News from Nobel Peace Laureate Project:
October 10, 2010
Lura Pierce Brings Home Peace Quilt
Lura Pierce, retired teacher and the Nobel Project's 2008 Educator of the Year, recently returned from a tour of various sites in the world where she displayed the Peace Quilt she created. While in Russia and later in England, Mrs. Pierce displayed her quilt in various places and inspired hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children, to write postcard statements describing what peace means to them personally.
Her million zillion visions of peace program is inspired by the Nobel Project. Some of the children's statements about peace were on display along with her Peace Quilt. the quilt and some of the statements by children were at the Peace Begins at Home performances in late September and early October and were part of the decor at the Nobel Project's gala dinner on September 24.
In her spare time she organized the Nobel Project's prize-winning parade entry in the annual Eugene Celebration on August 28.
September 24, 2010
Claes Nobel Inspires Donors to the Nobel Project
This evening at Lane Communilty College in Eugene Claes Nobel, honorary co-chairman of the Nobel Project, inspired an audience of over 150 persons by speaking on "The Beauty and Bliss of Universal Peace." His words moved the audience members to pledge a generous amount of donations to be used for the creation of the Peace Park in Eugene's Alton Baker Park. Donations continue to come in as a result of his words and the prompting of Larry Tardie, fundraising auctioneer.
Mr. Nobel's words were complemented by the words and music of performers who were to be participants in the Peace Begins at Home Events during the week of September 27-October 3 at the Shedd Institute. Marcee Long, producer of these performances, was present and emceed that portion of the gala dinner's program.
Mr. Nobel, great grandnephew of the Alfred Nobel who founded the Nobel Prizes, is the head of both United Earth and the National Society of High School Scholars. In 2007 he received a lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award at the Artivist Film Festival in Hollywood.
The dinner was a great success and brings the Nobel Project closer to its goal of creating the first ever Peace Park honoring the 24 American winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.
September 16, 2010
Linda Smart Named NPLP Educator of the Year
This morning at Monroe Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, social studies teacher Linda Smart was designated the Nobel Peace Laureate Project's Educator of the Year. She was recognized for her efforts at teaching about Peace.
Ms. Smart joins Lura Pierce, recently retired from Shasta Middle School, as teachers recognized for their contributions to peace education. The NPLP looks forward to giving out many, many more awards of this nature.
To make it easier for other teachers to teach about peace, the NPLP has developed teaching materials for classroom use. Go to the Teach Peace link on this website.
August 28. 2010
A Peace Parade at the Eugene Celebration
At the annual Eugene Celebration Parade on Saturday, August 28, the Nobel Peace Laureate Project entry won two awards:
(1) Best use of parade theme, Raise the Roof: and (2) BEST OF SHOW!
Our entry included signs displaying photos of the Nobel Laureates, a Peace Quilt, and statements by young persons about what peace means to them. 45 persons marched for peace in the NPLP entry.
Click here to visit Lura's website.
June 13, 2010
PAVERS FOR PEACE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
We will continue our campaign giving persons an opportunity to contribute an inscribed paver to the Nobel Peace Laureate Project. Inscriptions can be used to honor relatives or personal heroes. The pavers will become a part of the Peace Park near the Center Alcove.
See the Contribute section for details.
December 2, 2009
THE NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE PROJECT 2009 NEWSLETTER
You can download a PDF version of the color newsletter by Clicking Here.
October 19, 2009
THE NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE PROJECT WELCOMES BRACK OBAMA AS U.S. PEACE LAUREATE NUMBER 24
On October 9 the Nobel Peace Committee announced that U. S. President Barack Obama will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. This is a great honor for both the President and the United States. Obama joins 23 other American individuals and organizations who have received the world's greatest honor for peace. Among previous Nobel Laureates are George Marshall, Woodrow Wilson, Jane Addams, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Below is the press release from the Nobel Committee announcing the award.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
April 27, 2009
NOBEL PROJECT NOW A PART OF U.S. PEACE REGISTRY
Thanks to the urging of Rotary member Bill McConochie the Nobel Peace Laureate is now a part of the U.S. Peace Registry. This organization's long range plan is to build a Peace Memorial in Washington, D. C. War memorials constitute a large portion of the public art in the nation's capital and a peace monument is much needed.
Our membership in the Peace Registry opens up possibilities of networking with other individuals and national groups interested in honoring peacemakers and educating about peace.
April 18, 2009
NAACP ENDORSES NOBEL PROJECT
At its January 10, 2009 meeting, the Eugene chapter of the NAACP voted to endorse the Nobel Peace Laureate Project. Of particular interest were the two African-American Laureates, Ralph Bunche and Martin Luther King, Jr.
