Make Every Day a Mandela Day

Nelson Mandela: a man who lived by example.

JoAnn Chateau

July 18th celebrates Mandela Day.

South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He fought for a democratic and free society. Mandela largely advocated nonviolent action. But not to whitewash him, he did deviate from peaceful methods. In 1963 he received a life sentence for sabotage and spent 27 years in prison for an attempt to overthrow the anti-apartheid government. Some critics say his strategic use of limited violence in the early 60’s was a critical step to the eventual end of apartheid.

Within a few years of his prison release in 1990, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became South Africa’s first black president. In 2008 Nelson Mandela was removed from the U.S. Terrorist Watch List. He died in 2013, at the age of 95.

Mandela Day

In 2009, the United Nations declared July 18 as Mandela Day. The commemoration is celebrated by…

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Katy Perry’s Olympic Anthem Is Exactly What We Need Right Now | Global Citizen

Keep the hope of peace alive…

JoAnn Chateau

Katy Perry sings “Rise,” the Rio 2016 Olympic Games anthem…

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SOURCE: Global Citizen…

“The world has seen an unsettling amount of violence, prejudice and hatred lately with several shootings in the US, and most recently, another alleged terrorist attack in France. However, with the upcoming Olympic Games, there is hope for a more united world as spectators and athletes come together for the event.

Katy Perry debuted the inspiring Rio 2016 anthem, “Rise,” on the TODAY Show…

The song was originally going to debut on her upcoming album, but in light of recent events, she wanted to finish it sooner. The song channels a sense of unity and strength, two things the Games embody.”

~ Krista Watson

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Seeing the Good

Students Seeing their Wonder by Volunteering to Create Peace

Even though news events have been beyond heartbreaking recently I still believe with every cell of my being that people are essentially good. It’s everywhere: you only have to look… Just in the past 24 hours a hulking bear of an African-American man who was grinning ear to ear in Home Depot while he chatted up every one, offered to help me carry my leaf blower to my car. He didn’t look at the color of my skin, just that the box was almost as big as me. Yesterday while I was admiring a little girl’s sand castle on the beach she gifted her treasured shell to me. When our family pup, Magnum got out yesterday morning a homeless man who naps under the trees helped me look for him. (He was returned unharmed by another kind neighbor.) I’ve seen news casts of good people taking to the streets in peace, showing solidarity with others who work for peace.
Love abounds!