in a spontaneous and organic way in this rural setting on the ground, I had a magical time and I am pretty certain the kids did too.

And away they walked, Mothers and infants, students and elders, as one large group, back to their village a couple of kilometers away.

A Day with Off the Mat Into the World

2010-02-16T02:38:00.000-08:00

Monday morning traffic in Kampala is insane. It simply does not move.....well, it moves, but super slow. From several miles outside the center of town, cars and trucks inch there way along. Riding with Bacali and Lynn to our respective destinations, it was clear that I was going to be late to my 8:30 meeting time, if I stayed in the car much longer. So out I hopped and onto the back of a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) to zip into the Sheraton to join up with the ladies from Off the Mat Into the World.

20 women, from all over the United States and Canada are in Uganda for 2-weeks as part of their Seva (sanskrit for service) Challenge through the Los Angeles based organization Off the Mat, Into the World. (www.offthematintotheworld.org) It was my pleasure to be able to join them on their first day on-location helping to build a school with their partner organization Building Tomorrow (www.buildingtomorrow.org)

We took an hour bus ride out of town and into a rural area on the out-skirts of Kampala. Veering off the main thoroughfare, we drove along a long dirt road to a site about a mile into the farmlands to an open plot of land, the foundation of a building being laid, and a community of people gathered round to watch as this group of Westerners arrived to help build this school.

Off the Mat's Seva Challenge required participants to raise $20,000 to enable them to join this trip. 20 women from 12 states and two Canadian provinces achieved that goal....collectively raising more than $500,000... and were here to continue their work in service of the two causes they were providing for in Uganda. Having spend last week with a Birthing Center north of Kampala, this was their second cause for which their money was being donated.

The ladies will spend three days on site, working with the local community and the team from Building Tomorrow to help get this school on it's way to being built. From our opening meeting yesterday, it looks like there will be a new school for the several hundred students they aim to serve in the next 4 months.

We spent the day hauling bricks, shoveling dirt, leveling ground, and helping to get this school's construction ramped up. The highlights included seeing all of the kids get involved and helping out. A long assembly line passing bricks from the stacks near the brick making machine, around the corner of the foundation and into the furthest place they needed to go was a remarkable sight to see.

The kids loved working with us Westerners and for a long while I had a crew of boys working by my side. For every move I would make, they would be right there next to me.

A beautiful day and a wonderful way to be in partnership with two amazing organizations, of service to the benefit of this community and the students who will attend this school.

After a hard days work, elders provided Sugar Cane for all the youngsters on site. It was a real privilege to watch as they waited patiently in line, and then bent knees slightly in gratitude for their sweet treat.

I am finding the cultural differences between American students and the Kids I have encountered in Uganda stifling. I think America students have a lot to learn from the behavior and respect of these young people. And....I could see these Ugandan kids learning a ton from students in the states as well.

Kayeda Day

2010-02-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a magical day. Lynn and I joined In Movement (www.inmovement.org) for an afternoon of art making and creative interaction with the kids at Kayeda Orphanage.

Kayeda is located here in Kampala and serves about 60-80 orphaned kids from ages 1 to 19. Situated in a relatively gnarly part of town, the team of facilitators carried art supplies from teh dirt road, down a narrow ally, between buildings, across a ditch of filth and into a cluster of buildings near the bottom of a hill. No walk ways or steps. Just exposed earthen dirt and rocks, broken bricks and trash lining the path.

Kayeda has what looked like two main buildings, and several dormitories. Kids sleep in bunks stacked three high and four units per room. So in a room smaller than the size of your bedroom, 12 kids live and sleep.

In Movement has been working with this Organization for many years and each year they host a showcase day to demonstrate the crafts and activities they do to the newer, uninvolved students as a way of inspiring their future participation and involvement with these programs. We set up art stations to showcase the music and singing, dance and movement, acting and performance as well as the visual art components of their programing.

Eyes everywhere, following our movements....watching with deep curiosity.

It was my first day working with Ugandan youth and it was really quite amazing. The kids are incredibly attentive and respectful. There was a lot of excitement for the new tall "mzungu"

in the room, but also so much love and respect and authentic curiosity to what we were doing. The willingness to participate and the excitement and joy demonstrated by all the kids was just brilliant.

The kids were thrilled to have us, the group of 8 facilitators, there to lead them in the numerous activities. And then the amazing showcase of all the different activities drew an attentive and appreciative crowd.

It was a wonderful first day to get hands-on with some Ugandan kids.

I feel completely blessed to be in the company of such loving and warm people and have the opportunity to share my gifts through the creative arts.

This video shows a number of the kids, not the regular In Movement participants, getting their hands into the art supplies and simply playing with the array of medium we laid out. At first the lead Facilitator John Mary, did not want these to get involved. He wanted them to simply observe, as a way of showing them what was available to them...but with a crowd of excited youngsters standing on the side watching, it was hard for me to not invite them to play.

