[Catalyst #13] Peace Poles - International Day of Peace
 

By Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network

Today is Independence Day in the United States and my prayer today is that we, as a country, can empower the next wave of evolution into true Interdependence, which is the foundation for peace in the world.

We are midstream on the Summer of Peace now, our annual philanthropic program that focuses on creating a culture of peace. What I love most about the Summer of Peace is the inspiring stories of peace efforts around the world and the beautiful ways the entire Shift Network community can take actions in our own lives.

We regularly receive amazing emails from Shift Network members who are either repairing relationships in their lives, creating International Cities of Peace, organizing meditations, playing in the Compassion Games and lots of other activities!

I invite you to submit an article for The Catalyst about your commitment to peace and how that is taking shape. Please send your 400-800 word article to us by July 27 — editor@theshiftnetwork.com, along with a photo and brief bio.

The Summer of Peace is our commitment to you and the larger global community to accelerate the shift to a peaceful world. With this in mind, we are making ALL summit interviews available for free, including the downloads for later listening (register by clicking here). In this Catalyst, we highlight recent sessions focused on inner peace, peace in relationships and peace in parenting.

This edition of The Catalyst is dedicated to one of my favorite peace symbols: Peace Poles! There are now over 200,000 Peace Poles around the world. Peace Poles have "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written on them, often with several languages on one Peace Pole. Peace Poles are like global acupuncture needles — they ground our peace intentions in locations around the world. Each time I see one (as I recently did in Ashland, Oregon), I envision this global network of beacons for peace arrayed around the world.

This year, we are partnering with the World Peace Prayer Society (founders of the Peace Pole Project), BeThePeace and others to call for synchronized meditations/celebrations around Peace Poles on the International Day of Peace (September 21). Through our joint prayers and meditations we can activate a global grid of powerful peace intention.

In this Catalyst we feature a beautiful, heart-warming story from Fumi Johns Stewart on how Peace Poles were inspired in Japan following World War Two. Fumi herself is from American-Japanese heritage. We also have inspiring Peace Pole stories from Hideo Nakazawa in Japan, Caroline Uchima in Scotland, Jacek Kowzlowski in Poland, Jenny Funston in Australia and New Zealand, and, Marta Rojas Berndt in Chile.

I encourage you to join the Peace Pole/BeThePeace initiative by participating in or organizing a meditation near a Peace Pole – click here. You can purchase or make a Peace Pole in advance for your home, school, church or business – click here. Or, you can find Peace Poles near you already.

The Peace Pole Project Song
Children from different faiths and schools gather to sing and record an original song about world peace and Peace Poles. This song is dedicated to the non-profit, non-denominational U.N. based World Peace Prayer Society. To learn more, click here.
 

Featured Summer of Peace Recordings – FREE
The Summer of Peace is our commitment to peace in the world. The free summit provides tangible skills you can apply in your daily life. Here are three recent sessions.

Register to listen to over 70+ FREE interviews – click here!


Peace Poles – May Peace Prevail on Earth
By Fumi Johns Stewart

I often felt conflicted as a child. My father's country, the United States, had fought a war with my mother's country, Japan, which ended with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. I just could not fathom the reason why such an atrocity could happen especially between the two nations of my ancestors that flowed in my bloodstream. My wish was to serve one day as an ambassador of peace to bridge and bring healing to the two cultures of my heritage . . . [read more]

Hideo Nakazawa Peace Pole – Japan
By Hideo Nakazawa

It was in the summer of 1968 when I first encountered the Japanese peace prayer and message, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written in beautiful Japanese Calligraphy. I saw on a small vertical paper sticker which was placed on the wall of a natural food store in Shibuya, Tokyo . . . [read more]

Peace Pole Story – Scotland
By Caroline Uchima

I lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and I first saw a Peace Pole at my local shrine. (Every area in Japan has its local Shinto shrine, with an ancient tree presiding as the sacred guardian of the Shrine and neighbourhood) I was surprised because the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" was in English as well as Japanese. I felt a little ripple of hope and pleasure that someone had made the effort to plant this symbol in such an unobtrusive and gentle way. After that I started to see Peace Poles everywhere — in Buddhist temples, on street corners, in public parks and even at the top of a mountain I climbed. I eventually discovered that groups of volunteers from the World Peace Prayer Society (WPPS) were responsible for planting these Peace Poles. I loved that the message was silently rippling out in harmony wherever it happened to be . . . [read more]

Peace Pole Story – Poland
By Jacek Kowzlowski

I was born two decades after World War II in Poland which was under Soviet Union control at the time. As a child, I remember wanting to be free and independent. I dreamt of traveling, of finding new friends, and discovering the world. But there were many restrictions and special regulations during that time in Poland. I could not travel freely and it was difficult for me to get a passport. Even our phone calls were controlled . . . [read more]

For submissions and recommendations, email editor@theshiftnetwork.com.

