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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The ABC's of Environmental Arts Education using the Iceality Methodology as a Tool for Social Change

Utilizing the Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts, the 'Iceality Methodology' was developed to promote the building of the Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM) and the Great American Peace Trail. Originally designed for MYSPACE, The 'Iceality Methodology' has been 'borrowed' as a tool for social change by virtually every social activist organization and group on Facebook and is now used by over 1 Billion people in a still growing audience.

The  Revolutionary Educational Idea  from the Good People at the
International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA)

"The Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM) and the Great American Peace Trail (GAPT) Projects are international, public participatory art projects designed to engage children with cross-cultural awareness in order to attain the common goal of sharing peace and diversity with their neighbors.  The peace projects, utilizing the principles of the 'Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts'  have direct community impact through neighborhood beautification, community and economic development while building self-esteem and hope in America. They will help to build better neighborhoods where everyone can live, respect and accept each other as they diplomatically negotiate errors and differences of prejudice and hatred and instill in its place the belief in the necessity of communication." American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca.


The "Theory on Iceality on Environmental Arts" used in the building of the “Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM) is a learning by association formula that builds a concept within and makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. A form of synergy called the Iceality Method  whereby the interaction of multiple elements ( Peace Stones) work together in a culture of peace structured to reproduce in a sustainable effect, in this case the WCPM, that is superior than the sum of their individual Stones. The learning occurs as the Worlds Children using the Iceality Methodology, take part in the education, personal development, schooling and training  adding new Peace Stones from the Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM) to municipal parks. It is a product of nature, goal-oriented and aided by motivation by concerned personnel.
Training the Worlds Children
to be Future Peace Stewards
The Science behind Peace and Global Harmony is the "Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts". Developed in 1987, it is the practical study on the aesthetics of the relationship between Humans and their Environment through Arts and Culture, ultimately promoting an effective sustainable global Culture of Peace between all Living Things ~ Human, Plant and Wildlife  Kingdoms!   The incorporation of the rights of flora and fauna in a "Universal Peace Equation" is the first major change in achieving a sustainable global Culture Peace on Earth in over 2000 Years.  http://www.theicea.com/page22
In essence, the WCPM is a system of interrelated international components working together with a common objective: Creating a Sustainable Global Culture of Peace for All Living Things!

The  Iceality Methodology is a goal-directed type of learning principle for the Worlds Children based on the assumption that ideas and experiences reinforce one another and can be linked to enhance the innate holistic learning process. It refers to the capability of people to improve their communities through their own instinctive creativeness by following the same type of positive hands on action inherent in the Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts that was used to create the original model at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany.  At Germany's World's Fair, EXPO 2000's 'Culture on the Move' segment, lead by American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca and the 140 Nation Assembly, the concept of a permanent universal symbol of renewal and peace on earth for all living inhabitants through the 'Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts' was conceived. This Universal Symbol of Living Peace was the WCPM sculpture.  This project was initiated in cooperation with the United Nations 2000 Culture of Peace Program and organized in support of the UN Decade of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.   The  Iceality Methodology used to expand the WCPM globally has its origins in Nature itself, utilizing the basic fact that All Living things have an inherent need to grow and prosper. Like a parent plant grows and sprouts seeds to propagate and grow, The WCPM uses WCPM Peace Stones to grow and send their messages of Peace.  Their increased productivity in creativity is achieved through practice, self-perfection, and individual innovations from the original environmental artwork or idea.  Research has proven that this repetitive type of learning process is based on the principle that related different ideas and experiences reinforce one another and can be linked together and to enhance the whole learning process. Through this collaborative creative process, individuals and communities are not simply beneficiaries of public art or recipients of treatment, but co-creators of the work as they learn new skills, gain knowledge among peers and community members, and play an active role in improving their physical community neighborhood. The Iceality Methodology is now the main process that organizations are utilizing to promote the United Nations Culture of Peace initiative.
Other examples of the Iceality Methodology in Greater Cleveland are listed in the reference section below [1]

The concept of learning-by-doing has been incorporated by American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca in their design of endogenous growth of the WCPM to explain effects of innovation, technical and artistic growth of the Worlds Children Peace Monument. They use the concept to explain increasing returns to the embodied human capital working for Peace. At the ARK in Berea, the Jakupca’s have shown that learning by doing plays a role in the evolution of neighborhoods to greater specialization in production. In both these cases, learning by doing and increases the returns that provide an engine for long run growth.

