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.)