Trees of Peace

This year as well as creating a flag for peace, I am hoping to facilitate the creation of two Trees of Peace. Both trees will be made from 12 guage fencing wire.

The tree below has been twisted into shape - it is about 1.5m high. It is likely that it will become the focus of a children's art activity in our local library on the 21 September. Children will create peace leaves and attach their leaves with messages on them to the tree framework thus creating the Peace Tree.

©2013 Barry Smith - Bones of the childrens' Peace Tree

I also hope to create a larger  Peace Tree out the front of our block. This one will be about 2-2.5m high. Personally I will attach quite a number of anodised aluminium peace leaves on the tree. However I'm hoping to invite other people to send me leaves that I will attach to the tree thereby creating a communal  Peace Tree. The tree will be in place for the week leading up to Peace Day - and maybe for sometime after it. We live on a tourist road so I'm hoping folks will stop and engage with the tree and its meaning.

words are abundant,

but are they intentional?

what i am reading 

if there is a profusion 

of anything 

these days

it must be of words -

blogging

tweeting

facebook posting

texting

you name it - 

but are they chosen well?

intended not to harm,

but to help?

to encourage?

to connect?

to bring the world peace?

words can travel across thousands of miles.

may my words create mutual understanding

and love. 

may they be as beautiful as gems,

as lovely as flowers. 

(p. 98)

we are at the four month mark before the international day of peace -

do you have any ideas about how you will leave your mark?

don't forget to visit peaceoneday.org - they have issued an interesting and powerful challenge.