IHTEC - International School Peace Gardens - www.ihtec.org

Earth Poles for Peace and Sustainability Education

2011-03-08T08:09:00.004-05:00

Carving Wooden EarthPoles
Representing Peace & Sustainability logos and slogans.

1. Use a wood that is suitable to the area that you live in, that will not be destroyed.

2. The pole to focus on items that you have achieved in your school for environment and peace. ie: aquaculture, food security plants

3. Tells about your school’s story so far, in educating for peace and sustainability.

4. Design a peace logo for your school

5. Use local myths and legends

6. Use the International School Peace Gardens logo

7. Represents sustainability in your school, district, province/state or country.

a. Energy & Exergy – Sun ie: have a solar panel imbedded in the pole, which can run a pump which will run water up through a hole, in a rock on the ground. Add a plaque that says what is happening.

b. Alternative power – solar, geothermal and wind

c. Food security – Tomato, corn, taro, ginger, coconut, rice etc

d. Water – Rivers and streams, with local species

e. Oceans – local fish, coral

f. Sacred or peace trees – all trees are sacred

g. Weather - Increasing storms

h. Protection of all local species

Peace Slogans:

a. Protect the Web of Life
b. Rights with Responsibilities
c. Rescue Planet Earth and Respect the Global Family
d. Build friendships and community
e. Inter - Cultural Friendships now
f. Prevent pollution
g. Consume according to need.
h. “No way to throw away to”
i. Ecological Footprint - Reduce Resource Use
j. Conserve Energy - Invent Solutions
k. Carbon Dioxide heats the planet
l. Climate Change - Melting Ice - Prevent sea level rise
m. Protect the Arctic
n. Use Solar & Wind for Energy
o. Procreate moderately
p. Educate others.

Written by Julia Morton-Marr, IHTEC: February 25th, 2011.

IHTEC Climate Change Statement

2011-03-04T19:52:00.002-05:00

Statement on Sustainability and Peace Educational & Implementation Strategies

Interdisciplinary Round Table on Climate Change and Energy.
Wasan Island, Muskoka, Ontario. September 13 - 16, 2007

By Julia Morton-Marr.
Email: ihtec@3web.com Website: www.ihtec.org
Chair, Science for Peace Working Group on Peace and Sustainability Education.
Founding President, International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC and the International School Peace Gardens.

NB: This is not an academic paper although it could be developed into one if it is thought to be needed. It is for discussion at the Round Table only.

Peace and Sustainability Education for CCERT.

What kind of sustainability and peace education must be developed to include the planet as “The Economy”?. If education is seen as part of the paradigm shift for climate change and energy, then whatever is to be implemented as curriculum must be delivered to all schools around the world at the same time, so that the effect is immediate.

Climate Change & Educational Global Dimming

The global IQ may be dimming as a result of our carbon based energy use and the current climatic changes. Earth’s citizens are currently in a ‘war based economy’. So will a ‘peace based economy’ using alternative energies such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, and water energy, change the paradigm of a war industrial society to a peaceful sustainable society? How will it heal and prevent further planetary destruction? The International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC has been working on some solutions, one of which is the role of the International School Peace Gardens www.ihtec.org which has been developed to give alternative curriculum for positive action in communities at each local school.

1. Vision: Sustainability Education has two major roles:

a. Firstly to teach how to clean up the mess that has been made, and secondly, how to teach how to never create the same crisis on planet earth again. Young people need a message of hope and something positive that can help them make the transition from the “entitlement generation” to

a “sustainable & peaceful generation”.

b. Introduce the International School Peace Gardens curriculum globally.

c. Invite Tim Grant of “Green Teacher” to publish the outcomes for implementation.

Carbon Based Factory Schooling to Home Schooling.

If carbon energy use has been the major cause of climate change, then how has educational curriculum perpetuated this paradigm? The spinning jenny prompted the manufacture of threads for weaving, that prompted the need for schools. The industrial era has extracted and facilitated young people out of their homes for eight hours daily and legislated compulsory from 6 - 16 years old, in preparation for work in factories. Early curriculum was only from Grade 1 - 7 where advanced mathematics was taught in Grade 7 in the early years. School to Work transition, has always been the theme for education in schools, even though Universities consider that education is for life, which in reality education is for feeding the GNP and the growth of a war based capitalist society. Only the brightest students of elite families, have progressed to further education, which was not available to most until the late 20th Century.

2. Vision: Home Schooling.

a. A return to small home schooling or small community schools would reduce CO2 emissions from the massive use of school buses, and encourage walking to school.

Capitalism's Growth & Economics

Marilyn Waring’s video “Who’s Counting” from her book "If Women Counted & Sex, Lies & Global Economics" identified the "UN System of National Accounts" as a major part of the global problem. This accounting system interacts with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It evolved out of Britain during WW2 written as a brochure by John Keynes and Richard Stone called "The British National Income and how to pay for the War". Keynes and Stone were asked to rewrite and expanded their document for the inception of the United Nations. Before any country can be a member of the United Nations they must agree to participate in the UN System of National Accounts. This is what has created "The Culture of War" which only accounts for money. Waring found that there was no value for ‘peace, women, children, unpaid work, the environment, and leaves out the value of 1/2 the population on the planet and the planet itself’. So if we wish to build a ‘Culture of Peace’ and slow global IQ dimming, we need to begin with the UN.

3. Vision: Economics

a. Introduce at the United Nations level a new International system “Accounting for Peace & Sustainability” as the “United Nations System of National Accounts” that includes all that has not been accounted for in the past ‘peace, women, children, unpaid work, the environment, includes the value of 1/2 the population on the planet and the planet itself.” This will ensure that a global paradigm shift occurs.

b. Educate through schools, colleges and universities, Helmut Burkhardt’s “Substance Accounting” which includes the losses as a negative, not a positive GNP.

c. Fully implement the Canadian initiative of “Measurement of Well Being” by Mike Nickerson who coordinates the 7th Generation Initiative.

d. Ensure equal representation in all sectors of life of Women and Men, as in the United Nations Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Oct 2000. Include equal boys and girls in all decision making, within the education curriculum.

e. Educate men to encourage these changes.

Environmental Integrity and Community Health

Many thousands of humans have ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’ with malfunctioning immune systems. Researchers such as Dorothy Goldin Rosenberg, Women’s Healthy Environmental Network (WHEN), have produced two films “Exposure: Environmental links to Breast Cancer” and “Toxic Trespass” a film about children's health and the environment. Both promote and prove that the environmental crisis is causing health risks. Dr. Rosalie Bertel, International Institute for Concern for Public Health, has documented many of these concerns in “No Immediate Danger - Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth”, and “Planet Earth - the latest weapon of war” along with Marion Odell who has created a series of slide shows available on the web. In mega cities in Toronto, Mexico, and China, the visible air pollution, along with climate change plus the weather manipulation, is affecting students at work. Colin Soskolne, School of Public Health University of Alberta, has worked with the World Health Organization on internal air quality. Schools are places of mold, polluted air from CO2 emissions, that cause environmental health problems.

The human impact of the use of oil and it’s manufactured results, follows a linked pathway to destruction. All of these need to be addressed. From the factory to transportation, from trade and exchange of food, to the increase of populations globally, increasing CO2 emissions (buses and cars delivering students to schools) and ozone depletion, and then the related chemical industry (including oil as carbon monoxide produced in traffic jams) which also affects the global population’s health and educational IQ. These same chemicals are used in medical drugs such a ridalin for ADD, which is basically speed, which gives you dopamine to change the brain chemistry. Chemicals are also excreted into the ground water, rivers and then into the oceans, and are also used in the war industry as weapons. These chemical are all are polluting the children’s brains and causing global dimming.

Biodiversity on Planet Earth is in crisis, says Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Bio-logical Diversity.

4. Vision:

a. That positive bio-diversity based curriculum be included in all curriculum for sustainability and the prevention of future wars. The Planet first style curriculum with human responsibilities before human rights.

b. Teach responsible protection of the “Global Commons” wherever humans are on planet earth. (Q. What affect could this produce?)
c. Involve the military in planting forests supporting biological diversity in every area of the planet.

Societal Integrity: TV & Media

The work of Rose Dyson, Citizens Concerned Against Violence in Entertainment (C-CAVE) on the effects of violent media & video games, although supposed to be seen as entertainment, are affecting young people’s minds. This is fully discussed in her book "Mind Abuse". Young children from 3 years old can use a ‘Game Boy” for hours. This reduces their physical activity and increases obesity. Educational research has identified that school achievement increased when daily physical activity was introduced into schools. Music study can increase the brain’s growth.

5. Vision:

a. That ‘by-laws be written internationally, similar to the one first introduced at the municipal level in the Province of Quebec, which ultimately led to the development of legislation effective throughout the entire province, banning advertisements to children 13 years and under on the basis of research showing harmful effects’ Rose Dyson by email.
b. That music and the arts be reintroduced into curriculum, where it has been removed. Physical Education must be daily for all students.

Illiteracy

Canada had a national committee (1995 approx) looking into illiteracy and found that over 1 million students (I think from memory) who left school were illiterate. The Government never published this report and closed the committee.

6. Vision: Increase literacy especially in sustainability and peace education.

Technology

Most schools have computers and there is a push for poorer countries to have cell technology with access to web based access. Even if home schooling is not possible, there will be a greater need for life long learning to use web conferencing technologies such as Talking Communities (created by the blind association for people with handicaps) and iVisit.com so that new societies solving environmental concerns can communicate and share their achievement. IHTEC is doing this now.

7. All school teach how to use web based communication technology for life long learning and sharing internationally, to reduce CO2 emissions.

Curriculum Changes

The culmination of the discussion points above, point to the need for important curriculum change, for energy and climate change. However over the last 20 years, there has been continuous curriculum change. There is no doubt that this change has affected teachers minds and caused student confusion.

8. Vision: Curriculum Changes

a. However it is seen that curriculum change and implementation is vital to the planet and society’s health the during the “UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development” that the existing curriculum will need to be modified to include peace and sustainability education.

b. All teachers are re-trained in peace and sustainability education.

c. That public education is vital as an agent of change.

d. That all university and college students have a compulsory course in peace and sustainability education.

e. That all university courses need to be reviewed and re-written towards a “Culture of Peace” and focused on Climate Change.

f. That girls and young women are fully included and know their role in sustainability.

Population

The culmination of the above discussion, has indicates that there will be a loss of biodiversity, which also will also increase of species infertility. This in turn will reduce the population on the planet.

Conclusions

So will a new energy source stop climate change, prevent resource depletion, economic poverty and war? So how will we change from the outcome of the existing “Culture of War” to a “Culture of Peace”,
where ‘peace’ is seen as ‘going to war’; where ‘peacebuilding’ is ‘reconstruction’; where ‘peace keeping’ is a tool for implementing ‘democracy through war’; where the rubric “Responsibility to Protect” gives heads of state permission to go to war, with the outcome as a reduction of population?

As we are now in the 6th Extinction, surely continuing in the current paradigm, will be the downfall of an intellectual civilization on planet earth.

IHTEC AGM Report & New Video by Colene Riffo

2010-12-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

Dear friends

Colene Riffo, Ceeds of Life interviewed Julia for about an hour in Los Angeles, CA, USA on September 18, 2010. It can be seen on
http://www.youtube.com/ihtec
Please use this when you give a workshop for teachers.

IHTEC AGM Report and Time Line July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

IHTEC - Annual General Meeting 2010 Report
From 1 July, 2009 - 30 June, 2010

Meeting to be held at IHTEC HQ
and virtually on Talking Communities & Skype.

Date: Saturday December 11, 2010
Place: 3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario. L5L 1G9
Time: 12 noon pot luck; AGM from 1pm - 2pm

IHTEC’s Report written by Julia Morton-Marr, President

Method of working

IHTEC is organized by attending meetings and conferences in person and virtually. Individual discussions occur by phone, email, yahoogroups and in the online Talking Communities conference rooms. IHTEC has as continuous meeting by email, with the Annual General Meeting held in December annually. IHTEC works in partnership with a number of partner organizations listed below, which include university faculties, academic groups, professional educational organizations, schools and Boards of Education. Requests arrive from IHTEC’s website from countries around the world.

Partnerships have continued to be an important part of the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC. As members of ECOSOC, IHTEC continues to promote the United Nations - Decade of Education for Sustainable Development & a Culture of Peace. In Ontario, IHTEC participates with other Charitable NGO’s namely

• Science for Peace/Canadian Pugwash, Global Issues Project Roundtables in Ontario

• Mexican Commercial and Industrial Centre of Canada who promote the ISPG program with their Mexico-Canada ‘Children’s Connection’ program both in Toronto and many South American countries.

• Canadian’s Concerned with Violence in Entertainment (C-CAVE) in Ontario;

• Future Aces Foundation in Ontario, who promote to schools and students in the Toronto District School Board;

• Education Alliance for Sustainable Ontario - EASO which feeds into UNESCO. This organization is chaired by David Bell, Emeritus, York University and includes many other Ontario’s educational NGO’s including the curriculum coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Education.

• United Nations Association of Canada (UNAC) in Toronto and Ottawa in Ontario.

• Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) promoted to student teachers annually.

• Phi Delta Kappa, University of Toronto.

• City of Niagara Falls team called “The Park in the City Committee” towards the War 1812 BiCentenial in 2012-2014.

Other Canadian NGO’s and Universities include Carleton in Ottawa, who promote IHTEC’s work are:
• International Peace Garden in Manitoba;

• Peace Arch Park in Blaine Washington/British Columbia;

• Canadian Voice of Women for Peace.

Internationally IHTEC continues to participate and support to:
• Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Hawaii School Peace Gardens;
• Council on Global Issues (CGI) in Canada and Germany;
• Noticias Positivas in Argentina;
• International Peace Bureau (IPB) in Switzerland - limited,
• World Citizen’s in Mississauga and Switzerland.
• Ceeds Of Life "Fostering Sustainability Through Creative Multimedia" in California, USA
• Schools have continued to work with IHTEC from South Australia, and has had inquires from Norway, Indonesia and Kenya.

Funding:
There have been only three donations to IHTEC this year. Donations to IHTEC are urgent. Please use Canada Helps website http://www.canadahelps.org under the acronym IHTEC as well as under its full incorporated name. This is particular useful as IHTEC survives on small donations.

Donations on the Canada Helps site can be done as a one time donation or on as a monthly ongoing basis, with a withdrawal from a credit card. The duration of multiple donations is set by donor. This method can encourage people to make small ongoing monthly donations and does not require the tedious task of setting up automatic withdrawals from the bank. Tax receipts are distributed immediately and money is transferred directly into IHTEC’s bank account. Please allow for Canada Helps 3%, when making a donation.

We hope to encourage all potential donors to consider making monthly donations, as it is a great way to provide the organization with a steady income. Donors can choose how they would like their money spent. Other donations have continued to arrive in the format of cashable cheques. IHTEC’s past financial statements are visible on the government’s charitable site:
http://www.cra.gc.ca/charities

IHTEC has continued to retain the accounting services of Ken Adolphe, during the current fiscal year. Ken has prepared IHTEC’s annual report to the Canadian Charities Branch.

Official Documents:
There have been no changes to the By-Laws or Charitable Activities during the current year of activity ending 30 June, 2010.

New Materials
There are four new developments:
1. The International School Peace Gardens blog has been re-organized to hold new writing and information http://ispg.blogspot.com This includes outcomes of Maya Soetoro-Ng’s Climate Change Curriculum brainstorming.
2. IHTEC Climate Change Module.
3. IHTEC Desert Module, for Climate Change.
Future Development
4. Lighthouse Schools including achievements with assessments for students and teachers.

Time Line of IHTEC’s Activities :

IHTEC History and Time-Line of Events - July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010

5. 2009: July 2; First ‘PDK Hawaii School Peace Gardens’ meeting online with Aaron Levine, Jeannie Lum, John Southworth, John Thatcher, Kenyon Tam, Natalie Cross, and Julia Morton-Marr. See www.nicenet.org for historical data on meetings and progress. This committee was first established on April 7, 2009.

6. 2009: August 20; Attended the Hawaii Peace Day at the Hawaii State Capital online using Talking Communities with HSPG teachers and students. Topic: Peace & Sustainability Education.

7. 2009: October 18; A biography of Julia’s IHTEC contribution is included in “Erindale: Early Times to Evolution” History of Mississauga’s villages, written by Kathleen Hicks.
8. 2009: November 3; C-CAVE PIANO RECITAL Tuesday, 7 p.m. Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Drive East. Rose Dyson promotes IHTEC’s education and the International School Peace Gardens at United Nations, and other educational meetings including their AGM.

9. 2009: November 12; Andrea Mendez-Brandam, Noticias Positivas in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South Ameica, had an edition of Noticias Positivas released as an eight page insert in the Clarin News in Buenos Aires, Argentina. IHTEC had an article and photo written by Julia Morton-Marr and translated into Spanish by Andrea, on peace & sustainability education . Circulation was 300,000 newspapers with a readership of 2 million. Articles were also included by our friends Eric Schneider & Heiner Benking in Germany and Shauna in England.

10. 2009: November 15; Future Aces Leadership Conference, held at the Talisman Mountain Resort, Kinberley, Ontario. Edona Caku, University of Toronto & Julie Vanderwerf, Brock University spoke to several groups of students about the International School Peace Gardens program.

11. 2009: November 18; First Anniversary of IHTEC’s membership with the International Peace Bureau, in Geneva Switzerland.

12. 2009: November 21; Science for Peace/ Canadian Pugwash and IHTEC involved with the Global Issues Project, Food and Population Roundtable held at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Julia presented a white paper called “Food and Population - Global Sustainability Education Concepts.”

13. 2009: December 1; Julia Morton-Marr wrote a test paper as a virtual participant for a PDK e-certificate. PDK Toronto had the three technology video conferences online. Their first e-certificate was presented by Susan Seidman and Beverly Freedman to Julia on January 24, 2010. The PDK Toronto official newsletter March 2010 contains comments by Susan Seidman with photo on page 3. There website: http://www.pdk-ut-ca and the newsletter is on http://www.pdk-ut.ca/pdf/2010MarchPDKNewsletter.pdf

14. 2009: December 2; Carleton University student Renee Chan, interviewed Julia for her “The role of women in Environmental Education” with regards to the work and role of IHTEC and the ISPG program that Julia has developed. The results of this are to go into the Carleton University Library on a DVD.

15. 2009: December 3; The International Peace Garden, Manitoba and North Dakota, with Doug Hevenor, joins IHTEC. They were referred by Deborah Whitehouse of Niagara Parks Commission. The have 100 schools visit annually.

16. 2009: December 11; Inger-Mette, Norway introduces Tore Faller, Children’s Peace Garden, City of Oslo in Norway to IHTEC. They plan to connect their team to the Nobel Peace Prize committee. They are working on school or children’s peace gardens in Norway.

17. 2009: December 12, IHTEC AGM held at 3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario Canada at 12 noon.

18. 2009: December 7-18; Heiner Benking attended the Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen (COP15) Denmark at the Belle Center. Outcome documents “The Copenhagen Accord” can be downloaded by clicking here . It is also possible to find more information, including all documents from COP15, from the UNFCCC website Heiner, Richard Schwartz, Helmut Burkhardt and Julia updated the “IHTEC Food and Population Final White Paper” which was handed out to participants. http://c-g-i.info/

2010

19. 2010: January 19; Julia Morton-Marr and Melinda Rooke, UNACTO wrote the first draft of the Proclamation for Ontario Day of Peace, on Peace and Sustainability Education.

20. 2010: February 13; Finished Editing the Proclamation for the Ontario Day of Peace.

21. 2010: February 13; Wrote first draft of ‘Forests & Biodiversity Dedication’ which was finalized on March 21 for the International Year of Biodiversity.

