The Soul of Symbols

Re-Begin symbol

Flag of Colombia

Akawelle - 'also known as love'

There's a lot of conversation around symbols of the soul in our lives whether it's dreamwork, personal psychology or simple self-analysis- but what about the soul of symbols themselves.  What symbols mean and accomplish whether it's an icon of a movement, a jewel of emotion, a country's flag, a well-known brand, or other product of nature or humanity.

Many feel the present well-known peace symbol is a bit worn around the edges, associated mainly with the 1960s, therefore somewhat contained in its visual potential.  Lately I've noted contests by visual art organisations for designers to generate a new one.  The VPP is interested in 'symbols of love' - how society has marketed, mis-used or even mis-understood them - and how that creates opportunities to generate new ones.  In current history- Hallmark holidays with rather low-brow marketing machines - while sometimes clever and creative - lead us away from the true integrity of love - generating symbols and gestures tarnished and false.  The stage is set for something new and solid - sustainable, inspiring, even revolutionary when taken all the way - towards new models of meaning and power.

On the evolution of symbols - one month ago - on the 14th of February - the Fairtrade Foundation of London launched the first certified Fairtrade gold after an emotional event the week before to announce the historic occasion.  This gold will be tracked and guaranteed to ensure not only a fair wage, but an environmentally responsible extraction and real wages and benefits for the community from where it is mined.  One of the miners present - Juana Pena Endova from Peru - talked about the extremities of mining for gold, making sacrifices as a single woman with four children.  Jeweler Stephen Webster talked about the limited opportunities of mining families.  Activist Gregory Valerio commented at the event that 'symbols are more important than words' in talking about his work with ground breaking Green Gold or Oro Verde in Colombia.  Valerio who has worked tirelessly for years to transform the jewelry industry said 'We have put the soul back into gold.'

"There are very few words I can think up to describe this historic moment.  Gold has changed and the gold story now belongs to the small people again, the artisan miner and the artisan jeweler. It is these people who took the risk, not the big companies or brands. It makes me realise that all change comes from the margins and the future is always in the hands of the unreasonable person who refuses to accept the status quo".

Besides Colombia's deep and rich history with gold - it is also currently the largest exporter of flowers to the United States.  And creatively enough, home to what is probably the largest open air poetry festival on the planet - the International Poetry Festival of Medellín.  Many of these poets are dedicated to peace in their art and work- not only for Colombia but for the world.  In 2006 the Festival received the Swedish Right Livelihood Award ("the alternative Nobel Peace Prize") for its work on peace and non-violence. 

On other transformative trade projects I spoke to Zoë Adams, the Executive Director of the Strongheart Fellowship Program in Liberia- a program which inspires to generate young leaders out of the hardest hit areas of the world.  Strongheart is partly funded by partner Akawelle Jewelry - a project of 17 year old Lovetta Conto, a finalist of the Childrens Peace Price, who creates necklaces - pendants of handcrafted leaves - out of thousands of leftover bullet shells from Liberia's civil war.  [I'm suddenly reminded of Eve Ensler's statement at a recent talk in London that 'bullets are frozen tears'].

The young Lovetta Conto has taken a symbol and tool of violence and made it a symbol and tool of beauty and life.  'Life' is inscribed on each leaf.  As she states on the Akawelle website - 'It is even possible for new life to arise from something as terrible as war'.

The work of Conto and the Strongheart Fellowship serve a strong counterpoint to the current concluding trial of Liberian dictator Charles Taylor in The Hague for war crimes - which received  attention last summer when varied celebrities gave testimony regarding his gifts of blood diamonds.  Today's Liberia has the first elected female president of Africa. 

Where there is crisis there is opportunity - a refrain referenced in our own personal journeys of development.