So, I did. We quickly rearranged the space, moving paper and supplies, making more room for additional participants, and invited the kids to join in a bit of creative collaboration with us on the floor.

I look forward to a longer, more involved next experinece, but a lovely first taste of spontaneous creative time with these loving and appreciative kids.

New Postcard has gone to Print

2010-02-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

The newest Peace Pals postcard has gone to print today. After a slight soaking when leaving the printers earlier this week, I returned today ~ a bright a sunny day, to make payment and confirm printing of 3,000 of our newest design.

Thanks to designer extraordinaire Laura Aleo for her countless hours of work getting this baby just right. I believe it's all there and my hope is that Graphic Systems, the largest and most advanced printer in Kampala will handle this job with ease.

I look forward to their delivery in the morning.....and more importantly I look forward to seeing what the kids of Kampala and Northern Uganda create on these blank cards in the coming weeks.

Here are the translations (going clockwise from the bottom left)

Om, Sanskrit ~ the sound of peace

Song than Binh, Vietnamese ~ Live in Peace

Shalom, Hebrew ~ Peace

Salaam, Arabic ~ Peace

Pace, Italian ~ Peace

aloha, Hawaiian ~ Love, Peace, Compassion

Yin Yang, Universal ~ complementary forces within the greater whole

Chinese character ~ Peace

kituo, Ki Swahili ~ Calmness, Peace

Mir, Czechoslovakian ~ Peace

Russian ~ kindness

Heart ~ Love

je t'aime, French ~ I love you

create peace, English

unidad, Spanish ~ Unity

Shanti, Hindi/Sanskrit ~ Peace

A Peace Symbol

seja paz, Portuguese ~ Be Peace

werde licht, German ~ Be Light

namaste, Universal/Nepaleze ~ I salute your soul

Week One ~ Kampala, Uganda

2010-02-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

One week into my stay in East Africa and I am pleased to report that all is going wonderfully.

I've had the softest landing into Africa that one could possibly have. Much thanks to Lynn for all the wonderful connections. She's helped to make this the easiest transition and arrival into a foreign land as one could imagine.

This morning I got dropped off at the ATM and choose to take the long walk home. It was about 5 miles, I'd estimate. A nice time to really observe the life and culture of this place, the haps of the streets, to soak it in, to feel the multitude of eyes and stares, the shouts of "mazungu" (white person) from people of all sizes, the friendly 'hellos', the looks of 'what is that tall white man doing walking the street', and the countless offers of rides from the boda-boda drivers (Motorcycle Cabbies) to take you where ever you are going.

Here's my week one highlight reel:

On our first walk down to the lake (Lake Victoria is about a 5 minute stroll from our front door) and on our return, a man on the road asks me if I wanted a monkey. Lynn quickly notes that she has never been asked such a thing in the 10 years she's been come to this region.

On Thursday night we went out for a Bob Marley 65th Birthday Concert. A great night to be out and get a feel for the local scene. Lots of ex-pats was both comforting and a bit shocking. So many white folks in this area, many who have been living and working here for many years. The concert was cool. The main band Blood Brothers were solid and then with a continuous shuffle of artists and musicians, the stage became a revolving door of new and improved sounds....up the tempo, increase the beat, and the funk flowed. We danced and mingled befoer exhaustion set in.

The other day I got my cell phone. 60,000 shillings....plus 20,000 for minutes. Pretty cool to have a local phone while I am here. Give a shout - (256) 07 8515 5645 (use skype)

Currency Exchange: approx. 2,000 Ugandan Shillings = $1

Found my printer for printing postcards. And today is the day to make that happen. In Uganda, everything is done with CASH.

And our driver Bacali. Say hello to our good Friend.....selecting a papaya for Lynn.

2,500 Postcards have Arrived

2010-02-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

When you set out to do an international peace project for the first time, having little to no experience, it's hard to know what will happen.

When the idea for Peace Pals was first born, my friend Ken Masters and I sat down to discuss the objectives and goals of the project. It was really clear that two things needed to happen.

1) there needed to be an open loop: postcards, with their art and messages of peace, needed to be created by one person and delivered (or sent) to another. And...

2) it needed to be viral: as in, the project needed to have a self-perpetuating mechanism for on-going and continuous involvement of participants.

And so, Peace Pals began to take form. The idea was to have students in the U.S.A. create postcards for peace by making art and sharing their personal messages on the backs with words and then deliver their finished works to students in another country. The recipient students who received a postcard would then themselves created one that we would then deliver to students in anther location....as in Create Peace and Pay it Forward. In this way, we create an open loop with an on-going and potentially viral experience for anyone to get involved.

Peace Pals is about spreading peace using creativity student to student across the globe.

