South Sudan celebrates its first birthday!  

This past Monday, South Sudan achieved its first year of independence, amid celebration and continued struggle.

Street parties were one feature of the anniversary of independence, but there are also signs that the hopes for the new country were not fully realized.  For example, border skirmishes continue amid reports of ethnic violence and reprisals.  Lack of security -- and notably, food insecurity -- remain big challenges.  In this environment, it would be easy to become discouraged, and the drama that these stories provide to our news outlets are easier to report than the long, hard slog of progress.  Cynicism remains a feature of mainstream western news coverage of South Sudan. 

We should not be surprised by this.  But also, and instead, we should count the successes for what they are -- legitimacy, peace, and a nation embarking on a long road of rediscovery.

Among other successes not reported in such places as the BBC coverage of the anniversary, the Duk Lost Boys clinic has celebrated five years of improvement in medical care and access, including a hospital which has just built a new wing.  The John Dau Foundation in New York State has been behind this steady progress, and has invested over a significant time period its time, energy, finances and talent. 

John Dau is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who entered the US after surviving that long trek, graduated from Syracuse University, and began work to contribute to his homeland.  The Foundation is the living embodiment of the hope of the South Sudanese people.  It did not require independence per se, since Mr. Dau's reinvestment in his homeland predates independence by four years; but with it, the pace of change promises to grow.  Best of all, the point of the Foundation is to support the clinic not forever, but in the view that the government of South Sudan will one day be able to oversee its operations directly. 

As a matter of peace and social justice, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic offers forward-thinking and the long view that our media so often eschews in favor of the 30-second spot, or the soundbite.  Individuals such as John Dau represent a next chapter in South Sudan, long in the making, and this one individual's work is already replicated 52,000 times -- for every instance of a life-saving care, operation, successful birth, and nutritional aid.  There is no other medical facility for 75 miles; arrivals and departures are by foot only; but the news travels much farther than that. 

Happy Birthday, South Sudan -- new babies successfully delivered in this first year are the living, breathing promise of all that you have hoped for.  Many happy returns!

This month, in addition to planting a beautiful Ginkgo Biloba tree in the home of the future "PEACE GARDEN" at Plymouth State University (on Arbor Day), members of the campus community honored Professor Leo Sandy's many years of undergraduate teaching and university service at an informal reception at the Frost House.

On May 11th, friends and fans gathered, nibbled, noshed and celebrated Leo at a small gathering on campus and chipped-in to purchase him a membership to The New Hampshire World Affairs Council (click here) -a local group dedicated to fostering learning, discussion and citizen involvement in world affairs around the state.  The torch (or in this case, the UN flag) was passed to a new generation of peace activists who are dedicated to non-violent communication, peace pedagogy, conflict-resolution and social justice.  We will proudly carry-on doing the good work that Leo began many decades ago at Plymouth State.

The Culture of Peace movement in New Hampshire wishes to acknowledge Dr. Sandy's many years of hard work and dedication to peace advocacy and activism locally, nationally and internationally.  Although he is retiring from his undergraduate teaching career, he will continue to teach in the School Psychology and Parenting Education Certification programs via the College of Graduate Studies.  Dr. Sandy will also continue to play an active role in supporting the NH Culture of Peace movement and will  be instrumental in planning and consulting NH universities and colleges, as we continue the tradition of summits, workshops, conferences and outreach.  Stay tuned for more information about the next Culture of Peace Summit (5th annual!) scheduled to take place next spring at Rivier College in Nashua, NH.

To learn more about Dr. Sandy's teaching career, awards, and publications, please visit his web pages:
http://www.plymouth.edu/webapp/mahara/view/view.php?t=b8N4mU01914Nu723CcyD

http://oz.plymouth.edu/~lsandy/home.html

Thank you Leo Sandy! 