The WCPM Peace Stones community/business opportunity provides a low-cost, low-risk means to achieve all this, and more. For instance:
  • It is a way to meet other people and develop new friendships
  • It gives the Families a chance to work closely together and develop stronger ties
  • It helps our children to develop and refine their business skills
  • It provides people the flexibility to organize and manage their time as they wish
  • It gives opportunities to those Family members who might not otherwise have them to succeed on their own.

Lakewood Peace Stone
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.411274992305376&type=1


 

In conjunction with the learning by doing concept, a non-formal learning method is organized learning outside the formal classroom learning system. For example: Coming together with people with similar interests and exchanging viewpoints, in clubs or in (international) youth organizations and workshops…the group of teachers, civic leaders and interested community organizations work with the artist to set the goals of the Peace Stone Project that will engage the local youth in the project objectives.
In some situations, the educational arrangement can use a combination of formal, informal, and non-formal learning methods. ICEA assisted the United Nations to recognize these different forms of learning.  In some counties, children can get points that count in their formal learning systems for the work done in the more convenient informal learning curriculum. Additionally, as long as they can help to prepare, contribute, share and improve on this offered valuable new insight to peace, they may also be given time to assist in teaching and get actual work experience in organizing what they have learned in their own Worlds Children Peace youth workshops and training courses. This closes the significant gap between what children are told is important for their future career success and what business leaders actually want from the emerging workforce. Creative individuals are actually in demand, not just for arts careers, but for careers in business as well.

So, even if the Worlds Children are not artistic prodigies, those hours spent practicing is not a total waste. “This Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts suggests the importance of a liberal education for today’s Worlds Children and prepares them for a healthy dynamic lifestyle for their tomorrow”.  The fact is, that training in the Iceality Methodology in childhood affects their everyday life as older adults, and in our study this is especially true as the neural timing of the brain is the first to go in the aging adult,” said the Ambassador Renate.
Utilizing the Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts, the 'Iceality Methodology' was developed to promote the building of the Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM) and the Great American Peace Trail. Originally designed for MYSPACE, The 'Iceality Methodology' has been 'borrowed' as a tool for social change by virtually every social activist organization and group on Facebook is used by over 1 Billion people in a still growing audience.
By India Keyes

 David Jakupca
American Cultural Ambassador
Universal Peace Ambassador
Spiritual Father of the Environmental Art Movement
Fonder of the International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA)

Related Links:
A) -  ICEALITY SILVER REVELATION  
http://theicea.com/page3


B) - North East Ohio Area has been 'branded' as the Home of the Environmental Art(s) Movement
In a historic re-unification of the North Coast Community, as part of the Iceality Silver Revelation, North East Ohio Area has been 'branded' as the Home of the Environmental Art(s) Movement by the International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA) as a 'Cultural Industry', to foster civic identity, cultivate jobs and tourism, and brand Ohio Environmental Arts and Culture District in the Bioregion.
"Throughout history, various movements in Art have taken place: impressionism, Modernism, Abstract Art, Photo-Realists to name a few. Recently Pop Art debuted in the 1960’s and now at the beginning of the 21st Century, socially aware artists with a vision is making a difference in Art History. The pioneer artist of this new genre of art, David akupca, calls this type of expression this the "Environmental Art Movement". He is also the founder of the: International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA)which is exclusively devoted to environmental and humanitarian concerns facing Mankind in the 21st Century". Art Critic and  Writer, Priscilla Cinadr
http://theicea.com/page25


C) - Building the National Coast-to-Coast 'Great American Peace Trail'
http://bereabuzz.blogspot.com/2013/03/building-national-coast-to-coast-great.html

[1] Environmental Art Examples in Greater Cleveland of the Iceality Methodology :

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
GuitarMania® is a Greater Cleveland community public art project that has raised $2 million for its two benefiting charities - United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's education programs. The project consists of large, 10-ft-tall Fender® Stratocaster® guitars creatively transformed into works of art by local artists and national celebrities. The guitars are displayed on the city streets of Cleveland for residents and visitors to enjoy from the end of May through October, 2012. Corporations, organizations and individuals sponsor the guitars and select from a variety of local artists to paint, sculpt or decorate them. Celebrity artists also paint and decorate guitars.  http://www.cleveland.com/guitarmania/

