Peace Heroes.

      In my opinion, Nelson Mandela is the most inspirational because he had such a long imprisonment, yet he never gave in.  He was born Rolihlahla Mandela, but was given the name "Nelson" by his school teacher.  He was born July 18th 1918, to Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Nosekeni Fanny.  He was the first of his 12 other siblings to attend school.  After his father died, Mandela was moved to a mission school where he completed Junior Certificate in two years instead of the regular three.  Then he moved on to Fort Hare University where he began to study for a Bachelor of Arts.  After his first year he became involved with Students Representative Council, a council against university polices, he was then told to leave.  When there was a talk of an arranged marriage for Nelson, he fled to Johannesburg, where he found employment.  In 1948  when the National Party, which supported racial segregation, won the election, Manela became more active in politics.  He was prominent in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of  the People.  He and close friend Oliver Tambo provided free or low-cost legal counsel for blacks who lacked legal representation.  Mandela was committed to nonviolent resistance, yet was arrested, along with 150 others, on Decemember 5th 1956 and charged with treason.  1961 Mandela became leader of the ANC's armed wing.  He planned sabotage campaigns against military and government targets, made  plans for a possible guerrilla war if the sabotage failed to end apartheid, he also raised funds for MK abroad and  arranged for paramilitary training of the group.    On August 5th Mandela was arrested again, and was imprisoned in the Johannesburg fort.  He was charged of leading workers to strike in 1961, and leaving the country illegally.  He was sentenced to five years in prison.  Two years later a verdict had been reached for his engagements in the African National Congress, the ANC.  He and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment, with charges like involvement in planning armed action, four charges of sabotage, and a conspiracy to help other countries invade South Africa.  He was imprisoned for twenty seven years.  On February 2 1990, President F.W. de Klerk reversed the the ban on the ANC and other anti-apartheid organizations, therefor clearing him of his convictions.  On April, 27th, 1994, South Africa's first multi-racial elections in which full enfranchisement was granted.  The ANC won with 62% of votes in the election, and as the leader Mandela was inaugurated on May 10 1994, as the countries first black president.  As president from May 1994 to June 1999, Mandela presided over the minority rule and apartheid, and won international respect for national and international reconciliation.  Even after his retirement he still was very active an assisted in health care, elder care, the fight against AIDS , views on the Iraq invasion, and Blood Diamond controversy.  Nelson Mandela is a true peace hero, he fought long and hard for what he believed in and it came true. 
Number one peace hero: Nelson Mandela because of his long journey to freedom.
Number two peace hero: Martin Luther King Junior because he believed in nonviolent protesting and he was very inspirational.
Number three peace hero:  John Lennon because he had such a power to write peaceful songs, and could communicate peace through his music and public appearances.

Militainment, Inc.

      Militainment- Movies, toys, music, posters etc. all concerned with war.  Militainment for me is making war look easy, and as if it is a light breezy issue, when it really isn't and shouldn't be taken lightly at all.  One quote from the movie really disturbed me.  One news reporter said "the county is going to war, the country's most popular basketball is scheduled to begin and the academy awards are scheduled, what will we cover?"  And guess what got more coverage? The academy awards..  People will die, they will be injured!  And what does the country care about?  Celebrities and their stupid awards.  They would rather concern themselves with awards, and the celebrities, then their brothers, sister, uncles and aunts, that end up fighting in the war.  Toby Keith sings "We'll put a boot up your a$$, cause thats the American way."  How egotistical, naive and stupid those lyrics are.  Americans are perceived as take no prisoners, guys with big guns.  Is that how they want to be perceived?  With the shock and awe strategy, it seems as though they want that.  "Lets show them what Americans are about, big spectacles!"  To me thats not a war should be about, if war must exist.  Media should show the truth, the naive people of this generation should not turn on the t.v. to see a "beautiful light show," and think war.  They should see the suffering, death and pain, that surround war.  War isn't glamorous or, beautiful, and it shouldn't be portrayed as such.

      And when we do tune into the news, and see whats going on in the war, we don't "see" the war.  We see the "tremendous light show," we see the "shock and awe" strategie.  Nothing to show pain and suffering of the other side of the bombs. We don't see that.  We see the light show.  We see the fabricated rescues, we see the westerners hurt by the "merciless" suicide bombers, we never see the hurt of the other side.  We don't see the orphaned children, we don't see the tears, and blood.  We see the "clean war," the victimless war.  But there is never a victimless war, someone is always hurting.  Someone is always crying.  From both sides.  There is never a clean war.

Peace List Activity.

Are we a naturally violent society?
I don't believe, as a society, that we are naturally violent.  Individually, some are more prone to violence then others.  I also think that t.v. shows, video games, celebrities and other things can influence society for the worse.
Does the absence of war or violence mean that we have peace? Why or why not? 
It depends on what kind of peace.  To a certain extent stopping war, and violence will mean we have peace, but on the other hand there will be always something to fight about.  And fighting doesn't necessarily mean with war or violence but with other means that aren't very peaceful
Do you think that all students should study peace and the underlying causes of violence in school? Why or why not?
I do think that all student should learn about peace, and violence.  If they understand why violence happens, then they will understand how to control it in a positive way.
.

Hello =)

Hi, I'm Cian, and I'm seventeen years old.  I have always been interested in peace, and alternative thinking.  I've always had a passion for helping things, animals or people, and that is what I want to devote my life too.  I have traveled to Honduras twice in the past, with a highschool group, to work in a couple orphanages, and given supplies to a hospital.  And just this summer I traveled alone to Costa Rica to work in a dog shelter for 4 weeks.  I hope to get inspired by this course, and learn a lot the world, and also myself!