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Friends of
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Friends of
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| Fall/Winter, 1999 | "Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, hatred with love" | Number 32 |
Online Edition
| Dear Friends of Peace Pilgrim, The
response to our last newsletter #31 has been especially heart-warming - many asking for
copies to give to family, friends, Peace Fairs, places of worship, etc. John happened to
have ordered a larger quantity than usual, so if you want more, let us know. And as always
at least one reader said, "its the best yet". More
heart-warming were the heartfelt responses to letters in the NL. The letter from the
Diocese of Nigeria received eight contributions in answer to their request for 2000 books.
Therefore we sent several more boxes of books to the Diocese. The letter from Natasha in
Russia on the front page of NL 31 was answered by several readers. A prisoner and Gary
Kester, who has a Peace Pilgrim Center in Stilwell, Oklahoma, wrote beautiful letters to
her and sent us copies. We heard from Natasha how thrilled she was to receive letters in
answer to her letter in NL 31. §§§§§ PUBLISHING PEACE PILGRIM IN INDIA (Back to TOC) From V.R. Asrani, Bombay, India I
had occasion to read the PEACE PILGRIM book. Words fail me to express the direct lucidness
and import of the message contained therein. It could well have been a distilled
summarized extract of the messages contained in the scriptures of all the religions of the
world, i.e., Hindu, Chinese, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, etc, written in a style so
direct and useful to the layman that it could be a way of life for everybody. I
am keen on distributing free of charge copies of the book to all my friends and associates
and spread the message contained. I would like to obtain 100 books and 100 STEPS
immediately, for free distribution." He then
discovered that mailing with duty is so expensive that he now hopes, and we hope, he will
have it published there - which is much less expensive than here. There are two other Indians
interested in getting our Peace Pilgrim book published in India. One writes from Gujarat:
"I have received paperback edition of PEACE PILGRIM from my Guru Prabhakar. I want to
print 1000 for free distribution to interested persons. §§§§§ PEACE PILGRIM BOOK
IN SLOVENIAN We
received an email from Franc Burgar who finished the translation. The book is being
printed and he will send us a copy. He also told us of groups working for peace. §§§§§ THE NEW PEACE
PILGRIM DOCUMENTARY by Khashyar Darvich, Wakan Films In
July we traveled to India and spent about one hour with the Dalai Lama at his residence in
Dharamsala,India [A generous patron made this trip possible.] We have about 45 minutes of
interview material with him for the Peace Pilgrim documentary. Below are some of his
comments about Peace Pilgrim while holding her book: "Her
motivation and activities are effective methods. Her commitment to propagate peace through
actions, the peace walk, without seeking money or fame, is wonderful. We need such
determined people everywhere, irrespective of culture, race, religion, It doesn't matter.
We are all brothers and sisters. Peace Pilgrim is a real peacemaker" David
Mueller and I are working hard to edit the Peace Pilgrim documentary so it will be
finished during the first of the year. We began with 250 hours of footage; now have a four
hour rough cut. Each time we watch it and make several improvements, it becomes better,
more powerful. Our
goal is to transfer the documentary from video onto 16 or 35 millimeter film so that it
will be able to be shown in film festivals all over the world (and possibly some
theaters). We would also like to enter it into the Oscar competition, and one of the
requirements is having the documentary on film. [Transferring from video to film is very
expensive, up to $25,000. Our treasurer reports that we may need financial help for this.] David
Mueller and I continue to focus every day on helping to make the Peace Pilgrim documentary
serve the Greatest Good in the best way possible, and we will continue to keep you
updated. Khashyar Darvich may be reached at khashyar@wakan.com. §§§§§ PEACE PILGRIM BOOK
IN TELUGU A professor from the Indian
Institute of Science in Bangalore, India
writes: I
have gone through the STEPS booklet given to me by a friend in New York. I am impressed
and would like to read the PEACE PILGRIM book and introduce these valuable ideas to some
of my friends. We plan to translate the book and booklet into Telugu, one of our country's
major languages. §§§§§ OHIO - This book
has changed my life. EUROPEAN PEACE CARAVAN: FALL 1998 by Bruce Nichols Last
fall I spent 11 days with World Citizen Diplomats on their Caravan. Peace Pilgrim's
message, in the form of STEPS TOWARD INNER PEACE booklets, traveled throughout Europe with
these international peacemakers. The
Princeton, New Jersey based non-profit organization conducted its third Peace Caravan.