22. 2010: March 5; Meeting with Minister Harinder Takhar, Minister of Government Services, MPP Mississauga-Erindale for suggestions as how to present the “Ontario Day of Peace” Proclamation at Queens Park, Toronto, Ontario.

23. 2010: March 22; 12 noon, Melinda Rooke, Georgina Bencsik (UNAC) & Julia Morton-Marr were presented to the Ontario Legislature by the Speaker of the House, Steve Peters. UNAC-Toronto coordinated the event and dinner. Julia Morton-Marr read the Proclamation towards “Ontario Day of Peace”. Speakers and attendees included members of IHTEC, Education Alliance for Sustainable Ontario (EASO); Mexican Commercial and Industrial Centre of Canada (MCCC); Canadians Concerned Against Violence in Entertainment (C-CAVE); Future Aces; Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); Council on Global Issues (CGI); Science for Peace (SfP), Canadian Pugwash (CP), Leadership for a Environment and Development (LEAD) Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) and Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Toronto representing PDK International and PDK/Hawaii School Peace Gardens. An afternoon tea was hosted by Speaker Steve Peters. At 4.30pm - 6.30pm an event followed that included various speakers and displays as many people shared their achievements for peace and sustainability. The event was well attended and included several Provincial Parliamentarians, and Consuls-General. Minister Harinder Takhar presented IHTEC Awards to for long service with IHTEC members, who were at the event. Other Awards will be posted to recipients. Various Ontario schools involved with Peace & Sustainable programs

a. Rawlinson Elementary School, TDSB, Toronto - showcasing their intercultural program ‘Peace Tree Day’ http://www.peacetreeday.com/ with IHTEC Board member Manuela Godinho.
b. St. Cyril Catholic Elementary School, Toronto Catholic School Board - peace garden committee with Laure Abou-Jaoudé IHTEC Middle-East, with student made beaded necklaces, and beautiful display boards, as a fund raiser for their ISPG at the school.
c. Runnymede Public School, Toronto with IHTEC rep Biljana Banchotova & Teresa Prieto, who showcased their art work as part of the Mexico-Canada Children’s Connection, an exchange of Christmas cards between South American schools. This is hosted by Teresa Prieto-Rankin of the Mexican Commercial and Industrial Centre of Canada who promote the ISPG program in Canada, Mexico and several other South American countries.
d. Richland Elementary School, with Kathryn McCormick, IHTEC Board member Dianne Leggatt.
e. Standford Secondary School, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Brian who represented the Park in the City Committee attended by the Niagara Parks Commission and the Niagara Parks School of Horticultural.
f. Professors and students from University of Toronto, UTMississauga, OISE/UT, and York University;

24. 2010: March 3; Dianne Leggatt continues to attend monthly EASO meetings, participating and promoting IHTEC’s programs and reports. .

25. 2010: April 10; The ISPG blog was updated from Granny Julia’s Blog to the IHTEC International School Peace Gardens blog. It now contains all new writings, and major events attended. This is an ongoing project.

26. 2010: April 16; Melinda Rooke and Lia Rooke with Julia Morton-Marr meet with David Zimmer, MPP Willowdale who agreed to host a Private Members Bill with UNAC Toronto and IHTEC towards “Ontario Day of Peace for Peace & Sustainability Education”.

27. 2010: April 22; Earth Day - IHTEC attended the UNACTO hosted ‘Ripple Effect’ event held at Queens Park, where UNAC youth launched project and their water document. http://www.unac-rippleeffect.org/home.php

28. 2010: April 25; Spoke to World Citizen meeting at the Great Wok of China located at Central Parkway Mall at 377 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Mississauga Topic: Peace & Sustainability Education.

29. 2010: April 23; Attended ‘War 1812 Celebration’ event at the Lincoln Alexander Centre in the Crowne Plaza, Hamilton, Ontario.

30. 2010: May 8; Maya Soetoro-Ng, East-West Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii, requests IHTEC’s suggestions on Peace & Sustainability Education for her Climate Change Curriculum Brainstorming. Julia wrote two documents. One was an list of headings that would be needed with such a curriculum. The second was a Climate Change & Consumerism module for schools. Both of these were based on IHTEC’s work.

31. 2010: June 15; Developed the IHTEC Desert Program - first draft.

32. Annually: Colene Riffo, Ceeds of Life, California, USA supports the ISPG program using digital technology.

33. Annually: Dorothy Goldin Rosenburg, OISE/UT distributes IHTEC’s CD Roms and brochures to student teachers and others who take her courses.

34. Annually: Christina Alexander, of the Peace Arch Park International Sculpture Exhibition includes the ISPG logo to promote IHTEC, in their brochure on page 1. http://www.peacearchpark.org/ise_09_brochure_tour.pdf

35. Annually: Julia Morton-Marr attends and reports to the World Citizen’s discussion group held in Mississauga, Ontario. This occurs on the last Sunday of each month.

36. Annually as a member of the Global Issues Committee, Julia participates and reports virtually, to meetings with Science for Peace / Canadian Pugwash, Global Issues Project in preparation for the various systemic scientific roundtables. All the roundtables information are on the SfP website http://www.scienceforpeace.ca/global-issues-project In 2009 - 2010 the following roundtables were held:
a. Nov. 20 - 21, 2009 - Roundtable on Food & Population.
b. June 18, 2010 - Roundtable on Global Governance and a World Without War. Held at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo;
c. May 7, 2010 - Slower by Design, Not Disaster - A Roundtable on Managing Without Growth Roundtable. The website with video linked throughout is available. http://www.nogrowthroundtable.ca/Site_2/Home.html

Contact Julia Morton-Marr
Tel: 1(905) 820-5067 Email: ihtec@3web.com Website: www.ihtec.org

The Timeless Need for Peace, Classroon Ideas on Current Issues

2010-11-12T13:57:00.004-05:00

Global Sustainability Education

through the

International School Peace Gardens

**************

by Julia Morton-Marr & Manuela Godinho

April 21, 2009
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Julia Morton-Marr PeaceWomen Across the Globe; Canadian Voice of Women for Peace member; Science for Peace; IHTEC Founder of the International School Peace Gardens program.

Manuela Godinho Peace Educator; Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Toronto

Helmut Burkhardt Prof Emeritus, Ryerson University; Council on Global Issues.

Thanks go to:

H. Burkhardt who has kindly consented for us to quote from his ‘General Science Theory’ Based on Substance Accounting for Systems”. Ryerson Polytecnic University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1995, pp.12.

Dr. Doug Alton Physicians for Global Survival http://pgs.ca/?page_id=89

Janis Alton Co-Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace www.vowpeace.org

1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe network.
www.1000peacewomen.org

Flemington Health Centre Secondary School Students

NOTES FOR TEACHERS

1. Some of these ideas were first developed for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Exhibition on Nuclear Weapons at Metro Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1997,for the United Nations Association of Canada.

2. The aim of this booklet is to focus on positive outcomes towards building a culture of peace. Its focus mainly for upper elementary and secondary schools. It could be used as part of World Issues, Science, Art, Music, and Media curriculum.

3. Hope and encouragement for the future of young people, must include their understanding that there are many alternatives available for solving problems at all levels, that don’t include war.

4. Research on Nuclear Weapons use during Hiroshima & Nagasaki, the Nuclear Weapons Convention draft document, is required by teachers, before using these ideas for peace education. For a sustainable world, we must have peace, and this includes the removal of weapons of mass destruction.(H. Burkhardt)

5. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs had only 1% power of current Nuclear Bombs in 2009. There are 13,000 Nuclear Weapons on planet earth on alert, each one is more then 100 times stronger than the ‘Little Boy’ used on Hiroshima. You may also like to consider the affects of nuclear weapons on the environment, society and the individual.

6. Your school is invited to participate in the “International School Peace Gardens (ISPG) program, and have it dedicated by a member of the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC’s team. Please register before you begin on http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=124 Email: ihtec@3web.com

7. IHTEC’s focus is on positive curriculum for schools that creates peace education, planetary regeneration through ‘Tourism as a vital force for peace’ concepts, using peace parks and peace gardens.Official websites for ISPG is: http://www.ihtec.org and http://ispg.blogspot.com

8. This booklet is dedicated to Joseph Rotblat, founder of Pugwash, who was the only scientist to leave the Manhatten Project on ethical grounds.

“Take nuclear weapon off hair-trigger alert”.
A solution suggested by Dr. Alan Philips (decd) Science for Peace,
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2

NOTES FOR TEACHERS 3

TEACHERS - IDEAS FOR PEACE & SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION 5

CURRICULUM IDEAS 6
POLITICS 6
ART AS COMMUNICATION 6
POETRY AND PROSE STIMULUS 8
PEACE IN OUR FAMILIES 8
PEACE IN THE ENVIRONMENT 8
PEACE IN OURSELVES 8
PEACE IN OUR SCHOOLS 9
PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITY 9
PEACE IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY 9
DRAMA/DANCE 10
MUSIC 10
SCIENCE 11
CREATE A WALL OF PEACE IN YOUR SCHOOL 11
MEDIA 11

THE ROLE OF PEACE PARKS AND GARDENS 12
DESIGN A PEACE GARDEN 12
PEACE GARDEN SUMMARY PROCESS 13
WATER DEDICATION 16

IHTEC AWARD CERTIFICATE 17

RESOURCES 17

BRIEF OUTLINE - NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION FOR 2009 18
TEACHERS - IDEAS FOR PEACE & SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION

The resource team have tried to use the following “Elements of Learning” within the package development. You may like to consider these as you organize, link and expand your ideas or the ideas developed within this booklet.

I : Information Input.
O : Organizing the information.
D : Demonstrate the organization.
E : Expressive response to the information through the arts.

The Three Stages of Learning are:
1. Knowledge acquiring
2. Attitudinal change
3. Acting accordingly towards positive change.

Within conflict resolution we also encourage you to consider how young people can use these concepts, based on studies of language and rhetoric, Aristotle came up with nine categories of thinking: these eight attributes are a tool for analyzing problems to help students to remember relevant aspects.
∙ place
∙ position
∙ time
∙ quality
∙ quantity
∙ state
∙ action
∙ and their relationships.
All categories are used in acquiring and maintaining knowledge.

(H. Burkhardt, ‘General Science Theory’ Based on Substance Accounting for Systems”. Ryerson Polytecnic University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1995, pp.12)

Cooperative Learning Skills and Strategies are currently in many schools in Canada. Any of these concepts can be further linked to develop programs on peace.
CURRICULUM IDEAS

POLITICS

Most students have studied the role of war from knights, to kingdoms, to the development of nations. Now in 2009, we have continental unions. Answer the following questions?

Q. 1 Do you think there is a need for a global government, as a result of the development that has occurred during the process of globalization?

Q. 2. Discuss: “One of the reasons that we have nuclear weapons is that nations feel insecure without them”. Do you agree with this statement from Prof. H. Burkhardt

Q. 3. Do you think that a Global Goverment would include the force of law? Discuss

Q. 4. Many people think that MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) works. Discuss.

ART AS COMMUNICATION

Activity 1: Part A - explore:
1. Explore war drawings by Japanese artist Hibakusha. Discuss the difference in content between these drawings and the photographs of the Hiroshima Peace Park website. http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html

2. Take a virtual tour of the Canadian and Australian War Museums. Look at the art. Choose three pieces using different artistic tools. Eg: oils, water colour, sculpture. What is unique to each medium? Which medium gives you the strongest personal or immediate impact? Why? http://www.awm.gov.au/virtualtour/index.asp

3. Was it fair to use animals for warfare? Draw animals that were used in war: http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/animals/

4. There are a number of Canadian artists, including Varley and Lismer of the Group of Seven, who travelled to countries ravaged by war, painting and drawing images they saw. Have the students study the work of some of these artists. Many of their works are on display in public art galleries such as the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Art Gallery of Ontario. Compare them to their non-war art. Does the artist change style when painting or drawing images of war? Do they demonstrate a totally different concern or focus in their art? http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/index_e.aspx?DetailID=19926

Part B - create
5. Use two art media listed below. Communicate what life is like in your neighbourhood. What would be lost? Use video, photographs and / or drawings. What were you able to say in one medium that was not possible in another? Upload them as a .jpeg digital image to www.flickr.com or www.youtube.com or www.voicethread.com . Create an audio podcast to go with your images. These links can also be added to your blog.

Activity 2: part A - explore
6. For centuries, artists have depicted the effects of war, either with paint, pencil, camera, video camera, music, dance, prose or poetry. Choose one artist, from any time period, in each of the categories listed and describe the unique contribution they have made to our understanding of the impact of war. The Canadian War Museum has art collections online. Http://www.museedelaguerre.ca/cwn/exhibitions/artwar
visual art (painting, drawing, photographs)
film/video (movies, t.v.)
writing (books, poetry)
music
Discuss how the arts can be a messenger for peace.

Part B - create
7. If you were to send a visual image to the leaders of a country or region at war to inspire them to initiate a peace process, what image would you create? What medium would you use and which country or region would you choose to send this? Create a the image individually or as a group project.

Activity 3: part A - explore
8. The crane, peace dove, “V” sign are symbols of peace. Explain and compare how the different origins came about. What other symbols of peace are you aware of?

part B - create
9. Create new visual symbols for world peace that you believe would be understood by:
1. Students 2. Young adults 3. Adults (Don’t use any existing images)

10. Understanding how damaging nuclear weapons are, paint or draw how you feel, using some of the following techniques and paint types.
a. Paint first using primary colours, then only secondary colours?
b. Find natural colour sources grown in or on the earth.
c. Find plants and soil in your environment that give colours and use them for painting or dyeing materials.
d. Ask First Nations, and other indigenous people, that you may know, what substances and techniques they use for art and use these tools.
e. Use the variety of techniques discovered, to paint ‘yourself’ visiting people who have experienced war in another culture.

11. Find cultural patterns from Japan. Draw a thumbnail sketch of the pattern and use it in a design suitable for clothing fabric. Use designs that show the Japanese culture.
POETRY AND PROSE STIMULUS

COMMENTS FROM SECONDARY STUDENTS, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

PEACE IN OUR FAMILIES

Peace means overlooking other people’s faults.

Parents should also set a better example for their children.

PEACE IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

Peace means cooperation and understanding; not only amongst one another, but also with the surrounding environment. By having peace with the environment, means taking care of it, and not abusing it.

Peace means caring for all humanity and every living thing on the planet, including our environment, by supporting all life.

Peace and the environment can no longer be separated. We must talk about peace and the environment together and the many effects of one on the other.

Peace involves working with the Earth Charter to mend and sustain planet earth where we live.

PEACE IN OURSELVES

Peace means to become one with yourself spiritually. You have to understand your beliefs and values.

Peace means to think and speak positively, reversing our negative and hurtful words by making them positive.

Peace is calmness with others, and silence where words are not required and ideas are simply understood.

For peace, people should forget about one’s small differences.

Peace is safety, no fear in people’s hearts.

Peace means to be joyful.
PEACE IN OUR SCHOOLS

The message of peace should be spread to children starting at a very young age, because in Year 1 & 2, that’s when the teasing and all of the other negative things start.

Peace acknowledges that we are all the same and if we concentrate more on the similarities rather than the differences, there will be a healthy, peaceful environment to learn in.

Ensure that peace education is circulated throughout my classroom by posting peace messages.

Every student should know how to react in situations where bullying occurs, if it should ever arise.

Peace to me means no fights, no robberies and no bullying.

Making peace posters, and placing them all over the school, to give the message of peace.

We should have a peace corner in each classroom.

In schools I would help in cooperating with others and this would help avoid all of us from starting conflicts.

PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITY

Peace means no fighting with other citizens, rather helping one another and making sure everyone is safe.

Use peace gossip in a positive way to teach a person some of my peace knowledge, and ask them to pass it on.

Peace means being kind to all other people (species), no matter what religion or culture they are from.

PEACE IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY

Peace is not only something that we think of when a war is happening. Peace means love. It makes us get together and get to know others. Peace is friendship and sharing.

Peace is when people have consideration for other people as human beings. Peace is when people co-exist without any form of hatred for each other, looking out for each other, and treating people the way they would want others to treat them.
DRAMA/DANCE

1. Depict human movement from the art from the war museum. Create three ‘tableaux’ in preparation for a dance. Hold each tableaux for 30 seconds. Perform them. Count Hold ....., Move Hold....., Move Hold.........Stop

2. Repeat these three tableaux, linking them together with 5 different movements, one at the beginning, two in the middle connecting the tableaux’s and one to finish. You now have the beginning of a dance. Count as you move and hold the tableaux. Perform the tableaux for the school community and/or the wider community as an outcome of your visit to the exhibit.

3. Use your poetry and create a dance that shows your understanding of war and peace. Use multicultural and intercultural costume, movements and strong and gentle dynamics. Video the result. Edit it and then upload it to www.YouTube.com

MUSIC

1. Find examples of peace related songs and poems, that speak to and focus on peace related issues and concerns.

2. Research their meanings, and if possible, research why and when the song was written.
3. In your music group students could perform some of the songs they might find.

4. Find a musical composition that could reflect the impact of war on: Use RAP to perform the results.
a. human and political rights.
b. global economics and poverty.
c. environment.
SCIENCE

1. Keep a record of some of the substances (Aristotle) and species in your local environment or school peace garden. Record them four times a year, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and see if they increase or decrease in quality and quantity. Discuss what happens during a war and how fast nature might regenerate itself?

2. In Chemistry, understand the nature of naturally volatile substances.

3. Study the effects and time required for regeneration of the land after the dropping of a bomb. Note that a similar effect occurs with volcanoes such as Mt. St. Helens in Washington, USA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens
http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/mshafter.html?

CREATE A WALL OF PEACE IN YOUR SCHOOL
1. Have students look through newspapers, both local and national (and international if they have the inclination), for stories of local peacewomen and peacemen. They can cut out and pin each one to a board in the classroom or hallway. The title card could be something like: PeaceWomen or Peace Men. The students could create nifty names themselves.

2. Hold the Exhibition of the 1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe in your school. Find one of these women to speak to you either in your country, province, state or city. Invite your parents and their community to visit. www.1000peacewomen.org For more information contact: Canadian Voice of Women for Peace www.vowpeace.org or
Email: ihtec@3web.com

MEDIA
1. Have students study television for a week. Ask students what message is being sent to youth. Ask students to identify their biases and then find something on television and/or radio and or in the print media, that supports their point of view.

2. How does violence in entertainment influence your decisions? Video games, TV, Language and Creativity? Website: www.c-cave.com

3. Have students write an advertisement for peace. Create concepts you wish to deliver and then develop a ‘campaign for peace’. Students should work in groups of about 4 or 5 for this task, as it can take many different talents to create advertising work. The end product should be a peace poster or an internet message.

4. If the students wanted to reach the most people with their peace message, where would they put their ads/posters? Don’t limit the students vision of peace. They could “sell” the idea of peace to an environmental group; an animal rights group; a financial group or academic group. Use current technology. Create 2 cell phone images.

5. Did they identify any peaceful solutions or attempts to arrive at them in the media.

THE ROLE OF PEACE PARKS AND GARDENS

How the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Parks are linked to the Toronto Peace Garden.

1. Locate the Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan, and learn about the Peace Bell which tolls for those who died. Use the internet for your research.

2. The Peace Flame from Hiroshima was brought to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and placed in the Toronto Peace Garden during Toronto’s Sesquicentennial Year onr September 4, 1984. His Holiness, Pope John Paul II kindled the eternal flame with an ember from Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima and poured the water from Nagasaki into the pool. On October 2, 1984, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Garden as a lasting expression of Toronto’s commitment to peace.

3. During the “Canada 125" in 1992, the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism - IIPT, invited Canadian Municipalities to dedicate peace grove in their main municipal park. Over 400 peace groves were planted during “Peace Parks Across Canada”. These were linked to the Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa. Do you know where the one is in your Municipality?

