Annotated Peace Resource List

Perpetual calendar filled with a great collection of quotes: "A pacifist believes there is always an alternative to war." -Jeannette Rankin, the lone U.S. Congress member who voted against entering WWII. "There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less." -G. K. Chesterton. "Victory can be achieved by various means. It can be gained with tanks and missiles, but I think that one wins better with truth, honesty, and logic. This is a new weapon." -Lech Walesa.

Anna saw it, big and furry. Her brother thought it must be ugly and her sister said ferocious. Dad said it must be destroyed. What will Anna do?

Sunny the snake doesn’t understand why everyone runs away. This book is about being judged because of appearance. Things change for Sunny when an armadillo who has broken his glasses arrives on the scene. Full-color illustrations on every page.

A wily fox, notorious for stealing eggs, meets his match when he encounters a bold little girl in the woods who insists upon proof that he is a fox before she will be scared.

From the Cooperative Children's Book Center--CCBC, School of Education, University of Wisconsin. Includes sections: Paths to Peace: Ideas and Actions for Change (picture books, fiction, and non-fiction) and Road of Heartbreak: The Costs of Conflict and Injustice (picture books, fiction, and non-fiction). Gives age ranges and thorough annotations.
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=77

Teaches peacemaking skills to children and families. Intergenerational lessons teach through play, incorporating real-life experiences of the individual through small group discussion. Includes instructions on how to form a Young Peacemakers Club. Four areas addressed are: Peace for Me, Peace for Us, Peace for Everyone, and Peace for the Planet. www.celebratingpeace.com/gowithpeace

Gives brief background to the biblical topic of shalom. Chapters give specific ideas about discipline, conflict resolution, chores, living justly in a consumer society, addressing racism and sexism in history and contemporary life, connecting with neighbors near and far, and facing war. The book lists many relevant resources in the notes. Resource lists at the end include material for children and adults, along with a listing of many organizations, most with web sites. Companion website is located at: peace.mennolink.org/teachpeace.

A young boy describes the kind of town he would like to build.

Designed for personal reflection and journaling within a group-study process, this format is useful in adult electives, small group studies, or retreat settings. Encourages a witness that integrates word and action in daily life. 8 chapters.

This revision of the statement on violence presented at the Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church assembly in 1997 includes personal stories and an extensive bibliography. Includes a 6-session study and action guide by Lois Barrett to help congregations put the statement into practice.

A dramatic collection of children's visions of peace.

This book collects the stories of nonviolent cross-border intervention in one place for scrutiny. In line with a new and comprehensive typology developed for this book, various examples of nonviolent cross-border direct interventions, which have been undertaken by activists rather than by humanitarian agencies, are described here and the lessons provided by these interventions are detailed.

These interventions include mobilization actions (the voyage of the Lusitania Expresso), nonviolent humanitarian assistance ("friendshipments" by Pastors for Peace), nonviolent reconciliation and development (the work of the Cyprus Resettlement Project), nonviolent witness and accompaniment (by Peace Brigades International, Project Accompaniment, Christian Peacemaker Teams, the Balkan Peace Team, and Cry for Justice), nonviolent intersession (by the anti-bomb Sahara Terrorist Team), nonviolent solidarity (in the form of the Dhammayietra peace marches and the lesson-rich Mir Sada action in Bosnia), and nonviolent interposition (in Nicaragua by Witness for Peace and in Iraq by the Gulf PeaceTeam).

Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan is the coordinator of Nonviolence International's South-EastAsian Office, an organizer and participant of the Dhammayietra in Thailand and Cambodia and the current editor of Peace Teams/Peace Services Information Newsletter. Thomas Weber teaches Peace Studies and Politics at Melbourne's La Trobe University and is the author of Conflict Resolution and Gandhian Ethics and Gandhi's Peace Army: The Shanti Sena and Unarmed Peacekeeping.

Famous authors and illustrators present writings that explore aspects of peace, from personal to international.

Energetic cartoon youngster Pauli sets out to achieve "world peace."  Along the way there are many simple lessons about everyday acts that make a difference.  Taking cupcakes to Furniture World, Tire World (get it?), World of Magic, etc. stores is where the "world" comes into the day.... so it's kind of tongue in cheek.  His actions bring (too?) much approval of him at the end of the day, but I think it communicates something fun and important to readers of different ages.

Explains in simple terms the concept of peace, why conflicts start, how they can be resolved in positive ways, and how to protect peace.

This is a brightly colored book focusing on different definitions of peace: offering a hug to a friend, keeping the streets clean, with the last on"Peace is being who you are" A couple get sentimental (...wishing on a star), but most offer great conversation starters. People are multicultural--all colors of the rainbow, actually.

In the inner city, a girl remembers Sadako's peace cranes and imagines her own "peace crane" in colorful visions.

Designed for 6 sessions, this DVD has 24 segments that look at peace with God; in the community, nation, earth, relationships; the role of service; peace between cultures; where to draw the line on conscience; and related public policies. The website and study guide supply study questions, activities, and way to put beliefs into actions. In one segment, Calling for Peace, two women with vastly different opinions and on different sides of the Iraq war conflict begin to see each other as friends even though they don't agree. Youth are challenged to brainstorm solutions for conflicts they've experienced. Website: store.thirdwaymedia.org/p-96-peace-dvd.aspx

"The comprehensive approach nurtures peace within the self, relationships, society, and the planet. The essence of Peace Quest is the learning through discovery, encountering life as a journey with purpose. Over 100 intergenerational, experiential lessons are beautifully llustrated with this remarkable resource. It is an essential text for everyone who wants to practice the positive life skills of being a peacemaker. "

Praying with Our Feet is a story told from the point of view of a young girl who takes part in a walk for peace, along with her parents and members of her church. Includes a score of song "Praying with Our Feet."
The walkers wear shoes of all sizes, colors and shapes. They're praying with their feet, walkign with the God of Peace.
"My Mom and Dad. My aunt and my baby cousin. My minister. My 150-year-old neighbor. And me. Walking for peace, wiggling our toes, standing in the light of God."