Travelling over 10,000 miles in just two months, the caravan visited 19 cities in 9
countries. I joined the group in Italy for the last segment of the tour. The trip had
started in The Hague, Netherlands and ranged as far north as Jokkmokk, Sweden (which is
north of the Arctic Circle), and as far south as Monopoly, Italy (which is way down on the
heel). Seven hardy travelers completed the entire journey, others, like myself, joined for
shorter periods. We traveled in an overstuffed nine-passenger van accommodating ten people
and all their luggage. The
Peace travelers were from Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the USA and ranged in age from 18
to almost 70. This was the third Peace Caravan for World Citizen Diplomats and the first
to leave the North American continent. (Lois Nicolai, founder of the organization, was a
visitor at the Friends of Peace Pilgrim center during an earlier US tour). They
seek to promote greater domestic, international, and intercultural understanding among
people worldwide through citizen to citizen diplomacy. During the tour, we were hosted by
ordinary citizens. Staying
in the homes of local families, we shared fellowship, ideas, ideals, and meals. Not unlike
Peace Pilgrim's experience, our hosts arranged meetings with local government officials,
civic and religious groups where we presented STEPS and programs on citizen peacemaking
and encouraged groups and communities to celebrate January 1st, 2000 as "One Day in
Peace." Some
highlights of the tour included meetings with mayors of The Hague, Netherlands; Aarhus,
Denmark; Jokkmokk, Sweden; Heidelberg, Germany; and Albanella, Italy. We met with city
officials in Hamburg, Germany; Bern, Switzerland; the Kazakhstan ambassador to Italy and
the Indonesian ambassador to Switzerland. STEPS booklets found their way into the hands of
all these officials. We were also hosted in Oslo, Norway by Fredrik Heffermehl, President
of the Norwegian Peace Alliance and the guest at a three-day conference in Zug,
Switzerland sponsored by the Institute for Creation of Spiritual Consciousness in Politics
and the Economy. But the most rewarding contacts took place on the person to person level.
Meeting with civic groups and hosts, we had an opportunity to share our own commitment to
peace. We encouraged others to find personal ways to, as Peace would say, promote
"peace among nations, peace among groups, peace among individuals, and the very, very
important inner peace." On
the last day of the caravan we visited the International Peace Bureau in Geneva,
Switzerland. Sitting in the office of this 100-year-old peace
organization that has two Nobel Peace Prizes hanging on its walls, we shared our
experiences with IPB director Colin Archer. STEPS booklets were handed out to all of the
staff, some of whom were already familiar with Peace's story. I couldn't help but feel
that, in some way, Peace was there in the room with us, smiling and sending a blessing of
peace to all assembled. After
the Peace Caravan concluded, I stayed on in Geneva for a few days and did some volunteer
work at IPB. Then with additional STEPS booklets and books in my pack, traveled across
France to spend a couple of weeks in PLUM VILLAGE, a Buddhist spiritual community and the
winter home of the Vietnamese Buddhist Monk and Nobel Peace nominee Thich Nhat Hanh. While
there I had many opportunities to share Peace's message and recently received a letter
from a long term resident which said, "Many people here have become familiar with
Peace Pilgrim, and are benefiting a lot from having her as a spiritual ancestor." He
went on to add that he had been home in the US for Christmas and had ordered more books
and booklets to pass along. The
letter continued, "We have passed out a number of Peace's books to friends, and even
one to the pastor of the church my folks attend. He wrote us a letter of appreciation, and
looks forward to getting to know Peace. I guess the journey continues. We all have the
opportunity to participate in our own "Peace" caravan every day. It's something
we get to "practice" in the way we live our lives and follow our individual
callings in the greater peace picture." For more information write World
Citizen Diplomats, P.O. Box 1484, Princeton, NJ 08541; Tel. 732-556-9562; Fax
732-556-9563; email LoisPeace@aol.com. §§§§§ BANGALORE, INDIA
- It does feel good to write to such an uplifting organization - to express our joy on
learning about PEACE PILGRIM, and to obtain your assistance on how we can promote her
understandings over here. §§§§§ A PRISONER -
I've finished reading "Peace Pilgrim, Her Life and Work In Her Own Words" and I
must say I found myself crying at some parts and laughing at others. Over all I was
touched where no one has touched me before. Her quotes are like echoes from my soul. §§§§§ SRI LANKA -
Peace Pilgrim has been my Light and Guardian Angel for many many years. Her thoughts,
words and actions - ever flowing without any contradictions - have given me clarity,
wisdom, inner strength and inner peace to face the many challenges that life has thrown at
me from time to time. Her `life and teachings' is my Bible in my practical day-to-day
life. - S. Nithiya THOUGHTS ON PEACE
PILGRIM by Tony Genaro To
me Peace Pilgrim as a human being and her message of love and peace are the same. She
lived her message and the message points to her life of simplicity. She is a perfect
example of the messenger and the message being the same. I often ask myself these
questions: Where did Peace get the energy to live her life of poverty, peace, simplicity?
