Wear PeaceTags to honor Veteran's Day!

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veteran's Day and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. Here's an archival photo of "Ike" signing the bill:

Veteran’s Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contribution to our national security is appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served, not only those who died, have sacrificed much to honor their country.

Here are some ideas of how you can honor veterans on November 11th (and everyday!):

• Wear your PeaceTag. Explain to people that you do so to honor the service of American veterans AND to wish them, their families and all of us more peace. PeaceTags donates all net proceeds to veterans and peacemaking causes.
• Send a donation to the Fisher House (www.fisherhouse.org) one of our AMAZING non-profit partners who provide a peaceful oasis for the families of veterans to stay at while their loved one receives medical treatment at VA Hospitals.
• Volunteer at a VA Hospital. Contact your local VA hospital's community volunteer coordinator and explore volunteer opportunities
• Thank a veteran for their service. There are over 23 million veterans currently living in the US. These include veterans from WWI through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Simply say thank you. It will mean a lot.
• Do one simple act to create more peace today. A more peaceful world is in all of our best interests. And a peaceful world is what all veterans and their families want. We won't all lead a Civil Rights Movement like Martin Luther King, Jr., nor will many of us care for thousands of sick people like Mother Teresa. But we CAN commit to small acts of kindness and compassion that make our world a little better, a little more peaceful.

Happy Veteran's Day and a heartfelt thank you to this nation's veterans from PeaceTags!!!!

Maya Angelou receives a PeaceTag!!!!

Dr. Maya Angelou is truly a global Renaissance woman! As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom.

Recently, the amazing Dr. Angelou shared her wisdom through a keynote address at Plymouth Housing Group's annual fundraising luncheon. (Plymouth Housing Group is a Seattle based organization devoted to helping homeless people.)

After her inspiring speech, Dr. Angelou was presented with a PeaceTag as a gift of gratitude. (PeaceTags have become very popular speaker/dignitary gifts!)

Pictured here are Plymouth Housing Board President, Leslie Christian, Dr. Maya Angelou, and PeaceTags' founder, Fredda Goldfarb.

If you need some inspiration today or any day, look to the beautiful words of Maya Angelou.

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" Maya Angelou

At PeaceTags, we celebrate some of the world's greatest heroes and sher-roes and their words about peace!!!! (And remember, all net proceeds support organizations working to heal the wounds of war!)

Happy Peace Day!!!!

Happy Peace Day from PeaceTags!!!! September 21st has been designated the International Day of Peace by the United Nations. Here are 5 simple ideas to make this day matter:

• Wish 5 people a Happy Peace Day!


• Update your Facebook or Twitter page with a Happy Peace Day message!


• Resolve to make one change in your life that will bring you more peace!


• Resolve to make one change in your life that will bring someone else more peace!


• Wear your PeaceTag and think about, talk about and work for peace!

Remember, PeaceTags donates all net proceeds to non-profits committed to helping wounded veterans, their families, our communities and our world.

Now go out and make it a peace-full day!!!!

American Idols get Peacetagged!!!!

Here I am with American Idols, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert who were presented PeaceTags on behalf of a corporate sponsor. (Remember, PeaceTags make awesome gifts for VIPS!)

The American Idol 2009 Summer Tour rocked the Tacoma Dome last night and PeaceTags were presented to all 10 finalists: Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, Matt Giraud, Michael Sarver, Megan Joy, Allison Iraheta, Michael Sarver and Scott MacIntyre.

Lil Rounds and all the Idols were delightful! So talented, so charming!!!!

If you have the chance, catch one of the shows on their 50 city tour. You will LOVE it!!!! The entire night was FABULOUS but I had two favorite moments. Adam performed a brilliant rendition of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. (Beamed me back in time to high school ) And when Kris led the group in a spirited "Hey Jude"(one of my all time fave songs), it was magical!!!!!

Keep your eyes open. Lots of celebrities are wearing PeaceTags to support our grassroots, volunteer fueled mission to help veterans and spread peace one tag at a time!!!! (Below is our brand new PeaceBaby which is extremely popular!!!!)

Now go out and make it a peace-full day!!!!!

PeaceTags Around the World!!!!

PeaceTags Ambassadors, those who wear their PeaceTags and proudly tell others how they help heal the wounds of war and spread peace, are going global!!!!! Above, Amy Pal wears her PeaceTag in London.

I receive e-mails daily from around the world! PeaceTags Ambassador Extraordinaire, Patti Savoy and her husband, Bill, are visiting the gorgeous Greek Isles. These are some of their fab photos!