So the idea came to life, and the project got set in motion. My team and I personally worked with more than 1,500 Bay Area California students between September and January while sending another 2,000 plus postcards out to schools across the country.

Beautiful art was created and many of the postcards will soon be available for viewing on our web site here: http://www.createpeaceproject.org/peacepals

And so now, here I am in Kampala, Uganda with 2,500 plus postcards for peace, created by students from across the U.S. preparing to deliver them to students in schools here.

Thanks to All Students in these U.S. Participating Schools:

The Friends School, San Francisco, California

Claire Liliental Elementary, San Francisco, CA

Aptos Middle School, SF, CA

Everett Middle School, SF, CA

Eddison Charter Elementary, SF, CA

International Studies Academy, SF, CA

Willie Brown Elementary, SF, CA

St. Elizabeth's High School, Oakland, CA

Harpeth Hall School, Nashville, Tennessee

St. Andrews School, Savannah, Georgia

Beaumont High School, Cleveland, Ohio

Emerson School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Park Tudor School, Indianapolis, Indiana

Solebury School, New Hope, Pennsylvania

St. Stephen's Episcopal School, Austin, Texas

The Kinkaid School, Houston, Texas

Coranado High School, San Diego, California

Menlo School, Menlo Park, California

Kenilworth Junior High School, Petaluma, California

Uganda is NOT Maui

2010-02-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight I found myself in the washroom rinsing my mouth and realized that although the water looks clear and clean and we're staying in this nice house with all the amenities, including a fast internet connection.... and you look around it kind of feels like you'd be on Maui, it's not Maui. It's just NOT.

If you peer outside, on the surface you might think it's Maui, or some other tropical haven for easy living and casual reprieve, but it's just not that kind of place. This is Uganda. This is sub-saharan Africa and it's a wee bit different.

Granted, I'm in love with the sounds. The birds have me captivated. The squawking and gurgling, the cackling and the coo-coo'ing. The insects look like Maui insects, the ants are huge. The flora and fauna are a gorgeous and glowing green with flowers bright and brilliantly alive. Birds in flight with 4 ft wing span. And that in-door out-door living that only comes with tropical temperatures is amazing.

But you know what. As easy as it would be to slip into a casual and care-free approach to Ugandan living......You CAN get sick from the tap water. You CAN get sick from bacteria in the food. You CAN get malaria (although I am NOT going to) from some random mosquito bite.... so, I take this opportunity to remind myself as I remind you.

This is NOT Maui. YOU ARE IN UGANDA.

And as Lynn so eloquently put it..... "didn't you see all the Africans today? There aren't so many dark skinned people on Maui."

And so, allow me to remind you, as I remind myself.

Brush your teeth with bottled water.

Thoroughly wash your veggies and use some grapefruit seed extract for extra cleanliness (even if it's in the other room...go get it)

Clean up after you cook (otherwise ants infest)

Take your herbs and supplements

Wear bug repellent at sun up and sun down (high risk and highest mosquito times of the day)

Cover your body, even if it's hotter than you care to stand being clothed

And shower often.

I think that does it for now. Day 2...in the books. Good thing for this Internet connection....that's a serious plus.... even though you kind of feel like you're Maui....YOU'RE NOT. Can't you hear that "Do" happening down by the lake.

Sounds like Africa, and it's high time to play it like it is.

Uganda Arrival

2010-02-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

Across the globe. 17hrs of Flying. Two nights, one hotel, a couple mediocre meals later and into the Entebee Kampala Airport and the capital of Uganda we arrive. Lynn's driver Bakali picked us up at the airport just past 10pm local time.

A quick 40 minute drive into town and around to our friend's Gizmo and Ilonka's house just above lake Victoria. (Lake Vic). It feels great to be here. Three big bags of gear, including 2,500 plus postcards, a duffle bag full of art supplies, an assortment of speciality foods, and clothes for 3 months in Africa has me all set.

Excitement is setting in and auspicious signs abound.

Off the plane and waiting for the shuttle to the terminal, I ask a well dressed gentlemen if he knows his way around these parts and he quickly replies, "Yes, I live here." Sharp as he was dressed, he knew this was my first time to Uganda. "What are you here to do," he asked politely? I told him about my plans to deliver postcards for peace from U.S. students to students here and my vision for working with 10-15 schools. And I returned the question, "What do you do?" He told me that he was the principal of the International School....and my first connection was made. He passed along his information as we waited in line for a Visa.

He welcomed my call and I felt it all to serendipitous to have met the principal of one of the most respected private schools in Kampala before I had even left the airport.

Gathering our luggage, Bakali arrived just as proper Ugnadan would, 15 minutes late, and we drove to Ilonka and Gizmo's house down by the lake. As we approached their place, we spotted an Owl sitting on a fence. Another auspicious sign....a sign of the protector, symbolic of inner- knowing, and an emblem of wisdom. Lynn said that in the ten years she has been coming here she had never seen an Owl...and we got a sighting on my first night. Another good sign.

