May 31st is poet Walt Whitman’s Birthday: Celebrate with silence

May 22, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

Walt Whitman is one of my favorite poets. I like to remember his birthday, which is on May 31st, and falls on a Thursday this year. There are some events and celebrations around this time at the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Long Island. And, my idea for a holiday to this beloved, transcendentalist, nature poet is to set aside 15 minutes on his birthday to celebrate silence.

More about a silent celebration of Walt Whitman’s birthday:

Continue reading May 31st is poet Walt Whitman’s Birthday: Celebrate with silence →

antiwar, Music, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

5/20: The Peace Song of the Day is “Peace Is Possible”

May 20, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

“Peace Is Possible” is the Peace Song of the Day for May 20, 2012. This song was created by Fre Atlast and Victoria Christgau.

The Duke and Duchess would like to dedicate this song to NATO, the NATO demonstrators, and the people of Chicago on this dramatic day of discussions about war and peace. The big march for today, Sunday May 20th, started at 2pm from Grant Park/Chicago. Info and details at Occupy Chicago: here.

More about the video and the NATO summit in Chicago at the readmore… Continue reading 5/20: The Peace Song of the Day is “Peace Is Possible” →

Music, Nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, Peace, Royal Song of The Day, Video

Donna Summer sang “Let There Be Peace”: Peace Song of the Day for 5/17/2012

May 17, 2012 susanna 1 Comment

Donna Summer passed away today. We found a song she sang about peace, and are making it the Peace Song of the Day.

“Let There Be Peace”
Dedicated to the memory of
Donna Summer, born LaDonna Adrian Gaines
Born: Dec 31, 1948
Died: May 17, 2012

Continue reading Donna Summer sang “Let There Be Peace”: Peace Song of the Day for 5/17/2012 →

antiwar, Music, Occupy Wall Street, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

Thinking about NATO: Peace Song of the Day for 5/16/2012

May 16, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

Jello Biafra‘s “Attack of the Peacekeepers” is the Peace Song of the Day for May 16th.

This choice is somewhat unusual for our Peace Couple daily project, because it is punk rock, a little too fast for most campfire singers, and has quite an edge of sarcasm. Though, NATO will meet in Chicago, and this song is an interesting way to think about the facts of peace, war, and military strategy.

This song is from the 1980’s. It alludes to the way that NATO made us believe we needed their bombs and military might to ward off the Soviets and East Germany. It is interesting to realize how the Soviet and East German threats truly faded away. And, it might be interesting to update this song with verses about the fake war on terrorism.

Sample lyrics and more info on the Chicago demonstrations at the readmore… Continue reading Thinking about NATO: Peace Song of the Day for 5/16/2012 →

antiwar, Nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, Peace, Social Justice

How do people who cherish peace respond to the NATO summit in Chicago?

May 16, 2012 susanna Leave a comment

A collection of links and articles related to work being done by activists in Chicago, to nurture peace and nonviolence, as NATO meets in Chicago, on May 20th and 21st.

The big march will be:
5/20/2012 Sunday starting at 2pm from Grant Park/Chicago
(with cultural and lead-up activities starting at 11am)

at OccupyWallSt.org
#ChicagoSpring: Occupy NATO May 12-21 Full Schedule

commentary at In These Times
As Chicago Prepares For NATO, Four Ways That Demonstrators Can Win
(including very specific comments and strategies for the peace movement) Continue reading How do people who cherish peace respond to the NATO summit in Chicago? →

Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week, Uncategorized

Prasad: The Way to Disarmament

May 15, 2012 Augustus Leave a comment

The fifteenth chapter of The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace contains Rajendra Prasad‘s 1963 essay The Way to Disarmament. Like the recently discussed writings by Merton, Fromm, and Muste, finding the path to peace through disarmament is the focus of Prasad’s essay. Dr. Prasad spent his life working for Indian independence and was the first President of the Republic of India. He wrote the essay a year before he died.

Prasad decries the technological advance of warfare. He found that this “misuse” of science and techonolgy vastly increased the scale of human life that was destroyed, and seperated the destructive act from the realization that human life was being taken. His discussion is immediately relevant to the use of drones to murder today. Prasad looks to his contemporaries for guidance on how to move foraward”

This is what Mahatma Gandhi meant when he said that ultimate nonviolence was only safe defense not only for the individual but for nations. Continue reading Prasad: The Way to Disarmament →