Cleveland's Asia Town.
In the Chinese zodiac it is the year of the dragon. There are twelve animals, and five cycles. This time, a water dragon. On one there is a limerick, reflecting Cleveland's geography and history: Eerie monsters lurked in our lake•This we claim, a mistake•Crooked river caught fire• The lake's future loomed dire•These dragons guard all in their wake./ http://rustbeltvoice.blogspot.com/2012/05/dragons-have-come-to-cleveland.html

Collinwood Painted Rain Barrel Project,
Environmental Artist Linda Zolten Wood, was inspired by St. Clair's 'Year of the..." statue competition/ auctions, and Northeast Shores Development Corporation free rain barrel distribution for 25 Collinwood residents per year. She and a jury of professional artists, selected from 25 area artists, who were called to create images inspired by lake sustainability, the North Coast and North Collinwood history.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwart/article/The-Collinwood-Painted-Rain-Barrel-Project-413-20130305

Moving Lives of Kids Art Center (MLK Mural)
http://www.mlkmural.com
MLK Mural is a new organization,
that focuses on empowering youth through public environmental art education.

Follow the Fish Art and Adventure Trails®
is a new collaborative Lorain County arts initiative founded on June 21, 2012 that serves as a catalyst for local and regional tourism while celebrating our local businesses, communities, assets, and natural environment. http://www.followthefishtrail.com


Successful creative placemaking…

…places artists and art at the center of planning, execution and activity.
…leverages the creative potential already present in a place. All places have creative potential just waiting to bubble up. Even while drawing on resources from beyond the community, leveraging local artistic and organizational talent and assets increases the value in a community and the commitment to it, while nurturing an enduring sense of place.
…creates opportunities for people of all income levels and backgrounds to thrive in place. As its value increases, a place that is intentionally inclusive and connected is more likely to spur economic opportunity and allow people to succeed where they are.
…supports economic diversity in the community, providing multiple points of entry and interaction for people of all incomes. The more economically integrated a community is, the more access to opportunity exists for all.…creates interesting places that capitalize on distinctiveness. A creative approach improves the aesthetics of a place, whether it is the look, feel, sound or even smell. The difference sets that place apart as more interesting than others. A place that expresses its distinctiveness and resists com-modification and sameness is more likely to have long-term appeal.
…creates a place where people want to go and linger. Successful places attract people beyond those required to be there. People lingering is an investment of time in a place and is apt to lead to additional investments.
…contributes to a mix of uses and people that makes places more diverse, more interesting and more active, thus making spontaneous interaction more likely. Intensifying and mixing activities creates the promise that visitors can stumble onto the fun, mingle with other people, or happen upon opportunity.
…fosters connections among people and across cultures. The relationships built among diverse groups of people create safer, more open places that create more opportunity and foster a sense that everyone is welcome.
…is always presenting itself to the public and encouraging pedestrian activity. Whether open or closed, a place that is a consistently interesting and active presence to the street promotes more pedestrian activity and creates the public perception that the place is safer and more animated. More pedestrians mean more prospective customers on the street to support more small businesses.
…creates a place where business wants to be. As a place becomes more active, commerce is likely to respond, thus giving people even more reasons to be there.
…convinces people that a place can have a different and better future.
http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/principles-of-creative-placemaking/


…leverages the creative potential already present in a place. All places have creative potential just waiting to bubble up. Even while drawing on resources from beyond the community, leveraging local artistic and organizational talent and assets increases the value in a community and the commitment to it, while nurturing an enduring sense of place.
…creates opportunities for people of all income levels and backgrounds to thrive in place. As its value increases, a place that is intentionally inclusive and connected is more likely to spur economic opportunity and allow people to succeed where they are.
…supports economic diversity in the community, providing multiple points of entry and interaction for people of all incomes. The more economically integrated a community is, the more access to opportunity exists for all.
…creates interesting places that capitalize on distinctiveness. A creative approach improves the aesthetics of a place, whether it is the look, feel, sound or even smell. The difference sets that place apart as more interesting than others. A place that expresses its distinctiveness and resists commodification and sameness is more likely to have long-term appeal.
…creates a place where people want to go and linger. Successful places attract people beyond those required to be there. People lingering is an investment of time in a place and is apt to lead to additional investments.
…contributes to a mix of uses and people that makes places more diverse, more interesting and more active, thus making spontaneous interaction more likely. Intensifying and mixing activities creates the promise that visitors can stumble onto the fun, mingle with other people, or happen upon opportunity.
…fosters connections among people and across cultures. The relationships built among diverse groups of people create safer, more open places that create more opportunity and foster a sense that everyone is welcome.
…is always presenting itself to the public and encouraging pedestrian activity. Whether open or closed, a place that is a consistently interesting and active presence to the street promotes more pedestrian activity and creates the public perception that the place is safer and more animated. More pedestrians mean more prospective customers on the street to support more small businesses.
…creates a place where business wants to be. As a place becomes more active, commerce is likely to respond, thus giving people even more reasons to be there.
…convinces people that a place can have a different and better future.
- See more at: http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/principles-of-creative-placemaking/#sthash.P6CHwRyV.dpuf