Where did she get the force to keep on going? Where did she get the ability to do all the
hard things that make her life so noble? What was that vision of hers that turned her
around to do all the wonderful living? She
needed 15 years of preparation to make the big decision to become a Peace Pilgrim. I'm
reminded of someone else who needed 14 years in the desert after a vision to prepare for
his life as Paul the Apostle, the Christian letter-writer in the New Testament. Peace
Pilgrim's 15 years preparation for her life as the messenger of peace and love was a time
of the Spirit for her as it was for many great seekers and lovers of our world like
Francis of Assisi and many others. And
when she made her big decision to make her pilgrimage for peace in such a unique way she
found there was no turning back, no regrets, no mistake - nothing of the sort, for she was
having too much fun. There was such joy, so much peace and contentment in her new life
that the thought of ever going back to her old life never had a chance. Her enthusiasm for
her new life grew, her joy knew no bounds, and her love engulfed her and her environment. Her life on the road - her eating, sleeping, walking,
talking - was a loving prayer to God for us. She integrated all the important things of
life into a penniless simple existence of love and service. Now that takes commitment. She
committed her whole life, everything as a "holy" prayer - a message to God and
to us and from God to us. This is what I call the saintly life of prayer and action. This
is what I call love. As
I ponder Peace Pilgrim's words in the 6th Chapter-the one on Solving Life's Problems, some
questions come to mind. Where did Peace get the wisdom to solve her and our problems on
life? Did she get it from the same source as Paul of Tarsus or Francis of Assisi? I
know Peace was gifted with an illumination. Was this helpful in giving her knowledge to
solve the many problems we have? More
questions: Why is there so much fear, stress, worry in us? And especially in this century?
She has simple answers that are sensible and mature. Her answers are direct and helpful.
It seems so easy for her to live the answers and so easy to give them to us. So simple! It
seems so easy for her - It doesn't seem so easy for us to apply the same answers to our
problems! I
love some of her beautiful powerful inspiring one liners: 1. Problems that help us grow
are really opportunities in disguise. 2. Prayer is a concentration of positive thoughts.
