Toronto Peace Tree Ambassadors getting ready to take action on Peace Tree Day today by celebrating diversity through the arts and fusion! This year they hope to send many children less fortunate to school through UNICEF Canada.

Toronto Peace Tree Mini-Conference

The first Toronto Peace Tree Mini-Conference was held on Oct. 2nd at the Multi-faith Centre at the University of Toronto in honour of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Peace Tree Ambassadors from 9 school disctricts from across Ontario attended the conference in order to learn how to create inclusive, equitable and peaceful schools through the Peace Tree Spirit!

The student Peace Tree Ambassadors learned how to start their Peace Tree Club's and celebrate the Peace Tree Spirit by discovering the world of diversity focusing on the arts. They experienced a taste of diversity, a fusion performance of ballet and Bharatnatyam classical Indian dance and Peace Tree Workshops to help them learn how to celebrate Peace Tree Day in their own cities and schools.

Join the Peace Tree Spirit and discover the world of diversity through the arts and literacy and empower young people to be leaders in social justice issues!

What's on your mind?

Mitra Sen

It's officially Peace Tree Day today and children and youth in schools in many cities in Canada and around the world are celebrating and sending their prayers for peace for the children and families in Syria. This year schools in Russia organized their first Peace Tree Day celebrations and created their first Peace Tree that highlights the symbols of all our cultures and faiths TOGETHER.

We read about the little boy in Syria who saw his entire family being killed in front of him while he pretended to be dead. I cannot even imagine what this little boy had to go through and how he is surviving today. It makes us all realize why it is so important for each of us to do whatever we can to ensure our children grow in peace; to help them understand peace, embrace peace and find new ways to create peace, so they can one day live in peace...

As Jimi Hendrix once said so beautifully...

'When the power of love, overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.'

And as Mahatma Gandhi said so wisely...

'If we are to create peace in our world, we must begin with our children.'

I hope this little boy's call for help will inspire children and families around the world to see how we can work together to stop the violence and unite in peace...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9KnjNxU8nI

‎11-year-old Syrian boy saw entire family killed, survived massacre by playing dead

Join children and youth in Australia, Russia, India, USA and Canada as they celebrate Peace Tree Day on June 1st. Please visit http://www.peacetreeday.com/celebrateptd.htm to discover the many ways you can celebrate Peace Tree Day in your school, community, organization and at home. 

Simple ways for children and youth to celebrate Peace Tree Day on June 1, 2012 (if it`s a holiday in your city, then pick the closest day you can to the festival)

1. Create a Peace Tree in your school, community, organization or at home and write your messages of peace on the symbols for children around the world and especially for those in Syria this year.  Organize a gathering on Peace Tree Day to send your prayers for peace for the families in Syria.  Take a photo of your Peace Tree and send it to info@peacetreeday.com, so we can post it at peacetreeday.com and make sure to label the name of your city.

Instructions to create a Peace Tree:   http://www.peacetreeday.com/peacetreedaykit.htm
Symbols to create your Peace Tree:  http://www.peacetreeday.com/peacetreedaykit.htm


2.  Videotape your message of peace and post it on Youtube on Peace Tree Day, June 1st...Label the video Happy Peace Tree Day from the city you are from eg.  Happy Peace Tree Day from New York.

3. Post a video on youtube of a dance that reflects diversity, peace and fusion and post it on youtube on Peace Tree Day, June 1 and call it Peace Tree Fusion 2012 from (the name of your city)

4. Send your poems and artwork for peace to info@peacetreeday.com that reflects celebrating peace and diversity together! The most creative, artistic, colourful and inclusive drawings will be highlighted at peacetreeday.com. Please include your name and age. We will require your parent's permission to post the drawing or poetry on our website.  

5. Videotape your class or choir or a group of children between 4 and 12 wearing clothes from their culture, standing in front of a landmark, singing the song 'Imagine' by John Lennon to the same key as the following video: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q0Eyw3l3XM   Then send us the mov file to info@peacetreeday.com and peacetreeinternational@yahoo.com with the name of your country. As soon as we get 15 different countries, we can compile them into one video and post it on youtube and on our site.  (please shoot using a tripod or make sure the shot is very steady and shot against a background that reflects your culture)

6. If your school or community would really like to celebrate Peace Tree in a big way, visit http://www.peacetreeday.com/celebrateptd.htm and let us know if you are celebrating, so we can share the information through our blogsite.

Hope you have a very inspiring Peace Tree Day on June 1, 2012 and let's celebrate diversity and create peace TOGETHER!

Get ready to celebrate Peace Tree Day on June 1st, 2012 with children and youth around the world!

This year Peace Tree Day will be celebrated in schools in Canada, Russia, India, Pakistan, USA and Australia.  Join hands with Peace Tree Ambassadors around the world to send messages of peace to free the children in Syria. Details coming soon at www.peacetreeday.com  Ideas to celebrate Peace Tree Day in your school at peacetreeday.com under celebrate PTD.

The United States Peace Corps initiative to include International Peace Tree Day as part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration in St. Kitts and Nevis...

 In celebration of International Peace Tree Day in 2011, festival goers in St. Kitts and Nevis created a "symbol” to place on the Papaya tree in the garden at Project Strong, a skill development school in St. Kitts.  The “symbols” created were religious, cultural and simple reflection of peace representing countries and cultures from around the world.  The tree was photographed in the garden at Project Strong where the “ornaments” remain on display today.  A photograph of the Peace Tree was submitted to the official International Peace Tree Day website to be included in their selection of 2011 Peace Tree Day celebrations around the world.