And, many others have shared photos from their travels. Here is my husband Steven, with our friend Greg at the Great Wall of China! (sporting PeaceTags!)

John Comstock wearing his PeaceTag while climbing Mount Killamanjaro in Africa!

Here is Paul Schwabe and a friend at Lourdes, France.

Shannon Komen with son, Bo, in Paris:

There is no stopping the momentum of PeaceTags Peeps and our grass roots effort to help veterans and spread peace! Please make today a Peace-full Day!!!!

PeaceTags at the NW Women's Convocation!!!

Journalist and author, Cokie Roberts, is presented a PeaceTag on stage at the 2009 NW Women's Convocation.

The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center sponsored this fantastic event in my hometown of Bellevue, Washington May 1-2, 2009. The Northwest Women's Convocation brought together over 1800 people!!!

The Women’s Convocation gathered women for prayer, ritual, education, empowerment, celebration and transformation. Informative workshops and speakers inspired attendees to improve personal relationships, social structures, faith communities and planet Earth!!!

The event's Key Note speakers were all presented PeaceTags as "gifts of gratitude" for all they do to make the world a better place!!!

Here is Riane Eisler being presented a PeaceTag by Susan Francois, CSJP. Riane Eisler is a world renown social scientist, attorney, and author. Her books include The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics.

We are delighted that these remarkable women were peace-tagged!!!!

Peace-TAGGING Peacemakers!

“Peace-tagging” people (publicly presenting a PeaceTag to a “peacemaker”) was initiated during the 2008 Seeds of Compassion conference. I will never forget the moment that Emily Hine presented the Dalai Lama with a PeaceTag! It was magical. There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd of hundreds convened at a forum on “compassionate philanthropy.” That day, Peacetags became emblematic of the global effort to create more peace in the world and to help heal the wounds of war.
Well, intrepid PeaceTags Ambassador, Emily Hine, is at it again! Emily recently attended the Peace Alliance Conference in Washington D.C. (March 20-23rd, 2009). The aim of the conference is to create a United States Department of Peace! (Now there’s an awesome concept!!!)

Here is Emily “Tagging” Rita Marie Johnson, an amazing woman who founded a peace education organization called the Rasur Foundation, and the Academy for Peace of Costa Rica. http://www.academyforpeacecr.org/
Rita is about to address the conference attendees:

Here is Rita Marie Johnson addressing the 500 conference attendees (wearing her PeaceTag!):
And with our friend Emily:
Emily was also delighted to “Tag” a remarkable man, Azim Khamisa. http://www.azimkhamisa.com/.
Azim’s son Tariq was killed when he was 20 years old as part of a gang violence initiation. The killer was 14 years old. As Azim processed his grief, he realized quickly that there were two victims in this killing, one on each side of the gun. So, he started the Tariq Khamisa Foundation which is dedicated to Breaking the Cycle of Youth Violence by Empowering Kids, Saving Lives, and Teaching Peace.

Here is Azim signing copies of his book, “The Secrets of the Bulletproof Spirit: How to Bounce Back from Life’s Hardest Hits” (His PeaceTag has slipped inside his jacket but it's there!)It's amazing how many people are talking about, thinking about and working for peace!!! We are living in complex and challenging times. That's for sure. But nothing can hold back peacemaker momentum! Thank you Emily for introducing the PeaceTags community to these fantastic peacemakers!!!!

Who creates more peace in your world? Shouldn’t they be wearing a PeaceTag?…….

Veterans support PeaceTags!

At PeaceTags , we are very proud of the support we receive from veterans and their families! Pictured here is veteran, Laura Watterson, being interviewed by Katie Couric for CBS News. Laura is wearing her PeaceTag along with her official military dog tags. Laura works tirelessly on behalf of survivors of M.S.T. (military sexual trauma). This widespread problem is often misunderstood, and more information is available at http://www.vetwow.com/.

Another wonderful veteran's endorsement for PeaceTags comes from Ernie Butler, Executive Director of Paralyzed Veterans of America (Northwest chapter), and a staunch supporter of the Fisher House Foundation. (PeaceTags' official non-profit partner). Ernie says,

"My hope is that you deliver a BAZILLION PeaceTags!!! The world would be a much better place if people carried and displayed their PeaceTags instead of a weapon."

Here is Ernie pictured with myself, Patti Savoy, and Pat Norikane Logerwell at a Fisher House check presentation. (PeaceTags has donated over $50,000 to veteran's causes and we've only just begun!)

