Jewels of Social Change

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing models obsolete."
-Buckminster Fuller

Reading the news lately it seems like diamonds are a dictator's best friend. From Mugabe's blood diamonds out of Zimbabwe to the 'dirty pebbles' of Liberia's Charles Taylor on trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. So who's making a difference for the diamond industry and its future?

I met Mike Angenent in his Maastricht office in the Netherlands after reading in Fair Jewelry Action about his resignation from the Responsible Jewellery Council over the Kimberly Certification of Zimbabwe diamonds mined out of devastation and tragedy in the Marange fields of Zimbabwe.  Angenent founded Open Source Minerals (transparency matters) to supply the industry with ethical and traceable diamonds, gems and precious metals.  He started his own dream brand Wishes-Jewels and with others founded the Jeweltree Foundation which guarantees supply chain transparency, social responsibility, ecological sustainability, and supports small scale mining and jewelry [or jewellerey as spelled in the UK] related initiatives in developing countries.  The Foundation includes many international advisors interested in developing new ways of business for this global industry.

Developing diamonds for peace generates new potentials of what's possible for the 'luxury' industry.  I remember in Buddhism the story of Padmasambhava  - a guru of the three jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Born miraculously- he is said to have appeared as a beautiful seven year old child in the middle of a lotus flower on a lake - like the sudden spontaneous nature of an enlightened mind - its beauty and freshness suddenly in front of us. When Padmasambhava came to Tibet - a country ready for change - many forces opposed this new religion and were depicted as demons.  But unlike the West where 'demons' would have been exterminated in grim witch-hunts - these demons were not annihilated but transformed instead to guardians and protectors of the new religion.  In Buddhist scholar Jane Hope's words perhaps in the future rampant consumerism will be characterized in demonic form.  A societal rite of passage - for everyone - partaking in luxury items or not.  From the fashionista to the recessionista - together we discover and create new ways the world does business - open to change what a brand stands for, what it does - and what it can accomplish.  That's the real luxury - sharing peace, poetry - all of us - jewels of social change.

Raisin Awareness

Kate Sebag of Tropical Wholefoods: "The activist and academic Robin Murray recently described Fair Trade as 'one of the broadest and most exciting social movements of today.'  Fair Trade genuinely allows connections to be made between an extraordinarily disparate and diverse set of people throughout the world."  Kate's most recent project after working with dried fruits in conflict zones in Uganda in the 80s is raisins from Afghanistan.  Working together with MercyCorps in the most challenging areas in a market that used to be large- Kate points out- until the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union in 1979 Tropical Wholefoods is bringing the high-quality produce back into the market.

In the US- Transfair changes its name to Fair Trade USA!  To me- the journey of Fair Trade or really the work of illuminating global supply chains is nothing less than a total economic transformation - step by step - which taken all the way can lead to the business of peace.  As more and more become aware of the new triple 'bottom line' (people, planet, profit [or prosperity]) - conscious consumerism demands fairness for workers in agricultural industries and creates new product opportunities.  Part of the current sentiment to 'buy local' is because people don't want slave tainted chocolate for example or sweatshop garments.  We all have our thrifty moments (i know I do! :) - but if you paid for the bargain basement special then that means there was suffering along the way whether that's a worker or an environmental impact - and that's just a 21st century fact.  We need to ask questions, be conscious and informed on greater justice in the marketplace.

I remember well growing up in California with the quasi-creepy smiling sun-bonnet maiden gracing the cover of those little boxes.  And the brief Carol Burnett raisin mini-series - Fresno - with its song Raisin Cowboy(!).  [For a video artist's rendering of a grape turning into a raisin please click here.]  My last boyfriend came from Fresno - I remember rows of California grapes on driving trips.  Imagining that possible bounty in place of the cost of war is what my Project is moving towards.