When I was growing up in San Francisco my Italian mother recounted to me a story during the re-building of post Second World War Italy - Coca-Cola suddenly arrived on the scene with a series of presentations and 'workshops'.  What these workshops entailed one can only imagine but my mom, ever the activist - from her London mini-skirts shocking 60s Rome to arguing on the role of women in the Catholic Church - raised her hand during one of the presentations and asked the woman at the front of the auditorium if Coca-Cola contained any fruit juice.  She tells the story in dismay even now remembering clearly the response was yes.  Post-war regions around the world now, just like yesterday, present opportunities for new business.  But more importantly - a time for healing, an opportunity for social change and transformation, as well as emerging creative commerce.

Last year, when I told people I was starting a blog connected to my Project and desired to mention many named 'flower revolutions' in past history how could I know that a 'Jasmine Revolution' was about to take place in Tunisia a few months later!  Why look to history when we can look powerfully to the present?   I found three beautiful photos (this time not mine) of the three flowers of present revolutions - the lotus of Egypt, the jasmine of Tunisia, and the striking pomegranate flower of Libya.  The pomegranate is a symbol of righteous justice in many religions, and while the struggling revolution in Libya is un-named I find the name and the stunning photo I found quite appropriate.

Here they are - just some of the Flowers of Revolution of the Arab Spring:

Jasmine of Tunisia

Pomegranate Flower of Libya

Lotus of Egypt

Coming back to the soul of symbols - Meghan Connolly Haupt, founder of C5 Company, director of Sulsso - sustainable jewelry and creator of the blog- Wearyourcommittment.com - pointed out to me:  'How many people probably wear a necklace of a gold peace dove or flower generated by slave labor.'

What kind of peace jewel is that?

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The healing Pepper flower of Liberia

Reflecting now on jewelry, gold, flowers, peace and poetry:  Whatever the past, the Earth continues to give up its poetry and reveal her treasures to us - whether it's the historic gold of South America or the intricately designed flowers of Africa.

How we respond in moving towards a more sustainable, just and inspiring future - is up to us.

Russian Peace Artist

We firmly believe that final and stable international peace is achieved only by enlightenment of the people and by permanent and impressive promotion of the brotherhood created by culture, poetry and beauty in all fields of life.

(Nobel Prize Committee on the nomination of Nicholas Roerich for the
1929 Nobel Peace Prize)

I was introduced to the work of Nicholas Roerich by a Russian performance artist in Amsterdam who informed me of his historical Peace Banner and also of the Roerich Pact signed by American president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 and ratified by 36 countries.  The Pact at the time had been set-up to protect and define the importance of culture and the protection of cultural values and institutions throughout the global community.  (Unfortunately not followed by the US- when the museums of Baghdad were pillaged and not protected upon the Iraq invasion- negating their own historical promise).  The Pact did inspire the formation of laws by UNESCO to protect cultural heritages.  Roerich was also a significant painter, explorer (who visited many Eastern temples and wrote and painted about them) and a spiritual teacher along with his wife Helena Roerich, the founder of Agni Yoga or Living Ethics.  Roerich's Banner of Peace is still a recognized symbol - its trinity of three red dots in a circle - designed to be flown by international cultural institutions and museums to indicate protection and neutrality - like a 'cultural red cross'.

Roerich a major painter and international figure of his time developed a strong friendship with the then US Secretary of the Treasury- Henry A. Wallace which unfortunately led to a scandal when close letters between them were made public by politicians desiring to undermine the Democratic administration.  The press made public the 'Guru letters' - it wasn't cool at that time for a politician to be getting advice from a Russian 'mystic'!  I'm reminded of a similar controversy in recent times when Hillary Clinton was criticized for her close relationship to futurist Dr. Jean Houston.

Mikhail Gorbachev - who celebrates his 80th birthday at the end of this month at a large event announced in posters currently around London - calls Nicholas Roerich 'one of the cultural pillars of Russia.'  The Roerich legacy on peace and culture are preserved at the Roerich museum.  You can also learn more about him and his vision at the Center for Peace through Culture. 