3. In all things be thankful. 4. Hate injures the hater, not the hated. 5. A calling means
what you like to do. Peace
is an optimist of the highest sort. Oh! and what power in her optimistic life and words. §§§§§ AWARD-WINNING CORN From Friends newsletter In
a book by James Bender he relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each
year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a
newspaper reporter interviewed him & learned something interesting about how he grew
it. The
reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can
you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in
competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why
sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the
ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn,
cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. I must help my neighbors
grow good corn." He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot
improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So
it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be
at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a
life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help
others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The
lesson, if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. §§§§§ MISSIONARY SISTERS
OF OUR LADY OF AFRICA - I come back to you as I am in need of more STEPS TOWARD INNER
PEACE. I cannot tell you enough how this booklet is doing wonders. It speaks to so many
people and to myself. I keep on re-reading it when travelling and then leave it behind on
the seat in the bus or the underground. §§§§§ ARIZONA - I need
a fresh supply of STEPS that I give away at opportune moments in my travels. In the past
five years I've been in Israel, Egypt, East Africa and South America. They really to help
me rise above the petty disturbances of group travel, which sometimes appear enormous. I
haven't succeeded 100% for myself but I know STEPS have been welcome to others. JUNE 5, 1999: A
NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR GOES TO WASHINGTON Ira Weitz and thousands of other
peace-loving people were gathered to protest dropping bombs on Kosov. Ira walked across
the street to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial (a long wall with names of 55,000 young
men - Remember the song in the '60s - "Where Have All the Young Men Gone?) Then Ira writes: When I
returned to the protest I saw a life-size poster of a grey-haired woman walking down a
road. I inquired about her identity, and was told she is Peace Pilgrim. As I walked away I
recalled reading about Peace Pilgrim in an extraordinary book by Carolyn Myss, the ANATOMY
OF THE SPIRIT. JUNE 6, 1999: NEW YORK'S
CENTRAL PARK Peace Pilgrim again! Elizabeth
McGowan has been taking people for walks in Central Park for several years talking about
Peace Pilgrim and giving out STEPS booklets. Now she has made a peace labyrinth to walk on
in quiet, to develop a world peace consciousness. As Ira was walking out of the labyrinth
to go home he saw these words: Overcome evil with good, Falsehood with truth, Hatred with
love..Peace Pilgrim! Elizabeth had dedicated her Labyrinth to Peace Pilgrim!. Again Ira writes: While waiting for a train a
"light went on in my head," as I connected the last two day's experiences. I
didn't get on that train. I bolted back to Elizabeth, told her of the coincidence and gave
her my precious tape with peace music I had composed, This labyrinth lady was on a peace
mission and I wanted to encourage her. JULY 1999: CENTRAL PARK AGAIN! Ira writes: The Association
for Research and Enlightenment had a picnic. Elizabeth offered another peace labyrinth
walk, preceded by a discussion about Peace Pilgrim. What followed could be described as a
"beehive of labyrinth walking." Whoever walks into this labyrinth appears
interested in "walking their talk." Those who tread upon this 12' by 16' canvas,
which aims toward Conflict Resolution, seems intent upon boarding Cat Stevens PEACE TRAIN.
I was so motivated, I went home and at Elizabeth's suggestion read the PEACE PILGRIM book.
Then I entered a creative "wonderland" and spent the next 2 weeks writing and
recording three reggae music songs for the New York City public school children I work
with as a school Guidance Counselor. Two of these songs are completely about Peace
Pilgrim, and the third one is about how to use the labyrinth as a tool to focus on the
achievement of your chosen goal. As Gandhi said, "If we are to have peace we must
begin with the children." AUGUST 1, 1999: MANHATTAN'S HEADQUARTERS FOR THE
ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH AND ENLIGHTENMENT Ira writes: Elizabeth
presented a Peace Pilgrim workshop and labyrinth walk. After her introductory remarks she
screened an hour long video of interviews with Peace Pilgrim. During the question and
answer period she told us that the Dalai Lama of Tibet would soon be in New York City for
a four days series of public teach-ins. And I knew she would be there to include Peace
Pilgrim and the labyrinth. By now it's becoming obvious that the Peace Pilgrim lady is
unstoppable. AUGUST 15,1999: DALAI LAMA, PEACE PILGRIM &
ELIZABETH JOINED FORCES On the great lawn in New York
City's Central Park, Ira writes: The Dalai Lama presented a teach-in to 40,000 people,
the second largest event of this type in Central Park's history. Since Elizabeth wanted
