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Day 11: Peace
Casady Blessing of Peace Week- Invitation to Visit Peace Village at Casady Wing, View Peace One Day, Belief videos
Happy Peace Day
Who will you make peace with on Peace Day?
7:30 am UD YAC PEACE TEAM /MD International Club Pinwheel blessing
8:30 AM Service-Learning Classroom with a Cause: Places an appreciation token for teachers. Teachers also received aromatherapy neck massages during peace week 2015
8:30-5:00 pm: Peace World Village displayed at Wing. Videos of Peace One Day and Opera's Belief available for viewing
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| Peace One Day Belief Videos |
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| Officer Dan is a Cheyenne Every tribe has different beliefs |
10:30 am Primary Division, Pinwheel Blessing
10:06-4:00 pm
Upper and Middle Division Advisories Visited the World Peace Village
300 animal cracker cups served to visitors, a dozen donuts, and 40 cookie bags. 352 Visitors
What is Peace One Day? 1 minute
Peace one day 35 minutes
Youth Celebration, Peace One Day from Rwanda
Spanish I Class views Peace One Day Video
Fifth Grade Spanish and French Classes leave answers to What will you do on Peace Day? Who will you make peace with after viewing Peace One Day Video.
The MD Peace Week Syrian refugee effort collected $1,313!
Peace Day Pinwheel Challenge: Join Students Rebuild, the International Rescue Committee, Healing Classrooms and Global Nomads Group to help Syrian youth from conflict areas recover from crisis and grow into happy, healthy adults. For each pinwheel we send in, the Bezos Family Foundation will donate $2—up to $400,000—to IRC’s Healing Classrooms program. The more pinwheels we send, the more children we’ll help! The International Rescue Committee will distribute a selection of pinwheels to Healing Classrooms students in Lebanon and Iraq. Funding generated by the Challenge will train teachers in special techniques to engage conflict-affected children with social-emotional learning opportunities and to create secure, nurturing learning environments. Learn more about Healing Classrooms. Make pinwheels at the Harper Wing or at home! Find template of Pinwheels at http://www.
After School visits World Peace Village
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| After School Care takes Oklahoma Forestry Department Seedlings to plant on Peace Day |
Other viewing possibilities at the Wing during Peace Day 2015
Peace Day, Monday 21 September 2015 Kigali, Rwanda
2pm (local time) livestream: rba.co.rw/tv
Belief 1:50 minutes
BELIEF TRAILER – 7:11 minutes
| Our OKC Observance of the International Day of Peace -- Monday, September 21st |
Press Release for Healing the Breach
September 21, 2015, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Great Hall in University Center at Oklahoma City University
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"Healing the Breach"
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty will lead a community discussion on
Healing the Breach between law enforcement and minority groups as part of Oklahoma City's observance of the International Day of Peace. The event will be held on Monday, September 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Great Hall in the University Center at Oklahoma City University.
Rev. Jackson is the pastor of East Sixth Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1139 NE 6th. He is the President of the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a national organization of African-American Disciples of Christ. Rev. Jackson this summer organized an initiative called Organize the Corner-OKC to curb gun violence in northeast Oklahoma City.
Citty has been Oklahoma City's Chief of Police since 2003. A lifelong resident of Oklahoma City, Citty began his career with the Oklahoma City Police Department in 1977. He served as Public Information Officer during the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building.
The program will be moderated by Rev. Don Heath, pastor of Edmond Trinity Christian Church. The event is free and open to the public.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21 and is dedicated to world peace, specifically a reduction in war and violence. It was established in 1981 by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly and has been celebrated in Oklahoma City since 2008. The theme of this year's global event is Partnerships for Peace--Dignity for All.
The Oklahoma City event is sponsored by the United Nations Association of Greater Oklahoma City, the Center for Conscience in Action, the Respect Diversity Foundation, the Peace House, Pax Christi USA, Edmond Trinity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Joy Mennonite Church, Casady Schools Service-Learning Program, and Campaign Nonviolence.
More information may be found at ...
http://www.una-okc.blogspot.
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er whether they were inspired by some outside source, like the Dalai Lama, or whether they were generated from within you. If I share electricity with my neighbor, it doesn't matter whether I'm drawing it from the power grid of the electrical company or from my own rooftop electricity-producing solar panels. What's important is the sharing, the act.
and uplifting. Share a variety of things, including material things like a spoonful of your ice cream, physical things like a hug, and emotional or intellectual things like your undivided attention or your knowledge. Tune in to those things you regularly share but you might not normally notice you do.
(For those of you working with children, the concept of sharing should be a familiar one. In the spirit of today's mission, however, see if you can help the children understand that in many ways people are constantly sharing a variety of things - among these are our attitudes, facial expressions, and tone of voice. What I am aiming at here is to help everyone learn how to come from a compassionate core so the energy we share is full of care, concern, warmth and love.)World Peace Village @ Day of Kids @ Boys and Girls Club, Interfaith Youth Tour, OCU-UN Observance of the International Day of Peace 2015
Good Morning Ambassadors!
