Live Peace with CUSA

The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA), started in 2003, is a department at UC Irvine that takes a look at modern issues and challenges for  human and environmental security through “innovative research and education programs that integrate experts from the public and private sector.”

CUSA focuses on two core areas in it’s programming and research, Environment Conflict and Peace Building and Global Change and Human Security. It’s interdisciplinary approach seeks to cultivate a new generation of leaders and researchers with education programs involving experts from the public and private sector. CUSA researchers and students have conducted research fieldwork in more than twenty-five countries and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

Here’s a TEDxOrangeCoast talk with Richard Matthew, Ph.D., the founding director of the Center for Unconventional Security Affairs.

Professor Matthew spends much of his time in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, studying how environmental stress contributes to violent conflict and other types of crisis. For several years he has worked closely with the United Nations to integrate natural resource management and climate change adaptation into peace-building efforts, participating in various field assessments and directing one in Sierra Leone. He teaches courses on sustainability and social enterprise.

The Environment Art and Human Security (eARTh) Studio, founded by Pamela Donohoo, aerialist, cirque-style acrobat, dancer/ choreographer, gymnast, approaches the issues of environment, sustainability and human security issues through art. Pamela Donohoo performed an improvisational dance while simultaneously creating a 9′x9′ painting that captured movements informed and inspired by the experience of women in conflict zones as part of our Women, War, and Peace Lecture.

Support CUSA’s efforts towards a more peaceful world and read more about it’s upcoming events and projects at their website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

‘Sunny Chernobyl’: A New Kind of Ecotourism

Andrews Blackwell’s book, Visit Chernobyl and other Adventures in the World’s Most Polluted Places, describes his encounters with deforested areas of the Amazon, oil sand mines in Canada, the infamous Chernobyl, and Linfen, China, the most polluted city in the world. Black realized that even though he cared about the environment he had never been a witness to the damage being done to it. He found that even though these places had been plagued with unthinkable harm to nature, they were still beautiful; a different kind of beauty but beauty nonetheless. The purpose of the journey was to” find what’s still natural, what’s still beautiful, what’s still worth caring about.” He believes that it’s just as important to see these places as the majestic waterfalls and valleys that ecotourists seek out.

Take a look at Andrew Blackwell’s list of recommended destinations and his reasoning for why they would be worth your while. This would definitely be a new kind of eye opening traveling experience.

Listen to All Things Considered’s interview with Andrew Blackwell and learn more about his book on his website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with Roots and Shoots

Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world.

- Dr. Jane Goodall

We are very excited to welcome Jane Goodall this October for our Living Peace Series!

Jane Goodall’s world renowned work with Chimpanzees has led to receive titles such as, National Geographic explorer-in-residence, United Nations peace messenger, and the president of Advocates for Animals. However, her work with the Jane Goodall Institute and it’s youth component Roots & Shoots, deals with more than just the wellbeing of animals, but the interconnectivity of the wellbeing of humans, animals, and the environment.

Roots & Shoots was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students in 1991 in order to motivate young people to make positive change. It has grown over the years, with chapters in more than 120 countries, to include a variety of projects and campaigns that have a global reach. The program is built on campaigns that are designed to unite a “global network” with common initiatives.

Get involved with Roots & Shoots at our International Day of Peace celebration on September 23rd where Shawn Sweeney, Roots & Shoots Youth Outreach and Engagement Manager, will speak on careers in peace! Youth involved will build and fly giant peace doves and receive premiere seating at Jane Goodall’s speaking event on October 2nd. You can sign up for the youth event on our website.

You can also become a Roots & Shoots member, find a group to join in your area,  sign up for their newsletter, and visit their website for more information.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with Ashoka

Founded by Bill Drayton in 1980, Ashoka has been launching and supporting social entrepreneurs in over 70 countries on the world’s five main continents. Social entrepreneurs are people with innovative solutions to society’s most significant social problems. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. During its first decade in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Central Europe, Ashoka mainly focused on social entrepreneurs but as the  global citizen sector expanded, Ashoka added a wider range of programs and services to serve the growing sector’s needs.

Ashoka is an association of a large share of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. Its values and culture are sharply, deeply, and strictly focused on serving this core membership. Ashoka has grown to an association of  3,000 Fellows, leading social entrepreneurs who are recognized for their dedication towards new bold ideas to change social patterns in the world. Donating to Ashoka enables them to elect new social entrepreneurs into their fellowship program, provide support services to existing Fellows, and launch collaborations between Fellows, corporations, and citizen sector organizations to promote continued innovation in areas of pressing global need.

To learn more about Ashoka, how to donate, and even how to nominate a social entrepreneur to the Ashoka Fellowship, visit their website!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

8 Ways to Promote Literacy and Protect the Environment

In honor of National Literacy Month, help to spread world literacy and protect the environment. The following list will give you some ideas on what to do with used books laying around the house. Also remember to be mindful about where you purchase your books to find cheaper and environmentally conscious options.

1. Donate used books to a local library or daycare center.

2. Give a sick child the chance to escape to other worlds by donating children’s books to a children’s hospital, such as Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).

3. Better World Books collects and sells books to raise funds for literacy non-profits such as the National Center for Family Literacy and Room to Read. Buy books, sell textbooks, or donate to help out!

4. Help lift our troop’s spirits by donating to Books for Soldiers or Operation Paperback.

5. Empower children in need by donating to Books for Africa or the African Library Project.

6. Donate to the Children and Families Commission of Orange County’s Early Literacy Program

7. Exchange books on Paperbackswap by earning credits for every book that you send another paperbackswap member. Membership is free! There are many more online book swapping services such as Book Crossing, BookMooch, and BooksFreeSwap.