her labyrinth to be blessed by the Dalai Lama she entered the park early and spread out
her canvas creation close to the stage. For the two hours of the Dalai Lama's presentation
it was blessed by the peace-intensive energy exchanged by him and the 40,000 peace loving
people. - THEN IT HAPPENED - For nearly five hours, following the teach-in by Tibet's
spiritual leader, the labyrinth became the center of activity. Throngs of people from all
over the world gathered around the labyrinth and walked into it with their peace
meditations and prayers. As people traversed its eleven circuits, Elizabeth gave impromptu
lectures about Peace Pilgrim and other "cool" stuff. Then with thick black
markers, people got on their knees and wrote their prayers for peace directly on the
canvas labyrinth. Their numerous inspirations were written in at least fifteen foreign
languages. It looked like a scene from a Fererico Fellini movie. Babies crawled on it, a 3
year old Asian child wrote Chinese characters on it, a musician walked into it in
super-slow motion, playing his flute. It became so crowded that some twirled around like
whirling dervishes to avoid colliding with one another. A film director told Elizabeth he
would like to make a documentary about her labyrinth events. These
wonderful events continued until 5:30 when people sat down and formed a circle around the
labyrinth. Everyone joined hands and prayed for peace. We ended singing John Lennon's
"Give Peace a Chance." Elizabeth writes: It is
impossible to put into words the wonderful feeling of that day. It was full of peace and
harmony and hope. There was such a sense of community. It was truly magical and it was
Peace Pilgrim who brought us altogether that way because she was the inspiration for that
labyrinth. I made it after reading her book...I am so grateful to have been so inspired by
it and to be able to share it with others. For
more information Elizabeth McGowan can be reached at 212-665-1776. SEPTEMBER 14,
1999: UNITED NATIONS Ira writes again: The world
peace labyrinth was displayed at the United Nations in front of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to
celebrate the International Day of Peace. It was both the opening day of the General
Assembly, and the United Nations launch date for the year 2000 International Year for the
Culture of Peace. Ann writes: A
teacher who had attended the celebration with her students from the Family School near the
UN, was given a Peace Pilgrim children's coloring book and called us for more. Elizabeth
is the only one that I know of who had our Children's book, so it must have been
Elizabeth's doings again. We sent the school 60 Peace Pilgrim books, 100 STEPS, video.
For more information Ira Weitz can be called at 718-648-2792. §§§§§ THE CHICAGO PEACE
SCHOOL Jennifer Kim, a staff member of
the Peace School, writes: Artist Elizabeth McGowan contacted us about the 22nd annual
Peace Day in Chicago in September and donated the PEACE PILGRIM book & STEPS Toward
INNER PEACE to the school. [Peace Day is sponsored by the Peace School, the Chicago
Mayor's office, Amnesty International, Peace Museum and other Peace groups.] We
were delighted to learn more about this remarkable woman, Peace Pilgrim. Her teachings are
so in keeping with those of our organization and our founder, who was also 100% devoted to
peace throughout his adult life. He focused on inner peace as a way to outer peace. The
Peace School is a non-profit organization, staffed by unpaid volunteers. Focus of Peace
Day is the observance of a minute of silence for world peace at noon. We are hoping that
we will be able to display Elizabeth's labyrinth Classes
are geared to helping people of all ages and backgrounds bring peace into their own lives
and improve their own physical and mental capabilities. The Peace School also teaches how
every individual can contribute to peace for their family, community, city, country and
the entire planet. All the classes have Peace Breathing as their foundation - inhale,
thinking "world"; exhale, thinking "peace" - a method that can be used
as a silent meditation or as "moving meditation" during all daily activities. Peace
Breathing is an easy-to-practice method of releasing tension and stress, which lie at the
root of many physical, mental and emotional problems. It is a modernized version of the
ancient discipline of meditation. It combines slow, deep breathing with positive, peaceful
thinking to purify the mind and bring pure, harmonious energy into the body. As
essential as breathing is, thinking is even
more important in shaping our lives. All thoughts, good or bad, create energy which has a
direct influence on our own condition as well as that of our family, country and world.
Positive thoughts (such as harmony and peace) produce a calm, harmonious "alpha"
brain wave. Negative thoughts (such as worry, fear or anger) produce the dark, rough and
irregular "beta" brain wave. Peace
Breathing is the best of both worlds - it combines the health benefits of deep breathing
with the deeper benefits of the alpha brain wave. Peace Breathing gives us the ability to
enjoy these benefits at any given moment during daily life. Peace Breathing is a new
meditation system for today's fast-paced world. For more information on peace
breathing, peace exercise, massage, acupressure, and audio and video tapes contact The
Peace School at 3121 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657; telephone 773-248-7959.