4. Promote Peace Education, by creating an International School Peace Garden, focussed on conflict resolution, environmental studies, inter-cultural understanding, bio-diversity, food secruty, alternative energy such as solar and wind for sustainability education.

5. Become an ambassador for peace.

DESIGN A PEACE GARDEN

1. As a whole school, young people write what they would like to see, hear, smell, feel, taste in their peace garden.

2. Using words like “Peace, Love, Free” collect key words that connect with them. Create a poster with the words.

3. Walk the space where your peace garden will be. Design individual gardens on paper, that reflect the words gathered. Involve maths in your lesson. (Spacial concepts).

4. Bring articles from home, and build your individual peace garden in a shoe box. Use a layer of soil. (three dimensional)

5. Next build a class peace garden model on a large board.

6. Plant a school Peace Park, Peace Garden or Peace Grove and hold a dedication ceremony. This is to be outdoors.

7. Some schools have created a ‘peace foyer’ for when people arrive at the school. This includes an indoor plant as a peace tree, and a friendship bench.

8. Contact your Municipal Parks Director and link your school peace garden to their data base of environmental and peace gardens programs. The aim is to promote cities, towns, community groups and schools working together.

9. Dedicate a “Bench of Dreams” or “Friendship Bench” as a place for resolving conflicts peacefully. Sit on your ‘Dream Bench’ and write ideas that will stimulate action for Earth Day. Create a book of ideas (Robert Muller) that will help improve the planet in the future, one for each day. From this list of ideas, take one suggestion and find practical ways to achieve a positive outcome. Keep a record of your progress.

10. Pin your class ideas on a “Peace Notice Board” in your peace garden. E-mail them to your local government. Ask them what you can do to help implement them .

11. Write stories about the process, develop a “Peace Garden News” to upload on your website. Connect your website to the International School Peace Gardens blog: http://ispg.blogspot.com and join http://ihtec-ispg.ning.com

12. Sing songs and say poems, perform the dances that you have written from works of art, in your peace garden.

13. Display your art in a School Art Show.

PEACE GARDEN SUMMARY PROCESS
IDEAS FOR TEACHERS IN BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A PEACE GARDEN

1. Plan and Select a suitable site for your Peace Garden or Peace Tree. Contact your local Board of Education before you plan, for information on site management. Check with the grounds management to ensure you are clear of pipes and wires underground. Contact local City Parks for their help.

2. Plant your peace garden supporting local migrating species. Create a land laboratory and learn about the plants and their eco-systems. Use original seeds for vegetables. Make a list of all the plants and their uses. The peace garden is 'a place for peace', symbolic of our hope for the future of World Peace and a Sustainable environment, as a living legacy to UNESCO's 'A Culture of Peace' and for the 'Decade of Education for Sustainable Development' for the present and the future!

3. Register your involvement in the International School Peace Gardens Programs http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=124 Follow the links and fill in the form. This form comes directly to IHTEC.

4. Meet with Julia Morton-Marr (on line or in person – depending on your location) as a staff to discuss how to incorporate the curriculum. Following are some ideas:
a. Each child creates his/her idea of peace – pictures, posters, dioramas, mobiles, etc. Display their work around the school. This is a whole school project, which is ongoing over many years.

5. Incorporate Peace Values for the Classroom (see Appendix 4) as an integrated part daily routine in the class
a. Share space
b. Share materials
c. Use only words that contribute to harmony
d. Share insights and ideas
e. Respect viewpoints of others
f. Ask for discussion when uncertainties occur

6. Each class walks the grounds to consider what location to use for a peace garden. (within Board of Education limitations). Children each design a garden (incorporating math, science, art). From these designs each class proposes a single design before developing a class model. All the class designs are posted and the best of each is incorporated into the final school design for the garden.

7. Draw up a plan for implementation. Start small and build/grow. Note: Your garden minimally will include two friendship benches and one peace or sacred tree, peace signs, students sculptures and a path of peace, on which to dance, sing and perform.

8. Brainstorm ideas with students, staff and parents with respect to other sustainability ideas, such as solar energy, conservation of water and transportation.

9. Students create slide shows of their plan for fund-raising.

10. Dedicate your Peace Garden, or Peace Tree with a suitable ceremony on any suitable day, or as part of 'United Nations Day' in October or on 'World Environment Day' in June. Include students poetry, prose, song, dances and sculptures. Include / invite the mayor, local MPs and MPPs, and local First Nations (eg: peace pipe ceremony or stories and dance depicting peace).

11. Re-dedicate your Peace Garden annually or Peace Tree to ensure that new staff and students understand the importance of the garden and how it focuses on Global Commons issues and the levels of sustainability:
a. Economic
b. Social
c. Environment and Earth Charter
d. Impact = P x A x T. (Paul Ehrlich & John Holdren 1970)
i. P – Population
ii. A – Affluence / Poverty
iii. T – Technology 12. Use the ISPG logo on all your document and send copies to IHTEC.

13. Create a booklet of the history of your Peace Garden. Communicate via you own Peace Garden News sending it to your local newspaper, neighbourhood schools, parents, government members, churches and your schools neighbours. This will help with donations from your local community.

14. Create a Blog. www.blogger.com Create and link in audio podcasts and youtube video to share your stories, ideas and progress. Send IHTEC your Blog url so that we can create a link to http://ispg.blogspot.com
a. Include the following:
i. Photos of the process from the beginning. Label them and include dates.
ii. A showcase of the children's work and community involvement.
iii. The effect of the garden on behaviour in the school and academic results.
iv. The process of fundraising and the final cost.

15. Water Dedication: Put Nature First in all you do, especially where water use is concerned. The ‘Water Dedication’ was developed to foster discussion by teachers with their students. You are ask to read, discuss then dedicate yourself in your peace garden to preserving water where you live.
WATER DEDICATION
Canadian Pugwash & Science for Peace Expert Roundtable on Water, Nov. 2008

I ..........................................................................................................................................................
from ................................................................................................................. dedicate myself as a
trustworthy person to protecting freshwater wherever I am in the world. I understand that I am 80% water, that water is sacred for the web of life in this time of climate change, which is heating the planet. I will endeavour to:
1. Understand that where climate change is increasing the rate of evaporation there will be more rain. Where world precipitation is decreasing, there will be less rain and less fresh water.
2. Keep the planet cool with all my actions.
3. Reduce my water footprint, as Nature needs it to prime the pump for the hydrological cycle.
4. Keep water where it is on planet earth returning water to water courses.
5. Protect rivers and streams from pollution.
6. Build rain water tanks to collect water for the garden and household needs. Plant lawn cover and garden species that can grow with no or only minimal water other than rain water.
7. Wash my car with a bucket, not a hose. Wait until the next rainstorm -- this saves more water.
8. Drink tap water wherever it is safe. Boil water otherwise.
9. Remove water in plastic bottles (8 & 9 messages are brought to you by David Suzuki and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities)
10. Wash dishes by hand where possible, with the plug in the sink. Run the dishwasher only when fully loaded, after 8 pm.
11. Turn off the tap when brushing my teeth; use a low-flush toilet or reduce flushes; take a 3 minute shower.
12. Conserve electricity as it takes water to generate your power and power to pump water to my tap. Encourage my family, school & community to share their water bills to see how much we can reduce together.
13. Share water with all species.
14. Work with your politicians.

Signed:.........................................................
Date:.............................................

Instructions: The “Water Dedication” is a great example of action on sustainability for Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Individuals, teachers can use it for teaching, religious groups, students and their communities can distribute, read, sign, keep and frame the dedication, as they dedicate themselves in their peace garden to water conservation. Other water documents are available on http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=214
IHTEC AWARD CERTIFICATE

Each school will receive one award certificate for participating in the International School Peace Gardens program. Please post a summary of what you have achieved to: International School Peace Gardens, 3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. L5L 1G9.

Please donate on Canada Helps to help us continue:
http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=137

RESOURCES

Films:
“The Strangest Dream” A Biography of Joseph Rotblat, Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Veterans Against Nuclear War also have a new film.

Statements:
http://www.web.net/~cnanw/Feb2008-statement.pdf

Websites:
Hiroshima Peace Park
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3400.html
Hiroshima Virtual Tour
http://www.hi.hkg.ac.jp/peace/eng/peace.html

Thousand Cranes for Peace
http://www.thousandcranes.net/ (ISPG has a link on this page. There is a list of many peace parks and peace gardens around the world. It is a great resource.

Create a paper cranes. BRIEF OUTLINE - NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION FOR 2009

Many organizations have been working on the removal of nuclear weapons for many years. Here is what would happen if your city was hit by a nuclear bomb, from ‘The Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
http://www.web.net/~cnanw/facts.htm

On October 24. 2–8 Bam Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, called for a high-level strategy session on the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
Http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/updates/NWC.html

NOW: There is to be a meeting of 100 countries of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference at the United Nations on May 4 - 15, 2009. It is hoped that the draft Nuclear Weapons Convention will be presented and accepted at this meeting. The draft treaty has been created by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - ICAN Website: www.icanw.org
http://www.icanw.org/nuclear-weapons-convention

What would it do?

The NWC would prohibit the development, testing, production, stockpiling, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as the production of fissile material suitable for making them (either highly enriched uranium or separated plutonium). It would require all nuclear-armed countries to destroy their nuclear weapons in stages (see below), the last stage being to place all fissile material under international control to prevent nuclear weapons every being made again.

How would it happen?

1. Take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert
2. Remove nuclear weapons from deployment
3. Remove the warheads from their delivery vehicles
4. Disable the warheads by removing the explosive ‘pits’.
5. Place the fissile material under United Nations control.

Twin Towers Sept 11, 2001

2010-10-27T16:38:00.002-04:00

Peace Garden Education -
Promoting Safety in Schools

By Julia Morton-Marr
Sept 12, 2001

“The crisis on September 11, 2001 proves that peace is the only option, if the planet is to survive such actions.” Julia Morton-Marr.

“How can I continue the work of the International School Peace Gardens (ISPG) when the world isn’t listening for peace?” I sat at my desk wanting to take the easy way out and stop work, after the numbing events on September 11, 2001. Have the last nine years of peace education suddenly seemed to have been a futile effort, as so little in the world seemed to have changed since IHTEC - ISPG began in 1993? “As teachers, can we use the powerful ‘nag-quality’ of children, towards changing currents events and regaining a more peaceful world?” I pondered. “Can teachers have such a significant impact on young people through their work for peace, so these events will never happen again?” “Will I go on?” The answer is of course YES ..... that following Sept 11, the implementation of ISPG will be enhanced as millions in the world are trying to understand how this event could have occurred.

Like butterflies, as they slowly begin unfurling their wings, schools with peace gardens took their students outside for reflection after Sept. 11th. They sent messages to all the children who might have been effected, for we do not know what will be happening in the future.

Peace gardening is like ‘Stone Soup’ . One teacher told me the story of her sitting in a circle of soil, digging a hole. A small group of children gathered around. “What are you doing?” “I’m planting a peace garden would you like to help me?” I said. We discussed what plants were peace trees that lived in our eco-system and who could bring one from home. “Can we solve our problems in a peace garden?” “We could have an indoor garden and join the two together with a “Path of Peace”. “Aha, we could stop bullying each other in the playground,” the children’s discussion continued. “I know what peace is,” a five-year-old grins, “I have just solved a problem with a friend on our friendship bench.” “We must support each other like dolphins do, if we are going to have peace.” "Our peace garden has changed the way I think" said another. So the teacher brainstormed and developed their mind maps, collected words and decided to solve their conflicts in their peace garden.

In another school a child said “But our skins look so different and people are hurting my family.” Two children in a school, an Afghani child and a classmate; yesterday their friendship was like any other, today society is trying to tear it apart. Meanwhile nothing has changed, our blood is still the same colour, our eyes work the same way, we all have bodies that are filled with salt water. In Canada, we live or come from different countries around the world, how can we show this in our peace garden?

What kind of cultural symbols can we include? I suggested that we use the International School Peace Gardens logo in our garden. “What else can we plant?” Climate Change might cause a famine, so we must plant, protect and share our food. Our water is polluted, how will we keep the peace when we soon won’t have additional water to dilute the pollution?”. We know that we need most of the planet’s resources to regain a sustainable world.

Trees are sacred trees world wide. The Ontario Provincial tree, a white pine, is the First Nations Peace Tree. Mexican children are planting their five sacred trees. Lebanese schools are studying Jordanian Heritage sites and developing an art form for performance as part of their peace garden. African children are planting 100 peace trees to help reduce pollution, to protect their soil and encourage eco-tourism. Co-operation between world cultures for human and planetary security, the children understand this before adults. Art, music and design are the outward expressions of learning. A visiting parent sits beside me. She offers to draw graph paper 1" = 3m for each student in the school, so they can design their own garden. She also suggests a model competition. We join hands under the big oak tree, to measure how many squares it will take to cover the paper. How many squares we will need for the other plants. How will we account for the gains and losses? Gradually we understand substance accounting and relationships between space, soil, food, water and peace.

It takes a village to raise a child, and the whole world to make peace. Together we chose two children from our class for the peace garden committee, and two for the “Peace Garden Newspaper”. Our activities include: writing stories, songs and poems for our families and a computer presentation for marketing and to stimulate community donations and funding. Our school peace garden website linked into the IHTEC site. We registered our ISPG on www.ihtec.org

Peace builds peace. We held a dedication ceremony and invited public officials, a First Nations man smoked a peace pipe, and we dedicated ourselves to a project for sustainability in our community.

IHTEC has linked us to “A Culture of Peace through Tourism” with local Peace Parks and Gardens, UNESCO Heritage Parks, Heritage Rivers, Creature Corridors and Marine environments. Our ceremony included a United Nations representative, who told us that “If our country was a member of the UN, then we were members of the UN.” We understood that if there was a problem, that we had to be part of the solution. Many schools have asked for information this week, which gave me hope that people are still listening to the need, to create a world in which peace prevails. Gently we returned our lives by nourishing young people’s enthusiastic spirits and souls with daily use of the peace garden.

The ISPG program was already supported by many Ministries and Boards of educational along with other organizations. IHTEC encourages all schools to participate.
...............................30....................................

Bio:
Julia Morton-Marr, is the co- founder of the International School Peace Gardens program. She is a retired integrated studies teacher, from South Australia. Her 46 years of practical teaching experience. Julia developed the concepts for the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC in 1991. IHTEC’s focus is a ‘Culture of Peace through Tourism” a global perspective for peace and sustainability education.

Contact: Julia Morton-Marr, President, International Holistic Tourism Education Centre, 3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5L 1G9. Tel. (905) 820-5067

Email: ihtec@3web.com Website: www.ihtec.org

Box of Peace Miracles for Schools - Crisis Ideas

2010-10-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PEACE GARDENS (ISPG)
BOX OF PEACE MIRACLES - DRAFT
These ideas have been developed for post trauma school incidents and prevention of copy-cat events in nearby schools.

The Box of ISPG Peace Miracles could contain the following:

* $10 towards a peace tree representing your Life Zone - Sponsor:
* $10 off a Friendship Bench - Sponsor:
* $10 off ISPG plaque for Benches - Sponsor:
* $10 off a Culture of Peace Diary - Sponsor:
* Free ISPG brochures (to share with other schools)
* Kit of ISPG materials
* Two free ISPG logo pins - Sponsor: IHTEC

IDEAS FOR WHOLE SCHOOL PARTICIPATION:

Develop a project using some of the ideas below. Contact IHTEC for discussion on these ideas, and register your project on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.on.ca

1. Dedication of the whole school ground to a Culture of Peace.
a. Create a "Path of Peace with the whole school and community walking or dancing around the parameter of the school. Develop a significant dance that is repeated at all the entrances using peaceful hand signs, and songs as part of the ceremony. A Path of Peace can be
b. An actual pathway,
c. An imaginary path
d. A natural planting of thickets for migrating birds.
e. Items placed around the school such as painted rocks with international, IHTEC and newly created peace symbols.
f. Plant peace trees, that symbolically represent each person involved and ensure that the representation is positive aiming at reversing the incident. All species planted should feed migrating species in your area.
g. Involve all parents in whatever action is taken. Give each parent a role in the event.
h. Invite a local First Nations persons to hold a Peace Pipe Ceremony.
i. Use universal prayers for peace eg: World Council of Churches, Joseph Campbell and other United Nations sources.
j. Invite someone from a country that has been war torn to speak about the importance of a Culture of Peace.
k. Each person to make three peace tokens or rocks' that can be dedicated - one to exchange with another person, one to be kept at home, one to put in the peace garden. You can use words or peace designs including the IHTEC peace logos.
l. Use a Friendship Bench or Peace Rock as part of the ceremony.

2. Create positive learning outcomes that improve the planet's environmental problems. Focus on energy, air, water and soil, eg: "Solar Powered Living Rock" or a "Solar light" or "Solar oven".

3. Build a friendship bench for conflict resolution.

4. Build a cultural bridge' for performances, which can go in the school peace garden at a later stage.

5. Each school to keep a Culture of Peace Diary in a central place. This is to hold a record of positive achievements towards a Culture of Peace, locally, nationally and internationally. Please send a copy of these in hard copy and email to IHTEC for sharing with other schools.

6. Keep a school ideas book for the "Path of Peace" that you can send to other schools who may experience a trauma. Have each student make a cover for these books of ideas.

7. Bury all hurtful items before you plant your peace garden. This could include letters, poems of fear, sadness, knives, toys etc.

8. Read and Sign and Dedicate yourself to implementing UNESCO's MANIFESTO 2000.

9. Embroider words and pictures on a "Peace Blanket, Afghan or Quilt". This can be used to wrap around the aggressor and the victim.

10. Develop a strategy for a Culture of Peace in your school.
a. Peace in yourself
b. Peace in your school and community
c. Peace with nature

11. Write new peace songs and poems to help heal the hurt. Perform them to the whole school at an assembly.

12. Make puppets that help you act out how you feel.

Stage 2: Curriculum Re-Evaluation.

13. Develop an ongoing curriculum strategy around the "United Nations International Year and Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. " for your school. This curriculum will have your peace garden curriculum included in it as well.

14. Analyse all subjects taught through the UN International Culture of Peace statement, on UNESCO's website: www.unesco.org (Check this website address)

Stage 3: Building your Peace Garden

15. Students and the staff at the school now begin the process of Planning, Planting, Dedicating your International School Peace Garden. Please Register your garden on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.org

16. Please be kind and include the words "This is part of the International School Peace Gardens program, founded in 1993." and use the ISPG logo on all materials that go out to parents and the community.

17. Each student and teacher is to design a peace garden that includes ideas for a Culture of Peace through Tourism from your Curriculum.

18. Build your peace garden web page on your school website. Visit other school's peace garden websites at www.ihtec.org

19. Create a "Peace Garden News" and produce a newspaper with regular issues each year.

20. On the dedication day, where possible, have all students involved with the incident be part of the ceremony.

‘Climate Change Chat Session’ Educator Resource List - Hawaii

2010-08-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

‘Climate Change Chat Session’ Educator Resource List

Thank you for attending today’s event. Below is a preliminary list of organizations and websites that offer useful educator resources for climate change and environmental science lesson plans and activities. Please enjoy your perusal of them; we hope they prove useful in your curriculum development.

