POSITIVE THING TO DO 97-98: TREE PLANTING AT OF NANJING MASSACRE AND THE CULTURES OF PEACE INITIATIVE

Tree Planting At Site Of Nanjing Massacre For the past fourteen years I have been an Ambassador to the United Nations designated 'Cultures of Peace' Peace Messenger Initiative. I was invited to become Ambassador for the Initiative (originally named the "We The People's Initiative') back in 1994 when I set out to walk from San Francisco to Sarajevo to plant a tree during that cities three years siege. That tree was a symbol of peace and through that tree I relayed the message of how damaging war is on humanity and the natural environment that we all need to exist. I have continued planting trees for peace and environmental protection ever since.

A few days ago we arrive into the large Chinese City of Nanjing which in 1937 suffered one of the greatest massacres of all time, when the invading Japanese troops murdered, in the most horrendous form of brutality, over 300,000 Chinese Citizens in a period of just six weeks.

All of us wanted to plant a tree of peace in the city, especially Konomi who feels that it is a shame that the government of Japan has still not formally apologized for what happened. That opportunity came the moment we crossed the city limits. We were hiking along a major highway when a TV vehicle came past and noticed our flags and began filming on the spot. It was all quite by chance and they took the opportunity to do an on the scene interview. After a few minutes they asked if we'd like to plant a tree at a memorial park. Fantastic. And it was arranged that the next morning at 9a.m we'd meet at the TV station and walk to a memorial sited where ten thousand victims of the massacre had been murdered and buried.

The video below shows that small, but moving tribute to these people who died at war.

Introduction To The Cultures of Peace Initiative
The purpose of this global/local initiative is to build a Culture of Peace in the 21st century, uniting the strengths of organizations, projects and peoples in order to make Peace a practical reality for the children of this and future generations. Culture of Peace Initiative is a UN designated Peace Messenger Initiative since 1989.

The annual highlight day of Culture of Peace Initiative is the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), 21 September. This annual Peace Day marks our personal and planetary progress toward Peace and serves to remind us that our commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to Peace.

Each year, a report is submitted to the United Nations, listing activities which take place on International Day of Peace. This Annual Report of the Culture of Peace Initiative is dedicated to the United Nations and to UNESCO's International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).

Background
At its 36th session of the United Nations, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on November 30, 1981, establishing the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), devoted "to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples."

In 1983, Pathways To Peace (PTP) inaugurated an Initiative to coordinate the International Day of Peace and peacebuilding activities with members of civil society representing diverse organizations. Robert Muller, then Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, approved this Initiative. The following year, citizens in over 52 countries became participants in this Initiative. In 1989, UN Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar granted status of Peace Messenger Initiative to the "WE THE PEOPLES" INITIATIVE (now Culture of Peace Initiative).

Beginning in 1983, at the request of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Pathways To Peace has submitted a CPI Annual Report to the UN, summarizing the Peace Day activities of participating organizations, individuals and groups worldwide. CPI is global/local, inter-generational and multicultural.