The end of the semester is upon us at Plymouth State!  In between the activity and excitement associated with closing final exams, and beginning new professional lives with Commencement, we have also had some occasions to reflect on where we've arrived in our Culture of Peace and Social Justice Community, and celebrate some milestones.  Here are a few highlights:

Arbor Day!  Our Plymouth State University campus always celebrates with a tree planting, and usually with plenty of children on hand.  This year was particularly pleasant for our Community because the tree that was planted is a gingko tree, renowned not just for its multi-million-year history as a species, but because it is the tree that survived Hiroshima.  Even better yet, the tree was planted as a statement, in a space designated for a Peace Garden to be developed further in the coming years.  Here is the news coverage of this event. 

Next, we are celebrating transitions.  Professor Leo Sandy who has led our group fearlessly over the years is developing into new roles in his life, and ours!  We will miss his daily presence at our meetings, but we also know that his schedule will be more forgiving, and thus we will not be surprised to see him more active in the endeavors he most enjoys.  Thank you, Leo, for tirelessly reminding the world of the compelling case for peace and social justice.

We are also celebrating the ascension to our leadership position of Professor Kristine Levan who has been a part of our group for several years, and has agreed to lead us through our next phase!  Congratulations, Krissi, and we welcome your good stewardship.

We as a group are growing and changing, having invited new members Professor Delilah Smith and student Alex Palermo among our members as well -- welcome to you also!

With all of these changes, however, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the cause of peace and social justice in all its forms, as they help us build a better world.  Share our words with your communities, and join us in our next adventures.

Declaration of Human Rights -- not just a document

Greetings,

In the context of recent events from Syria to NH, human rights became a topic of conversation at a recent meeting of the Peace and Social Justice Studies Council at PSU.  We know that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not merely a document -- it is a living, breathing, sound-making action to reify the possibilities that we have in the world for lifting the most desperate conditions to a level where they are, even minimally, acceptable. 

To that end, we were reminded of a video that animates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we are sharing it with you, from its source at Vimeo:  Animated Declaration of Human Rights , with congratulations to Seth Brau, who made it. 

Salam Shabab Named Finalist in Prix Jeunesse International | United States Institute of Peace

Salam Shabab Named Finalist in Prix Jeunesse International | United States Institute of Peace

Salam Shabab is a TV program for peacebuilding with children as part of the efforts to rebuild post-conflict Iraq. Children's programming is always a tricky business, but particularly so when conflict is part of the setting. In essence, the program follows Iraqi youth from across six provinces of the country as they make their own films about their lives, meet their challenges and try to have a voice in an era when we listen less often than we might to the contributions that are possible when we allow the space for them.

We'll be looking forward to June 2012 when many programs will compete alongside Salam Shabab in Munich as fellow finalists for the Prix Jeunesse International, a prize given every two years for the best in children's programming supporting the voices and views of children, with an eye toward culture promotion and expression, and an appreciation for other cultures.

Congratulations, Salam Shabab!

Culture of Peace -- A History, and a Conference March 3, 2012

On Saturday, March 3rd, at Keene State College in Keene, NH, scholars, activists, students and engaged citizens will gather for a conference building a Culture of Peace.  But this is hardly the first time that the NH Culture of Peace community has convened to rejuvenate our energies.  Professor Leo Sandy recently wrote of the history of this annual conference in NH , and interested readers will note that in a mere 18 days from Valentine's Day, we'll again express cooperation and peace through our colleagues from the region.  The link above has the information about the conference, how you can attend (it is F.R.E.E.!!), and by all means -- how you can share in the conversation, extend it to others, and improve our world. 

For over three decades, Chevron chose profit over people

The True Story of Chevron's Ecuador Disaster from Amazon Watch on Vimeo.
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While drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon from 1964 to 1990, Texaco – which merged with Chevron in 2001 – deliberately dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. To save money, Texaco chose to use environmental practices that were obsolete, did not meet industry standards, and were illegal in Ecuador and the United States.

The result was, and continues to be, one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet. Contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface streams has caused local indigenous and campesino people to suffer a wave of mouth, stomach and uterine cancer, birth defects, and spontaneous miscarriages. Chevron has never cleaned up the mess it inherited, and its oil wastes continue to poison the rainforest ecosystem.