Peace and prosperity go hand-in-hand.  There are farmers - or 'poets of the earth' as the ancient Greeks called them - tilling the soil everywhere for their people's future.  Whether it's literally flowering the future in burgeoning flower markets out of civil war countries in Africa; or raisins, nuts and/or minerals; even new art coming out of devastated economies.  Changing the script by generating visible peace products brings in new possibilities - awareness, visibility, positive marketing; the art and poetry of communities behind everyday products.  The developing VPP aims to underline, produce and promote products ushering in a world of political safety, prosperity and sensibility - a world that 'works for everyone'.  Step by step - whether that's flower by flower :o or raisin by raisin - everyday items make an impact - illuminating peace building- from our neighborhood homes and communities to the ethical movement of international goods and services.

As Kate informed me- "A Fairtrade sale and purchase should mean that both the consumer and producer are satisfied that they have made a Fair transaction. The consumer should feel no guilt, the producer should feel no resentment. The Fairtade transaction - for however a brief moment - should connect producer and consumer in a bond of mutuality.

What better way to build a peaceful future in the world?

Fairtrade in Afghanistan is a tiny drop in the ocean - a few raisins exported at a Fair price from a vast troubled country is symbolic of many ordinary Afghans' hope to build a prosperous future, at peace inside Afghanistan and in peaceful interaction with the rest of the world."

The 21st century deserves nothing less than our highest aspirations in the marketplace as well as at the peace talks table.  Sign up to partner with us, or keep informed via Facebook or our newsletter and be part of building the VPP brand - bringing the work, artistry and conversation of peace building in the world to . . You.

Peace Day Twenty Ten

The 21st of September is International Peace Day (IPD) and has an interesting history well described here.  It started with its significant message as the third Tuesday in September - and then Jeremy Gilley together with the UN helped affix it as a particular date.

In a discussion recently at the Pax Christi office in the Netherlands (a large Dutch peace org.) - it was discussed the relevance of such a day.  Does it make a difference? Shouldn't it be peace day everyday? Does all that attention on one day take away from the long scope discussion?  Or a sense of urgency/immediacy- for example as put forth by this group: P5Y-Peace in Five Years or Give Peace a Deadline.  Give peace a deadline - give it a brand - give it attention and respect - we hear about suicide bombers everyday but not groups like Women in Black with activists around the world!

Jeremy makes a passionate plea on the effectiveness and history of the Day in his video.  Peace One Day has been his powerful heartfelt project for almost a decade.  Pathways to Peace also significantly works on publicizing and promoting this day with representative Melvin Weiner effectively getting it into calendars and appointment books sold by Borders and other major retailers.  An international workshop I signed up for recently on social enterprises said in their newsletter that the course starts on Peace Day - so every year the Day gets bigger and more visible -to me it's the Earth Day for Peace.  Earth Day did a lot in increasing environmental awareness and Peace Day will do the same for peace - generating - highlighting and celebrating new initiatives (like PeaceDayTV!), and the work, artistry and dedication to peace on all its levels.

The VPP will contribute received poems to the World Peace Poetry Festival on the 21st led by poet Walter Keyombe in Nairobi, Kenya.  He states- "Poetry is a unique educational and reconciliation art in and of itself. .  It is a stirring of the axis that knows no single political party, creed, race, or religion, yet speaks and sparks with one voice of humankind.  It is this idea to bridge the difference that keeps individuals apart that inspired me to link up with different people in the community to peace building efforts here in Africa and all over the world. . poetry is based on extraordinary communication and expression that everyone understands. .  It reaches war-torn countries with the message of love, humanity, and stability. .  So if supported it will ease the vision and mission it upholds - to expand the HOPE to other parts of the country and the world."

I'll be in The Hague on Peace Day or should I call it IPD or DOP?  It's actually also Prinsesjedag in the NL - when the Queen arrives in her orange carriage (yep!) to give what's called the Speech from the Throne to the joint parliament on the current Dutch state of affairs.  A big day for The Hague!