AUBURN, CA -
There is nothing that will be needed so much as
the teachings of Peace Pilgrim in the years ahead; there are going to be major changes
globally. §§§§§ PEACE POWER TO THE
PEOPLE Excerpts from Grandmothers for
Peace International, 9444 Medstead Way, Elk Grove, CA 95758 More
people are waging peace today than ever before. The new movement is powered by more than
20,000 civilian organizations around the world, up from just 985 in 1956, and their work
is beginning to bear fruit. "There
is a growing influence of civil society,: says Tamara Malinova, political affairs officer
of the U.N.'s Dept. of Disarmament Affairs. "No doubt about it." In
1997 when, after years of dogged persistence, the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines
made history and public policy by helping to negotiate an international treaty banning
land mines. The campaign and its leader, Jody Williams, were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. A
push from private groups and like-minded governments led to the creation of an
International Criminal Court in Rome last year. Governments
around the world are recognizing the value of NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations),
missions range from humanitarian aid, active war resistance and human rights promotion to
peace education and research. PeaceBuilders,
a violence-prevention program, is taught at more than 650 schools worldwide. Peace Action
is the nation's largest grassroots peace group. It includes an effort to stop weapons
trafficking. It runs education outreach programs through its 100 local chapters across the
United States. "Sooner
or later, people will come to the realization that war really doesn't work", says
Cora Weiss, a peace activist. "You can't give up." WORKING FOR PEACE -- WHEREVER YOU ARE We are thankful for people who
walk and talk for peace. We also need people who sink their roots down in a community,
helping to solve local problems peacefully. Here is an example of a friend who offered her
home to Khashyar to create the PEACE PILGRIM documentary. Cathy Miller wrote from REDWOOD
CITY, CA: The Peace Pilgrim book has had a profound effect on my life. To use Peace's
expression, I "received an inner confirmation" to the truth in the book. I have
been inspired and encouraged to live the highest light I have." I
work as a retail sales clerk for a medium size stationery store chain. We sell office
supplies, school supplies, greeting cards and gifts. The mega office-products stores are
perceived as a threat to our existence. Recently, one of our top executives wrote a
communique titled "winning the war," intended to motivate employees. He
challenged sales personnel to "get out the big guns" (meaning customer service
and selling techniques) to "destroy the enemy." In
response, I sent him a letter encouraging him to shift his perception from the old
paradigm of war to a new vision of peace. I included a copy of the United Nation's
Declaration for a decade of non-violence. I sent a copy of the Peace Pilgrim Story Book
for his young children. I challenged him to become a spokesperson for peace in the market
place. At
the same time, the training department introduced a new "training university" to
enhance employee skills in response to a questioner. I wrote: "The
United Nations has declared the next decade to be a decade for a culture of peace and
non-violence for the children of the world. Therefore I am suggesting the following topics
for your consideration: 1.
Customer service as a peaceful presence in the community. 2. Team building in relationship
to non-violence." The
head of the training department responded with appreciation. One of the resources I sent
to her contained the "The Family Pledge of Non-violence." She made copies of the
pledge and put them on the bulletin board in our corporate office. She also took one home
for her family. No
matter what we do to earn a living, we all have opportunities to be peace ambassadors. §§§§§ We can work as groups, or as an individual right where we
are, undertaking specific projects, commending and strengthening the good wherever we find
it.
-
Peace Pilgrim §§§§§ CALIFORNIA - I
will have her philosophy of life and material things as a guide for the rest of my life. BILL HAMILTON AND
JOHN BOGNER Two volunteers in the early days
of this Center who contributed to our development have made their "glorious
transition to a freer life." Jeff Blom,
founder of BLUE DOVE PRESS, was also a very helpful volunteer for five years and worked
with John & Bill. When we started 17 years
ago, all we had was the PEACE PILGRIM book and STEPS TOWARD INNER PEACE booklet. These
early volunteers helped us get into computers, newsletters, Peace's video and audio tapes
ready for mass production, and pictures of Peace
Pilgrim. Jeff writes: Bill Hamilton,
who was a full time volunteer for over a year, was responsible for several popular
offerings. The Compact Book was his idea. It has become very popular for people who want
to give out quantities of books. Students and travelers like them to carry around. Bill
was responsible for some of the Peace Pilgrim audio tapes, the book and STEPS audio Album.