Successful creative placemaking…

…places artists and art at the center of planning, execution and activity.
…leverages the creative potential already present in a place. All places have creative potential just waiting to bubble up. Even while drawing on resources from beyond the community, leveraging local artistic and organizational talent and assets increases the value in a community and the commitment to it, while nurturing an enduring sense of place.
…creates opportunities for people of all income levels and backgrounds to thrive in place. As its value increases, a place that is intentionally inclusive and connected is more likely to spur economic opportunity and allow people to succeed where they are.
…supports economic diversity in the community, providing multiple points of entry and interaction for people of all incomes. The more economically integrated a community is, the more access to opportunity exists for all.
…creates interesting places that capitalize on distinctiveness. A creative approach improves the aesthetics of a place, whether it is the look, feel, sound or even smell. The difference sets that place apart as more interesting than others. A place that expresses its distinctiveness and resists commodification and sameness is more likely to have long-term appeal.
…creates a place where people want to go and linger. Successful places attract people beyond those required to be there. People lingering is an investment of time in a place and is apt to lead to additional investments.
…contributes to a mix of uses and people that makes places more diverse, more interesting and more active, thus making spontaneous interaction more likely. Intensifying and mixing activities creates the promise that visitors can stumble onto the fun, mingle with other people, or happen upon opportunity.
…fosters connections among people and across cultures. The relationships built among diverse groups of people create safer, more open places that create more opportunity and foster a sense that everyone is welcome.
…is always presenting itself to the public and encouraging pedestrian activity. Whether open or closed, a place that is a consistently interesting and active presence to the street promotes more pedestrian activity and creates the public perception that the place is safer and more animated. More pedestrians mean more prospective customers on the street to support more small businesses.
…creates a place where business wants to be. As a place becomes more active, commerce is likely to respond, thus giving people even more reasons to be there.
…convinces people that a place can have a different and better future.
- See more at: http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/principles-of-creative-placemaking/#sthash.P6CHwRyV.dpuf

Successful creative placemaking…

…places artists and art at the center of planning, execution and activity.
…leverages the creative potential already present in a place. All places have creative potential just waiting to bubble up. Even while drawing on resources from beyond the community, leveraging local artistic and organizational talent and assets increases the value in a community and the commitment to it, while nurturing an enduring sense of place.
…creates opportunities for people of all income levels and backgrounds to thrive in place. As its value increases, a place that is intentionally inclusive and connected is more likely to spur economic opportunity and allow people to succeed where they are.
…supports economic diversity in the community, providing multiple points of entry and interaction for people of all incomes. The more economically integrated a community is, the more access to opportunity exists for all.
…creates interesting places that capitalize on distinctiveness. A creative approach improves the aesthetics of a place, whether it is the look, feel, sound or even smell. The difference sets that place apart as more interesting than others. A place that expresses its distinctiveness and resists commodification and sameness is more likely to have long-term appeal.
…creates a place where people want to go and linger. Successful places attract people beyond those required to be there. People lingering is an investment of time in a place and is apt to lead to additional investments.
…contributes to a mix of uses and people that makes places more diverse, more interesting and more active, thus making spontaneous interaction more likely. Intensifying and mixing activities creates the promise that visitors can stumble onto the fun, mingle with other people, or happen upon opportunity.
…fosters connections among people and across cultures. The relationships built among diverse groups of people create safer, more open places that create more opportunity and foster a sense that everyone is welcome.
…is always presenting itself to the public and encouraging pedestrian activity. Whether open or closed, a place that is a consistently interesting and active presence to the street promotes more pedestrian activity and creates the public perception that the place is safer and more animated. More pedestrians mean more prospective customers on the street to support more small businesses.
…creates a place where business wants to be. As a place becomes more active, commerce is likely to respond, thus giving people even more reasons to be there.
…convinces people that a place can have a different and better future.
- See more at: http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/principles-of-creative-placemaking/#sthash.P6CHwRyV.dpuf
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6 comments:

Adele Peters said...