Begin today by considering the "Butterfly Effect," the concept that something as seemingly ins
ignificant as a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can impact the weather in another part. The flapping wings cause an atmospheric change that then sets off a series of events that ultimately leads to something significant happening. Like the butterfly effect, one small, kind act can set off a series of positive events.As I have been telling you each day near the bottom of each post, promoting your compassionate acts helps with this. Each act starts its own ripple of positive energy so each act needs to be promoted in order to have the most benefit. Understanding this, at International Kindness Team Headquarters we have come to believe that it is not a few large acts of compassion that make the most difference. No, it's the tens of thousands of small acts that make the most positive change.
With this in mind, your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to complete a very, very small action of care, concern, warmth, or love that does not require a lot of you. Think of this action as being a minor tune-up on the engine of the universe. In its "small-ness" it may almost seem insignificant. But as a "tune-up" it is part of an ongoing maintenance effort that prevents a major problem from happening down the line.If you take this concept into your heart, you will find that these small acts are not just compassionate things you do, they are an attitude you carry in all of your interactions, including with yourself. Thinking this way, every moment provides you an opportunity to start ripples of compassion.
Understanding this, I implore you to summarize your small act on theCompassion Report Map, to tweet it with the hashtag #CompassionGames2015, to post it on Facebook and other social media sites you use, and to sing it from your rooftops.
Let's get that Butterfly Effect going!
Good luck, ambassadors.
(This concept may be beyond the understanding of children, especially the youngest ones. Still, I encourage you to demonstrate the concept with a body of water and small pebbles. This can be something as small as a tub with only one or two inches of water. Allow the water surface to be still and then drop in a pebble, pointing out the ripples that radiate from the point the pebble entered the water. Show how the ripples spread, influencing more and more of the water. Then, see if you can help the children make the leap from water and pebbles to kind actions, thoughts and attitudes. Use your wisdom to help guide this process.)Good Morning Ambassadors!
Begin today by considering the "Butterfly Effect," the concept that something as seemingly ins
ignificant as a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can impact the weather in another part. The flapping wings cause an atmospheric change that then sets off a series of events that ultimately leads to something significant happening. Like the butterfly effect, one small, kind act can set off a series of positive events.As I have been telling you each day near the bottom of each post, promoting your compassionate acts helps with this. Each act starts its own ripple of positive energy so each act needs to be promoted in order to have the most benefit. Understanding this, at International Kindness Team Headquarters we have come to believe that it is not a few large acts of compassion that make the most difference. No, it's the tens of thousands of small acts that make the most positive change.
With this in mind, your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to complete a very, very small action of care, concern, warmth, or love that does not require a lot of you. Think of this action as being a minor tune-up on the engine of the universe. In its "small-ness" it may almost seem insignificant. But as a "tune-up" it is part of an ongoing maintenance effort that prevents a major problem from happening down the line.If you take this concept into your heart, you will find that these small acts are not just compassionate things you do, they are an attitude you carry in all of your interactions, including with yourself. Thinking this way, every moment provides you an opportunity to start ripples of compassion.
Understanding this, I implore you to summarize your small act on theCompassion Report Map, to tweet it with the hashtag #CompassionGames2015, to post it on Facebook and other social media sites you use, and to sing it from your rooftops.
Let's get that Butterfly Effect going!
Good luck, ambassadors.
(This concept may be beyond the understanding of children, especially the youngest ones. Still, I encourage you to demonstrate the concept with a body of water and small pebbles. This can be something as small as a tub with only one or two inches of water. Allow the water surface to be still and then drop in a pebble, pointing out the ripples that radiate from the point the pebble entered the water. Show how the ripples spread, influencing more and more of the water. Then, see if you can help the children make the leap from water and pebbles to kind actions, thoughts and attitudes. Use your wisdom to help guide this process.)
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There are three days left in this year's Compassion Games, but you surely know that there is no end to the importance of promoting care, concern, warmth, and love. As you begin your day today, visual your inner core of compassionate fuel as a warm ball of energy radiating out from you.
se one of these people and take steps to reach her/him. Any style of communication is fine but you will get more from this mission if it extends beyond Facebook, email, or voice mail to some kind of an exchange. If that act of connecting isn't a compassionate act in itself, then extend the action to include doing something kind for this person.
YOUTH LEAD OKC AND CASADY YAC PEACE TEAM
SHARE THE WORLD PEACE VILLAGE AND PEACE ONE DAY @ BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
Participants
Capitol Hill High School: 2
Casady: 5, Johnny*, Mallory, Daniela, Daniel, Carmen
Mercy: 6 Buthiana, Amira,
Putnam City West: 1 Sereene*
Edmond Santa Fe: 1 Bethany
Roots and Wings: 1 (Trainer) Tabitha
YMCA: 1 Shannon
MAKING PINWHEELS FOR PEACE DAY @ PEACE ONE DAY BANNER:
What will you do on Peace Day? Who will you make peace with?