8. Purchase used books instead of new books, to support local book stores or online used book retailers as an eco-friendly alternative. College students, this is a must for buying and selling back textbooks.

Literacy and imagination are invaluable tools to instill hope in securing a peaceful and sustainable future. Spread stories, love ,and happy reading!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with The Girl Effect

This week we are highlighting The Girl Effect, a movement to end poverty through female empowerment and education.

Help spread the word by sharing their videos, fact sheets, posters, and other resources available on their website!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Olympic Truce Wall Tradition

“Sport alone cannot enforce or maintain peace. But it has a vital role to play in building a better and more peaceful world.”
-Dr Jacques Rogge, IOC President, October 2007

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, and members of the IOC Executive Board and the IOC Athletes’ Commission, took part in a ceremony that featured the unveiling of the Olympic Truce Wall and the launch of the Olympic Games’ Giving is Winning campaign.

The tradition of the “Truce” or “Ekecheiria” established in ancient Greece in the 9th century BC, lives on today every Olympic Games. It began as a treaty between three kings that ensured that anyone could travel in total safety to take part in or be a spectator at the Olympic Games as well as return safety to their respective homes. The citizens of Elis spread the message throughout Greece as the games approached.

An Olympic Truce wall signifying global piece has been built at every Olympic Village since the Sydney games in 2000. Athletes and officials endorse this hope for peace by signing the wall. For the London 2012 games, the wall will be displayed at the British Olympic Museum in Olympic Park after the games.  The unveiling of the wall on July 23rd also served as tribute to the victims of the 1972 Munich Games terrorist attacks.

As is customary, the host country presented the Truce resolution to the United Nations to formally declare truce during the 2012 Olympic Games and for the first time, all 193 UN member states sponsored the resolution. The unveiling of the Truce Wall also kicked of the Giving is Winning solidarity campaign. The campaign seeks to help support sports activities in refugee camps. 75,000 items of casual and sports clothing were collected from the Olympic family for the Beijing Games Giving Is Winning Campaign. This summer’s campaign is expected to break all previous records by collecting more than 100,00 items of clothing for the beneficiary countries of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

You can pledge your support for Olympic truce at the Olympic Truce Centre website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with Kiva

Take a look at Kiva, a non-profit organization that provides and facilitates micro loans to create opportunities for people all over the world. This video shows Kiva’s lending and borrowing activity since 2005, when the project launched. Anyone can lend as little as $25 or pitch in as part of a group effort by joining a lender community. Since you are lending money, you get it all back but can make a considerable difference. Once a loan is made, the lender receives updates through a profile page that features a biography and picture of the person or people receiving the loan, a repayment schedule, information about where that person is from and what the money is being used for. Lenders can choose their borrowers based on geographic location, gender, and many more options. In fact, Kiva has just expanded to include domestic loans!

This is a great way to give back in a way that speaks to your personal passions  and watch as someone’s life is transformed.

Visit their website to make a loan or to support Kiva in other ways.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with Special Olympics

Today marks the start of the 2012 London Olympic games! The opening ceremony will take place tonight. You can keep up with the Olympics and Paralympics schedule on their respective websites. However, we must not forget the work that the Special Olympics does year round to support communities around the world.

The Special Olympics have been a worldwide resource and support system for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families since 1968. The games grew out of Eunice Kennedy Shriver‘s vision to create a space for children with disabilities to thrive physically, socially, and emotionally.  It is a community that strives to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Special Olympics hosts 50,000 competitions a year – about 136 each day.

 Paige Norton of British Columbia carves a turn in a speedskating event at Special Olympics Canada’s 2012 Winter Games

Youth can be involved in the Special Olympics from the time they are eight years old but can also participate in the Young Athletes program for two through seven year olds. Athletes can also participate in the Special Olympics Unified Sports program which pairs athletes with and without disabilities to expose athletes to greater social stimulus, meaningful inclusion, and mentorship. The Special Olympics has also started Project Unify, an education -based  movement that uses sports and education programs to inspire young people to build their school communities to bring about change to garner respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics also provides free health screenings and care to it’s athletes as the world’s largest public health organization for people with intellectual disabilities.

Stephanie Handojo of Indonesia is one of many Special Olympics athletes honored by carrying the Olympic torch in light of the London Summer Olympics

To support the Special Olympics, volunteer, donate, or pledge not to use the word “retard”. For more information visit the Special Olympics website.

Let your Olympic spirit guide you to live peace by cheering on all kinds of athletes.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Live Peace with Anaheim White House Restaurant

Bruno Serato’s Anaheim White House Restaurant has been helping to feed “motel” kids by serving 300 dinners everyday since 2005. To date he has served 413,400 free dinners and founded the non-profit, Caterina’s Club, in honor of his mother to continue his important work. Bruno was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Cypress College Foundation presented by the City of Anaheim. He was inspired to make good happen when he visited a Boys and Girls Club with his mother and noticed a child eating a bag of potato chips for dinner. His mother suggested that he feed these children in need and he has expanded the project ever since. Serato says “I can’t stop helping these kids.”

The children are transported in vans from their motel home or local Boys and Girls clubs to the restaurant each night for a tasty meal. Bruno consistently holds fundraisers at his restaurant to benefit Caterina’s Club as well as the Boys and Girls club.

To learn more about Caterina’s Club or donate, visit their website. Volunteers to help serve meals are welcome every night at the restaurant. Email info@anaheimwhitehouse.com  or call the restaurant to volunteer!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!