Dona Nobis Pacem 2009 ... Peace Starts Here

...When I first started looking for ideas for this year's Peace Globe Day I went browsing worldwide symbols of Peace. What surprised me was discovering how many of those symbols stir up anger or even fear.

The Nuclear Disarmament symbol is considered evil by some...

...and the white poppy has its own hate group on Facebook.

How can a peace symbol have a hate group? Why would anyone misinform the masses into believing that a peace symbol is evil?

It seems to boil down to two main misconceptions:

1. Pacifism is the easy way out – flight not fight.
2. Those who wear Peace symbols must hate soldiers and have no respect for those who die in combat.

Anyone who thinks standing up for your beliefs against opposition is running away has clearly never tried it. As for seeing any Peace symbol as a hate symbol? How ridiculous and sad.

I wanted to wear a white poppy this year because I have loved ones who have fought in wars, not in spite of them.

In “spite” of them…

Says it all doesn’t it? You cannot blog for Peace in spite, you can only claim Peace with empathy and sympathy.

• I blog for Peace because I have a 26 year old friend who has war injuries that will cause him problems for the rest of his life.
• I blog for Peace in memory of friends and relatives who have fought and died so that others could live in a better world than they did.
• I blog for Peace because ordinary people die in conflicts while politicians argue over which choices will bring them the most power and financial gain.
• But mostly I blog for Peace because I want a better future for our world's children.

Peace is more than a lack of wars and terrorism. Peace is a lack of wanting, or needing, to cause violent harm. Peace is realising we aren’t countries, cultures or religions who need to overcome and subdue each other – we are one planet that needs to work together in order to have a future for our children.

Every mother wants a positive future for her children… the Earth as Mother is no different.

I had intended to use the white poppy for my Peace Globe, but the Earth Mother image took over along the way... Mother knows best? ;-) Goodness knows thinking of the Earth as our Mother certainly made me look beyond the surface issues of this planet we all share. That in turn led me to create the video about what Peace really means to me.

All good mothers understand that children need to claim responsibility for their own actions in order to grow up to be responsible adults. Good mothers know that pointing a finger and saying, “It’s their fault” or “He/She made me do it” never solves anything. Good mothers teach their children concepts like sharing, being considerate of others and good manners. What a different world this would be if countries acted more like mothers and less like global powers.

Peace alludes us when we chase after it because it never was out “there”. Just as creation of life starts within, the responsibility of creating Peace starts within each and every one of us.

Peace starts here - it starts with you.
...