Peace Pole Story – Australia and New Zealand
By Jenny Funston

My name is Jenny Funston and I live in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. I first learnt about Peace Poles after reading a book in 1997 by Masami Saionji, who leads the Peace Pole movement. Imagine my delight when I visited Japan in 1998 and saw my very first Peace Pole outside a temple in Osaka!

I really like the idea of silent sentinels for peace popping up all over the globe, most untagged, but very much visible. They come in all sizes and designs, although an obelisk style pole is most usual . . . [read more]

Peace Pole Story – Chile
By Susan Olesek with Elam Chance

My name is Marta Rojas Berndt. I live in Santiago de Chile where I am a teacher of Plastic Arts. I also do alternative therapies.

I came across the Peace Pole Project in June 2007, when Elena Becú came to my country. Since then I have participated in Peace Pole activities regularly.

In December 2007, I started a special spiritual program and in February 2008 my husband built a Peace Pole which we planted in our balcony . . . [read more]

CNN Report – Cultural shifts and brain scans: Is searching for spirituality the new American dream? To learn more – click here.

Mirabai Starr:

Summer of Peace – Featured Speakers Resources:

The EFT Universe Peak Performance Symposium – Register for free recordings of recent interviews with Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Lipton, John Gray and Dawson Church. The Latest Scientific Research is In. Turns Out What We Thought About Success Up Until Now... Is Wrong. To listen, click here.

Help your community become an International City of Peace and together we can reach the Goal 2020: 1000 Cities of Peace. For more information: click here.
  • The Facebook page: click here.
  • The Global Feast for Peace: click here.
  • The Eugene City of Peace organization has many resources for communities working toward a culture of peace: click here.

JOIN the Compassion Games and make your community safer, kinder, more just and a better place to live. By participating, players are called upon to perform acts of service and kindness in our neighborhoods, on the job, in service-providing agencies, and wherever their daily journey takes them. The acts of service are organized projects or simple acts of kindness to aid a neighbor in need or just for the pure joy of it! The 2014 Games will run from September 11 through September 21, 2014 and involves people around the world. You can join now by clicking here!

Join BeThePeace and The Peace Pole Project for synchronized meditations around Peace Poles on the International Day of Peace (September 21, 2014)
  • Peace Pole Project – where to order your Peace Pole, how to make one, youth project, translations, etc. – click here.
  • BeThePeace - Find or create a meditation – click here.
  • The International Day of Peace – click here.

A Comprehensive Approach to Fight Malaria – join the United Nations, United Methodists, and the Bill and Melinda (Devaa) Gates Foundation in preventing malaria. You can help purchase mosquito nets – the goal is to raise $2 million. To join the effort, click here.

"Isabella Price released a new series of e-books under the theme of 'One Truth, Many Paths.' Her work is important because of her insights about the common ground of all religions. Her books are crucial now that we have so much inter-religious conflict. She also uses tools from integral theory in her work." (Quote by Byron Belitsos, former editor of The Catalyst.) To learn more about Isabella's writings, click here.

Children of the Earth has released a new CD — Wisdom of the Heart: Songs to Inspire Transcendence and Peace. Accomplished celebrities include Tina Turner of international fame with Regula Curti and Dechen Shak-Dagsay. Children of the Earth also offer a Spiritual Activism Handbook to help young and older people to experience inner revolution for social evolution. To learn more, click here.

JOIN a global oneness campaign for youth and families that invites youth to proclaim their connectedness through dancing and singing in flashmobs. To learn more, click here.

The 2014 Global Peace Index has just been released along with new groundbreaking research that identifies the countries most at risk of instability and violence. This year the Global Peace Index report focuses on identifying countries most at risk of instability and conflict; it explores the institutions that underpin peaceful societies, and look at the link between conflict risk, resilience and peacebuilding institutions. To learn more, click here.

Celebrate Life Festival (CLF), one of Europe's largest spiritual events with more than 1,000 attendees live and online, invites you to join the Mystical Summer School – Renaissance of Spirit from July 24 to August 3, 2014. In the eleventh year of the CLF, people from all over the world will study the mystical principles and in a dynamic mix of exploration and celebration, exercises and encounters, develop a culture that places awakening in the center of everyday life. To learn more, click here.

Breath Immersion – From Science to Samadhi – August 24–29 – Breath Immersion to explore leading-edge research and learn how to integrate and advance the power of breath into our modern world. Those new and experienced in breath practice are invited to participate in building a healthier world together. To learn more, click here.