We are humbled and grateful beyond words for the support of such heroic individuals!

A Blog about a dog....and peace.

At PeaceTags, we’re all about giving gifts of peace. Sometimes those gifts can be very simple--like sharing stories of unsung heroes in our midst who are creating more peace in the world. That’s why we want to tell you about Diana Crimi. And Rocky the dog.

Rocky had captured the attention of his neighbors for years. He appeared miserable. That’s because he spent most of his life tethered by a chain to a fence. Some days, the 14- year -old Husky/Shepherd mix was held so close to the fence he couldn’t lie down. So, he stood waiting. In all sorts of Pacific Northwest weather, Rocky waited.

A reporter for the Seattle Post Intelligencer ran a story about Rocky’s plight and the controversial subject of animal chaining. Many people were upset. Some were outraged and wrote scathing letters to the editor. Diana Crimi DID something.

Diana Crimi is a life long dog lover. Her Dad served in the Navy, so the family moved around a lot. Diana remembers her family frequently taking in stray or lost dogs. They were fed and cared for and homes were found for them. Diana continued to rescue and rehabilitate dogs throughout her life.

She says-

"I believe animals are a gift and a blessing. There’s a special reason for them to be in people’s lives. I think dogs were put here to help people.”

Diana was told about Rocky by a friend. The self-described “butt-in-ski” hopped in her car to see if she could help. Upon locating the dog in rural Washington state and witnessing his circumstances, the retired teacher and mother said,

“I decided with God’s help I was going to get that dog some peace.”

She had to return a few times to find the owner at home. At first he was resistant. But Diana was persistent. She patiently explained that she lived on an acre and a half of land, had 5 other rescued dogs and was retired. She had the time and the love to properly care for Rocky. Reluctantly, the dog was released to Diana. Rocky's waiting was over.

Now Rocky sleeps on a fluffy dog bed and runs free in the yard with his new friends, Diana’s 5 other rescued dogs.

A veterinary exam revealed several health issues including ear tumors, malnutrition, and an unhealed leg fracture from being hit by a car.

Diana is determined to nurse Rocky back to health and find him a home. Or she says, the old boy can stay with her. She pays out of pocket for the care of all of her dogs. This amounts to literally thousands of dollars per year. But "it's a labor of love ,"she says.

PeaceTags has found out that Companion Animal Rescue Society (http://www.carspetrescue.org/) will accept donations, Donate to CARS, to help Diana if one enters "Diana and Rocky" on donation checks.

And an anonymous donor arranged for a PeaceTag to be sent to Diana. When asked which “words of peace” spoke most to her heart, Diana selected the quote from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God”.

Here is Rocky in his new surroundings with Diana and friends:

Diana forwarded us the following message:

"Rocky is one of the pack and everyone accepts each other. He has friends around him all the time now and will never have to be alone again."

In these complex and challenging times, it’s important to remember that there is still good news. And there are still plenty of peacemakers. Random acts of kindness, love, compassion and peace are all around us. Just ask Rocky!

This story is your gift of peace from PeaceTags. Now go out and make it a peace-FULL day!!!!!!

http://www.komonews.com/news/problemsolvers/40829517.html (link to story on Komo news about Rocky.)

PeaceTags: Tag-lines for peace!!!

Don’t you just love tag-lines? Conjured up by marketing gurus, these short, catchy, quips stick in your brain and remind you of the products, movies or companies they promote. Sometimes in spite of your efforts to forget them!

Oh the power vested in so few words! "Just Do It" (Nike), "They’re G-R-R-R-eat!" (Kellogg’s frosted flakes) "It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature" ( Chiffon Margarine), the list goes on and on.

Some of these slogans remain part of the lexicon long after their advertising shelf life. One still hears, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” (Alka Seltzer), “Don’t leave home without it” (Allstate) “When you care enough to send the very best” (Hallmark) even though these tag-lines haven’t been part of marketing campaigns for years. Brilliance tends to last…..

That’s part of what inspired us at PeaceTags--the simple power of words!!! And the fact that brilliance lasts! We recognized that some of the world’s greatest peace advocates had essentially created slogans or tag-lines about peace! These great sages gave us an easy way to focus upon peace, by remembering their tag-lines, their PeaceTags! And with no help from Madison Avenue! So we have placed their phrases on pendants to help reflect them into the world. Voila! PeaceTags!

What’s your slogan about peace? What does peace mean to you? What would be YOUR PeaceTag? …..

