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October 2011

In This Issue
NPA: Raising Awareness
A Season of Change
5th Global Alliance Summit
Certificate Program Pilot Courses
An Update from Dot Maver, President
It is a joy to share with you some highlights from four recent events, all of them centered around the International Day of Peace and educating for a culture of peace.

Ohio - the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund at Urbana University honors the daughter of Bev and John Titus, members of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. Alicia was on flight 175 on 9.11.01. Bev, John and I spoke at a series of events and in classes at Urbana University. They shared their story and then introduced me to speak from the perspective of education shaping society and the need to educate ourselves to consciously create the conditions conducive to living in right relationship with self, others and the world around us. It was a powerful and deeply moving time together in honor of Alicia and her legacy of peace.

Dot_speakingIowa - the 11 Days of Global Unity Central Iowa team is a powerhouse! They arranged five days of events and speaking engagements, and it was topped off with a visit to Ballard High School where four districts are combined in one of the greenest and most open-hearted high school in the country. I was the World Affairs Series guest lecturer at Iowa State University, a guest speaker at Rotary and DMACC (community college) and met with the teen service group at the public library. It gives me hope as the new story is unfolding and so many youth get excited about the probability of transformation in our society.

AwardCenter for Peace through Culture Conference - the conference at Hancock Shaker Village, MA featured workshops (I offered one on the Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace) and Congressman Dennis Kucinich was the keynote speaker. He received The Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.

EldersEarthdance 2011 - the centerpiece of 365 events around the world, this Earthdance event was held at Solano Fairgrounds north of San Francisco. I was honored to serve on the Elders Council and also to sit in circle with participants who are interested in creating a world wherein social justice, peace and offering our contribution on behalf of the greater good are commonplace. And, we spoke of Push4Peace.org, a ninety-day campaign to raise awareness and encourage action on behalf of peacebuilding, September 21 - December 21, 2012.  
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Greetings!

These past two months have provided us with so many wonderful opportunities to raise awareness about the National Peace Academy, and the invitations continue to come our way.  With the deep unrest in the USA, and the sense of imminent change, we are grateful to play our part in bringing a focus on peacebuilding to the US, and globally in cooperation with our colleagues around the world.

 

In this newsletter you will hear from Dot, who has been on the road since early September; from Kristin and Mike who, thanks to a generous donor, have just returned from the Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures of Peace South Africa Summit in Cape Town; and from Tony - who got married on September 24, 2011! 

An Update from Tony Jenkins, Director of Education
A Season of Change
As we step into the cool air and swirling leaves of autumn our minds are drawn to change and transformation, the annual themes so brilliantly put on display by Mother Nature. At the National Peace Academy we are celebrating the successes of our newest course offerings and partnerships, each of which have been designed to support change and prepare individuals to pursue personal and social transformations. NPA's
National Peacebuilding Peacelearning Certificate Program continues to grow. TechChange was so happy with the success of the first two courses that were offered in partnership that they have already asked us to partner on their next course - Mobiles for International Development: New Platforms for Public Health, Finance and Education. This online course is taking place October 16- November 4 - so be sure to register today! Our course in partnership with Teachers Without Borders is currently running, and we just completed our first Workshop on Collaborative Communication in partnership with Adelphi University in New York. We have two more courses inspired by transformation taking place this fall: Secrets of Spiritual Activism: A Toolkit for Educators and Activists in partnership with the Metta Center for Nonviolence (November 4-6, Petaluma, CA) and a Master Class in Peace Education with peace education pioneer Betty Reardon and Tony Jenkins (December 2-4, Santa Barbara, CA). We will also be announcing an exciting line-up of courses for Spring 2012 soon.

On a personal note, I am thrilled to share with you that on September 24 I married the love of my life, Tiffany Hunter (now Tiffany Jenkins!). Tiffany is an inspiring and gifted peace educator who is also a member of the NPA's edulearner faculty. September 24 also happened to be a worldwide day of action organized by 350.org to address the climate crisis under the umbrella of "Moving Planet." Thus, not only was it a great day to get married, it was a day to put our demands for climate action into motion-marching, biking, skating-calling for the world to go beyond fossil fuels. While we couldn't easily participate in the many actions being organized that day, we made a video that chronicled our efforts to get to our wedding using any means we could - without using fossil fuels. We are happy to share our gift of love and activism with you via our video entitled "I Do" Move the Planet.  We hope our little video inspires you to take action and to live with love and compassion sans fossil fuels!

Sincerely,
Tony_Jenkins_Signature
Tony Jenkins, Director of Education
An Update from Kristin Famula, Education and Outreach Coordinator and Mike Abkin, Board Member
ubuntuThe Fifth Summit of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace was held last week in Cape Town, South Africa. Thanks to a generous donor, the National Peace Academy sent two representatives to learn and share their perspectives and experiences with peace education and peacelearning through the National Peace Academy. The theme of the summit, "Ubuntu in Action," echoed the National Peace Academy's operating principle that "right relationships" are central to a culture of peace and thus at the core of peacebuilding. Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu or "ubuntu" means "I am because you are" or as summit speaker Barbara Nussbaum explained, "we become more human through each other."

mike_presenting
NPA board member Mike Abkin presenting at Global Alliance Summit
NPA board member, Mike Abkin, and Education and Outreach Coordinator, Kristin Famula, joined delegates from 19 countries on 5 continents, all working to build infrastructures for peace in their home countries. Mike presented the National Peace Academy's role as part of a peace infrastructure in the United States and shared NPA's understanding of peacelearning during a panel discussion on Peace Education.

Please click here for a full report of the Summit, including important outcomes, such as the formal incorporation of the Global Alliance, adoption of its new name Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace, and information about its first Board of Directors. More information about the Summit program can be found at the Global Alliance website; and be sure to check back later as PowerPoints and other presentation materials and live-stream recordings are posted over the next few weeks.
National Certificate Program Pilot Courses
Mobiles for International Development: New Platforms for Public Health, Finance and Education; October 16-November 4; Online


Secrets of Spiritual Activism: A Toolkit for Educators and Activists
; November 4-6; Petaluma, California

 

Master Class in Peace Education; December 2-4, 2011; California