Feeling fantastic about being here. Getting mind~body~spirit aligned today after a whole lot of travel and excited to see what's to come.

It's wonderfully comfortable. Warm, not too hot, and most enjoyable to be in Africa.

London Layover

2010-02-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

We left San Francisco at 8pm Sunday night, flew through the night, arrived at London Heathrow at 2pm the next day. Today. It was a long night, tossing and turning, luckily I had a couple of seats open next to me to spread out.

Into London via cab. A quick reminder of how they drive on the other side of the road was fun. London is cold. Just above freezing temperatures. Lynn has us put up at this fancy boutique of a place called Hotel 41, just across the way from Buckingham Palace. We took a nice stroll for a couple of hours around the palace, into Westminster. "Look kids, Big Ben. Parliment."

Beautiful architecture. The river Thames. A lovely little walk to loosen the legs from a long flight. A bit to eat and back to the hotel to chill.

Tomorrow we depart at 8am for the airport. 1045 flight to Entebee, Uganda.

Africa here I come.

17 Days Until Deparature

2010-01-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Count-Down has begun. T-minus 17 days until departure.

Create Peace Project is preparing to take its first step out into the world and explore the grand experiment of Peace Pals in Uganda, Africa.

Postcards are returning from schools around the country. Workshops in Bay Area schools continue, and there is much excitement.

Peace Pals is on.

Stay tuned for photos, postcards, and updates.

Peace Pals goes to Cleveland.

2010-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

Being Embodied and the Cultivation of Discipline

2009-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today I embarked on a 70 day journey. It is a journey of self-discovery. It is a journey of physical transformation. It is a journey into a new, powerful, focused and disciplined way of being. I have committed to 10-weeks of self-generated, self-fulfilled one hour morning yoga practice followed by a short mediation sit six days a week at 7am. This program is about jump-starting my capacity to live a powerfully focused and devoted life to the passion I have and my commitment to creating peaceful positive change on this planet.

I am becoming a disciple of my self. I am bowing down to the high and holy beings who grace my surroundings, and I am expressing my deep and loving commitment to healing my body and standing powerfully strong in the confidence of my own transformation.

Life is a process of continual change. This 70 day phase is about embodying that change, physically transforming the aches and pains, and breaking through the barriers of self-resistance and reaping the benefits of deep self-love, physical regiment, and loving acceptance of myself and the ever-changing experience of life in the human form. It's also about getting the day started right and dialing in the exercise, the breath awareness, and the mental ~ physical ~ emotional harmony required to excel in these tumultuous times.

With this, I will commit to the page, my dedication to powerfully completing this practice and fulfilling my goal of 60 7am yoga practices and the dietary discipline that goes along with it.

Cultivating Loving Acceptance

2009-01-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

There is an ancient Buddhist practice, taught by the Buddha himself in which he said "see every person as your mother." In this theory, since we have all lived so many embodied lifetimes on Earth, each and every being we meet or see has been our Mother as some point in the past. The idea here is that as you begin to envision each person, Man, Woman, Boy or Girl as your mother, in order that you shall give the love you feel for your own birth mother to this person. To share this love equally and unconditionally from the center of your heart is truly an enlightened way of being.

Imagine: each person you encounter was your mother in a past life. Homeless and hungry, hip-hop or heiress, each person, each individual was once your mother.

How would this way of seeing people influence the way you behave? Would you communicate differently? Would you act differently? Would you open your heart and share your love with comfort and ease?

This practice of seeing another as the embodiment of your mother is the practice of loving acceptance and the expression of true compassion. This way of living is not easy. But if you were to consider such possibility, and entertain the notion the next time you are in pubic, perhaps you will begin to notice when the judgements, evaluations, and negative thoughts arise and let them pass quietly, without making a fuss....in the presence of the one who brought you into life at some other point in a time~space place.

Perhaps we can start with lovingly accepting ourselves, by being ok with what is inside my mind~body~emotional being right now, and simply allowing that set of circumstances to be.

I invite you to look at all the ways you judge, evaluate, and compare people to someone else? I also invite you to find a deep place of loving acceptance for who you are, and thus who each person you encounter is, at that very moment, and BE OK with what is.

By finding this love and acceptance to simply receive each situation and each person as they are, without any need for them to be different, you will begin to see where the kindness and courageous compassion in your heart has the space to surface.

Keep the mouth closed a little longer. Remember that this person was once your mother, and you were once theirs. Love them. Love everyone as though your knew them like your blood mother. In this place of loving acceptance, we can transcend the duality of our differences and overcome the separation to experience the oneness of our divine selves.

Drop in and see for yourself. It's just an invitation. No expectations here. I love you just the way you are.