Give Peace a Year posts are the notes from in person meetings aiming to transform the surprising levels of violence I found had crept into my everyday suburban life. I invited people to join me to Give Peace a Year. We started in February 2016 and ran for 3 years. Many surprising transformations to our stress levels, health and relationships were had. You can read the whole story of how it all began with my hair conditioner here.

With the aim of peace everywhere,

 starting here and now, transforming violence and conflict of needs  in life, one word, thought or deed at a time.

And because

it’s not the slog that will get us there, it’s the joy

for balance, things that warmed our hearts and made life a pleasure.

Starting where transformation is needed.

Examples from the group of peace lovers this week on Thursday 17th November

1.The US election result

After the shock had worn off, and, despite or maybe because of some disturbed sleep and nightmares following the election, we all seem inclined towards the same strategy

Don’t feed the fear.

Don’t give any more energy or airspace to talking about what’s wrong and stirring up the fear,

instead divert straight to sharing, and supporting, initiatives that address the issues and that stir up the love.

• Safety pin wearing to show you’ll stand with those being abused
• US non muslim citizens declaring willingness to register as muslim should such a register be established so as to confuse matters and show solidarity and let it be seen that such a register wouldn’t be effective

And many, many other examples of people showing support for one another.

Don’t feed the fear. Divert straight to love and create from there.

Barbara Hepworth prize winner to share prize

When things are made into a competition creating winners and losers and some humans are considered worthy of deciding who is better than someone else, especially in a highly subjective area like art, it goes to establish the feeling of lack, of not enough.

Native Americans say that if you win, you lose community.

Artist, Helen Marten, has pledged to share the £30,000 prize and so has found a way to benefit from the system whilst maintaining community. You can watch her acceptance speech and more at the link. She seems wise.

She’s also up for the Turner prize and would share that too.

Seattle Police Academy

Understanding that language is crucial, trainees talk about and see themselves as

Guardians of the Community

and not

Frontline Fighters in the War on Crime

And with that focus, de-escalation is a skill that is much lauded.

Prison Pheonix

A charitable trust offering yoga, meditation and books for prisoners