Bringing Peace To Our World 2017

I love the fact that I'm able to share so many inspirational stories with so many people - both locally and from around the world!  One way that I do this, is by writing stories for the Villager magazines.  There are several in London and I usually write for the Byron Villager, Lambeth Villager and occasionally the Kilworth/Komoka/Delaware Villager.

One of my monthly features is called 'Feet On The Street'.  I pose a question of the month and then ask people to answer them.

With International Peace Day approaching, my question was about PEACE and what people do to bring a little bit of it into the world.  Here are a few of the responses that I received....



Krista Charbonneau

I grew up learning that the most important way to bring peace to our world is by taking care of it.  One way that my family does this is by growing our own food and supporting local farmers.  Just last week, my children and I were picking beans, watermelon, kale, beets and tomatoes out of our own garden.  We’ve just bought a 4 acre farm in this area and we plan to continue growing fruits and vegetables as well as raising chickens, goats and maybe even a pig!  It’s important to provide for your family by being sustainable.  If we act responsibly and become a positive example for others then more people will realize the benefits of understanding how important our climate is and how we need to act kindly towards Nature.

Haven



My name is Haven and I am 10 years old.  My hope would be to stop hunger because I want to be a doctor.  I want to travel the world with food, water and blankets to help people in need.  Poverty should not be in the world.  That’s why I need to help others that have that problem.  My plan to help others is to work hard and get an education and take courses to become a doctor.  This will help put more peace into our world.




Joan Carver

There are so many things that each of us can do to bring a bit of joy and peace to our world.  There’s just so much that needs to get done!  Many years ago, I was involved with Big Sisters and this experience made me realize how important it is to be understanding of others facing challenges.  For five years, I met with a young girl, once a week.  We would go for walks and go out for dinner.  It was important for her to have someone who would listen to her stories and then fill her with encouragement so that she could face her challenges.  Sometimes, we’d just sit quietly and paint, while I showed her how wonderful it is to be able to express yourself.  I’ve volunteered with many different groups, over the years, and I believe that by ‘giving back’ to the world, we create more peace.


Carson



Hi!  My name is Carson and I am nine years old and in Grade 4.  I am trying to make local and global peace.  There are different ways to make peace in the world – like eating food from your garden instead of eating fast food.  Fun fact #1: Eating fast food takes 100 calories of oil to make 1 calorie of food and eating from your garden takes 1 calorie of oil to make 100 calories of food!  Fun fact #2: I love raspberries and potatoes!  By not eating fast food I am saving lots of oil and that means I’m saving our natural environment and the animals.
 


Cindy Winegarden



Peace is all about how we connect with our family, friends and our community.  As my children grow, I’m always amazed by all the ways that we are able to have fun and connect with each other.  That’s why we’re at this blueberry farm today!  I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl and I always loved picking blueberries with my mom and grandma and now I’m doing the same things with my children.  Picking blueberries is also a way to bring peace to our world, because we are supporting local farmers, supporting the non-use of pesticides and decreasing our carbon footprint because we won’t be buying any blueberries imported all the way from Mexico.  Most of our berries will be frozen so that we can enjoy them throughout the winter when we bake pies or make breakfast smoothies.





 Ron Pearce



I love creating art for two reasons… while I’m working, I find a love for the act of creation (which brings me peace) and when I’m done, I enjoy seeing the smiles on the faces of those who come to see my work (realizing that my work has brought them happiness).  Several years ago, I was involved in a snow sculpting competition in the arctic and I created a scene involving an Inuit elder and a young Inuit.  The elder was wearing a seal skin parka and I put an inukshuk in his scene.  The young Inuit was wearing a hoody, Ray-bans and working on a computer.  I wanted to use my art to show how our world is changing and how cultures are changing.  All the sculptors worked for 3 or 4 days on their creations in sub-zero temperatures and none of us got paid.  We all do these exhibitions because it’s what we do and what we love.  I believe that it’s actions like this that bring a little bit more peace and happiness to the world. 




 Elektra Hendrikx




In high school, I fell in love with music and learned how to play the trumpet and the drums.  I still play the drums and I think it’s because the beats are connected to our own heartbeat.  When you connect with your own heart you can learn to connect with all the rhythms that surround us that connect us with our Earth.  By doing this, we can appreciate life and this helps us to be more peaceful in all the things that we do.


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I hope that these words and actions will inspire all readers to realize just how easy it is to make a positive change in this world!  

Jim Kogelheide
September 2017



 

 
 

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