Discovering Delicate Deserts (3 Ds)

Tourism: Climate Change and Deserts Teaching Modules

‘Discovering Delicate Deserts’ (3D’s)

April 12, 2011

Introduction
    Many people visit desert environments as tourists. They visit the large open spaces for the appreciation of landscape, photographing geological land formations, to experience various sunrises and sunsets, and the diversity of desert species. However they don’t always know the affects that they leave behind. This is why we need young people to fully understand how Climate Change will affect every species on planet earth, especially humans. It is hoped that through knowledge of the processes involved, students will learn how to prevent the conflicts and be able to possibly prevent and maybe solve the problems that arise, before they begin travelling.
    Throughout these modules there will be topics which will contain a potential conflict, requiring at least one solution. As an expression of what students have learned, they may like to portray their ideas using language arts, technology and art work in the fields of music, art, drama, operetta, composition, orchestral productions, and sculpture.
    As climate change is a weather concern, this is already included in current curriculum These may include such things as:

1.    Summers in Canada which may become longer with more rain.
2.    Winters will be colder in areas where it is not expected. Canadian winters might be warmer with less snow.
3.    Desertification is already increasing dramatically in many countries due to slash and burn farming, urban expansion, and water reduction.
4.    Globally, humans are using more water than their ecological footprint allows, and this means that nature’s water requirements are no longer sufficient to keep the hydrological cycle working.
5.    Forests are burning due to lack of rain.(ie: Victoria, Australia)
6.    The Arctic pools have dried up and are burning.
7.    Ice is melting on land which increases the sea levels.
8.    Oceans will ingress coastal lowlands and coral islands will be the first affected.
9.    Populations are going to be relocated due to sea level rise.
10.    Communities will have to relocate because of desertification eg: China.
These are only some of the global crises we are experiencing which will require educators to include positive lessons in environmental studies, inter-cultural understanding, conflict resolution of the global commons and the relocation of political boundaries. Global commons include the Arctic, oceans, space, and atmosphere. Global Governance for the global commons will need to be addressed. All humans will have to re-assess how they will live on planet earth.

Educators will need to re-design their courses with a sustainability focus in all subjects taught at all levels of education. What has been taught in schools has been part of the problem of the global commons issues that we are faced with now. Creating educational modules that have a focus on peace and sustainability education, has always been one of the many aspects of IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens program.

Deserts - a survival educational global common

It will be useful for everyone to know how live in a desert and cope with desertification. There will be problems that we can solve, also changes that we are not expecting, in every country. We all can learn techniques as to how to live in peace, as the planet heats up, and the sea level rises. Keep in mind that everything you do and suggest must COOL the EARTH.

World Geography
1.    Find a world map and draw all the world deserts.
2.    Use another colour and extend the world map with projected extended deserts due to climate change. It is expected that in North America the band of deserts will include Texas, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
    a.    For a list of the world’s deserts see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deserts
    b.    Map of world deserts http://attachments.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=606519&d=1235908962
    c.  
List of North American deserts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_deserts
    d.    Map of Australian Deserts
    e.    In a classroom, create five groups of students, one for each of the five continents. Each student to choose one desert to study in that continent. Identify the desert eco-zone, how many species live in it, what these species are, which species are endangered, and where they live.

3.    Maslows Basic Values
    a.    Food
          i.    Science for Peace / Canadian Pugwash, Global Issues Project has developed a Food and Population statement .
          ii.    IHTEC has produced a Food and Population document.
         iii.    planting for food security.
   b.    Water - see Water Dedication and ‘Freshwater Document’
         i.    Dehydration and evaporation are the greatest concern.
   c.    Housing - Must be able to withstand increasing weather events. Many live underground (Cooper Pedy, South Australia).
   d.    Protection from the heat - Study how animals protect themselves from the heat.
   e.    Health - Protection from the desert environments. Some deserts are cold.
   f.    Physiological needs
   g.    Safety needs
   h.    Love and belongingness needs
   i.    Self - Esteem needs
   j.    Aesthetic and cognitive needs (complexity)
   k.    Self-actualization needs (relationships, hobbies and interests that generate FLOW eg Csikszentmihalyi)
   l.    Inner peace (relaxation, meditation, self esteem) http://austega.com/education/articles/flow.htm