Climate Change and Science Resources

Organization/Site Name Description/Link
National Geographic Environmental science lesson plans and activities:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/

Smithsonian Institute Lessons on science, environment and other topics. You can search by state standard: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/

The Educator’s Reference Desk Lessons on Environmental Education:
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Science/Environmental_Education

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Activities and projects on climate change and environmental stewardship:
http://www.naaee.org/

NASA Lessons on climate; click “Earth Science” then “Environment”:
http://search.nasa.gov/search/edFilterSearch.jsp?empty=true#

United States Global Change Research Program Interactive media about climate change:
http://www.globalchange.gov/resources/educators/toolkit

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence Great climate change and science resources:
http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=155&toplvl=47

Children in a Changing Climate A broad list climate change resources
http://www.childreninachangingclimate.org/CCC_KS3_audit.pdf

Take Part.com Interactive climate change timeline: http://www.takepart.com/issues/climate-change/3

Michigan Reach Out Great list of Earth Science Lessons:
http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/earthsciences.html

Carnegie Mellon University Teacher’s Guide to High Quality Educational Materials on Climate Change and Global Warming:
http://hdgc.epp.cmu.edu/teachersguide/teachersguide.htm#teachersguida

Climate Change Education.org Resource for climate change education:
http://www.climatechangeeducation.org/k-12/environmental_sciences.html

North American Association for Environmental Education Climate Change and Environmental Studies resources:
http://www.naaee.org/

Teaching Climate Change Law and Policy High school climate change law and policy lessons:
http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/

BGCI- Plants for the Planet List of links to additional resources:
http://www.bgci.org/education/climate_change_communication/

Classroom Materials!
DonorsChoose.org Every teacher should know about DonorsChoose.org. By writing in about your classroom needs you can have everything from school supplies to fieldtrips donated to your class:
www.donorschoose.org

IHTEC Preventing Climate Change

2010-08-25T19:52:00.001-04:00

How does IHTEC and the ISPG program help to prevent climate change curriculum?

"IHTEC's ISPG program is an ideal program for teaching the effects of climate change which is a positive and practical. PDK Hawaii/ Hawaii School Peace Gardens are well underway with IHTEC's program. Some ideas for the ISPG program include:

1. All School Peace Gardens are a place of conflict resolution, which includes solving climate change crisis with hands on sustained action."

2. In an ISPG teachers can teach and plant their local Biodiversity; growing Food for security of all, plant food for migrating species esp birds that live on the Hawaii islands; showcasing alternative energy use in the garden as well as in the school; monitoring sea level rise; studing species loss and dead zones in the oceans; removal of invasive species on land, work with NGO's that focus on Marine, Oceans, Coastal, Food etc.

3. Climate Change Curriculum needs to be taught at all levels of education, to ensure that it is achieved and continued until we have the planet sustainable again, this change must be achieved soon. Educators have taken much to long to achieve this educational change and IHTEC commends this initiative by Dr. Maya. Schools and educators have a huge role to play in the future of this planet.

4. IHTEC has realized that as climate change curriculum development is needed globally, we are suggesting that the International School Peace Gardens or something like it needs to set up a system of educational change, where everyone participates, at all levels of society. This includes public education.

Climate Change & Consumerism Teachers Module

2010-08-25T19:50:00.002-04:00

IHTEC CLIMATE CHANGE & CONSUMERISM MODULE
July 5, 2010

THERE IS NOWHERE TO THROW AWAY TO

Some ideas for action on climate change, after a discussion on the science of carbon emissions, and weather and their effects on the planet, set students into groups to discuss the following:

1. Choose six of the following and then choose six items that can be bought and then thrown away, that create carbon emissions, from
i. Food
ii. Water
iii. Energy
iv. Building a home
v. Used in the kitchen
vi. Beds and bedding
vii. Clothing
viii. Toys

2. Find out your ecological footprint on each of the items chosen and track them over the next year. This to be done by the whole class.

3. Identify how the media influences your choices, as to your purchases.

4. Trace the items journey from cradle to cradle. If the resource is not able to be reused, then make suggestions on how to redesign it.

5. Learn how to be thrifty and find 10 ways to re-use the resource.

6. How much of your chosen items can currently be re-cycled.

Climate Change Curriculum R-12 - List of Headings

2010-08-25T19:48:00.003-04:00

Climate Change Curriculum
Written by Julia Morton-Marr
IHTEC Founding President
ECOSOC Status

July 4, 2010

This list of subject areas have been developed for the Climate Change Curriculum brainstorming session in Hawaii with Maya Soetoro-Ng, East-West Center, University of Hawaii, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

Please ask these questions of all educators:

“What have we taught and/or not taught to create the current situation of massive industrial climatic change.”

Here are a few topics which need to be cross referenced re climate change curriculum and ask how each one relates to CO2.

Climate Change (CC) &
1. Transportation & Roads
2. Consumerism or Resource Depletion.
3. Economics
a. $ of the destructive action
b. $ of savings and cost effectiveness of attending to Climate Change
c. Document lifestyles $ - How can I maintain my lifestyle.

Reality check re fear involved with islands disappearing.

4. Advertising
a. Corporation
b. Government at all levels and how they are focusing on helping people adapt to CC
5. Global Commons
a. Energy - and Alternative energy
b. Arctic: ie: melting bogs giving off methane, ice on land = sea level rise etc
c. Oceans - Check on plankton and marine grasses for when they die they produce more methane (greenhouse gasses); also of all marine life, dead zones, oil spills and animals losing their habitat such as the Polar Bears.
d. Space - There is a lot of talk about moving people off planet earth, but at this time this is not practical.
i. As space junk increases much more we might not be able to get off the planet for example.
e. Ozone - still a compounding problem.
f. Water: use the water dedication for schools.
i. humans are already over the planet's footprint, we must keep water where is it to keep the hydrological cycle working.
ii. Greater care of all rivers and streams which all run into oceans.
iii. Study aquifers and the importance of underground rivers
g. Air : Pollution: Increasing fires (Victoria in Australia)
h. Science of the process of carbon emissions. The effects of some less discussed ones like bromide which is 100x worse than chlorine.
i. Name the gasses.
ii. What produces them?
iii. How do they interact?
iv. How long do they last in the atmosphere? CO2 lasts 100 years. It compounds and what we feel now is not what is in the atmosphere. There is a 10 years lag before the disappearance of CO2.
v. How can I prevent this happening?
i. Soil: protect and replant complete eco-systems, buy the remaining forests for the protection of the planet, for when they are gone we will be gone. This includes bio-carbon sequestration to make fertile soils and other forms of gardening and farming?

j. Discuss the some of the unintended consequences.
k. Weather and Storms are on the increase - these are being well taught with regards to curriculum in schools, I think.

6. Climate Change and Maslows Basic Needs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27sHierarchy_of_Needs.svg

7. Food - The world has approx between 40 - 59 days of food available for the population. This will decrease due to climate change. Hawaii has only two weeks of food at any one time.
a. Peace - This is essential for sustainability.

8. Deserts: Everyone needs to know how to live in a desert as the planet heats up.

Sustainability Education curriculum headings:
9. Values - we use Maslow
10. Society & World Geography
11. Environmental Science
12. Human Impacts
13. Population increase
14. Affluence/Poverty
15. Technology
16. Peace

A few phrases for you:
• All products to be considered from ‘cradle to cradle’.
• THRIFT is a way of being
• Reuse all resources that you can.
• There is NOWHERE TO THROW AWAY TO
• Know your footprint and reduce it.
• No Pollution is a Solution.
• Share what you have with others. (This will become a necessity so teach it NOW)
• Keep Poisons out of the global commons.
• Less not more
• Buy and use what you need not want
• Remember that plastics come from oil.
• Ask ‘How does this affect all species” as humans are only one of these.
• Affect positive change
• Think “Does this COOL the Planet”
• Use IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens program.

ISPG Planning your garden

2010-08-25T17:30:00.003-04:00

SUMMARY PROCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE PEACE GARDENS
IDEAS FOR TEACHERS IN BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A PEACE GARDEN

1. Plan and Select a suitable site for your Peace Garden or Peace Tree. Contact your local Board of Education before you plan, for information on site management. Check with the grounds management to ensure you are clear of pipes and wires underground. Contact local City Parks for their help.

2. Plant your peace garden supporting local migrating species. Create a land laboratory and learn about the plants and their eco-systems. Learn about local seeds for vegetables. Make a list of all the plants and their uses. The peace garden is 'a place for peace', symbolic of our hope for the future of World Peace and a Sustainable environment, as a living legacy to UNESCO's 'A Culture of Peace' 'Decade of Education for Sustainable Development' for the present and the future!

3. Register your involvement in the International Peace Gardens Programs at www.ihtec.org. Click on the GOLD Register button. Follow the links and fill in the form. This form comes directly to IHTEC.

4. Meet with Julia Morton-Marr (on line or in person – depending on your location) as a staff to discuss how to incorporate the curriculum. Following are some ideas:
a. Each child creates his/her idea of peace – pictures, posters, dioramas, mobiles, etc. Display their work around the school. This is a whole school project, which is ongoing over many years.

5. Incorporate Peace Values for the Classroom (see Appendix 4) as an integrated part daily routine in the class
a. Share space
b. Share materials
c. Use only words that contribute to harmony
d. Share insights and ideas
e. Respect viewpoints of others
f. Ask for discussion when uncertainties occur

6. Each class walks the grounds to decide what the location will be (within Board of Education limitations). Children each design a garden (incorporating math, science, art). From these designs each class proposes a single design before developing a class model. All the class designs are posted and the best of each is incorporated into the final school design for the garden.

7. Draw up a plan for implementation. Start small and build/grow. Note: Your garden minimally will include two friendship benches and one peace or sacred tree, and a path of peace, peace signs, students sculptures, then dance, sing and perform within your peace garden.

8. Brainstorm ideas with students, staff, parents with respect to other sustainability ideas, such as solar energy, conservation of water and transportation.

9. Students create slide shows of their plan for fund-raising.

10. Dedicate your Peace Garden, or Peace Tree with a suitable ceremony on any suitable day, or as part of 'United Nations Day' in October or on 'World Environment Day' in June. Include students art, song, dance and sculpture.

11. Include / invite the mayor, local MPs and MPPs, and local First Nations (eg: peace pipe ceremony or stories and dance depicting peace).

12. Re-dedicate your Peace Garden or Peace Tree annually to ensure that new staff and students understand the importance of the garden and how it focuses on Global Commons issues and the levels of sustainability:
a. Economic
b. Social
c. Earth Charter – Environment
d. Impact = P x A x T. (Paul Ehrlich & John Holdren 1970)
i. P – Population
ii. A – Affluence / Poverty
iii. T – Technology

13. Use the ISPG logo on all your document and send copies to IHTEC.

14. Create a booklet of the history of your Peace Garden. Communicate via you own Peace Garden News sending it to your local newspaper, neighbourhood schools, parents, government members, churches and your schools neighbours. This will help with donations from your local community.

15. Create a Blog. www.blogger.com Create and link in audio podcasts and youtube video to share your stories, ideas and progress. Send IHTEC your Blog url so that we can create a link to http://ispg.blogspot.com
a. Include the following:
i. Photos of the process from the beginning. Label them and include dates.
ii. A showcase of the children's work and community involvement.
iii. The effect of the garden on behaviour in the school and academic results.
iv. The process of fundraising and the final cost.

Please, send a copy to:
Julia Morton-Marr IHTEC'S International School Peace Gardens,
3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1G9
Email: ihtec@3web.com Website: www.ihtec.org

ISPG - Protecting the Global Commons ideas

2010-08-25T17:27:00.001-04:00

INTERNATIONAL HOLISTIC TOURISM EDUCATION CENTRE - IHTEC

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PEACE GARDENS

PROTECTING THE GLOBAL COMMONS.

CLASSROOM IDEAS

A whole school approach

Written by Julia Morton-Marr
Founding President,
International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC
3343 Masthead Crescent, Mississauga
Ontario, Canada L5L 1G9
www.ihtec.org
ihtec@3web.com

What are the Global Commons?

The concept of the ‘commons’ came from villages in England where the centre of the village is a grassed area. Each member of the community could graze their cattle on the green. However the natural balance had to be monitored before the carrying capacity was exceeded, and the usefulness of the commons was ruined.

The Global Commons refers to concepts around the biosphere use of planet earth. IHTEC uses the Council on Global Issues (CGI) whose concepts which include: scientific primary values, eco-system health, soil, water, oceans, species, energy, space, atmosphere, international relations, population, consumerism, technology, and media. IHTEC has developed an education module for each of these. As the people on earth have created the 6th extinction, all education is now seen as ‘education for sustainability’, which is essential for all species in the ‘web of life’ on earth.

The role of the International School Peace Gardens program is to protect the Global Commons, through Global Sustainability Education (GSE) is very significant. The school and it’s community can help promote sustainability with Local Governments in their towns worldwide.

What is Global Sustainability Education (GSE)?

IHTEC has developed the use of Global Sustainability Education around current curriculum content. See http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=29
You will find three sides. The first describes GSE from the CGI perspective; the second explains how the IHTEC curriculum fits into the first; and the third explains how subject areas around the peace garden fit with the first GSE slide.

How can the ISPG programme, promote GSE?

General
1. Register your school with IHTEC on-line. www.ihtec.org
2. Hold a dedication ceremony in your school’s peace garden to initiate actions to solve global commons issues at the local level. (See the dedications on water & biodiversity) Invite local government representatives.
3. Contact your local government to see what areas you can help them with, regarding the global commons.
4. Encourage the formation of a Data-Base at Local Government level, for gathering all environmental programs within schools and community groups. This is to ensure that a variety of activities are achieved.
5. When planting your peace garden ensure that all of the designs and development of the garden resolves past or present conflicts in your area. ie: water, waste, food security, eco-system protection, food for migrating species, coastal protection and ocean monitoring.
6. Develop strategies with students and the school community, for using the peace garden as a stimulus for writing about their problems.

Curriculum
7. Re-evaluate your curriculum to ensure all that is taught uses the ‘Precautionary Principal’ and focuses on the unintended consequences, to protect the survival of the ‘web of life’ on the global commons.
8. Links your current curriculum through an integrated study approach, to the global commons.
9. Builds on solutions for the global commons by asking how the issue studied affects other areas of the global commons. Peace and the Environment cannot be separated.

Environmental Integrity
10. Test the soil in your ISPG before you plant your peace garden, for proper soil balance. This is the same mixture of substances that are required for human nutrition.
11. Plant a ‘Bush Tucker’(Australia) Garden or plant your local bio-diversity. Label each species.
12. Bring copies of household water bills to school and work on reduction of water costs in every household in the community. House points for achievable results.
13. Invent ways to conserve more water: Create a card for the points in the ‘water dedication’. ie: “shower in 3 minutes”. Sign it at your dedication ceremony.
14. Use the ISPG to learn how to recycle water. Give house points to families who recycle their water.
15. Hold celebrations and discussions in your ISPG of United Nations Days, especially around Global Commons concerns, such as Bio-diversity day & UN International Bio-Diversity Year 2010. http://www.unac.org/en/news_events/un_days/index.asp
16. Use solar and wind energy in your peace garden, this could also extend to your buildings, in their design and management, water heating etc.
17. Build your own solar car and race it.
18. Know what substances deplete the ozone and encourage all families remove substances from their homes that cause harm.
19. Encourage the school to check and use cleaning supplies that protect the ‘web of life’. Remove all environmental pollutants. This too could involve all families.
20. Collect natural seeds and work with Dept of Environment or Natural Resources on seed collection. Plant a section of your ISPG with original seed stock.
21. Count the number of species in the garden, all kinds.
22. Leave a section of the ground free of activity, and monitor how the soil replenishes itself.

Societal Integrity
23. By using music and the arts to create songs, rap music using major sentences or catch phrases such as:
“There’s nowhere to throw away to!”
24. Reduce consumerism in every way possible.
25. Conflict resolution will be most important if we are to prevent wars.
a. Discuss the role of peace in yourselves, your school and community, and how your country as a member of the UN, participates in peacebuilding in the world.
26. If your country is a member of the United Nations, then you are member of the United Nations.
27. Create a school website to upload all the achievements as part of your ISPG.
28. Encourage new car owners in the district to purchase hybrid (lower fuel use) vehicles.
29. Food Security: Plant various food gardens: pizza garden, three sisters garden.
30. Only plant seeds that are not genetically modified.
31. Plant migrating species food and monitor who visits. This includes you as part of the Creature Corridors module.
32. Encourage non-pollution of the rivers in your area. Work with river and streams organizations. This is part of the Watershed Peace Pathways module.
33. Encourage non-pollution of the oceans in your area. Work with coastal and marine organizations in your area. This is part of the Marine Peace Parks module.
34. IHTEC encourages the protection of our Children’s Health in their Environment.
35. Remove all use of plastics near food (plastics produce estrogen).

Conflict Resolution
36. Build two friendship benches, in a ‘V’ shape, to be used for conflict resolution.
37. Protect local endangered species of all kinds.
38. Use the IIPT Credo of the Peaceful Traveler. http://www.ihtec.org/fileadmin/archives/IHTEC/documents/Credo_english.pdf

UN International Law; Local Environmental Laws.
39. Log onto the ‘Earth Charter’, www.earthcharter.org download, read, discuss and distribute it. Register your support on-line. The Earth Charter has be approved by UNESCO at their conference between October 30 - November 30, 2004. The IUCN World Congress endorsed it on November 24, 2004. IHTEC endorsed it in 2003.
40. Check local government By-Laws to ensure that they are “Protecting the Earth for Children”.

The Arts
41. We suggest that a visible outcome of the expression of the above items, could be reflected in the peace garden. Children may use language arts and performing arts, which can also can be presented in the peace garden.
42. See IHTEC’s Teacher Resources.
43. Create your own “Peace Garden News”.

ISPG - Benefits for schools

2010-08-25T17:24:00.000-04:00

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PEACE GARDENS - BENEFITS TO SCHOOLS

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PEACE GARDENS is an exciting and innovative Canadian Educational Program that invites every young person, in every school in the world to become involved in creating a better future for the planet. Schools are invited to plan, plant, dedicate a peace tree, peace garden, or peace park. ISPG supports schools existing curriculum in peace education, conflict resolution, environmental studies, inter-cultural understanding, and the arts. We encourage the school community to use their peace garden, as often as possible. ISPG has many educational and social benefits:

For Children it offers:
• Cooperation, friendship and support.
• Solutions to bullying and other life problems;
• Participation in a positive and nurturing activity;
• Greater awareness and tolerance;
• Physical & spiritual involvement;
• Skills development in Presentation and Fund Raising;
• Electronic sharing of ideas with other ISPG schools;
• Real world application in Design, Language Arts, Music and Art.

For Teachers it offers:
• Curriculum linkages;
• Peace Education training and materials;
• Earth Charter and Ecological Footprint Information;
• Ideas for Education in Peacebuilding, Human Security and Sustainability Education;

For Schools it offers:
• Increased awareness for the protection of the school environment;
• Development of a caring and supportive school culture;
• Evolution of a stewardship ethic amongst students and staff;
• Program Continuity within a school with changing Principals;
• Community building; and
• An enhanced community image;

International School Peace Gardens has:
• Letters of support from the Governor General of Canada, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the Minister of Foreign Affairs both in Canada and Australia, other Ministries of Education, schools and universities in Canada, Australia, Mexico, UNESCO MAB, Council on Global Issues;
• Awarded Official ECOSOC Status at the United Nations.
• Awarded: 1/1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
• Nominated for the Hague Appeal for Peace Prize in 2001.
• Awarded YMCA Canada Peace Medal in 1998;
• Added by the 'Hague Appeal for Peace' to its 'best practices' list;
• Been the focus of a “TVO Teacher of the Year Award”- St. Agnes School, Chatham, Ontario. Received very kind support from major industries, local businesses, community groups and many volunteers.
• Distributed information to members countries at the United Nations, NY;
• Offered countries their own individual choice of ISPG programs.
• Expanded from Ontario, Canada to 37 countries.
• Involved many students worldwide.

The ISPG program has helped schools to reduce bullying, vandalism and violence.

