Dear Friends,

2005 Theme - “Advancing a Peace Education Strategy: What Is Needed To Support and Help Peace Educators In All Walks Of Life”

The web site for the National Peace Education conference has now been updated at http://www.peace.ca/CanadianAgenda2005.htm. Please take a look, and I hope you can join us. This major event has five parts:

1. Second Annual Leadership and Peace Workshop, as an optional item November 21 - 23 preceding the National PE Conference

2. Youth Day Thursday November 24 (primarily Grade 6 to 12) (facilitated by
Open Space coordinator Leslie Higgins higgins@hwcn.org )

3. ‘Best Cases/Practices’ in peace education Friday Nov 25 (we are in the
process of lining up a lot of very interesting presenters)

4. The main part of the Peace Education Conference Saturday Nov 26 ­ Sunday
Nov 27, utilizing a World Café type format.

5. A ‘Trade Fair’ to display and disseminate information about peace
programs.

I would also like to arrange for a meeting of the Canadian Culture of Peace
Program working group and anyone interested in participating in CCOPP, in
conjunction with the Hamilton Peace Education Conference. This will help to
plan our Second Canadian Culture of Peace Program Symposium for March 2006, among other things. The Canadian Peace Education Strategy and Conference is
a significant part of the Canadian Culture of Peace Program.

Your consideration and suggestions would be appreciated:
1. on topics for the http://www.peace.ca/worldcafe2005.htm ‘World Cafés’, with the Theme “Advancing a Peace Education Strategy: What Is Needed To Support and Help Peace Educators In All Walks Of Life” in mind,
2. presentations for ‘Best Cases/Practices’ in peace education Friday
Nov 25
3. on any of the above plans for the Conference
4. and please forward this Invitation to anyone that you think might be
interested in participating (University/College faculty and students, school
teachers and students, NGOs, governmental organizations, business, religious
and cultural organizations, parents and other current and potential peace
educators)

I hope you will plan on joining us in Hamilton for this important
Conference. I would particularly like to extend the invitation to Canadian
Universities and Colleges that have peace studies and education programs
that will be of interest to participants. This is an excellent forum to
showcase your programs, build your networks, and learn important new things
that will benefit you and your organization.

You can get more information from me or Rob Porter porterrg@mcmaster.ca who is helping to facilitate the conference locally at McMaster University in
Hamilton.

Regards,
Bob Stewart
http://www.peace.ca

ANNUAL PEACE EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN CANADA
http://www.peace.ca/CanadianAgenda2005.htm

"The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm, but because of
those who look at it without doing anything." - Albert Einstein

WHAT FUTURE WILL YOU CREATE? - The Canadian Peace Initiative (“CPI”) is a
process to simply provide the venues, support and guidance to ‘Open Space to
Open Minds to Peace’. The CPI process is open, transparent, patient and
committed, drawing people from all walks of life, freeing them from their
stasis and mobilizing them. All members of the Culture of Peace movement
have to be leaders in their own right, drawing on their own potential and
inner strengths, galvanizing, inspiring and energizing the peace movement.
Everyone is a peace leader and peace educator. Every day we must take
ownership of ourselves and our relationships: we can do anything we set our
minds and hearts to; we do no harm, expect and demand no harm be done to us
or others; no one is better than another; we are critical thinkers, finding
our own truths; education is our best investment and information our most
important resource. Building a healthy culture is about building healthy
relationships ­ we can do that. As we take ownership of peace others will
follow ­ because it will be uplifting and empowering, it will be infectious,
and lead to sudden, massive, cultural change.
(As in all things peaceful, this enlightening statement is the result of
many contributors and supporters. The CPI process has led to the Canadian Culture of Peace Program.

Making an Impact: Your gift to the Canadian Peace Education Foundation will
do much to reduce the human cost of violence in our communities and world
through education about peace and the future in classrooms. Your gift will
have a critical impact on future generations. You will enable youngsters to
widen their sights by exploring alternate paths to transforming conflicts
and building a better world. Gifts of cash, securities, and planned gifts
are welcome and may be sent to the Canadian Peace Education Foundation, Box
70, Okotoks, AB, Canada, T1S 1A4. For more information, visit the website
at http://www.peace.ca/foundation.htm