November 10, 2008
CLAES NOBEL PRESENTED WITH AWARD
On October 11, 2008, Claes Nobel, honorary co-chair of the Nobel Peace Laureate Project was presented with the Jehan Sadat World Peace Living Legacy Award. Mr. Nobel is a native of Sweden and a senior member of the Nobel family which has honored scores of world-changing individuals with Nobel Prizes. He is also the Founder of the National Society of High School Scholars and drafted the Nobel Laureates Declaration on the Survival of the Mankind. You can find more information at www.wic.org which stands for Women's International Center founded by Dr. Gloria Lane.
August 25 , 2008
EUGENE, OREGON TEACHER OF THE YEAR PRESENTATION
This morning at Willamette High school David Mandelblatt, Nancy Newman, and I presented the Nobel Peace Laureate Project's first ever Teacher of the Year award to Lura Pierce of Shasta Middle School. It was a simple presentation and the award consisted of a certificate created by Nancy Newman. The award was given for outstanding teaching of peace. Some of you may recall it was Lura Pierce's class that visited the Peace Park site as a field trip where the student's staged their own inspiring and moving ceremony focusing on the American Nobel Peace Laureates.
At the ceremony when Lura's name was announced the audience -- the faculties off all the schools in the Bethel school district -- stood up and gave her a standing ovation. After receiving the award, she responded with the shortest acceptance speech in history: "Peace." I am sure that will become a local legend in the Bethel area.
Present at the ceremony were three TV camera crews and you should be able to catch 30 seconds worth of it on the local newscasts. You also should be able to read about the award in the RG and perhaps the weekly. MANY THANKS TO GEORGE BERES FOR HANDLING THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE MEDIA.
THANKS ALSO TO MARGO SCHAEFER WHO SET UP THE CEREMONY WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
To see what inspired us to give the award, visit the nobelpeacelaureate site on YouTube.
It was a great experience and we are sure Lura was thrilled. She deserves this award.
We intend to do this again in the future and intend to spend some time developing criteria for the awards next time around. If any of you have some suggestions, please let us know.
March 21, 2008
"MEET ME AT THE PEACE PARK"
STUDENTS FROM SHASTA MIDDLE SCHOOL TAKE FIELD TRIP TO THE FUTURE NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE PARK SITE
The Nobel Peace Laureate monument site in Alton Baker Park was visited by its very first school field trip. This turned out to be more than anticipated.
The program started with landscape architect and co-designer of the monument, Kate McGee, leading the 45 or so Shasta Middle School students on a mock tour of the now open site. Dan Arkin then discussed how the ADA applied to the monument. Then came the turn of the students.
The kids called the roll of American Peace Laureates. This was followed by a statement by each 6th grader about what peace meant to him or her. The students sang a verse of "Let There Be Peace On Earth" and had the 12-15 adults in the audience join in an encore. A solo sax player completed the program with "America the Beautiful". The kids wore armbands with the Nobel Project logo and displayed banners designed by themselves.
At the end of the student program there was hardly a dry adult eye in the group. Kate McGee told me that this event made her proud to be a part of our project. Others of you who were present expressed similar sentiments. I could barely make closing remarks.
We have always believed our Peace Park and education program will inspire others to work for peace and the place to learn about the process begins with the young. I believe we saw evidence of a lot of inspiration on Good Friday, 2008.
Special thanks goes to Lura Pierce, teacher of the students. Her students showed a knowledge of facts, an ability to carry out plans, and a spirit that went beyond the raw material with which they were working.
November 29, 2007
CLAES NOBEL RECEIVES LIFETIME
HUMANITARIAN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD!
In Hollywood on November 11 the film industry’s social activist organization Artivist recognized Claes Nobel, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Nobel Peace Laureate Project, with a lifetime achievement award for his long efforts for environmental protection, planetary health, and the benefit of children. Present with the Nobel family at the ceremony in the Egyptian Theater was John Attig, President of the Nobel Project.
Nobel, an Oregon resident and senior member of the Nobel [Prize] family, will continue his efforts for world peace and the environment. At present he is working with World Peace One to raise money worldwide for peace organizations. He is a co-founder of the National Society of High School Scholars that has over 340,000 members. Nobel recently indicated he is looking forward to attending the dedication ceremony of the Nobel Peace Laureate’s Peace Path in Eugene’s Alton Baker Park.
Photo: Courtesy of and Copyright © The Nobel Foundation