The VPP and UNOY - the United Network of Young Peacebuilders working together with international peace orgs as well as local businesses will have video on the wall of the centrally located Coffee Company with the interactive PeacePortal website - inviting visitors - taking photos of individuals and their messages of peace with a thank you gift of a Peace Rose and VPP poem for their participation.  The interactive video will also engage with members in partners as part of the Conflict blog.

The Conflict blog according to UNOY: "In order to "humanize" conflict and the people who endure it, we have contacted some of our member organizations in particular 'hot spots' - young volunteers to host and answer questions about conflicts they experience daily. These hosts will be online actually every day between 13/09 and 22/09 answering questions."  This initiative makes me think of something similarly comprehensive - check out InsightonConflict by Peace Direct in London.  There is a lot going on to be part of the peace solution!

For events around the world and to contribute your 21 Sept. event check out Internationaldayofpeace.org.

But hey! Every day is peace day - many are suffering right now in dozens of deadly conflicts.  And it doesn't have to feel 'miles away' - we can extend our reach and compassion through education, prayer, money - there are many ways to be a potent world citizen and also stand for peace in our own home and personal relationships.  It's a powerful and fulfilling journey.  Happy Peace Day!

Festival of York

The York Peace Festival in Rowntree Park in York, North England returns after a short hiatus to celebrate its 25th year with two live stages, workshops, performances, exhibitions, a Latin carnival, street theatre, cabaret area and delicious food from around the world on Sunday 5 September 2010. According to their website the festival is a "community event that inspires and empowers people to be more at peace with themselves, others and the environment. Our mission is to raise awareness on world and local issues and to provide an event that can showcase and support local ethical businesses, community organizations, charities and traditional arts".

It's nice to see communicating a bridge between peace in ourselves, the environment as well as bringing on world and local issues, business and community.

Six months earlier was the York Festival of Fairtrade - which is significant as York is a Fair Trade city which means a significant amount of businesses in the city serve Fair Trade products including also at events held by the city. There is also the significant York Fair Trade forum. One of the speakers at the York Festival of Fairtrade was Hugo Villela of Shared Interest, an ethical investment group. Hugo Villela is from Costa Rica - one of the few countries on the planet that has eliminated its army.

In the current issue of the Utne Reader a short but pointed article on possibilities of Fair Trade contributing to a real difference for conflict regions. This is what the VPP is interested in - the work of peace and the power of commerce to accomplish major change in the hardest hit areas of the planet. What kind of society helps to rebuild? - especially that which its armies have recently torn apart. In his Peace is the Way Deepak Chopra posits Stage Three (Harmony, Nurturing, Inwardness) of an evolving society characterized 'when they are willing to rebuild the ruins of an enemy's country.'

At the festival I'll be selling Fair Trade Chocolala's designed chocolate peaces to assist the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal.  The VPP desires to help Pakistan and also particularly support and further the work of Fair Trade in its relation to the Ivory Coast healing from its recent civil war (a peace accord was signed as recently as 2007). The owner of Chocolala explained how he and his wife make their fun creations from blocks of chocolate which can come from HB Ingredients which works with Callebaut. Chocolala is particularly interested in the Fair Trade movement working against child labor and on sustainable practices closely with Ivory Coast and Ghana farmers.

Together with chocolates we'll have on hand hundreds of poems submitted from individuals and students to the Valentine Peace Project - their reflections on peace and philosophies of love. Also- flowers from a nearby Yorkshire trader and definitely fun stickers/ribbons promoting the development of a peace brand!

From York closer to New York with a special concert for September 11 - a few days later . .

Individual Sweet Peace

From classical singer Claire Stadtmueller

Sweet

"I do eat chocolate first thing every morning, but I make sure it is dark, fair trade. I have a chocolate background...my Greek grandfather, Theodore Musios, had a story typical of many immigrants. He slept on park benches on his arrival to America, and spoke no English. Indeed, his accent was so thick that even when I was 12 years old, the only thing he said that I could understand was, "Hhhey kids, hhhow you doin'? Want some candy?" He made chocolate in the big brass cauldrons down in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and formed it in tin molds. Bunnies riding on the back of Mama Rabbit, ducks."