How The "Tiny WPA" Is Transforming Neighborhoods, With Help From Teenage Girls

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3023330/how-the-tiny-wpa-is-transforming-neighborhoods-with-help-from-teenage-girls#2

JOE MARTINO said...

What Happens When A Kid Leaves Traditional Education?

http://www.realfarmacy.com/what-happens-when-a-kid-leaves-traditional-education/#yb8UZrHOx7tgJSMq.99

Natasha Richardson said...

ICEALITY AT WORK FORMING YOUNG EARTH STEWARDS!

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multistakeholder community of more than 900 exceptional young leaders. Bold, brave, action-oriented and entrepreneurial, these individuals commit both their time and talent to make the world a better place.

The community is made up of leaders from all walks of life, from every region of the world and every stakeholder group in society. Nominated under 40, these young leaders are proposed through a qualified nomination process and assessed according to rigorous selection criteria that creates a diverse and truly representative body, while accepting only the very best leaders who have already demonstrated their commitment to serving society at large.

Set up as an independent, not-for-profit founda tion under the Swiss government, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is an integral part of the World Economic Forum and part of the larger New Champions community.

Throughout their six year tenure, YGLs are fully involved in the Forum’s meetings, initiatives and research and interact with the Forum’s wider multistakeholder community. YGLs have a powerful role in determining the community’s activities. They are governed by a foundation board of 14 respected leaders and are managed by a dynamic team of young professionals based in Geneva and China.

The community gives its members a peer network that challenges them to be better leaders in both their personal and professional lives. It is a support system that questions, and constantly pushes its members to not only do more, but to be more too.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders has three objectives:

Collaboration: to build a diverse global community of peers who engage in networks and processes that look for forward-looking and innovative solutions to the problems faced by humankind
Learning: to transform the next generation of leaders through personal experiences that build knowledge and engender better understanding of global, regional and industry agendas
Action: to positively impact global challenges by engaging YGLs in initiatives and workstreams related to specific challenges they have identified

To read more about the Forum of Young Global Leaders, please take a look at the YGL Brochure, which includes several stories highlighting the collaborative and transformational nature of the YGL community.

After their tenure of six years, YGLs can join the YGL Alumni Community. From 1993 to 2003, before the creation of the Forum and the Young Global Leaders, new generation of leaders who demonstrated a commitment to addressing global issues were part of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow community.

Sandy Seufert said...

“Practice” Makes Perfect in the Intersection of Visual Arts and Science

The concept of “practice” has always been a word attached to my own personal art form of music. But the very verb-ness of that word has taken on a completely different dimension as a noun of serious proportions in my current work with visual artists to develop curriculum to support the new Next Generation Science Standards.

At my work at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, California, I have the incredible opportunity to work with a brilliant faculty of highly trained and creative teaching artists in a program called, “Children Investigate the Environment.” While this program has existed in a variety of forms since 1986, it was the release of the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in April of 2013 that prompted an idea to increase the rigor of the science content of the program.

Working in grade level teams with the teaching artists to create the curriculum, it took a while for us to wrap our heads around each of the aspects of the NGSS – Performance Expectations, Disciplinary Core Ideas, Cross Cutting Concepts, etc. However, the first thing that resonated with all of us was the focus on Scientific and Engineering Practices. In reflecting on our own various practices as artists, we realized that we had found an important connection. It was there that we started.

Yet despite this nifty initial connection, it was clear that the biggest source of anxiety for the teaching artists was the fear of not getting enough of the WHAT (science content that directly connected to the NGSS that could be assessed with a pre and post-test). And add to that issue their need to maintain some kind of balance with the visual arts content, concerned they would lose the emphasis on imagining and creating art. For those of you that work with standards-based arts integration, you may know that this balance is often not easy. But the reflection we did on the HOW of science and the HOW of visual art became a clear substrate of integration between the two disciplines. It was a bit of a “eureka” moment, actually. Thus the concept of “practice” became the very glue we needed.