The Economics of Sustainability – Emerging Models for a Healthy Planet – October 6-9, 2014 – Fort Mason, SF, CA – The Economics of Sustainability conference is looking 50 years into the future. Our challenge is to bring forth a transformation of cultural and economic relationships so that environmental sustainability, social justice, and economic democracy become our way of life. To learn more, click here.

2014 Catalyst: (#13, 7/4) (#12, 6/15) (#11, 6/1) (#10, 5/18) (#9, 5/4) (#8, 4/20) (#7, 4/6) (#6, 3/23) (#5, 3/9) (#4, 2/22) (#3, 2/8) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/12)

2013 Catalyst: (#22, 12/14) (#21, 11/30) (#20, 11/16) (#19, 11/3) (#18, 10/20) (#17, 10/6) (#16, 9/21) (#15, 9/8) (#14, 8/25) (#13, 8/4) (#12, 7/21), (#11, 7/7), (#10, 6/16) (#9, 6/2) (#8, 5/12) (#7, 4/28) (#6, 4/14) (#5, 3/24) (#4, 2/24) (#3, 2/9) (#2, 1/26) (#1, 1/13)

Birth 2012 Catalyst: (#15, 12/9) (#14, 12/1) (#13, 11/22) (#12, 11/10) (#11, 11/3) (#10, 10/20) (#9, 10/6) (#8, 9/16) (#7, 9/8) (#6, 8/25) (#5, 8/16) (#4, 8/4) (#3, 7/28) (#2, 7/21) (#1, 7/14)
 
2014 Issue 13 • Jul 4
The Shift Catalyst is a bi-weekly ezine for conscious change, powered by The Shift Network.

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• Shift Network Update
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Like Us. Collaborate!

Peace Pole – Purchase or make a Peace Pole for your home and/or community and plan to join the global meditations on September 21. To learn more, click here.

Discovering the Genie in Your Genes: Three Easy Ways to Harness Epigenetics for a Healthier Life. Learn simple transformational practices to unlock pathways to a more vibrant and energized life. With author Dawson Church, Ph.D. July 5, 2014 at 10:00am Pacific

What is Christing 2.0?:A Path of Incarnating the Divine into Your Daily Life. Join us for a sacred hour with one of today's leading spiritual pioneers – Author, Teacher and Founder of Waking Down, Saniel Bonder July 16, 2014 at 5:30pm Pacific

The Love Initiation: 7 Weeks of Sacred Activation for Your Heart, Relationships and Life. A deeply experiential and transformational initiation into activating a more whole, divine, loving current in your heart and your mind. With spiritual teacher Bill Bauman. Begins July 8

More Upcoming Events: (all subject to change)

July
• Shakti Summit
• Dawson Church 6-week course
• Lisa Schrader 7-week course
• Saniel Bonder 7-week course
• Robert Moss 7-week course
• Joey Klein 7-week course

August
• Future of Yoga mini-summit
• Laura Cornell 8-week course
• Sally Kempton 7-week course
• Barbara Marx Hubbard 12-week course
• Bill Bauman 6-month intensive
• Margaret Paul 9-month intensive

September
• Miranda Macpherson 4-month course
• Lisa Schrader 9-month intensive
• Enneagram 9-month intensive
• Tim Kelley 7-week course

October
• Enlightened Business Summit
• James O'Dea 6-week course
• Andrew Harvey 7-week course
• Anodea Judith 7-week course

The World Peace Prayer Society's Peace Pole Project – When you plant a Peace Pole in your community, you are linking with people all over the world who have planted Peace Poles in the same spirit of peace. To learn more, click here.


Sarah Anali
By Eleanor Tara

A musician after my own heart, Sarah Anali creates songs to inspire others to pursue their unique paths and trust their inner guidance. Initially writing about her personal story and struggles, she went on journey of deep healing and began to focus on themes that are more all-encompassing. She shares about her new songs, "How do we stay connected with a higher power while remaining engaged in this world? How do we live as Spirit without denying our humanness? How do we live fearlessly from the heart, while acknowledging our imperfections and fears? These are open questions in my life and my music. I may never get answers, but I will never stop asking." Her debut album, The Gift of Grace, is aptly titled. Each song is a much needed dose of spiritual medicine, with every wise word knocking on the door of your psyche until you finally let it in. Click here to experience her healing magic.

Evolutionary Leaders

The Foundation for Conscious Evolution

The Shift Movie

Humanity's Team

Green America

The National Peace Academy

Sacred Centers

Center for Sacred Studies

International Cities of Peace

Agape International Spiritual Center

Gaiafield Project

Click here to apply for inclusion above.