we are all connected -

i see in you the divine spark that resides in me...

my pain is your pain

your joy is my joy 

may we all continue to work for peace with love and diligence - 

we remember those lost so tragically in newtown, ct  and wrap their families and community in love and hope... 

life is beautiful

i saw this video on another blog this morning and had to share it.
i hope it brings a hopeful, cheery, heart tugging smile to your face as well - 

I know there's peace around the dinner table, and I know there's peace as in countries around the world minding their own business, tending to their own backyard, and playing nice with each other. And I know there's peace as in around the water cooler, but today I think about peace through the lens of Nancy. For Nancy and others like her who simply have a different way of being in the world . . .

I wish them
understanding instead of scorn
and acceptance instead of ridicule

I wish them
care instead of abuse
and tenderness instead of harm.

I wish them
to be seen and not overlooked,
to be respected and not dismissed.

I wish them
ample opportunities for expression
and the materials to be creative.

My biggest wish is not for all the Nancys in the world to be more like us,
you see,
but for us to be more like them.

Then, it seems to me,
we would know peace.

_______

She draws:

Then I stitch:

And that's how we do it.

~~~~~~~~~

She is my developmentally disabled sister-in-law, Nancy,
and I am Jeanne, the woman who flat-out loves her.
Go here to start at the beginning of our collaborative creative project and read your way current.

Requesting permission...

As some of you know, here in Maleny in Australia we encouraged a few artists to participate in Flags for Peace 2012, and to fly their flags on International Day of Peace. We included them here and here.

Since then we have been fortunate to receive a grant (around A$1700) to use the photographs of the Maleny Peace Flags and to publish them in a Blurb book. The book will be a hard cover, coffee-table kind of book which we will donate to schools and public Libraries in our area.

We have enough money to publish 40 books.

We are also hoping to tell the story of how the Maleny Peace Flags fit in with this blog and the project started by Mary Jane, and would love to include as many images from here as we can at the back of the book - to show how it fits together.

If you would be willing for us to use images of your flags as posted here and include them in our book could you please either leave a comment or email me (fiona.dempster1@bigpond.com) and let me know it's OK?

The book will also be available to purchase from the Blurb book site once we have published it. The cost will be around A$40.00 and we expect that it will be available sometime in December.

We are excited that we will have the opportunity to share the beauty and variety of peace flags, and the idea that artists around the world believe in peace and wish for peace.  It will be wonderful for the schools to receive a copy and who knows, it might lead to them getting involved themselves next year?

Thanks for your participation so far, and hopefully for your permission to use images of your flags in this publication.

Many thanks and go well, Fiona. Here are my peace flag weather-grams, still flying as the tree buds and grows around them...

sandy

Our peace flags survived the storm.  

Being so far inland here in NC we were lucky to see only the outer fringes of Hurricane Sandy.  Although she has hit land we are still experiencing wind bursts and patches of rain.  Even being this far away.  

States north of us, including NJ, where our dear friend, Mary Jane lives were hit hard.  Sandy was not kind; flooding and power outages for millions along the coastline.  Let us all come together and send as much healing light and love as needed (and much more) all this week to our brothers and sisters hit hardest by this massive storm.

PEACE

Photo found on Pinterest. Photo credit: Alison Domzalski

"May peace and peace and peace be everywhere" 

 The Upanishads (c.900 - 600 B.C) 

Woodland Peace

In pursuit of Peace. More and more I find that without a connection to the Natural world I lose my Balance. Some would say "we are Nature" . I find this to be true . We do not go out into Nature or experience Nature but rather we are part of the whole. In order to bring about a true Peace on this planet we have to embrace the connectedness that this implies. We are not separate. Everything we do causes a ripple effect. From actions to thoughts to feelings.

I particularly like these chakra flags from Nepal as they allow us to focus on balancing our energy centers . Many sages have suggested that  Peace begins within. If our inner vibration is lacking harmony how can we project and further the Peace in the outer world? I am grateful for these colorful reminders.

 Flag messages :

Red    I am safe . I trust more. I fear less. I am centered and grounded

Orange   I feel my emotions and my pain. I reawaken my passion. I surrender to this moment.

Yellow I am courageous. I am whole. I stand in my power.

Green I am loved, I let love in. I am kind to myself. I live in peace and gratitude.

Blue  I play in my imagination. I create my reality. I know and share my truth.

Purple   I honor my intuition . I accept my path, I am healing : body , mind , and spirit.

Lavender  I connect with Spirit. I invite sacred transformation . I embrace the unity of all beings.


Shanti

a note from an artist

On Wednesday 15 August I posted an entry about Montse Romagosa and the sculpture she dedicated to the flags for peace project.

Peace and Freedom

Montse was really moved by the response of the readers and on 12 September she sent me a note so that I could post it here. It is only my fault that it has taken me so much longer to do so. I have been feeling poorly and things got disorganized for a while here.

So this is Monte's note for you all:

'I am delighted with the many interesting interpretations of Peace and Freedom. My intention is to recover objects of daily use that have lost their original purpose of being - discarded materials, objects that the passage of time and subsequent deterioration have turned into waste, old pieces of junk, things that have lost their meaning and their value - and to give them new value, a new symbolic and aesthetic significance.'

I hope Montse will forgive my delay and thank you for your warm interest in her work.

Continued Peace from Connecticut