Sandy's BlogTeaching artists provide such a unique role in their work with children that I find it hard to articulate it in a sentence or two. However, the lesson I have learned through this process of integrating science and visual arts has been in my complete awe at the creative genius of the teaching artists. There is no substitute for the exposure of children of the innovation, flexibility, and curiosity of an artist. And having met some scientists in the development of these lessons, I can say the same thing about them. Weird, but not.

And while we can all occupy ourselves with the WHAT of the Common Core State Standards and the WHAT of any number of other standards and initiatives, I invite you to reflect on the HOW of your practices and processes in order to truly hone the hungry masses of creative, communicative, collaborative, and critically thinking youth. But even beyond the HOW, the true crux of it all may very well fall into the WHO – who we are as artist ambassadors and how we share what it means to live an artful life. And we may come to realize that we may have more in common with the other WHOs out there than we had thought!

- See more at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2014/03/11/practice-makes-perfect-in-the-intersection-of-visual-arts-and-science/comment-page-1/#comment-137010

Tina LaPadula said...

Teaching Artists as Equity Warriors

I facilitate arts education workshops and conversations nationally. Teaching artists often ask me why it’s important to discuss arts education and social justice - See more at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2014/03/11/teaching-artists-as-equity-warriors/comment-page-1/#comment-137011

Vanessa Bassil said...

A greeting of peace from Tripoli


Tripoli, Lebanon - On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, on September 21st, young artists took the stage at the Cultural League Theatre in the hot spot of northern Lebanon in Tripoli, the second largest city in the country. They showed their beautiful, non-violent talents and performances to the community through dancing, music, acting, and drawing, and they reminded everyone that despite the ongoing conflict, there is still a place for peace. This celebration demonstrated that, even in highly volatile areas, there are always people who refuse violence and serve as role models to inspire and mobilize others to stop using violence.

The security of Tripoli is threatened by an ongoing conflict between residents of different neighborhoods, Bab-al-Tabbaneh (majority Sunni Muslim) and Jabal Mohsen (majority Alawite Muslim), who have been rivals since the Lebanese civil war in 1975. Currently, tensions are exacerbated by the Syrian civil war, and they are divided according to their opposition or support of the Alawite-led Syrian government. But Tripoli is not only about violence; there are people who want to live in peace and believe that they can make a change.

It is true that peacebuilding is a journey full of challenges, difficulties, and disappointments. However, a deep belief in the mission and a strong determination are capable of taking us far. And this is exactly the belief of the Media for Peace Association (MAP), which organized the event through its MasterPeace club. MAP is a platform for people coming from different backgrounds to gather in a place that unites their similarities, ambitions, and goals. It is a place for youth to be active citizens and for journalists to be responsible professionals.

Furthermore, far away from the violence, drugs, guns, and prison that stress Tripoli society, amazing break dancers jumped on stage to surprise everyone with their incredible flexibility, strength, and well-designed choreography. The Lebanese rap band “Men l Ekher,” (from later) formed by three rappers from different towns in Tripoli made sure to take part of this celebration to perform their unique rap and hip hop songs about unity in Lebanon. They made the audience sing with them while creating an amazing atmosphere of engagement, excitement, and fun. One of the band members, Issa Naaman, shouted passionately during the performance: “A greeting of peace from Tripoli to Lebanon!” Naaman was responding to the video messages screened at the beginning of the celebration, when journalists from around the country presented a “greeting of peace to Tripoli” from their regions.

At the end, “the flame of peace” that was carried all over Lebanon by the tenor Gabriel Abdel Nour finally arrived in Tripoli on the International Day of Peace. The celebration gave hope to the locals who want peace, and it gave a chance to youth to express their hopes for the future.

The artists of the new generation in Tripoli can be an inspiration for other youth in conflict zones about the use of non-violent tools such as art, music, and dance. They remind all hopeless and skeptical people that even in places agitated by violent conflict, peaceful people exist, they have the right to be heard, and they have a duty to convey the nonviolent message they believe in. While Lebanon continues to face real threats to its security, the day triggered new hopes among the people of Tripoli, who sent a greeting of peace to the rest of Lebanon.