Peace Starts with Hearts!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today is all about celebrating love! One of our favorite PeaceTags' sages, Mother Teresa, shared lots of words of wisdom. Here is one of our favorite of her quotes:

“All Works of Love are Works of Peace.”

Pretty cool, huh? Any time we think loving thoughts or do loving deeds, we create more peace in the world. It all starts with individual hearts….

And that is today’s gift of peace from your friends at PeaceTags. Now go out and make it a Peace-FULL day!

To: Paraskavedekatriaphobiacs RE: A Gift of Peace!

Today is Friday the 13th. And we’ve got another one next month, the first time we’ve been hit back to back since 1998. And the 2009 calendar is darkened by yet another one in November.

Worried? Blue?

Don’t go there, PeaceTags Peeps, we have advice from Donald Dossey, an expert on stress, superstitions and phobias.

“If people are fearful of Friday the 13th, I tell them to chill out, don’t worry about it, it’s going to go away,” Dossey says. “It’s only a problem if their fears get in the way of their jobs or love.”

Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C., estimates roughly 20 million Americans fall into that second category. They are so spooked by the date on the calendar they can’t go to work. Some don’t even get out of bed, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in business not done.

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. One theory states that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.

Here are two suggestions from the expert, Dossey.

He advises those who walk around with visions of disasters on Friday the 13th to shrink those mental pictures from bigger-than-life to thumbnail size. People don’t necessarily get rid of the frightening images, he says, but they can make the images bearable.

Dossey’s second strategy has to do with what he calls keying in positive feelings. (A practice we PeaceTags Peeps heartily recommend!!!!!)

“Don’t go back and figure out how Mom toilet-trained you,” Dossey says. “Instead, get yourself in a calm, relaxed, alert state, then squeeze your wrist or wiggle your big toe.” (Or may we suggest jingle your PeaceTag?)

Practice associating the calm state and the squeeze or wiggle (or jingle) long enough, and you can use those triggers to banish the unreasonable fears in a matter of seconds.

At PeaceTags, we specialize in gifts of peace. May this information bring peace to all our Paraskavedekatriaphobiac friends……

The PeaceTags Story

"Help! We NEED peace!” I remember shouting to no one in particular as I read the newspaper one day in early 2007. The stories of horrific war injuries, problems at VA hospitals, school shootings, Darfur-unfortunately the list went on, troubled me deeply. I wanted to do something--- anything to help. But what????

As I pondered that question, and thought about what could help us, I kept thinking of all the artists, spiritual leaders and sages who have been peace advocates. Throughout time many wise people have pointed us toward peace through words. Simple words! Where were their voices in these complex and challenging times?

A piece of jewelry seemed the perfect, eye catching way to reflect their words! And I hoped these "mini-billboards" would become a conversation piece encouraging people to think about, talk about and work for peace.

In addition, I wanted this piece of jewelry to keep people mindful of the wounds of war. Many young people are coming home with horrific injuries. Multiple amputations, traumatic brain injuries, burns, and PTSD are all grim realities of modern warfare. We cannot go about our daily lives and forget about the wounds of war. The wounds are physical, emotional and spiritual. And they are deep. These wounds affect us all.

And so, the dog-tag shape, traditionally used to identify fallen soldiers, seemed the perfect, if ironic, choice to reflect the words of peace advocates.

PeaceTags were born!

A small team of devoted volunteers came together, worked their tails off and developed the initial website and assorted necessities like a logo. (Volunteering can be very rewarding AND exhausting. Maude, Andy, Steve, Patti, Angela, Shelly….your generosity will never be forgotten.)

PeaceTags donates 100% net proceeds to innovative groups helping wounded veterans, their families, our communities and our world. They are gifts that give back.

We launched our website on September 11, 2007 and by December of 2008, have donated over $50,000 to causes helping to heal veterans and spread peace! Currently our non-profit partners include the Fisher House Foundation (http://www.fisherhousevaps.org/) and Voices: the Education Project, (http://www.voicesinwartime.org/).

My dream for PeaceTags is that they continue to reach more and more people with their beautiful words. I hope they become emblematic of caring about the wounds of war and about creating peace in our hearts, in our homes and in our world! They make a WONDERFUL Valentine’s Day gift! (For more info, visit www.peacetags.com).

What does Peace mean to you?

Have you ever really thought this question through? The obvious answer is "no war". But peace is really much more than that. It's about freedom. Freedom from hate and violence and indifference. Think about some of the times in your life when you have had a lack of peace. For most of us, peace is more about a state of mind than weaponry. Peace begins in hearts. And peace is ALWAYS beautiful!