Peace

"I was scheduled to sing a recital in Newport, Rhode Island on September 16, 2001. Then 9/11 happened. The sponsors of the recital still wanted to hold the concert. It was a 'typical' recital - "he loves me, he loves me not." I didn't feel it was appropriate given the recent tragic events to end the program with "Meine Lippen, sie kuessen so heiss." (My lips kiss SO hot.) So, I added "Priez pour paix," (Pray for peace) which Francis Poulenc composed just as World War II was about to erupt.

The following month I had another recital. I had little time to prepare, so I made one set of songs devoted to the issue of war and peace. Ned Rorem, considered America's greatest composer of classical song, was born a Quaker pacifist and often writes on the subject of war and peace. I sang his "Ode," on a French text from the 16th century. Claude Debussy wrote "Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus de maisons" (Christmas song of the children who have no homes) in response to the suffering he saw amongst the children during World War I. With those three songs I started my project of looking for other songs on the same topic, to create my 'peace product' Sweet Peace CD.  (Available at sweetpeace.com)

When I was researching songs I found more songs about war than peace. Also, there was a noticeable difference between countries and the poetry produced regarding the topic: the French have many poems about war and peace, the Germans dealt primarily with psychological peace, and I couldn't find anything from the Italians. The French poets and composers often visited the topic and were quite vociferous about decrying war in a general and specific way, citing their distaste for certain neighboring invading countries. The Germans tended to explore the psychological and spiritual aspects of a troubled mind yearning for peace. I found no songs at all in Italian! Do they only sing about amore?

Amongst the American composers I found little besides Mr. Rorem's songs, and surmised that in contrast to the French, Americans had experienced little invasion and war on our own soil. Rachmaninoff's song described the misery of a poor soldier's widow. I chose to sing the Latvian and Slovakian songs in English for my primarily American audiences. As for the VPP poems - I especially like "Fly to Love" and have hung it so I can see it daily. If you ever saw the extremely disturbing documentary "Why we fight," it is about the promise of a better economy through building bombs and the implements of war that motivates our government to make war. What a welcome idea to promote that peace is good for the economy."

Concert - Saturday, September 11, 8 p.m. at First Church of Round Hill in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Sweetpeace.com

Budding Peace Entrepreneurs

From August 13-22 San Diego State University will host a Summit for Peace Entrepreneurs. "Peace is a process, not an end in itself — it needs constant nurturing." Palestinian and Israeli participants with backgrounds in agri-business, business and entrepreneurship or food technology will work together on business opportunities in food innovation - peace products can include olive oil, almonds, strawberries, date and pomegranates. The partnerships are between the University Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC), the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace and the Palestinian Center for Agricultural Research and Development with Peres Center for Peace in Israel - building economic links as they state 'form the glue for a sustainable peace. This is an opportunity to make a difference and to help us continue in our quest to build peace through entrepreneurial collaborations.'

Noticing pomegranates on their list of potential products my friend Israeli poet Ada Aharoni who has submitted poems to the Project has a lovely poem called The Sulha Pomegranate - Sulha meaning Reconciliation in Arabic.

Here's a section

Wait, don't open the juicy pomegranate yet!

Now that you have given me the gift of your story

My brother and mutual victim too

And revealed to me your heritage

Under your veiling membranes,

I can identify with you in every ruby grain

And you can identify with me -

For we are in reality,

On the same side of the present and of history.

Now, finally, we can open Sulha's Pomegranate

And fully taste together her plentiful reconciliation treasures,

Her scarlet healing juices

And her marvelous, velvety ruby grains.

The ancient pomegranate - significant in greek myths I read as a child - now a developing modern peace product!

Poetry, developing peace products, combining the work and artistry of peace check out Valentinepeaceproject.org as we work towards a peace brand for the 21st century.