On the way home from the birthday party of one of my daughters' classmates on Saturday, we happened to pass by their school. There, to my complete surprise, on the front lawn was a huge peace symbol.

I commented that it must have been for International Peace Day on Friday and my daughters agreed...asking how I knew. So I told them.

"Remember the flags that you helped me hang outside? Well, they are to celebrate International Peace Day too.

I'm part of a group of artists from around the world who created peace flags and hung them in different locations, then posted photos on a blog for all to see."

My little urchins practically squealed with delight and rushed to tell me that their peace symbol was made out of pin wheels that all the students had made - of paper, pencils and pins.

Yesterday, I went back to take a few shots to post here. It rained a lot the other night so many of the pin wheels were distorted,

but not enough to keep the message from shining through. Peace.

peace beyond dates

As Mary Jane wrote in her latest entry, the project for Peace is 'never - ever - over'. The 21 of September is a symbol, not a limit or a compulsory formality. So I hope you won't mind my posting the flags for peace created by our Spanish group 'Roots' today, on the 23rd. They set them flying on Friday, 21 September in the morning and I only got the photographs yesterday.

This is the Medieval stone bridge leading to the Town Hall of Valderrobres, where our ten flags are flying now and till the end of October.

As you can see, hanging the flags required some climbing skills! The intrepid Lilianne Cantó went up the ladder to hang her installation, an Earth globe made from barbed wire with branches of olive tree inside and a foam pigeon holding an olive branch in its beak.

The rest of the flags awaited their turn on the stone floor of La Lonja.

And then everyone got busy...

And the flags came alive...

Birgit Ploessner is a German painter who recently moved to Spain. Her lively blue flag is her first collaboration with our Group.

There is a poem written in German on her flag. I am really sorry that I cannot translate it.

Jordi Ferrer's flag installation depicts the contrast between the opposing forces of Peace and Conflict, symbolized by the white/blue and dark red colours.

Jordi is a graffiti artist, a video artist and a photographer. He was also the one who took these shots and our thanks go out to him through this blog too.

Ángel Vilamajó painted his flag on canvas and he didn't go about it the easy way!

The difference in styles and media speaks of a cheerful, bright dedication to the idea of Peace.

Jordi's dog. Not an artist but sooo peaceful!

Esther Hofmann is a Swiss painter who chose to live in this part of Spain with her husband. Isn't this coexistence of people with different nationalities a sign of peace in itself?

My own flag among the others.

 Silvia Sanmiquel's letter installation. It says 'peace is freedom'.

Francesca Payera's flag with the word 'PAU' on the background. 'Pau' is Catalan for Peace.
Ángel Vilamajó and Francesa Payeras run the beautiful 'Mas Marianets', a country
house and art centre that I blogged about here.

Ana Carreras' deliberately naïve flag, a world of joy and colour.

And the completed installation.

The Medieval building of the Town Hall relates Peace to History, our cultural backgrounds, the passage of time and what we all learn from it.

so is it over?

never

ever 

over

we know that the work towards peace in ourselves, our communities and our world is a 24/7/365 job... 

a practice, like any other... 

practices require awareness -

consider this blog a place to share your practice, to hone your awareness, to help others become conscious of it - whether it be thoughts you have, a story from your day, an image, some work you are doing... 

we are strengthened by community - and as one has begun here, let us continue to participate in it and share it... 

one thought

one word

one action at a time

brings us ever closer... 

thank you so much to all who came to this blog in any capacity - 

and to the makers, who made my heart swell with their work.

mary jane

Peace Day

I hope that everyone has had a beautiful and peaceful day.  Greeting from Florida!

My object is not a flag to be hung outdoors but is instead a pendant to be worn to remind the wearer that the goal of world peace will be attained only through the works of each individual.

A rectangle of poplar wood is layered with etched copper that has a leaf-shaped window with crocheted green cotton thread peeking through.

The back of the pendant was branded with the words “Path To Peace” and a spiral as a physical representation that the path to peace will not always be easy or comfortable.

The individual stitches of the crocheted cotton represent each of the many things that we can do to achieve the goal of “world peace”.

My blog post:  http://libellulajewelry.blogspot.com/2012/09/international-day-of-peace.html
-Susan 

Peace from New Orleans

 These prayer flags have been with us for over 15 years.  Today I finally put them all together.

They were hung out in front so that I too can enjoy them every day.

What a beautiful day to be hung.

Peace comes from within.
Do not seek it without.
~Buddha

Namaste
Kalaya

peaceful

So my second batch of flags are no longer waiting.

They are now outside, peacefully flying free

and keeping this sweet, little guy company.

"The most valuable possession you can own 

is an open heart. 

The most powerful weapon you can be 

is an instrument of peace." 
~Carlos Santana

Much love and peace to you all.

Prayer Flags/Kitty Mantra Laundry Line

I've been enjoying my tiny peace/prayer flags for a couple weeks. I've loved the process and how uplifting they are to have in my small studio. To read more about how I made them you can read about the process on my blog by clicking here.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this gathering of peace!

- Beth Hemmila

i am simply so grateful for all of the work and words that are being shared today and i look forward to reading every post... 

inspired by the darchor style of flags, my small metalwork seemed to lend itself to an interpretation of them... 

the just-opening lotus bud suggesting the vulnerability we often feel; a necessary transition that moves us towards blooming... for the more of us bloom, the better things are... 

in the final piece, the way the threads were knotted at the top created what look like arms - each color with its arms touching its neighbor... all connected, but separate - just like us... 

in peace, 
mary jane