He travelled around the country talking to groups about Peace Pilgrim. Bill
was a long-time practitioner of a Buddhist path. He had been a stock broker and a helper
of distressed businesses. Later he decided to give full time to his spiritual path and
among other ways of service he assisted Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) in his speaking tours. After
leaving the Peace Pilgrim Center, Bill established the Dana Foundation to distribute
Buddhist audio tapes. Later he set up a Center for meditation practice without charge.
Bill was a blessing to many. Jeff writes: We were sad to
learn of the passing of John Bogner, another Peace Pilgrim Center long time volunteer.
John was one of a kind who blessed us on a yearly basis, for a few days or weeks, by
trimming our trees and cooking our meals. John had a landscaping business for a number of
years, but left it to join the Great Peace March that walked across the country in 1986.
He met the PEACE PILGRIM book on that walk. He was very concerned about peace in our world
and gave out STEPS booklets wherever he went. From that time on he chose to live a
lifestyle of a homeless wanderer without a car, traveling on his bike. He always made a
point of giving wherever he stayed and was very welcome in a number of places. John was
gifted with a truly inspired sense of humor, making us laugh over his funny stories. He
had a difficult childhood that contributed to his becoming an alcohol and drug user. He
joined the Alcoholics Anonymous program, overcame the habit, became very active in helping
people get off and stay off drugs and alcohol. At the time of his passing he hadn't used
drugs or alcohol for over twenty-three years. John
worked extensively on planning a Peace Walk to the then Soviet Union and was a participant
himself. We
at the BLUE DOVE PRESS were blessed to have him work with us his last few months. TEXAS - I am
offering continuing education classes for Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and
Nursing Facility Administrators. One of the home study courses is reading Peace's book.
The feedback has been touching. One individual stated "It certainly made me take an
inventory of my life and priorities - What I want to accomplish in my remaining
years." §§§§§ SPIRITUAL GROUP IN
PRISON My
spiritual group in this prison has some new members and I have found out that I am out of
the PEACE PILGRIM book. Please send me at least four copies. Also I could use some STEPS
booklets to hand out in the housing unit. They never last long when I leave them out on
the tables. Many inmates won't admit they are interested, but will pick up a STEPS and
read it. Not
too long ago I finished rereading the book for the umpteenth time and as usual found some
new insights that I had over looked before. This book is the only spiritual book I have
read and reread in my life. I always feel so uplifted, so full of life, after reading
about her and her beliefs. In this prison I know many others have been affected by her,
like I am. Someday,
when I am out of this place, you will find me on your doorstep, simply because I want to
meet you all and say thank you for your efforts in person. Because of you my life has been
changed for the better, thus those around me have been affected also. Keep up the good
work. §§§§§ ENGLAND
- I was five when Hitler care to power in Germany. My parents had found their way to the
Austrian philosopher, seer and teacher Rudolf Steiner who developed a science of the
spirit, called anthroposophy, at the beginning of the century. It was throughout a
Christian message of peace! Hitler's henchmen closed all the Waldorf/Rudolph Steiner
schools, confiscated his books and imprisoned many of his followers. My
life led me via bio-agriculture to living in Camphill communities with disadvantaged,
often also violent children, youths and adults. When I was given `Peace Pilgrim', it was a
celebration of joy! What had been for me somehow a secluded life among mainly like-minded
people, in her I found it professed to the world in the full glare of publicity, standing
entirely on her ground! Her
commitment to peace lives on into the future and in each one of us who follow her example
wherever we can. This will make the difference! I have spoken to many about the Peace
Pilgrim and passed on her book and STEPS to quite a number and will continue to do so. ROMANIAN PEACE
CENTER From Valerie Badea, a Peace
Representative of the World Peace Prayer Society. This group prays for countries all over
the world. Thanks
for your gift of audios, especially your audio Album of PEACE PILGRIM book and STEPS. This
is very appreciated by those interested in PEACEBUILDING in Romania and Russia. It is very
useful, not only by it's worthy message but also to improve the English spoken language. I
pass them free of charge to interested people who visit me. Some
months ago I was appointed as a coordinator for the UNIVERSAL ALLIANCE and former Soviet
Union territories, so I distribute your books, booklets, audio and video tapes to all my
correspondents in Romania and all Eastern Europe and Russia. We just received a letter from a
