The first time I met Sawano Motohiro Sensei (1) I was deeply impressed by his gentle nature and open mind. We met in a rather unusual way, so let me explain.

Early in the day I had been introduced to a young American exchange student, Evan. He was a jazz major, but also loved Japanese. So, he came to Japan to learn the language. As we chatted that day, I realized his real love was music. So, I told him I would like to hear him play. As luck would have it, we were near a Kawai Music shop. My new friend had the brilliant idea of going there and pretending to buy a piano. That way he could perform using the very best instruments they had.   Read more...

It’s called “It’s Up To Us Alone,” and it’s a world debut radio play featuring Ed Asner. I’ve heard the first half of the piece, their sneak preview. Click here to have a listen.

It’s a little hokey, but so what? Asner is his wonderful, talented self, and a good point is made about peace. If we’re not cooperating with it, we’re against it. It’s that simple.

For more information about Knowmads, visit http://www.knowmads.nl. If you want to meet one of the Knowmads, get in touch with pieter@knowmads.nl.

We are happy to have you!   Read more...

If I am not being present with my kids, I respond to them with a comment that has been preprogrammed in me. I respond without really thinking. I always know when I do this because they give me a funny look, or they call me on the carpet. This jerks me back into the present moment. I often wonder exactly what our world would look like if we all responded to each other without the commentary going on inside our heads. What would our world look like if we respond to each other from the heart? How many of us really tell others what we want to tell them? How many times have you felt really connected to someone you just met, but were too scared to let them know because they might think you are strange? I know I have done that. We have been so conditioned to avoid responding from our inner voice. When adults aren’t not in touch with their inner voice, or in touch with what their heart is telling them, their kids will be taught the same lesson. “Look outside yourself for your answers.” The answers will never be found there.

As parents, we are given so much information on the “right” way to parent our children. Depending on the book you read, you may get thousands of techniques and ideas on “the best way” to raise children. I read many books when my children were little, and I was very grateful for those books. The books started me down the path to treating my children with kindness, compassion, and respect. However, there was a point when I had to stop reading the books because I was on information overload! All of this information, coupled with my already pre-programmed information didn’t leave me any room to listen to my heart. I could read all of the books in the world, and none of them would help me be an authentic, respectful parent if I wasn’t responding from my heart. I needed to learn to question the stories, listen to my own heart, and respond to my children from that authentic place.   Read more...

A client drew my attention to this new book: Creating the Peaceable Classroom: Techniques to Calm, Uplift, and Focus Teachers and Students. She sent me a friend’s blog post.   Read more...

Recently a friend told me about his best friend, Igari Yuji Sensei. (1) He told me how special his friend was. When I asked why, he told me he would send me his YouTube channel.

It turns out that Igari Sensei is a music therapist. He has his own business called The Igari Music Therapy Research Center. He works with people who have developmental disabilities. He does this in several dimensions. One is via individual and group sessions or lessons. The other is through a big band. The big band has both non-disabled and disabled persons, creating a smooth blending of worlds.   Read more...

Peace work happens. All the time. Every where. Every when.

I am a crossword puzzle fiend. Ever since the New York Times found/created Across Lite, I’ve done the puzzle online every day. I look at it as a way to wake my brain daily.   Read more...

After three thrilling months in Israel and Palestine, experiencing unheard of adventures, it was time to get back to Rotterdam. Rumor had it that a lot had happened at headquarters and big changes lay ahead of us. Lost in the transition from the Middle East to 'daily life' it was tough to grasp it all at once. But the change was real and big: KaosPilots was no longer KaosPilots.

Over the summer some of us moved to Arhus to continue studying there. Others took up the challenge to continue the school under another flag and the result of their hard work can be admired at www.knowmads.nl. Others again decided to start working and found employment with among others the Nico Adriaans Foundation, Ode Magazine, Ashoka. Some are still breathing out after such intense years of kaos...

We want to thank you for being with us all this time, and hope to see you on board of our other (ad)ventures. In one way or the other, we are sure that our paths will always cross.

The simplicity of the words is what grabbed me. Do peace. That’s all. Straightforward. Simple. Clear. Unmistakable. Whatever else you’re doing, do peace.

I received an email about this just before Labor Day. Here’s what it really means:

Do Peace is the social networking site created by The Peace Alliance, that organization which works to create a Department of Peace in the United States Government.   Read more...

Unschooling is an extension of what children were born knowing. I define unschooling as being a partner to my children, helping them follow their passions while being very present with them. Our day to day life really has no glimmers of “school” in it, unless my kids ask specifically for something schooly. School is not a part of our lives. I don’t look at what school is doing in order to determine what we should be doing. We live our lives in joy and partnership, following the passions that naturally arise. My children live a life connected to the inner joy they were born with. I don’t mean that I am a perfect parent and have made no mistakes! We all do, and I am sure I will make more.

All of us are born with inner joy, and a connection to that inner joy. Children remember this connection until they learn to stop trusting it. Many children stop listening to the connection when they start school. We as parents are led to believe that our children need to learn about separation, they need to find out that the real world is tough sometimes. If I had a dime for every time I hear the phrase, “They may as well learn it now, life is not always easy and fun, it is hard and you have to do things you don’t want to do”, I would be really rich! By keeping my kids out of the school system, I am hoping to keep this message out of their lives as well. I want them to learn that things do happen in our lives that make us sad, or angry, or disappointed, sure, but having the outlook that life is bad and you have to do things you don’t want to do is not the same thing.   Read more...