Climate Change & Energy Roundtable

2010-08-25T17:21:00.000-04:00

To find information on the outcomes of the Science for Peace / Canadian Pugwash Roundtable on Climate Change & Energy visit

http://www.pugwashgroup.ca/events/documents/2008/2008.01.04-wasan-action-framework.pdf

also look for Climate Change footprints on

http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=137

International School Peace Gardens Dedication

2010-08-25T15:14:00.001-04:00

IHTEC’s
International School Peace Garden Dedication

I................................................................................................................... dedicate this International School Peace Garden at..........................................................................................(school name) to peace within ourselves, peace in our school, peace in our families and community, peace with nature, peace with the global family. May each tree become a sacred tree to help us breathe. May each plant feed migrating and local species.

I dedicate myself today to:

1. Clean up my environment HERE where I am.

2. Solve conflicts on our friendship benches.

3. Plant natural species that nurture and feed our environment.

4. Celebrate using the arts in our Peace Garden.

5. Re-dedicate our peace garden every new school year.

6. Invite new Principals, teachers and students to understand why we have a peace garden.

7. Share with hospitality this peace garden with our community, parents, grand-parents, uncles and aunty's. Invite then to sign the visitors book.

8. Share your International School Peace Garden with schools 'Pay it forward' to all nearby schools.

Signed:.........................................................

Date:.............................................

Instructions: The “ISPG Dedication” is a great example of action on sustainability for individuals, teachers can use it for teaching, religious groups, students and their communities can distribute, read, sign, keep and frame the dedication, as they dedicate themselves in their peace garden. Other documents are available on http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=77

ISPG Water Dedication

2010-08-25T15:11:00.001-04:00

ISPG Water Dedication
Supported by
Canadian Pugwash & Science for Peace
Expert Roundtable on Water, Nov. 2008

I ..........................................................................................................................................................
from ................................................................................................................. dedicate myself as a
trustworthy person to protecting freshwater wherever I am in the world. I understand that I am 80% water, that water is sacred for the web of life in this time of climate change, which is heating the planet. I will endeavour to:

1. Understand that where climate change is increasing the rate of evaporation there will be more rain. Where world precipitation is decreasing, there will be less rain and less fresh water.

2. Keep the planet cool with all my actions.

3. Reduce my water footprint, as Nature needs it to prime the pump for the hydrological cycle.

4. Keep water where it is on planet earth returning water to water courses.

5. Protect rivers and streams from pollution.

6. Build rain water tanks to collect water for the garden and household needs. Plant lawn cover and garden species that can grow with no or only minimal water other than rain water.

7. Wash my car with a bucket, not a hose. Wait until the next rainstorm -- this saves more water.

8. Drink tap water wherever it is safe. Boil water otherwise.

9. Remove water in plastic bottles (8 & 9 messages are brought to you by David Suzuki and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities)

10. Wash dishes by hand where possible, with the plug in the sink. Run the dishwasher only when fully loaded, after 8 pm.

11. Turn off the tap when brushing my teeth; use a low-flush toilet or reduce flushes; take a 3 minute shower.

12. Conserve electricity as it takes water to generate your power and power to pump water to my tap. Encourage my family, school & community to share their water bills to see how much we can reduce together.

13. Share water with all species.

14. Work with your politicians.

Signed:.........................................................
Date:.............................................

Instructions: The “Water Dedication” is a great example of action on sustainability for Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Individuals, teachers can use it for teaching, religious groups, students and their communities can distribute, read, sign, keep and frame the dedication, as they dedicate themselves in their peace garden to water conservation. Other water documents are available on http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=214

World Citizen's - March 25, 2010

2010-04-25T20:22:00.001-04:00

Today I was invited to speak at the monthly World Citizen's meeting about the work that UNAC Toronto Branch and IHTEC have been focusing on towards the Ontario Day of Peace. It was a time of testing the early research re how people celebrated International Day of Peace. There were five of us around the table. Although we are a small group the general feeling was that this was a worthwhile project. Discussion focused on the methodology of how we are going about the different stages of implementation, and the need for pan-political nature for inclusion of all. A folder containing the major documents that had been developed so far.

Julia

War 1812 Anniversary in 2012-14 Niagara Falls

2010-04-25T20:13:00.001-04:00

IHTEC attended Friday's Arts event in Hamilton, Ontario.

As part of the War 1812 Anniversary Celebrations in 2012-14, IHTEC is working with the Niagara Falls City Council Parks & Recreation Department, to help schools plan and plant an International School Peace Garden in all schools both sides of the USA / Canada border.

IHTEC is partnering with Niagara Falls Parks Commission, Niagara Falls Secondary Schools, Niagara Falls City Council Parks & Recreation Department, Schools in Bloom and others. There are 14? City Council's along the Niagara Peninsula. Also several School Boards of Education.

UNAC The Ripple Effect (Water) launch at Queen's Park

2010-04-22T19:14:00.008-04:00

Dear friends

Earth Day today. What did you do?

I had a very exciting invitation to attend the launch of the United Nations in Canada, "The Ripple Effect Ontario - Youth Statement on Conserving and Protecting Ontario Water." The had created beautiful display panels as a backdrop for the event. Some young people from the Youth4Water also were there.

A First Nations woman sang us their water songs with a drum and told us their sacred water story. Then a large group of youth read out their statement with their leader, Dagna. There were a number of speakers and important politicians in the room.

So here are a few things to remember that you can do.

1. Visit the UNAC Ripple Effect website:

http://www.unac.org/rippleeffect/index.htm

2. Check on my blog for the 'Water Dedication' that I wrote, for you to sign and put on your fridge. This has been seen by the water scientists. If you would like to contact any of the scientists and I will gladly ask them to connect with you.

http://ispg.blogspot.com/2009/04/water-dedication-for-earth-day.html

3. Re-visit the Murray River Slide Show for South Australia which is some of the results of my research with the University of South Australia. They are still having a drought, even though there has been some rain, it is not enough. It is on this link:

http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=137

Look for - Murray-Darling Basin Crisis Presentation

4. Also just under this is the link to the Freshwater Roundtable where all the academic papers, slide shows and program is.

*** Please follow this link for the *COMPLETE LIST* of the Expert RoundTable's Presentations and Documents ***

5. Here is the outcome statement from the Science for Peace / Canadian Pugwash, Global Issues Project, Expert Round Table on Water.

DECLARATION in English http://www.cafeweltgeist.org/ihtec/GIPWaterRT/freshwater-decEN.pdf

DECLARATION in French www.cafeweltgeist.org/ihtec/GIPWaterRT/freshwater-decFR.pdf

4. The IHTEC water curriculum is on the same page at this link. It is a 76 pg document.

www.cafeweltgeist.org/ihtec/GIPWaterRT/WaterEdition-76pg-26Nov08-medres.pdf

This has been designed by our German web designer, Eric Schneider, who is the online Youth Leader. He designed it as a postive newspaper for schools and communities to enable learning about water issues and their relationships with the 'web of life'. It contains many web links, and positive things to do for communities.

Please look after your water. Keep it in the water cycle where you are.

Cheers
Julia

Ontario Day of Peace Proclamation - UNACTO / IHTEC

2010-04-10T07:48:00.006-04:00

March 22, 2010 saw the launch of the "Ontario Day of Peace - for Peace & Sustainability Education" Proclamation at Queen's Park, Ontario, Canada by the United Nations Association in Canada - Toronto Region Branch and IHTEC.

150 people witnessed the reading by Julia Morton-Marr. Melinda Rooke, Chair, UNACTO Environment Committee and Georgina Bencsik with other members of UNACTO organized this event.

Below is the draft Ontario Peace Day Proclamation which is now in the process of being developed into a Private Members Bill.

.......

United Nations Association in Canada, Toronto Region Branch

PROCLAMATION FOR ONTARIO PEACE DAY

Whereas each 21st day of September is celebrated and observed world-wide as ‘International Day of Peace’ as established by the United Nations by A/Res/36/67, 30 November 1981, which has been widely accepted across Canada and the world; and

Whereas the United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence for Children 2001 - 2010 Resolution A/55/47 adopted by the General Assembly on 29 November 2000 finishes at the end of this year, and

Whereas the United Nations Decade for Sustainable Development and Education 2004 -2014, General Assembly Resolution A/RES/59/237 , is currently at the mid-point of the Decade (UNDESD 2005-2009); and given that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a 5 year International Congress which unanimously endorsed the ‘Bonn Declaration’; and given that the Declaration (subsequently unanimously endorsed by UNESCO) emphasizes the need for improved educational efforts worldwide regarding food security, health, biodiversity, climate change, lifestyle changes, risk reduction, healthy water, and sustainable economies and peace education; and

Whereas the 2009 United Nations Conference on Climate Change was held in Copenhagen, 7 - 19 December 2009, and noting the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol was popularly known this time as COP15 which resulted in the Copenhagen Climate Accord; and

Whereas the United Nations 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations Resolution A/RES/61/203, with a view to bringing greater international attention to bear on the issue of the continued loss of biodiversity and recalling the need to expedite the implementation of the Global Initiative on Communication, Education and Public Awareness of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and

Whereas deeply concerned that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe and is also severely and increasingly threatened by deforestation, rapid species extinction, soil erosion, desertification, air and water pollution, scarcities of water, energy, and other valuable resources, and environmental threats, which are to be addressed by the “United Nations Earth Summit 2012 - Sustainable Development the Peace of the Future”, commonly know as Rio+20; and

Whereas long term existence of human civilization must be the main value in Peace and Sustainability Education and curriculum decision-making for the future, recognizing some progress is being achieved, but by proclaiming ‘Ontario Peace Day’ and ‘Canada Peace Day’ the Government of Ontario will include all citizens of Ontario and Canada in peace and sustainability education; and

Whereas, as a precedent for the world, the City of Toronto, Canada recognized 21 September, 2009 as “ International Day of Peace in Toronto” to “translate humanity's aspirations for world peace into a reality for future generations”; and also, the state of Hawaii, USA recognized 21 September, 2008 as “Hawaii Peace Day” in Resolution No. 08-57 “to promote peace programs, improve international relations and increase educational awareness of peace” and that everyone in Hawaii is “encouraged to observe and celebrate Peace Day”;

Accordingly, we, the undersigned, urge action by all Ministers & departments of education within Governments; Universities; Colleges; Schools and Local Communities, to:

a) Implement United Nations Day 21 September as Ontario Peace Day to promote and foster the implementation of peace and sustainability education.

b) Educate for long term peace and sustainability, using interdisciplinary methods to instill values of environmental stewardship.

c) Increase awareness of issues of deforestation and forest degradation, the increasing agricultural land use for housing, roads and other non-agricultural purposes; and other global issues such as climate change, water reduction, ozone depletion, and acidification of oceans.

Update: Oct 27.

Fresh Water Roundtable Reading List

2010-04-10T07:46:00.003-04:00

Reading List: Global Issues Project
Expert Roundtable on Water
November, 8-9, 2008

Bakker, Karen. Eau Canada: The Future of Canada’s Water, University of British Columbia Press, 2006. ISBN 9780774813402

Barlow, Maude. Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the coming Battle for the Right of Water, McClelland and Stewart, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7710-1072-9

Brandes, Oliver M., Maas, Tony and Reynolds, Ellen. Thinking Beyond Pipes and Pumps: Top 10 ways communities can save water and money, Project on Ecological
Governance, University of Victoria. ISBN 13-978-1-55058-350-2

De Villiers, Marq. Water, Stoddart Publishing Co., 2000. ISBN 0-7737-6174-8

Glennon, Robert. Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters, Tucson: University of Arizona, Island Press, 2002. ISBN 978-1-559-63223-2

Homer-Dixon, Thomas. The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization, Alfred A. Knopf Canada. ISBN 13-978-0-676-07722-6

Korten, David C. When Corporations Rule the World, West Hartford: Kumarian Press and San Fransisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1995.

Montgomery, David R. Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization, Berckeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2007.

Morris, T.J, Boyd, D.R., Brandes, O.M., Bruce, J.P, Hudon, M., Lucas, B., Maas, T., Nowlan, L., Pentland, R., and Phare, M. Changing the Flow: A Blueprint for Federal Action on Freshwater, The Gordon Water Group of Concerned Scientists and Citizens, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9699660-3-6

The World Watch Institute. State of the World, W. W. Norton & Company, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 , 2009. ISBN 978-0-393-32934-0, 2005

United Nations. World Water Development Report II: Water a shared responsibility, UNESCO World Assessment Program, New York: UNESCO & Berghan Books, 2006

Wood, Chris. Dry Spring: The Coming water crisis of North America. Raincoast Books, 2008. ISBN 13-978-55192-814-2

November 4, 2008

ISPG Forests and Biodiversity Dedication

2010-02-17T09:34:00.005-05:00

Dear teachers and children

This dedication is for the UN International Year of Biodiversity 2010, for teachers and individuals to discuss and to help in the restoration of earth.

International School Peace Gardens is one way to help promote the learning and promotion of best practices that are needed, for the earth.

First written on 13 Feb 2010

Cheers
Julia
................

ISPG Forests and Biodiversity Dedication
supported by
Canadian Pugwash & Science for Peace
Global Issues Project.
February 13, 2010

I ...................................................................................

from ................................................................................................................. give my word that I will strive to protect local biodiversity, wherever I am in the world. I understand that the web of life is at risk in this time of climate change, which is heating the planet. During this the United Nations, 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, I will endeavour to:

1. Use the knowledge that the removal of rain forests around the world is reducing the world’s biodiversity at an unprecedented and dramatic rate.

2. Learn the names of all species that are part of my local biodiversity.

3. Replant a variety of species constituting local biodiversity both at home, in my community and in my International School Peace Garden.

4. Reduce my consumption and share my resources with those who have less, in a effort to reduce poverty.

5. Restore local soil that has been altered through biodiversity loss.

6. Protect all species requiring biodiversity for their homes.

7. Support, with the goal of a one or two children, to reduce human impacts on biodiversity.

8. Reduce my dependence on fossil fuels and use alternative energy

9. Use technology for peaceful purposes.

10. Read, sign and implement the “Water Dedication” from 2008.

11. Encourage the nations having rain forests, so that they can protect those rain forests, for the common good of all.

12. Work with my local politicians to preserve and restore biodiversity.

Signed:.........................................................

Date:.............................................

Instructions: The “Forest and Biodiversity Dedication” is a great example of action on sustainability for Earth Day, April 22, and other United Nations Days and Years.

Teachers can use it as a teaching tool. Religious groups, students and their communities can distribute, read, sign, keep and frame the dedication, as they dedicate themselves in their International School Peace Garden annually. More information on the UN 2010 International Year of Biodiversity on http://www.cbd.int/

Security Education - by Julia Morton-Marr

2010-02-04T11:44:00.008-05:00

Dear teachers

Here are a few thoughts I had about sustainability education as part of the security required within Global Sustainability Education.

Cheers

Julia

Science for Peace - Round Table on Security
Tuesday, January 15, 2002, 14:30 - 17:30 (2:30 pm - 5:30 pm)
Croft Chapter House, University College, University of Toronto

Security Education Curriculum for Schools.

Includes Ecological, Social, Political, Economic, Biological and Physical Systems.
Citizenship Education for Primary Schools and Political Science in Secondary Schools
Submitted by the Sustainability Education EWOC E-Group.

QUESTIONS:
‚ In some schools we know that the focus for security is now on gun removal, policing, metal detectors etc. Past research has shown that when metal detectors were installed, there was an increase in violence, ie a lack of feeling secure and ‘fear’ in students. We know that less invasive options, such as IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens program, create environments that gain more security in schools, and their communities. The question is should ‘security’ be taught in schools, if we wish to teach peace?

‚ Since September 11, 2001 what changes have occurred internationally within “Safe Schools Policy”?

‚ As an educational priority, is education for security, covered through education for sustainability? As shown by the Canadian Government’s development of the Arctic Council, the paradigm shift from Polar Security to Sustainability for the Circumpolar Countries, has brought people together.

‚ If planetary sustainability is related to individual survival (security) of species, which includes humans, then what are the main educational elements of security?

‚ As all students will need to learn ‘World Issues’ at every level in the future. How are International Minister’s of Education showing leadership towards curricula that teaches global critical issues and knowledge of global citizenship, the role students what their individual and community must play, and how they will live in peace in a global community?

COMMENTS:

This paper has been worked from concepts needed for an individual’s security ie the child in schools and the community ie from the bottom - up. Top-down educational involvement was also considered. We have divided the issues and policy into the three pillars of system sciences, a: Social b: Ecological c: Individual, for this paper’s development for the Evolution of World Order Conference series. The sustainability education team’s overall discussions and concepts were broad. They ranged from spirituality and the need for a paradigm shift to security values and teaching ethical behaviour. Both inner and outer security have been considered. There were many similarities between education for sustainability and education for security and we have continued to work with the holographic approach to achieve a balanced and holistic statement. George Besch, captured the topic with these words: “We may need to find ways of offering "security" for school children, while at the same time teaching that authentic security is only possible via "correcting the injustices under which most of the people of the earth are suffering". Also the best way of protecting children and youth from wars and insecurity is to prevent conflict. It was felt that there might be some difficulty in implementation of our ideas without inclusion of Boards of Education and their schools.

DISCUSSION: Who is accountable and to whom? Can leaders of nations be accountable for a situation for which they don’t feel accountable? Are authorities in a poverty ridden country as accountable as those leaders in developed countries?

ISSUES:

Social

1. International, national, & individual insecurity due to civilizations divided along lines of cultural identity.

2. Wars & injustice. Lack of concern for impact on women and children.

3. Lack of ‘Global Governance’ and the need for a global police force for security.

4. Religious dominance, religious injustice, and the responsibility of religions.

5. Economic injustice and the lack of accountability for poverty and illiteracy.

6. Trade and Tourism imbalances.

7. "All Technology has been developed for wars" PBS Frontline Feb 3. 2010

Ecological

1. Ecological destruction and land use ownership and issues.

2. Population and the need for humans to understand the role of the ecological footprint.

3. The effect of consumerism and the need for immediate reduction.

4. The present and future effects of climate change on global civilizations.

5. The role of oil and nuclear energy causing insecurity.

6. The current plans by the USA National Missile Defence in Space and their land use of the globe.

Individual

1. Global poverty and illiteracy effect security with many children and youth.

2. Ignoring United Nations Conventions & Agreements and their subsequent international laws. Reduction in basic human rights, and the lack of understanding of individual duties.

3. Lack of access to basic necessities amongst some civilizations.

4. Media’s control of issues is seen as harming children and youth.

POLICIES:
Social

1. That all children must receive Peace Education and learn conflict resolution methods. This will give them an understanding “A Culture of Peace.

2. Encourage programs that include and develop inter-cultural trust and understanding between nations. Include concepts of population reduction, using historical memory to prevent tactics of bullying and war.

3. Develop concepts that for schools that include international strategies of tithing from individuals and governments for the OXFAM suggested “children’s net”.

4. Teach 'Trading for Peace' with an understanding of the Industrial society’s negative role on Planetary Security. Student understanding of global issues may encourage countries of the UN to ban the sale of weapons to each other.

Ecological
1. Ensure curriculum includes a ‘global commons’ environmental protection focus, which includes how the vital systems of the planet are interconnected, and an understanding of issues involved in the current and future issues of climate change.

2. Teach how the ‘Ecological Footprint’ works for population equilibrium within an eco-system.

3. Teach sustainable population goals through prevention and protective methods in sex education. Address health issues with AIDS/HIV and STOP the many myths in African countries.

4. Involve alternative Energy use, this includes solar, wind energy research and their implementation strategies. To prevent resource wars over oil.