4.    Desert Societies - Inter-cultural global governance
    a.    Choose a desert culture and show it on a map.
    b.    Study how one of the following desert cultures survives. This study is to be at the local level in their villages.
        i.    Australian Aboriginals in the outback.
        ii.    African villagers
        iii.    North American Indians - First Nations
        iv.    Chinese in the Gobi desert.
        v.    Cahuilla Indians - USA

    c.    How do their local village governments include them at the State or Provincial and National levels? Do powerful people listen to their values and needs? Discuss
        i.    Continued conservation and preservation of nature conservancies, parks and forests and the livelihood of indigenous tribes.
        ii.    Desertification which is ingressing on villages.
        iii.    Protection of wild lands that are uninhabited at present..

    d.    World Governments involvement in desert environments. Identify
        i.    Laws at all levels of Government.
        ii.    Actions that prevent desertification, or react to desertification.
        iii.    Countries where financial support has been given to protect forests.

5.    Environmental Science
    a.    Fragile landscapes -
        i.    Geographical adaption to life in deserts
        ii.    Extinction of desert species
        iii.    Desert species that are endangered. Study their habitat.
        iv.    Geological structure of sand, soils, rocks and landmasses
            (1)    Moon landscapes in deserts
            (2)    Uluru - Ayers Rock, The Olgas, Desert Marbles in Australia.
            (3)    The Arches in USA.
            (4)    Fossils found in deserts, which indicate the types of flora and fauna that used to be in the desert areas.
        v.    Deserts in mountains.
        vi.    Military use - use Google Earth and NASA maps to identify
            (1)    Military camps, such the one in New Zealand on a semi-arid mountain plateau.
            (2)    Military camps in deserts in the Middle East.
            (3)    Military use of fossil fuels affecting climate change.
            (4)    Nuclear weapon testing and storage sites
            (5)    Nuclear waste sites
            (6)    Antarctica (which is demilitarized under the Antarctica Treaty and is one of the driest places on earth with no rainfall) and the Arctic where there are numerous military bases plus nuclear submarines patrolling.
        vii.    Human occupation - caravan routes
            (1)    Oil fields
            (2)    Affects of solar energy sites on deserts
        viii.    Deserts and Arid lands - YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-St-I3qRFQE

    b.    Water -
        i.    Aquifers and the importance of water conservation.
        ii.    Desalination of saline and bore water.
        iii.    The role of melting snow.
        iv.    Sea water ingress into fresh water on costal sand dunes
        v.    Role of sand for purification
        vi.    Identify plants that contain water for drinking.
        vii.    Dry river beds and underground rivers
        viii.    Households
            (1)    Use small plastic bowls for washing dishes, with the same amount of water.
            (2)    Ensure sewage is away from your house. Use an eco-toilet.
        ix.    Dedicate in your International School Peace Gardens yourself to the ‘IHTEC Water Dedication’.

    c.    Food - Identify food eaten by humans and other species.
        i.    Indians in the USA follow the coyote, and if the coyote can eat it, then they can eat it. They check the animals dung.
        ii.    Make a slide show of the species you have found and share it.

    d.    Plants
        i.    Identify plants for food, water and  medicines. Creosote is one plant that  has over 50 uses.
        ii.    Identify plants that are poisonous.
        iii.    Tequila
            (1)    drink
            (2)    threads for dying and weaving
        iv.    Trees for shade and habitat.
        v.    Create a living environment that you could live in a desert. Use solar and  wind energy for all your needs. This can be as a planning document, a painting, or a computer model.
    e.    Species
        i.    Notice how various animal and plant species:-
            (1)    Collect water - arrow weed, palm fronds, sticks and mud, cactus
            (2)    Use the early morning and  evenings and nights - burrows
            (3)    Frogs that live underground for years (Uluru or Ayers Rock - Alice Springs, NT, Australia.)
            (4)    Plants that bloom only when it rains.
        ii.    Birds
            (1)    Migration patterns - as they often land in deserts during their return to warmer areas.
        iii.    Fish -
            (1)    Identify species of fish that live in the desert you have chosen to study.
            (2)    Name factors that have threatened many fish species from the list.
                (a)    Chemicals, predators, irrigation diversion, dams, overuse of available water by humans.
        iv.    Lizards and snakes