friend in India who is also a Peace Representative. For
more information on the World Peace Prayer Society write to 800 Third Ave, New York, New
York 10126-1480. §§§§§ MILLENNIUM PEACE
RUN In our newsletters 31 and earlier
Newsletters we've had a number of articles about peace walks, Biking for Peace, Caravans
for Peace, etc. We've also had a few articles about Sri Chinmoy's Peace Relay Runs around
the globe every two years. We've heard from a few people who ran these PEACE RUNS in
Yugoslavia and the US. Recently some friends have met a PEACE runner with a torch on a
snowy 10,000 foot mountain in Montana. From a leaflet carried by the
relay runner with a torch: It
is an history-making event, circling the globe, crossing seven continents and over 120
countries. It is the longest and largest running event in history. Our premise is simple:
If people from all nations can run in peace and harmony, then it is but a small step for
all people to live in peace and harmony. Since
1987 more than a million people have taken part...cheering the runners or running any
distance from a few yards to a few miles, passing a flaming PEACE TORCH from hand to hand,
from country to country - creating an arc of light that circles the globe. By
taking part in this unprecedented world-wide event, you are taking a small step towards
world peace - not with money, not with words - but with something much more powerful: your
personal, heart-felt action. For updates on the Peace Run you
can visit their web site at www.peacerun.com, or write to International Peace Run, 16959
26th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98155; telephone 206-306-9991. GIFTS
FOR THE HOLIDAYS PEACE PILGRIM
CALENDAR 2000 The
United Nations has designated 2000 as The International Year for a Culture of Peace. To
celebrate the millennium, Bruce Nichols, a volunteer, made a twelve-month calendar with
different quotes and pictures of Peace Pilgrim for each month. We will have a limited
supply available. Please let us know if you want one, five dollars will cover our printing
and postage costs. PEACE PILGRIM
HARDCOVERS This
is a durable hardcover edition of the standard PEACE PILGRIM book. They make good presents, three dollars will cover
our printing and postage costs. THE PEACE PILGRIM
COLORING BOOK This
is the first Peace Pilgrim book for children and it is very popular. As Gandhi said
"We must begin with the children if we are to have peace." §§§§§ SUBSCRIBER
INFORMATION If
you want free Peace Pilgrim materials and a newsletter subscription write us, but please be prompt with sending us your address changes
to help us avoid unnecessary postal charges. The
"z" in the upper right corner of your address label indicates that you are no
longer on our mailing list. To be on our mailing list, all you have to do is ask. By
requesting a subscription, we know we are sending newsletters to those who truly want
them. You
can view our newsletters and other offerings on the web at peacepilgrim.org and
peacepilgrim.com. Our email address is peacepilgrim@znet.com. Please let us know if you
would like to receive our newletters on the web as this would save us printing and postal
costs. VOLUNTEER HELP
NEEDED If
we are to continue indefinitely sending out books and tapes as we have for 17 years, we
are going to need more help. We need one or two people who have an independent income,
living close to us, and learning all the details about this wonderful path of service. The
appreciative letters and phone calls that come everyday are rewards beyond measure. It
will be a long, slow process learning all the details John and Ann have developed through
the years. We
also need a larger and better distribution center than our two-bedroom home, for all our
books, tapes, packaging materials that are in our garage. We also need a proper library
for all the wonderful books that have been sent to us by people who appreciate the books
we send to them. We
are realizing that one of our functions is networking. One of the responses to our
newsletter has been people wishing to contact the many good groups they read about. We are
sent so very many newsletters and wonderful material from other peace groups that we need
a suitable place for a long literature table where visitors can see the many possibilities
for involvement in peace projects. §§§§§ WE MISS OUR
NEWSLETTER MAILING PARTIES The
mailing charge for our newsletters is much less if the addresses are barcoded. Because we
do not have the expensive equipment to barcode, we now send our newsletter to a mailing
service that barcodes and addresses our newsletters. Since it is no longer practical for
us to have mailing parties, we miss the fun of working together with volunteers who came
to help us. The
mailing service also has the equipment to efficiently sort according to destination points
as required by the post office. If you move
please send us your new address promptly in order to eliminate the post office charge for
sending us your address changes. |
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Friends of Peace Pilgrim
43480 Cedar Avenue
Hemet, California 92544
page created by Bruce Nichols
revised 11/06/00