5. Include in the curriculum, refined energy concepts such as “exergy” as part of energy.

6. Develop programs that reduce the need for the concept of consumerism, to prevent ecological collapse.

7. Include information on the WMD by teaching the current facts - Keep space for peaceful uses.

Individual
1. Teach food security and equal sharing as a method of poverty reduction. This is an essential economic and security concern. It is hoped that by teaching values of sharing instead of encouraging economic greed, it will help to break the cycle of consumerism, and will in turn aid in the reduction of violence through inequality.

2. Each studnet has a right to knowledge of Global Governance, International Laws, the UN Conventions and Agreements, Human Rights and Duties, The Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Justice. Understand global politics as multi-civilizations in light of the current environmental crisis.

3. Encourage development of a global system of United Nations Associations Boards locally that represent all aspects of global and local governance and teach global citizenship. Global Governance managerial skills can be taught through IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens. Students need an understanding of how to work with all levels of government.

4. Teach equal power in decision making. There is a need for equal representation in Parliament of men and women. Young children need to receive equal knowledge and therefore learn how to insist on equal power in decision making.

5. Ensure children’s basic needs are met and consider children where there is a lack of parental love. Caring for the basic needs of children includes 'love'. (A global issue that evolves here is the huge inroads that have occurred through war killing parents of young children in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Burundi and elsewhere around the world. This will create a massive manipulated generation of people who are controlled by educational and governmental systems. Some think that this is already occurring, such as young people in America who think that it is OK to be marched off to war, to protect their country. Young people from war torn societies and areas of armed conflict, are a generation of traumatised people, who are at risk. Additionally there is a group of children who have become child soldiers against their own or family wishes. This usually done by force through armed groups, forced circumstances, out of necessity, and out of vengeance. This creates an environment where their basic security and needs are not met. Post trauma, requires solving these concerns. To break the cycle, governments are obligated to provide the security tools to meet the basic needs of these children as fast as possible. )

6. Increase literacy through the language arts, performing arts, music literacy, media literacy is a right for every child. These contain essential human security elements that preventing violence but are currently being reduced from curriculums internationally.

7. These should cover Maslow's Basis needs.

IMPLEMENTATION:

Promote:

1. UNESCO’s “A Culture of Peace” internationally.

2. The Sustainability Education as outlined above.

3. IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens and other environmental education related programs.

4. These through a network of Educational Ministries, Boards and Schools:

a. International Educational Institutions

b. Universities of Faculties of Education.

c. Federal Council of Ministers (Canada )

d. Provincial Council of Ministers, School Boards, and individual schools, teachers and parents.

Haiti Earthquate

2010-01-14T09:51:00.004-05:00

My dear children

There has been a terrible earthquake in Haiti. Some of our International School Peace Gardens children is involved. So here is what Granny Julia has done to help our team.

The International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC, a Canadian Educational Charity, is the organization that founded the 'International School Peace Gardens' and other programs in 1993 for Peace and Sustainability Education. www.ihtec.org
IHTEC has set up a Haiti Earthquake fund through 'Canada Helps' for donations for Haiti, so that each person can get an official Canadian Tax Receipt. The link is on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.org Just click 'Enter' and on the top left click on the Canada Helps button and it will take you directly to the IHTEC link. Look for the drop down box which will include the words HAITI EARTHQUAKE. IHTEC will send the money directly by cheque to Nadine Patrice in Miami, USA.

IHTEC is working through Nadine Patrice, Operation Greenleaves' also a charitable educational NGO in the USA. Please visit their website www.oglhaiti. com and for a USA tax-deductible donation. You can contact Nadine on the ihtec-bd@yahoogroups.com list or directly by email: Nadine44@netscape.com

I am hoping that Nadine will be able to connect with the Sisters of the Holy Cross who have a teachers college, a secondary school and 6 elementary schools in Haiti to help them in the future. At present they are all OK but it has been raining for two weeks and as they are on a hill, they are hoping that there will not be a landslide.

I pray that:
Bulldozers will come today to clear the concrete, and get the people out.
For calm, and that their communities will support each other and work together.
For no more aftershocks.
That the military will remain calm and get the work done.
That teachers will gather the children and help them learn how to survive.
That all schools in the world will plant a peace gardens, work for peace, plant food species for food security, plant and know their biodiversity and all species.

Hugs and Peace to the children of the world.

Julia

Emergency Preparedness Kit

2010-01-01T20:56:00.007-05:00

Have you go an emergency kit? I didn't so let me share with you all the interesting things I have learned and now done.

This week I have been gathering together items that we might need in an emergency, called an Emergency Preparedness Kit. So what could happen here? As our home relies on electricity, if there is a serious power outage, or an ice storm, it takes a while sometimes a week or more, before life gets back to normal. Ontario has also had a cyclone some years ago, which caused major flooding. So we are working on both aspects.

Here are some good ideas.

Emergency Kit Ideas

Print this page - it is a checklist.

Emergency Supplies Checklist

There are basic supplies that you should have at home, work and in your vehicle. These supplies should be collected ahead of time and be easily accessible in the case of an emergency or disaster. Every family member should know where these supplies are located and what is in the kits.

Kits can be purchased from emergency supply companies and then personalized to suit your needs.

You can also put your own kits together by using the following Emergency Supply Checklist as a guide. Remember to check your supplies at least every 6 months and rotate perishables as required. Every member in your family including your pet(s) need emergency supplies.

Emergency Supplies Checklist

The following is a list of basic items that should be contained in your Emergency Supply Kit for your home. The kit should be stored in plastic tubs or plastic garbage cans on wheels and be located in a safe easily accessible area. All supplies in your kit might not be needed if you have to evacuate your home. What you take will depend on the situation.

Water
At least four litres of water per person per day is required (two litres for drinking and the remaining two for food preparation, hygiene and dish washing). Used plastic milk containers, even if washed, are not sterile and should not be used for storing water. Water should be stored in clean sterilized containers in your Emergency Supply Kit and replaced with fresh water every six months. Alternatively, water can also be stored in clear sterilized containers and kept in the freezer and rotated less often than every six months.

Food
When assembling the food items for your kit choose foods that:

You are familiar with

Do not require refrigeration

Need little or no preparation

Will not increase thirst

Require little or no water to prepare

Meet the needs of the individuals using the kits (babies, children, elderly, special diets, food allergies, etc.)

A manual can opener should be included with the food items in your kit.

Canned food, juices, dried fruit and dehydrated food are good choices.

Other items to consider including in your Emergency Supply Kit are: milk, high energy foods like peanut butter, jelly, low sodium crackers, granola bars, and trail mix, vitamins, cookies, hard candy, instant coffee, cereals, and powered milk.

All canned food and dry goods in your kit should be replaced once a year. Emergency Food Rations and Emergency Purified Drinking Water with a shelf life of 5 years can also be purchased through emergency supplies companies.

Equipment: Kitchen items

knives, forks, spoons
disposable cups and plates and bowls
manual can opener, bottle opener
all purpose knives
household liquid bleach (to treat drinking water) click here for instructions
waterproof matches
plastic garbage bags
sugar, salt, pepper
aluminium foil and plastic wrap
resealable plastic bags or small containers

small fuel stove and a can of cooking fuel for food that requires cooking (follow manufacturer's instructions for stove and fuel). Barbeques and propane stoves are good alternate cooking sources but are never to be used indoors. Remember to store fuel safely.

Emergency First Aid Kit
Purchase a well stocked ready made Emergency First Aid Kit. These kits are available through various sources and extra items can be added to fit specific needs. Some of the tailored items you might want to include in your kit are:

Prescription medication. Ensure all drugs are stored to meet instructions on the label and recommendations from your pharmacist. If possible, purchase an extra weeks supply of medication for your Emergency First Aid Kit and rotate the supply whenever you refill your prescription.

Extra eyeglasses and/or contact lens and cleaners. When purchasing a new pair of glasses consider placing the old pair in your Emergency First Aid Kit.
For more information on putting together your own first aid kit, visit the Provincial Emergency Program web site at http://www.pep.bc.ca/ for ideas.

Tools, Emergency Supplies and Other items

hand cranked, solar powered or battery operated radio with extra batteries
hand cranked, solar powered or battery operated flash lights with extra batteries
Light sticks (can be used as a source of light, or for signalling purposes)
waterproof matches or matches in a waterproof container
gas shut-off wrench, pliers, shovel and other tools
duct tape
scissors or all purpose knife
plastic sheeting
whistle
small canister, ABC type Fire Extinguisher
tube tent or extra large orange garbage bags
maps of the area, compass
work gloves, dust masks
paper, pens and pencils
needles and thread
Sanitation and Hygiene Items
washcloth and towel
towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, and liquid detergent
toothpaste, toothbrush(s), shampoo, deodorant, comb and brush, razor, shaving cream, lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellent, mirror, toilet paper, feminine products, baby and/or special needs items as required
heavy duty plastic garbage bags and ties for personal sanitation uses
medium sized plastic bucket with tight lid to use as a make shift toilet (consider using a small shovel for digging a latrine if the need arises)
disinfectant and household chlorine bleach

Clothes and Bedding

a complete change of clothes for each household member, extra socks, underwear, extra diapers and baby products if necessary
rain gear, hat and gloves
sturdy footwear for each household member
sunglasses
sleeping bags, blankets, or thermal blankets

Speciality items (for the needs of infants, children, elderly, disabled persons and pets)

baby formula, food, teething gels, powders and diaper rash creams
entertainment and comfort items for children
books
medication, dentures and cleaning supplies, hearing aid and batteries
pet food, water, dish, medication and toys

Emergency Survival Kit "Grab and Go Bag" (could also be used for work or vehicle)

back pack (used as storage container for supplies)
a list of all contents of kit
first aid kit and instruction booklet (taking an accredited course is recommended)
water: bottled water or 5 year shelf life type emergency packaged water and possibly some juice boxes
food: energy bars, granola, fruit leather bars or 5 year shelf life type emergency food bars,
hand cranked, solar powered or battery operated radio with extra batteries
hand cranked, solar powered or battery operated flash lights with extra batteries
rain gear, emergency ("space") silver blankets or large orange garbage bags
work gloves and dust masks
spare set of clothes including sturdy footwear
matches and candles
swiss Army type knife
light sticks (minimum 2)
whistle
duct tape
rope
identification (including information regarding medical needs or medication)
important phone numbers such as number for your Out of Province/Area Contact Person
spare glasses (as needed)
prescription and non prescription medications (i.e., asprin)
map and compass
pen and pencil
special items for baby etc.
personal hygiene items (toothbrush and paste, waterless hand sanitizer, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper/Kleenex, cards, games, books, etc.)

Work Place Kit (personalized to meet individual needs)

water and food
a few personal hygiene items
small flashlight and batteries
comfortable flat shoes
prescription and non prescription medications (i.e. asprin)

Personal Emergency Preparedness Checklist for People with Disabilities

Complete the following Activities

Establish a personal support network.
Customize an emergency health information card. Keep copies in wallet, purse and emergency supply kits.
Complete an emergency contact list.
Collect important documents. Store them in emergency supply kits, wallet and safe deposit box and give copies to personal support network and out of area contact.
Conduct an ability self-assessment.
Collect Grab and Go supplies to keep with you at all times. Include disability –related supplies in the kits.
Maintain a seven day supply of essential medications.
Keep important equipment and assistive devices in consistent, convenient and secured place.

Keep a whistle and a flashlight near you as this will help others find you in an emergency situation. The international signal for help is 3 short blasts

Write out instructions for items you will need help with in an emergency.
If you use a service animal be aware that your animal might not react as he/she usually does if there is a large disaster such as an earthquake.

First Aid Kit
Hat
Sun Screen

Canadian Images

2009-12-30T11:38:00.007-05:00

Dear Children

I have kept and re-looked at all the Australian Christmas cards that people have sent me from Australia. The ones with kangaroo's, koala's, boomarangs, Aboriginal art work and so on. So I looked through my Christmas cards to see if any had photos of things that were truly Canadian, and found none. We have a new colour printer, so I went through many of the photos I have taken since I have been in Canada. Here is the result for you. Today I have added a description beneath all of them for you.

You will need to click on each one to get the message underneath. Or you can use the slide show. Enjoy

Here are the rest of the Photos

Love

Julia

Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

2009-12-05T11:33:00.006-05:00

Dear friends

By now you must of heard and felt the effects of the Climate Change that is upon us. Here is how you can participate. http://unfccc.int/2860.php

You can get your own clock at this link http://unfccc.int/home/items/4688.php

Love
Julia

International Peace Garden, Manitoba Canada; North Dakata, USA.

2009-12-04T17:51:00.006-05:00

My dear children

I had a phone call with Douglas Hevenor, CEO of the International Peace Garden. He is very interested in sharing our vision and website resource, with schools that visit their peace garden. Here is a little of what is on their website.

Peace
Julia
...............

Since 1932, nestled on the U.S. and Canadian borders of North Dakota and Manitoba in a symbol of friendship, lies a “One of a Kind” International Peace Garden. Reflecting pools and dazzling colorful floral displays of over 150,000 flowers splash across the grounds of the Formal Garden’s terraced walkways. The 14-bell chime echoes faintly, as the length of the formal garden area is viewed from the upper terrace. In the distance, the 120-foot concrete Peace Tower, and the Peace Chapel can be seen at the end of the formal garden. Tourists ponder the beauty of the two floral displays of the American and Canadian Flags, the only two floral designs that remain the same each year. Presented to the Garden by the Japanese Government, seven Peace Poles in which, “May Peace Prevail” is written in twenty-eight different languages.

Food and Population Roundtable Statement

2009-12-04T13:46:00.009-05:00

Science for Peace and Canadian Pugwash,
Global Issues Project
Global Sustainability Education Concepts

FOOD AND POPULATION ROUNDTABLE November 20 - 21, 2009

Written by Julia Morton-Marr. Edited by Adele Buckley, Heiner Benking, Richard Schwartz, Helmut Burkhardt, and others at Science for Peace.

Recommendations to the Interdisciplinary Roundtable:

1. Whereas the outcome statement from the Global Issues Project, Climate Change and Energy Roundtable, ‘Wasan Action Framework’ held in September 2007, identified the root causes of many crises, identified the large and growing human population as a root cause of many current crises; and

2. Whereas the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe and is also severely and increasingly threatened by deforestation, rapid species extinction, soil erosion, desertification, air and water pollution, scarcities of water, energy and other valuable resources and other environmental threats; and

3. Whereas the Club of Rome identified the population growth paradigm in 1972 in the “Limits of Growth” and little has been achieved to slow the growing population; and

4. Whereas we are currently at the mid-point of the ‘UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development’ (UNDESD 2005-2009); and given that UNESCO held a 5 year International congress which unanimously endorsed the ‘Bonn Declaration’; and given that the Declaration (subsequently unanimously endorsed by UNESCO) emphasizes the need for improved educational efforts worldwide regarding food security, health, biodiversity, climate change, lifestyle changes, risk reduction, healthy water, and sustainable economies; and

5. Whereas many universities and Ministries of Education are re-orienting education towards sustainability; and

6. Whereas long term existence of human civilization must be the main value in Sustainability Education and curriculum decision-making for the future.

WE urge action by all Ministers & Departments of Education and Health within Governments, Universities, Schools, Colleges and Communities to:

7. Examine population issues in depth within Sustainability Education curricula, as a life saving value, on the basis that all humans have the right to exist.

8. Educate for long term sustainability, using interdisciplinary methods of system science. Teach the negative effects of compounding forest removal, increasing agricultural land use for housing, roads and other non-agricultural purposes, and the burgeoning population increase, thus placing all species at risk because of the resultant food & water insecurity.

9. Promote the importance of plant-based diets, and encourage major reductions in the animal-based portions of Western diets. Animal-based diets contribute significantly to many diseases, climate change, deforestation, species extinction, soil erosion, water and air pollution, decertification, and wasteful use of water, land, and energy.

10. Develop population programs and sex-ed curricula that develops awareness and knowledge on current population and food crises, to empower lifestyle changes.

We call upon our governments and education systems to involve their entire citizenry in positive actions to achieve the following goals:

11. Provide training and government support to prevent food wastage, in a way that is applicable to the differing social structures of both developed and developing countries.

12. Support the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization’s work on the severe global food crisis. and increase sharing food as part of the global larder.

13. Re-construct soils by organic agricultural methods, and use bio-carbon sequestration with the intent to restore lost carbon. Establish gardening and re-cultivation schemes in rural and urban areas, to re-create fertile soils and reverse desertification.

14. Grow food in many local gardens and promote the purchasing of locally grown food. A useful example: IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens program.

15. Remove all products that degrade species procreation hormones, with particular focus on plastics.

16. Ban all products that deplete the ozone, as increased UV radiation decreases crop yields.

17. Empower women to achieve lower birthrates through sex education, and promotion of the use of condoms and abstinence.

Media & Laws

18. Remove advertising of sex and fertility drugs on TV around the world. Instead use TV, Radio programs and Magazines to promote women’s health and population stability.

19. Involve NGO’s, women’s networks and computer networking with these messages.

20. Facilitate workshops for governments, and encourage local and national governmental officials to champion the issues of food and population.

Poverty and Women’s Health and Equality

21. Wherever food or agricultural aid (e.g. crop seeds, goats etc. ) is provided, deliver condoms and education.

22. Encourage women’s meetings and dovetail sex education with other programs, as already practiced by the Grameen Bank, which gives micro loans in Bangladesh.

23. Empower women in developing countries to provide community education on population issues and family planning. Population is a women’s health issue.

24. Include mothers and daughters in western countries in the process of population education.

25. Involve fathers and sons in conception education. Men must understand the implications of additional children for their families and for society.

26. Engender respect and equality for women in all societies.

27. Use dance, dramatic presentations and soap opera’s to help educate people about birth control and other population-related issues.

Religious Communities

28. Involve all organized religions as well as interfaith groups. Globally, all must recognize that all life on earth is at risk.

29. Request all religious groups to accept and teach these population and food concepts.

Sustainability Education. What is it?

2009-11-09T01:47:00.005-05:00

Sustainability Education. What is it?
By Dame Julia Morton-Marr, DStG, B.Ed., Dip.T.

(NB: This has been translated into Spanish, by Andrea Mendez Brandam, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was included in her newspaper "Positive News" = Noticias Positivas which was an insert in "The Clarin" main newspaper in Argentina, that sends out 300,000 copies with about 2 million readers.)

See the whole paper here: Noticias Positivas

See the Sustainable Education article here:

How important and how can we achieve sustainability in schools? IHTEC’s educators (website: www.ihtec.org ) created the International School Peace Gardens to teach sustainability education. This includes peace education, basic human values, inter-cultural understanding, environmental education, and dedication at various class levels through celebration in a peace garden.

Sustainability: “We must have peace first, if we are to be sustainable.” Prof. Helmut Burkhardt

“This includes a well managed global commons”. Global Commons include forests, oceans, atmosphere, space, fresh water, ozone, arctic and antarctica, and bio-diversity. Our planet has so many global issues right now that we need to teach everyone restorative methods. Issues such as climate change, energy use, plastic pollution are some of many concerns that can be improved through positive thought and action in a peace garden.

Peace in Ourselvers:

Peace means to become one with yourself . You have to understand your beliefs and values. Peace means to think and speak positively, reversing negative and hurtful words making them positive. Peace is calmness with others and silence when words are not required. For peace, people should forget about one=s small differences. Peace is safety, no fear in people=s hearts. Peace means to be joyful.

Tool: In your peace garden, plant a tree that represents peace, that grows in nature where you live. This tree can be special or sacred to your region, your State or Provincial tree.

Peace in the Environment.

Peace and the environment can no longer be separated. Peace means cooperation and understanding with the surrounding environment. We must take care of it, and not abuse it. Peace means caring for every living thing on the planet by supporting the web of life.

Tool: In your peace garden, plant a sample of all the plants that live together in nature. Make a list of the plants and learn how they help all species. You might like to help plant a forest as a school.