Roerich was also a 'peace poet' who worked to capture Eastern spiritual thought for Western audiences in his work Flowers of Moria.

I reflect on Roerich's legacy as I work to spread individual's contributed peace poems via flowers in the cities and communities of today.  By underlying through culture our basic humanity - our world citizen identity is strengthened.  Through creativity and commerce the VPP intends to make visible - as Roerich stated - 'the fundamental quality of the human spirit.'

“Creative work is pure prayer of spirit. Art is the heart of the people. Knowledge is the brain of the people.  Only through the heart and wisdom can mankind unite and understand each other"  (Nicholas Roerich)

Flower Appeal

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today. 

                                                 -  Indian Proverb

Building a community peace brand means building something that doesn't yet exist and imagining its shape and aims.  It takes courage and imagination.  In 1988 a Dutch priest working in Mexico realized the economic misery of many of the coffee workers - supplying one of the world's most popular drinks!  With others in the Netherlands he created a system that would give the workers a fairer price and help lift them out of poverty towards a more sustainable future.  He called his label Max Havelaar after the hero of a famous Dutch book of the 19th century which was critical of the Dutch colonies in Indonesia.  And the first 'Fair Trade' label was born.

Since then ethical and fair trade has evolved and morphed and diversified - other labels have emerged - like Transfair - or Fair Trade USA - and specific certification systems like FLP - the Flower Label Program in Germany and the international label Fair Flowers Fair Plants.  The certification Max Havelaar is part of the FLO or Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International.

Getting down to basics for one company - the director of Global Flower Trading (gf-trading.com) informed of me how a portion of the sales price on all their bunches sold goes directly back to the labor force at the flower farms, which allows them to invest in life standard improvements - using funds to build schools, community centers, transportation and even electricity.  Many imported roses come from Kenya and Zimbabwe - and the Fairtrade movement works towards a better life for thousands of flower farm workers.

Emerging flower markets are also growing in post-conflict areas like Rwanda.   But what is also emerging like a shoot from a seed are what some are calling 'peace companies'  - examples like the budding Peace Ventures are covered by San Francisco journalist Lisa Katayama in her extensive article about bringing together new economies of post-conflict regions into the work of larger conflict resolution.

*  *  *

The Valentine Peace Project in its handout on 14 February out of the G Gallery in Amsterdam will again include GF-Trading's ethically traded roses with international reflections and poems on peace submitted to the Project over the years and also carnations from Gaza.  The Dutch government has been working with the Israeli government to ease their blockade of the region to allow carnation farmers to get their products through.

"My flowers will be a means to spread peace in the world, this is a message to the whole world that peace and love starts from Gaza," says one Palestinian farmer glad to see his crops come to success.
Love and peace is loaded for many and not easy to unpack - but however one feels about good old L&P,  the giving of flowers, the work of conflict resolution and deeper meanings of love next to romance - one thing is clear - as Martin Luther King stated:  In true peace there is the strong presence of justice and 'Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.'

The power we associate with brands makes it logical to bring the trading of global products into the conversation of conflict resolution as well as poverty alleviation - creating new ways of business - how it's done, how it's viewed, and what greater good it can accomplish.  And simple everyday items of love can be a means to do it.  Put that power into your flower this Valentine's Day.

 

          What all of us want is simply friendship, love, and hope. - VPP poem submission, Alejandro, student, San Francisco

Be here now - understand your connection - hold your brother while he cries and try to breathe in his affection.  - VPP poem submission, student, Boise, Idaho                                                                  *A flower can show the world how simple beauty truly is and that flaws are what make the world such an awesome home - a flower is something that can be given to anyone, a friend, neighbor, lover or stranger.  And like our lives a flower is not forever, but the memory of receiving it lives on. - VPP submission, student, Marlborough School, Los Angeles

 A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, a World. -  Leo Buscaglia 

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 . .