    f.    Energy
        i.    Solar - How does a power station affect a desert?
        ii.    Energy Conservation
        iii.    Wind - How windmills affect the soil in deserts.
        iv.    Fires - these are increasing.
        v.    Use of solar for homes.
            (1)    Air conditioner
            (2)    Hot water - see the ‘Sunovar - solar kettle’ Contact:-  helmut.burkhardt@bell.net
        vi.    Building Materials for Homes that reduce energy use.
            (1)    Blinds, curtains
            (2)    Colour - white is cool; black is hot

    g.    Soil
        i.    Dust Storms
        ii.    Top soil loss
        iii.    Dry river beds that have flash floods.
        iv.    Effect of rainfall on soil erosion.- mud etc
        v.    Rocks - Grinding stones that last for over 100 years.
            (1)    Fracking for oil and natural gass and its affect on rocks.
        vi.    Art from soil - Clay, Sand, use of ‘ochre’ from hillsides in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

    h.    Weather
        i.    This has already been included in most curricula.
        ii.    Climate Change and Energy documents. (Global Issues Project http://www.scienceforpeace.ca/global-issues-project  and  IHTEC http://www.ihtec.org

6.    Humans Impacts
        i.    Every vehicle leaves a mark for years.
        ii.    Humans’ effluent has a major affect on aquifers
        iii.    Need for meat for food, has required rain forests to be cut down for the production of beef cattle. The land that is left then becomes a desert and never grows back into an old forest again, even when re-planting occurs.
    b.    Protection
        i.    Use hats and sun protection at all times.
        ii.    Loose clothing that is made of light cotton materials.

7.    Population
    a.    Study the effects of increased human populations on deserts.
    b.    Study the effects of human populations on species - colour and pollination

8.    Economics - Affluence, Poverty and  Consumerism
    a.    How can we reduce our needs for the resources that are available to us from deserts?
        i.    Oil - Plastics
        ii.    Mining
        iii.    Gems
    b.    Consider what the ecological footprint is for 6 items that you use in your daily life. Find if it has come from a desert and how to reduce your use.

9.    Technology
    a.    Transportation
        i.    Roads - the affect of off-road vehicles on deserts.
        ii.    Vehicles
            (1)    Solar Cars - build one and use it.
    b.    Animals for transportation - Camels

Resources:
Phillips, S. J. and  Wentworth Conus, P. (2000) “A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert” Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum. Tucson.

Evenari, Shanan and Tadmor “The Negev - The Challenge of a Desert”.

Jampolsky MD, G. G. (1979) “ Love is Letting Go of Fear”.

List of Desert Museums and Interpretive Centres

Brace Research Institute for Arid Areas, Magill University, Quebec. - Many research papers and conferences held.

Indigenous Tourism Australia
http://www.indigenoustourism.australia.com/

Sonora Desert Museum. Tucson, Arizona
http://www.desertmuseum.org/about/

Osoyoos, BC Canada, Southernmost corner of British Columbia’s beautiful Okanagan Valley http://www.desert.org/

Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, National Park Headquarters
Yulara, Northern Territory 0872, Australia  http://en.travelnt.com/

The Living Desert
47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Telephone:  760-346-5694, Fax:  760-568-9685
www.livingdesert.org

Earth Poles for Peace and Sustainability Education

Carving Wooden Earthpoles
Representing Peace and Sustainability logos and slogans.
These can also be made into Peace Poles with a few words, see below.


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 and 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

i. Write "May Peace Prevail on Earth" and join the network of 'Peace Poles' around the Earth.
See Website: http://www.worldpeace.org  and  http://www.peacepoleproject.org/


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

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 and 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 and 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 and 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 Bertell, 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 Ritalin 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 educational paradigm, will be the downfall of an intellectual civilization on planet earth.

IHTEC AGM Report and New Video by Colene Riffo

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 Annual General Meeting -  Report and Time Line July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

Meeting to be held at IHTEC HQ
and virtually on Talking Communities and 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
2009-2010

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 and 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 involvement.
• 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 on 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 and 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

Global Sustainability Education

through the

International School Peace Gardens

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

by Julia Morton-Marr and 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.

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. War Museum

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://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 on 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, focused on conflict resolution, environmental studies, inter-cultural understanding, bio-diversity, food security, 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 and 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

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.

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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 - Post Crisis Ideas

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.

To be donated to a school:

* $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.org

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.