Peace in Our Schools

The message of peace should be spread to children starting at a very young age, because in Year 1 & 2, that is when the teasing and all of the other negative things start. It is important to concentrate more on the similarities rather than the differences, so that there is a healthy, peaceful environment to learn in. Some students make peace posters, and placing them all over the school, to give the message of peace. Others create a peace corner in each classroom.

Tool: Build two friendship benches facing each other, and learn how to solve local problems in the peace garden. If your climate is too cold, these benches can be inside your school.

Values

Peace must include basic human values for all humans. Each human and all other species on planet earth need food, water, clothing, and a home to live in. (See Maslow’s Basic Needs) This includes food supplies for migrating birds and animals.

Tool: In your peace garden, plant vegetables and fruits so no one will go hungry. This is a food security garden. Collect seeds and learn to store them for another year and teach which seeds grow which food. Contact your local botanical gardens for more information.

Children in Hawaii are focused on returning to their original food plants and helping to feed the homeless. These islands only have two weeks of food at any one time, so the students are making lists of what each household grows, so that they can share the excess.

In Argentina there is to be a conference on Sustainability Education for Head Masters of Private Schools on May 6,7 & 8, 2010

St. Cyril Catholic Elementary School Dedication

2009-07-05T17:32:00.007-04:00

Dear children

On Wednesday June 24, 2009 I visited St. Cyril Catholic Elementary School to dedicate their International School Peace Garden with their teacher, Laure Abou-Jaoude. We used the new ISPG dedication which their Principal read and who asked the children to repeat it after her. IHTEC gave two awards, one to the Principal for the school to keep. The other was a special award to Laure for 10 years of volunteer service pin, IHTEC's highest award, the 'leaf for peace'.

The main peace garden committee received their ISPG pin and the others received a 'peace dove' pin.

Granny was told that many of the children had benefited from working for peace in their peace garden.

I am looking forward to their photos to share with you all.

Julia

Hawaii children sing - Garden Song

2009-05-21T21:56:00.004-04:00

Dear children

I had a wonderful surprise today, Chris Zorn sent me an MP3 of children at the Laboratory School, College of Education, University of Hawaii, singing the 'Garden Song'. Do visit IHTEC's podbean to listen to them.

http://ihtec.podbean.com

Hope you make a comment here for the children.

Cheers
Julia

Water Dedication for Earth Day

2009-04-21T07:22:00.004-04:00

Water Dedication

Canadian Pugwash & Science for Peace Expert Roundtable on Water, Nov. 2008

I ..........................................................................................................................................................
from ................................................................................................................. dedicate myself as a
trustworthy person to protecting freshwater wherever I am in the world. I understand that I am 80% water, that water is sacred for the web of life in this time of climate change, which is heating the planet. I will endeavour to:

1. Understand that climate change is increasing the rate of evaporation and that in many parts of the world precipitation is decreasing, which means less fresh water.

2. Keep the planet cool with all my actions.

3. Reduce my water footprint, as Nature needs it to prime the pump for the hydrological cycle.

4. Keep water where it is on planet earth returning water to water courses.

5. Protect rivers and streams from pollution.

6. Build rain water tanks to collect water for the garden and household needs. Plant lawn cover and garden species that can grow with no or only minimal water other than rain water.

7. Wash my car with a bucket, not a hose. Wait until the next rainstorm -- this saves more water.

8. Drink tap water wherever it is safe. Boil water otherwise.

9. Remove water in plastic bottles (8 & 9 messages are brought to you by David Suzuki and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities)

10. Wash dishes by hand where possible, with the plug in the sink. Run the dishwasher only when fully loaded, after 8 pm.

11. Turn off the tap when brushing my teeth; use a low-flush toilet or reduce flushes; take a 3 minute shower.

12. Conserve electricity as it takes water to generate your power and power to pump water to my tap. Encourage my family, school & community to share their water bills to see how much we can reduce together.

13. Share water with all species.

Signed:

Date:

Instructions: The “Water Dedication” is a great example of action on sustainability for Earth Day, April 22, 2009. It has been edited by the Canadian Pugwash, Science for Peace, IHTEC; The Global Issues Project, Expert Roundtable on Freshwater.

It has been written for individuals, teachers (who can use it for teaching), students and their communities, who can distribute, read, sign, keep and frame the dedication. We are inviting everyone to dedicate themselves in their International School Peace Garden to water conservation, so that the work is achieved. Other water documents are available on http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=214

There is nowhere to throw away to!

2009-04-11T17:07:00.003-04:00

Environmental Design

Think of something that you would like to invent. Find out which materials you will need and think what will happen to the material when people throw it away. How can it be recycled? Can it be used again?

Julia

Plastic Bottle removal letter

2009-04-08T09:37:00.004-04:00

His Worship Mayor Ted Salci
and Members of the Municipal Council
City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
PO Box 1023
Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6X5 Canada
March 18, 2009

“There is nowhere to throw away to”

Dear Mayor Salci (Ted)

Congratulations to you Mayor Ted Salci and to your Council Members and also the Youth Council for stimulating such great action, eliminating the sale of bottle water as well as all beverages in plastic bottles within Municipal Buildings. Your decision is towards a positive tipping point that supports the web of life, nature, water, pollution reduction and reduces carbon emissions and the associated climate changes. David Suzuki has been a global leader in this environmental issue, so I am sure he will be most encouraged that you are requesting local residents to use safe and healthy Municipal tap water. As a major Tourism destination, a ‘Peace through Tourism’ educational brochure promoting Niagara Falls’ safe drinking water, will also reduces use of plastic water bottles within the Tourism Industry.

The Pugwash / Science for Peace Global Issues Project, Experts Roundtable on Water, have noted that Nature needs water to 'prime the pump' for the hydrological cycle. The world's population is already using some of Natures needs, while the planet heats up. Additional goals must include conservation and reduction in water use.

The role of public education is vital with scientific facts to back them. Recently I was in Hawaii, and heard about the plastic mat, half the size of the US, that is floating in the Pacific Ocean. How much plastic I wonder is in the Niagara River, or goes over Niagara Falls and into the Great Lakes? Your Earth Day clean up could focus on water and removal of plastics. The effects of all plastic’s have gone further than we expected. Plastics have been labeled as ‘disruptors of endocrine function’* a hormone in plastic which affects fertility in all species. This especially in the Great Lakes region. These hormones are poisonous to human babies and children.

Companies’ role is to be part of the solution. Send a message to companies that the Green Revolution has begun and their ‘out of the box’ expertise is needed to invent a positive future. All future products must be developed from ‘cradle to cradle’ and not end up as waste. “There is nowhere to throw away to”.

The Ontario Government has mandated Environmental Education and educators may be encouraging all schools to eliminate the use of all plastics in school grounds, to reduce pollution. I must compliment your schools who are experts at recycling. Please also, through your Niagara Falls Schools in Bloom program, encourage your School Boards to collect all plastics and eliminate the use of plastic bottles on school grounds.

Your sincerely

Dame Julia Morton-Marr, DStG, B.Ed., Dip T.
Founding President, IHTEC

* http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/October/ee.html

Removing Plastic Water Bottles from Municipalities

2009-04-08T09:06:00.005-04:00

Dear friends

Recently I was asked to support an action by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, who are asking each city and town to illiminate the sale of drinking water in plastic bottles on their facilities. They will increase water fountains in public buildings instead. Some are asking for the removal of all drinks out of plastic bottles. This would be a saving for the council and for the environment. Their drinking water out of the tap is 100%. Here is what one Municipality says:

Waste:
1. plastic bottles account for 1.6 kg from each household each year which goes to the dump or are burnt. In addition there are 6.6 kg that are recycled.

2. Their city dumps 1,521 tons of plastic bottle per year.

3. The cost of collection and recovery is $265 per ton.

4. Also they become street litter.

5. City of Toronto recycled 1,000 tonnes or 65 million plastic water bottles last year.

6. About 35 million plastic bottles end up in landfill.

Coorporations and Transportation:

7. Manufacturing 29 billion plastic bottles = 17 million barrels of crude oil.

8. Fuel required to transport bottled water = 38,000 eighteen-wheel transport trucks a week.

9. 20% of municipalities have faced water shortages recently.

To try and help the situation your Granny has written a 'Water Dedication" for you to sign and try and put into action. Please ask your schools to do this with every student.

Love
Julia

International Women's Day & Year 2007

2009-03-08T13:40:00.005-04:00

PeaceWomen Across the Globe - Partnership Project

During 2007 Granny arrange for the support of two other organizations to help her search for 100 Canadian PeaceWomen for the 'PeaceWomen Across the Globe - Partnership Project".

http://www.1000peacewomen.org/typo/index.php?id=128&L=1

The other two organizations are

1. Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

2. Science for Peace.

While Granny and others have gathered information on many Canadian women, Lillian Ross has editing their materials in preparation for a book. This project is still ongoing in 2009 and we hope to have enough materials for the 100 at the end of the summer in time for the International Day of Peace.

As you grow up please work for peace.

Love
Julia

International Women's Day 2006 - Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario

2009-03-08T13:33:00.005-04:00

In 2006, for International Women's Day I was invited to give a keynote speech for the Parliamentary Library staff and govenment officials. This was held at the West Building on Parliment Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario.

http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=210

There were over 200 people in attendance. Dianne Leggatt, retired principal, came with me. Security was very tight.

International Women's Day 2008 - Kadina South Australia

2009-03-08T11:27:00.004-04:00

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Anne Sutcliffe invited Julia to write a speech for women in Kadina to allow her to read it. A podcast record is here.

http://ihtec.podbean.com/international-womens-day/

Thanks Anne for this opportunity.

Cheers
Julia

International Women's Day 2009

2009-03-08T11:20:00.006-04:00

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS, USA
(Taken from the 'Women at the Top' blog)

On Friday, March 6, 2009, Dame Julia Morton-Marr connected with us, LIVE online from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The recording of Julia's presentation is available at the following URL. (The recording is a large file, so may take a long time to open if you have a slow internet connection.)

http://elive.uaf.edu/play_recording.html?recordingId=1233801250389_1236356393988

Julia spoke about the history of women's peace, justice, environmental, and global sustainability work, as well as initiatives that we can join today!
Check out these links to Julia's work, and to the information and projects she shared:

International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC http://www.ihtec.org/

Canadian Voice of Women for Peace http://www.vowpeace.org/

Science for Peace http://www.scienceforpeace.ca/

PeaceWomen Across the Globe http://www.1000peacewomen.org/

AND, for those interested in the upcoming World Water Day, March 22nd 2009, http://www.worldwaterday.org/ check out the SUPER resources below.

Global Issues Project - Papers from 2008 Roundtable on Water
http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=214

United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development - IHTEC Watershed Peace Pathways Special Edition on Water
http://www.cafeweltgeist.org/ihtec/GIPWaterRT/WaterEdition-76pg-26Nov08-medres.pdf

Marine Peace Parks

2008-11-20T07:38:00.009-05:00

Dear Children

One of the schools in Hawaii sent me this message yesterday.

"Our charter school has an initiative to build a sustainable vegetable garden integrated with aquaculture of food fish. The project is focused towards development of a garden that will be built in two years time on board a marine vessel which will sail around the globe beginning 2011, escorting the Hokule'a, a traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe. Our school has adopted the task of building a prototype for this food system which will feed/supplement the crews rations of fish and vegetables. While sailing around the globe, the escort ship a "floating classroom" will stop at 25 ports and school groups will be invited onboard to learn about various environmental issues."

How exciting is this for their students. I wrote back and said:

"Your vision is fantastic. Ofcourse it fits perfectly with the International School Peace Gardens' vision. It also fits with Stage 3 Marine Peace Parks. The dedicating of your aqua-culture vegetable/food ISPG with an ocean journey will teach students will engage the students in a sustainability curriculum. It integrates food security, with research. This is truly global sustainability education.

IHTEC can share this with other schools around the world. If you Blog the students jouney, I can link it to my blog, so others can see your achievements over time. I will also add a comment to my 'Granny Julia's Children' Blog.

Have the students been involved with the October Marine Debris Awareness Month re the plastic mat in the Pacific Ocean?

I would like to see how we can support the clean up the plastic mat, and all the plastic that might go into the Pacific Ocean. Brainstorm how people in Hawaii, can help prevent plastic going into the ocean. Discuss the flow of plastic from the mountains, along rivers to oceans. Find out how the oceans flow together. Then look at how many countries are around the Pacific Ocean. Ask questions about how to work together to prevent it. Plastics are made from oil. How can we reuse what comes out of the plastic mat in the ocean? How are the species being affected by plastic? Here are some of the questions I would ask.

This is exactly why I designed IHTEC. The Tourism Industry should be involved with you.

Love
Julia

Hawaiian Visit to Schools and Teachers

2008-11-20T07:06:00.005-05:00

Dear Children

On November 30, 2008 to December 7, 2008 we are visiting schools in Hawaii. Granny Julia and Fraser will be dedicating peace gardens, talking to teachers, visiting the big Volcanic Island called Hawaii. They are holding a dinner created with locally grown food, with students helping in the process.

The menu will include only food that was grown, raised or caught in Hawaii. With sustainability as one of Dame Morton-Marr's primary focuses, this dinner will serve as a launchpad for many exciting projects and partnerships. The student organizers of this event will demonstrate some of the important reasons to "eat local
food" including:

* Locally grown food tastes better and is better for us. Traveling thousands of miles before reaching Hawaii tends to also affect the nutritional value of the food.

* Eating locally grown food supports a cleaner environment and helps decrease our dependence on imported oil.

* It also supports our local agricultural industry and economy and helps maintain
open, green space on our islands.

Here are some links for you to look at.

http://www.hawaii.edu/pdknews/Dame_Morton_Marr_Visit.html

http://www.hawaii.edu/pdknews/pdkhawaii.html

and the PDK Hawaii Newsletter

http://www.hawaii.edu/pdknews/documents/112008_PDK_Hawaii.pdf

We are both very happy to see so many schools involved. The challenges are great for all of us on the planet.

Islands are exciting places to live.
Love

Granny Julia

Watershed Peace Pathways Curriculum

2008-11-20T06:57:00.010-05:00

IHTEC has worked with Postive News Youth Views / Humanity 4.0 for many years. Our team work this time, has produced a full colour water newspaper for you and your teachers to download and print. Click on the title to this blog, and it will take you to the document on IHTEC's website. Each page has ideas for research on water issues, that will prompt public outreach, discussion, research from teachers and students. There are enough pages for several classes to each take one or two pages and work with the content. Hope you will read at least one page and see if you can achieve some action.

www.cafeweltgeist.org/ihtec/GIPWaterRT/WaterEdition-76pg-26Nov08-medres.pdf

Donate $15 on www.ihtec.org Click on the Canada Helps button.

Love your planet
Julia

Global Issues Project Expert Roundtable on Water

2008-11-17T08:33:00.011-05:00

Dear friends

Over the weekend of November 7-9, 2008 I was part of a group of water specialists from around the world, who talked about the water issues on planet earth. The event was called the "Global Issues Project, Expert Roundtable on Water". It was held at Trinity College, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

If you click on the title of this blog, and it will take you directly to the papers and powerpoints on the IHTEC website, from this event. It was wonderful to have a Prof. Jennifer McKay from the University of South Australia with us, as South Australia has such a terrible time with the lack of water due to drought affecting the Murray-Darling Basin.

Please write and tell me what you do to ensure that you have enough clean drinking water. How do you conserve water? There is a zerofootprint counter with the list of items on this link.

Love your water
Cheers
Julia

Web 2.0 TOOLS - TCC2008

2008-04-30T14:26:00.016-04:00

Dear friends

Here are a few more web 2.0 tools for you to try. I learn't about these at the TCC2008 online conference this year.

www.Googledocs.com

www.griffy.com

www.commoncraft.com/twitter

www.slideshare.com

Other things to try:

Roll Play a peace garden using terms such as 'peace tree', 'friendship benches', 'path of peace', 'solving water issues' to create a story.

Visit CIA World Factbook for how the world works.

Earth Day April 22, 2008

2008-04-15T07:20:00.009-04:00

Dear friends

Earth Day, the one that most people know about, is next week on April 22, 2008. Julia has the privilege to speak to several high schools at Niagara Falls, in Ontario, Canada. The students are part of Schools in Bloom. They have planted many species of vegetation. I am talking about the role of peace parks and gardens, of working working peace and environment together, and learning about survival on planet earth.

I have created another slide show for them. If you can't find it here, then look on the slide show page on the IHTEC website.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2518229/EarthDayNiagaraFinal

http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=137

China celebrated Earth Day with a stamp. You can find it on this blog.

http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=35

Maybe you can design an Earth Day stamp for your school.

Cheers
Julia

Sacred Tree from India

2008-04-09T07:04:00.007-04:00

Hallo again

Children (girls) at the Sandipani Muni School, Vrindavan, India are making sacred trees, and a friend sent me one of these. The children are the poorest of the poor, and they are doing this is to raise money for their education at school. The trees are called "Kalpa Vriksha Trees" made from old copper wire, with amethysts and other gems strung onto the end of the wire. The wooden beads are made fron the Tulsai Devi tree, a very sacred tree in India. I think it is very beautiful, don't you?

Maybe you too can create a sacred tree, which represents your country. Use any kind of craft.

Their website is: http://www.fflvrindavan.org

Cheers
Julia

Kiln Building on Hawaii

2008-03-24T18:59:00.013-04:00

Volcano Kiln Workshop

Monday, March 24, 2008 - Friday, March 28, 2008

Kowalke Residence
53-4177 Akoni Pule Highway
Kapaau, Hawaii 96755
Peter Kowalke
Phone: 808-937-7556
Email: peterantrim@gmail.com

http://www.regonline.com/volcano_kiln

Yesterday my friend John Southworth, invited a group of us to meet and participate if we can in his 'holiday' at the Volcano Kiln Workshop held on the northern point of the big island called Hawaii. This is the island where there is an active volcano. I 'google earth' to find out where they were and did a 'print screen' on my computer, so that I could insert it into a slide show.

John introduced me to Hugh Jenkins and Peter Kowalai, who are running the workshop.

"Hugh works with Ohio Valley Creative Energy www.ohiovalleycreativeenergy.org on sustainable equipment design and is a founding member of the BioGlass Group www.bioglass.org . For more information on Hugh, please visit: www.bigislandglass.com " from Hugh's bio.

Peter Kowalke, a local artist originally from Oahu, now resides on the Big Island and is a painter, sculptor and ceramicist. Young students and community members work together learning about local ecology, history, culture, science and much more as they create public works of art. Each project and resulting artwork emphasizes the island ecosystems and a holistic psychology based in the belief of "interconnectedness." For more information about Peter's fine art and community works go to www.artinsight.us and www.artinsight.us/hiddenjewels (community work).

A young university student from Hawaii, who is an artist, who hopes to learn how to blow glass more sustainably. This is because of the new way of re-capturing the heat from the kilm. Each participant will be helping in building the kiln. I wonder if they will also create a pot with the volcanic earth, and then fire them in the kiln?

John is hoping to be able to document the process in nicenet, using digital photos and individual stories. Maybe I can write a few ideas for schools on sustainability.

What an unexpected invitation to participate via the webcam. I am so thankful.

Update: John and I did a powerpoint presentation with is uploaded into
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2374440/HawaiBigIsland

Julia

World Water Day March 22, 2008

2008-03-23T13:55:00.019-04:00

Dear friends

Yesterday was World Water Day, but we know that 'water day is everyday'. In this picture you can see the results of the drought, on the River Murray at its Mouth in South Australia. All this part of the river is usually covered with water. The situation is very serious. I have created a slideshow using Helen and Scott Irvine's photos. Thank you to David Morton for flying in his new helicopter around the Lower Lakes and the Murray River's Mouth. Also thank you to Frank Refchange for your important photos.

First open the Port Elliot Flyers song "Let the Murray Flow" written by Shane Howard and Anne Todd in 2004. It was sent to me by Carol VanDalen and goes well with the slide show of the River Murray situation below.

http://ihtec.podbean.com/

Here is the slide show

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2518860/MurrayDarlingBasinAust

Do hope you can see and understand the differences from Granny's photos taken in 1987and Scott and Helen's photos in 2008.

Here is another slide show about water in South Australia.

http://www.savethemurray.com/facts_coorong_lower_lakes_and_murray_mouth.php

We all need to listen to the Ngarrindjeri Sea Country Plan. It is found here

http://www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/publications/pubs/ngarrindjeri-scp-2006-1.pdf

I am planning an online Water Round Table for young people during the year. Also IHTEC will participate in the 'Global Issues Water Round Table' in November 2008.

Do hope you will study the water situation where you are and join us.

Cheers
Julia

More WEB 2.0 Tools

2008-03-23T12:51:00.007-04:00

Dear friends

I have spent more time finding more useful tools for you to try.

For Schools

edu20 - http://www.edu20.org/
they will be adding virtual worlds soon.

Schoopy- a new platform for schools to communicate with each other.
http://www.schoopy.com/

Uploading ppt's and pdf

Scribd www.scribd.com upto 1 GB of free room

http://yousendit.com

http://www.slideshare.net

Mind Maps

Mind42 - http://mind42.com/
a collaboratry mind mapping tool for two people - this is a Beta mode and is new but looks interesting it let me sign in, but didn't send me confirmation.

Bubbl.us http://www.bubbl.us/
online collabortory min mappin tool for more than two people

NEWS - Press Releases

http://www.instablogs.com/

http://opencalais.com/

pipes.yahoo.com

Virtual Avatar Creation Fun

http://www.fix8.com/

Invitations to Events Create an event

Pingg http://www.pingg.com

EventWax http://www.eventwax.com

Eventsbot http://eventsbot.com/

Love Julia

Spring Time - Bees & Honey

2008-03-21T08:50:00.005-04:00

Hallo Sam

Hurray. It is Spring Time again. The snow is beginning to melt here and soon the birds will migrate back for the summer. The winter silence causes me to be sad. Triple glazed windows protect us from the environment outside. So I welcome the sounds of life as spring approaches.

In Spring the bees start their outside work again, when the flowers bloom. Bees don't hibernate in the winter, they snuggle together in a ball, constantly moving their bodies to keep the temperature at 90o F or 32.2o C. A beehive has between 20,000 and 30,000 bees.

Did you have honey for breakfast? Well this morning I ate the lifetime work of several dozen worker bees. What I eat in 1 year takes bees 55,000 miles or 8,8513 kms. They visit about 2 million flowers a year. One worker bee produces 1/12 teaspoon in its lifetime.

The queen bee lays 1,500 eggs a day and is the only bee to lay eggs.

How many times does a bee flap its wings in a minute? 11,000 times.

How fast does a bee fly? Ans: 15 miles per hour while it visits between 50 - 100 blossoms per trip.

How much honey can a hive create in a day? 2 lbs of honey.

So please look after the bees. They work hard for all of us.

Love
Julia

Didgeridoo

2008-03-18T12:50:00.008-04:00

What fun we had yesterday, learning how to play a Didgeridoo. Do you know how to do circular breathing?

Here are some lessons for you to try.... have fun.

http://www.aboriginalarts.co.uk/howtoplaydidgeridoo.html

Here are some YouTube videos for you to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9w4KWEgJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_Hw8l01LI&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g592I-p-dc&NR=1

Have fun
Julia

Professor Helmut Burkhardt 75th Birthday 2008

2008-03-18T08:23:00.012-04:00

My dear children

In our lives there are people who help us to be better than we are at present. I have had some important people help me. Professor Helmut Burkhardt is one of these people. It is Helmut's 75th Birthday this week and so to celebrate, Granny Julia has created a slide show of some of the events that we have shared. Helmut is a Physics and System Scientist. He especially is interested in Solar Energy, and works for Peace and Sustainability. The slide show is on

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2330718/Helmut75Birthday

Love
Julia

United Nations Information

2008-03-18T07:36:00.005-04:00

My dear children

You will study the United Nations at school. This organization leads the world and try's to keep peace on earth. If your country is a member of the United Nations (we use UN for short) then YOU are a member of the UN. This will help you to do your best and keep the peace where you are.

I found a new UN link that lots of infomation for writing about global issues.

http://data.un.org/

Granny Julia has been to the UN in New York, for a couple of meetings. The best meeting was to the UN Special Session on Children. The photo is of the concert where they had 5 Nobel Peace Prize winners, and children performing from all over the world.

I have also spoken at the Students Human Rights Conference for 1 hour in one of the Conference Rooms. There were children from Canada and Mexico. It was a great honour, as I had the Canadian Ambassador on one side, and a senior advisor to UNICEF, Newton Bowles, on the other.

Julia was at the UN again in September 2005 for a meeting with the other US and Canadian Women as part of the 1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.

Cheers
Julia

Google Earth has Google Sky

2008-03-18T07:15:00.005-04:00

Good Morning

I did a seach for more information on Web 2.0 tools. I am amazed at how many there are. Here is the link I found when I asked for a "List of Web2.0 tools'

http://www.go2web20.net/

While I was there I found that the new download of Google Earth has Google Sky.

www.google.com/sky

If you go back to an earlier blog on Science of the Planet and the Cosmos, this will help you as you learn about where we live in the cosmos.

Although space is very large, it is important to keep 'Peace in Space'. It we have too much space junk above the earth, we will not be able to leave the earth. Already NASA has had to move space junk so that they don't hit it.

IHTEC has created a project for you called 'MEETS' Mountains on Earth Expansively Touching Space. When you stand on the top of a mountain then you are the closest to space. See
http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=72

Cheers
Julia

iGoogle

2008-03-17T11:19:00.003-04:00

Dear young people

Have you found that there are so many good things to use on the web? Well there comes a time when I had to find a place that I could organize myself. As you will see in the Web 2.0 tools there are two that I know of. The one that I use is called igoogle. It is important to have all your main tools in one place.

iGoogle

Have fun.

Julia

WEB 2.0 TOOLS

2008-03-17T06:42:00.014-04:00

Good morning

Have you tried the Web 2.0 tools? Do you know what they are? I have been working on them daily so I can learn how to use them. Here is a list of the ones that Granny has found. Do you know of any others that I can try? Have you begun a blog? If so let's link together.

Web 2.0 Tools

If you would like to spend time looking for all the Web2.0 tools use

http://www.go2web20.net/

Portal - this can be linked to a website and shows main links that you are using.
Protopage www.protopage.com
igoogle www.igoogle.com

Blogger www.blogger.com
Granny Julia’s Children www.ispg.blogspot.com

Radio
Blog Talk Radio www.blogtalkradio.com

Photos
Bubbleshare www.bubbleshare.com
Flickr www.flickr.com

Brainstorming and organizing
Cmap http://cmap.ihmc.us/

Marketing & Individual Newsletters
Constant Contact www.constantcontact.com ($)

Conference Rooms online
Talking Communities www.talkingcommunities.com ($)
WebHuddle www.webhuddle.com

Courses Structure & Schools interactive input
Moodle www.moodle.com
Nicenet www.nicenet.org
Wikispaces www.wikispaces.com Free & ($)
WiserEarth www.wiserearth.com

Podcasting
Gcast www.gcast.com
Podbean www.podbean.com
Podsafe www.podsafe.com

Video Casting
Screencast www.screencast.com
YouTube www.youtube.com

Survey’s
SurveyMonkey www.surveymonkey.com
Zoomerang www.zoomerang.com

Publishing
Wikipedia www.wikipedia.com

Video Conferencing
iVisit www.ivisit.com
Marratech www.marratech.com

Training through games
Thiagi www.thiagi.com

Love
Granny Julia

International School Peace Gardens Slide Show

2008-03-15T21:05:00.006-04:00

Hi again

We have made the ISPG slide show and recorded the sound in Audacity. Next we linked the MP3 file to the slide show in Talking Communities, followed by uploading the file into the TC archives, so that we have a .url

Look for ISPG Slide Show as an audio mp3 file on

Just audio
http://ihtec.podbean.com

With slides
http://talkingcommunities.com/wm/archives/rsa90853355ad1/Ispgbasic1/

Cheers
Julia

EARTH DAY MARCH 20, 2008 - CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY

2008-03-15T12:12:00.013-04:00

Hallo dear children

This year IHTEC is encouraging children to celebrate Earth Day, in 2008 on Climate Change and Energy.

John McConnell, was the founder of Earth Day. Granny Julia has met Mr. McConnell, he is over 90 years old. The original date was March 21, 1970, on the Equinox each year, but as schools became involved the date was changed. The flag above is the original Earth Day flag.

School Earth Day April 22, 2008
http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/

I have found you some interesting ecological games to play with your family members. They are online calculators. Let me know what your footprints are today.

Earth Day Footprint http://www.earthday.net/footprint/ has a map of the world with many languages to choose from.

Global Ecological Footprint Calculator http://www.ecologicalfootprint.org/Global%20Footprint%20Calculator/GFPCalc.html

Australia Ecological Footprint Calculator http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/calculators/default.asp

New Zealand Ecological Footprint http://www.mfe.govt.nz/withyou/do/footprint/

UK Carbon Footprint http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html this is a fun picture for you.

ZeroFootprint Calculator http://zerofootprint.net/profile/sign_in

Safe Climate Calculator http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/

List of Carbon Calculators http://www.earthfuture.com/climate/calculators/

Wikipedia on Footprints http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint

Have fun. I will let you know mine when I have calculated it out. I do hope you copy this and take it to school.

Love Granny Julia

Sacred Trees in Goolwa, South Australia

2008-03-06T10:00:00.003-05:00

I did some research for your peace garden in Goolwa for the State or Sacred South Australian Trees. It seems to me that the Canoe Tree, on the Currency Creek Road, a River Red Gum Tree, is the closest that I found for your area. On the Famous Australian Trees website, I found the following and I quote:

Famous South Australian Trees
http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/trees.htm

"Canoe Trees.
Whether alive or dead, canoe trees are the remnants of an important Aboriginal industry. Most of them can be found along Lakes Albert and Alexandrina, the Coorong and the River Murray and its tributaries.

It was mainly the river red gum, (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), from which the Aborigines cut and peeled long sheets of bark to make their canoes.

The art of making these rafts was practised by most Aborigines in Australia from the rivers to the coasts. "

I also found some other 'Famous Australian Trees' web links

http://www.touringaustralia.de/Trees/Licuala-ramsayi.php

http://www.mdavid.com.au/trees/unusualtrees.html

http://www.mdavid.com.au/trees/bigtrees.html

http://www.touringaustralia.de/trees.php

Cheers Julia

Peace Arch Park Sculpture and Art

2008-03-06T08:31:00.005-05:00

A school I was teaching in is creating a peace garden in Goolwa, South Australia. I am so proud of their drawings, paintings, ability to compose such wonderful songs and sing them yourself.

Some gardens have sculptures in them. Have you tried that art form? Christina Alexandra who lives in Washington State, nurtures the Peace Arch Park, on the border of Washington, USA and British Columbia in Canada. They have an annual 'Art in the Park' sculpture competition. There is a lot of information on their website. Christina stayed with Granny Julia in February 2008, and has given us the song she wrote about the Peace Arch called "Children of a Common Mother" which are the words on the Peace Arch. She also gave us a video with the history of the Peace Arch. Here is their website:

http://www.peacearchpark.org/

Cheers

Julia

Manoa Heritage Center - Hawaii

2008-03-04T07:03:00.003-05:00

Have you every visited the Hawaiian Islands? Do you know where they are on the map? Go to Google Earth from your home, and find the Hawaii & the Manoa Heritage Centre. http://www.manoaheritagecenter.org/

You can visit their website to see the photos of their biodiversity - trees and flowers that grow on the Hawaiian Islands. Their Native Hawaiian garden is called 'Kuka'o'o Heiau. Granny is asking them to help talk about the International School Peace Gardens. If you visit a park or a Heritage Centre, you can also plant these ideas into your school peace garden.

Do you know what the word 'culture' means? Hawaiian's have many great cultural things that they do.

A Hawaiian feast is called a Luau (say: loo-au). http://kohalacoastweb.blogspot.com/2007/06/best-hawaiian-luau-show.html
Can you dance the hula? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huFf0uZGKEg&feature=related
They use their beautiful flowers in their designs for making quilts. Have you folded a piece of paper in quarters and then cut design's in the middle? When you open it out you have matching patterns in each section. They do the same with material. You back the flower with wonder under, and sew the patterns onto a material square. They sew all the squares together to make a quilt. Here are some free patterns to try. http://nvo.com/poakalani/nss-folder/freecushionpatterns/
Can you find the words for hallo, goodbye, in Hawaiian? http://www.aloha.com/~hvguides/HwnGlossary.html
Their sacred tree is a Kukai.
Look for their flower names http://www.alohafriendsphotos.com/
Learn how to make a new plant out of a living plant.
Find out how to plant a tree. You will need a spade and a bucket of water.
What else do you need to keep the tree alive?

Julia

Water - You are made of it

2008-02-26T13:21:00.002-05:00

Good morning

A friend sent photos taken from Liverpool Road, Goolwa, SA. (see Photo 2 taken by Frank Refchange 2008) The river is in a serious state. I have also uploaded a photo of the normal height of the River Murray, at Liverpool Road, Goolwa, SA. (Photo 1 taken by Julia Morton-Marr in November 1987).

So for the last two days I have been focused on the Murray - Darling Basin, where I have taught so many of you, in South Australia. The river is drying up and you are experiencing a long drought. I know you all know how to protect your water supply and don't waste a drop. Some of you are experts at having a 3 minute shower. I know that you are collecting water in your rain water tanks, not watering your gardens except with your shower and bath grey water. I know that many of you don't have a dish washer, or a swimming pool, because of the lack and cost of water. Children in Africa walk for miles to the river to get water.

I was sent a petition from Goolwa, South Australia which I have signed. Here is the link please sign it.

http://rivermurray.com/html/petition/online_petition.html

Also here is a link so that you can calculate your water footprint

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterFootprintCalculator

for more information on your water footprint go to

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home

Julia

Climate Change & Energy - Scientific Wisdom

2008-02-24T09:47:00.003-05:00

In September 2007, top scientists from the 'Global Issues Project' met in Ontario Canada. They worked on ideas for people in the world, so that they could stop the Climate Change and Energy problems. Their suggestions are called the 'Wasan Action Framework". http://www.pugwashgroup.ca/

They are asking us to take them to our parents, teachers, Principals, Mayors, and parliamentary representatives at State, Provincial, and Federal levels of government. Here are their suggestions:

Preserve forests especially rainforests everywhere, as these are the earth's lungs.
Help plant a forest with all the other plants that help the forests to grow.
Only buy what you need. Think about what you throw away as there is "no where to throw away to".
Make your own toys. Waste nothing. Recycle everything.
Have only two children when you grow up.
Keep farming land for food not for fuel.
Use solar, wind, geothermal, hydro electricity, ocean energy, to power your buildings, factories and cars.
Keep oil for other products that your grandchildren will need.
Be WISE...Use current technology so that it reduces your carbon footprint. http://www.carbonfootprint.com/ Calculate your footprint http://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
Check that women and girls are included 50% with men 50% at places where decisions are made that effect the web of life and all species.
Know you rights and responsibilities. Read the Earth Charter.
Keep the peace ... never buy war toys.
Use only water that you need in small amounts.

Please talk to your family members and take this to your school.

Cheers
Julia

COSMOS - Earth and Galaxy's

2008-02-24T08:42:00.002-05:00

Science is one of the most important subjects we learn. For if we know the 'Laws of Nature' on Earth then we can also understand all about the stars, planets, galaxy's in the Universe. I have been watching COSMOS DVD series by Carl Sagan. In this he reminds us that:

Science is a language that we need to understand all of life including space
The Laws of Nature are the same everywhere, in every galaxy.
Light from a candle on earth is the same as the light from a star.
Chemicals on earth are the same chemicals in outer space.
That atoms and molecules are governed by physics everywhere.
The spiral storm patterns in cyclones on earth are the same as the spiral forms on Jupiter.
Gravity is the same everywhere in space. Gravity is sometimes stronger or weaker in different places, but it is same force.
Technology is the way species on earth will talk to each other. Earth uses 'Radio Astronomy' and is listening to sounds from space.

IT WOULD BE UNFORGIVABLE TO DESTROY THE EARTH - Humans have several ways that we can destroy all life on earth. So we all need to learn the science behind climate change, and change our actions. WE CAN ALL DO IT TOGETHER.
Chapters DVD and Book. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/dvd/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-Disc-Collectors/804387101097-item.html?ref=Search+DVD%3a+%2527cosmos%2527

Cheers
Julia

CREATURE CORRIDORS

2008-02-18T08:45:00.005-05:00

Hallo again

Did you know that betweem 30,000 & 100,000 species of the animals and birds, insects and plants are dying every year? However we must keep water over land first as this is more important than species. Some scientists think that all species are now at risk. Those that we think are OK may die too. So here is something we can do together.

To Do List.

Plant food supplies for migrating creatures in your peace garden.
Google your local walking trail group and ask them how you can help plant food for creatures on walking trails. These might be milk weed for the monach butterfly, between Canada and Mexico.
Use only your feet, horses, or bicycles on walking trails.

For more information on Creature Corridors go to http://www.ihtec.org/index.php?id=75

Oceans, Whales and Plastic Bags

2008-02-18T08:22:00.003-05:00

Hallo again....

This morning I was reminded of the whales that are dying. I saw a TV program yesterday where researches were looking into a whales tummy. Guess what they found? Yes you have it, lots and lots of plastic bags, bottles, tops, 6 pack plastic all mixed up in a big mess. What do you think we can do about this?

So what I did was to find a map that showed Oceans pollution. Here is a link to a map.
http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/research/32885/1/6913

To Do List...

Make a list of all the things humans have put into oceans.
Find more images of Oceans pollution and post them in your comments.
Stop using plastic bags and ask you family and friends to join you.
Collect plastic bags and recycle them

I know we can 'Turn the World Around". Will you help me please?

Cheers/p>

Julia

CLIMATE CHANGE IN YOUR SCHOOL

2008-02-17T08:26:00.003-05:00

HELP WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN YOUR SCHOOL.

Welcome to International School Peace Gardens (ISPG) blog. Granny Julia want's to share ideas with my grand-children, and all the children, that I have taught on planet earth. These children were in South Australia, Darwin and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, many children in the USA, espectially in Hawaii, California, Vermont, Florida. Hallo to all schools who have a garden. To find peace garden information go to www.ihtec.org

You may have called it different names, like peace gardens, you may have created your garden with Evergreen Foundation in Toronto, memorial gardens, friendship gardens, reconciliation gardens, biodiversity gardens, solar gardens, children's gardens, musical gardens, but they all help the planet with solving climate change and energy.

Here is a TO DO list. In your school, have small teams of you allocated to work on your garden every day. Sit on your Friendship Benches and think of others things you can do to help the planet.

Draw a plan of your peace garden. Invite all your friends to draw their peace garden plan.
Plant trees, bushes and foods that are native to your area. Ask your local park what these are.
Plant foods for migrating species.
Clean out the weeds around the trees so that they can breathe.
Feed the birds.
Sit on the friendship bench to make friends and solve problems
Collect and plant original seeds.
Walk to school if you are close.
Make your school a Green School.
Re-cycle waste, pick up garbage using tongs or a stick.
Create your own blog and send me the link.