TRAINING RETREAT:
PLANNED PROJECTS FOR
YLOKC 2015-2016
LEADERS RETREAT 9/18/2015
Learned how to facilitate planning meeting planning efficiently. Increased awareness of personal investment in the recruitment process. Understood the importance of time expectations and goal /theme oriented agendas with proper minutes
Participants
Casady: Johnny, Natalie, Chloe, Carmen
Classen School of Advance Studies: Ryan
Edmond Santa Fe: Sereene
Home: Nicholas
Roots and Wings: Tabitha (trainer)
YMCA: Shannon
Participants
Casady: Johnny, Natalie, Chloe, Carmen
Classen School of Advance Studies: Ryan
Edmond Santa Fe: Sereene
Home: Nicholas
Roots and Wings: Tabitha (trainer)
YMCA: Shannon
Members of the Casady YAC Peace Team and YLOKC helped set-up the World Peace Village at the Wing for public viewing from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Hope you get a chance to take a stroll through the 6 religions, its icons and golden rule.
At 7:30 a.m at the Wing Father Blizzard will bless the UD and MD pinwheels and we will have a Peace Walk around the lake guided by the Peace Pals International Peace Prayer, "May peace prevail on earth."
At 10:30, the PD will have their pinwheels blessed by their playground
At 6:30 pm. the United Nations Association of Greater Oklahoma City invites you to their observance of Peace Day
Interfaith Youth Tour
“Vital Exploration”
Sunday, September 20, 2015 – 1:00 to 5:30 pm
Students of all faiths, from 7th grade through college, are invited to explore their neighbor’s faith during the 2015 Annual Interfaith Youth Tour. The Interfaith Tour offers a unique opportunity to hear from a diverse group of individuals in our faith community and develop a stronger appreciation of different belief systems. Through this Interfaith Tour and other programs, OCC seeks to promote understanding and respect among all cultures, races, and religions. Houses of worship from the three Abrahamic faith traditions will be open for this vital exploration and community building experience.
Christian: St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral
Muslim: Raindrop Turkish House
Jewish: Emanuel Synagogue
Tour begins with check-in at 1 p.m. and program starting at 1:30 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. For a complete schedule, click here: 2015 Youth Tour Schedule
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| At Saint Paul's Cathedral - Christian Youth Speakers |
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| At Raindrop House - Muslim |
| Our OKC Observance of the International Day of Peace -- Monday, September 21st |
Press Release for Healing the Breach
September 21, 2015, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Great Hall in University Center at Oklahoma City University
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"Healing the Breach"
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty will lead a community discussion on
Healing the Breach between law enforcement and minority groups as part of Oklahoma City's observance of the International Day of Peace. The event will be held on Monday, September 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Great Hall in the University Center at Oklahoma City University.
Rev. Jackson is the pastor of East Sixth Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1139 NE 6th. He is the President of the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a national organization of African-American Disciples of Christ. Rev. Jackson this summer organized an initiative called Organize the Corner-OKC to curb gun violence in northeast Oklahoma City.
Citty has been Oklahoma City's Chief of Police since 2003. A lifelong resident of Oklahoma City, Citty began his career with the Oklahoma City Police Department in 1977. He served as Public Information Officer during the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building.
The program will be moderated by Rev. Don Heath, pastor of Edmond Trinity Christian Church. The event is free and open to the public.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21 and is dedicated to world peace, specifically a reduction in war and violence. It was established in 1981 by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly and has been celebrated in Oklahoma City since 2008. The theme of this year's global event is Partnerships for Peace--Dignity for All.
The Oklahoma City event is sponsored by the United Nations Association of Greater Oklahoma City, the Center for Conscience in Action, the Respect Diversity Foundation, the Peace House, Pax Christi USA, Edmond Trinity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Joy Mennonite Church, Casady Schools Service-Learning Program, and Campaign Nonviolence.
More information may be found at ...
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Day 8, Human Rights,
Compassion Games
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signed to keep your inner power plant churning out positive energy, even in situations when you may be tempted to do something negative.
Remember, the overall intention here is to be fueling your inner core with compassionate energy instead of contributing to the world's supply of negative energy. Fueled by compassion, we fulfill out our purpose as ambassadors promoting care, concern, warmth, and love.
Day 7, Women-
Casady Orchestra performs Palladio by Karl Jenkins
Casady Orchestra performs Palladio by Karl Jenkins
Thursday, September 17: WOMEN
Peace Week Chapel: Casady Philharmonic performs Palladio by Karl Jenkins. Introduction by Jackson Davis
Pinwheels made @ MD International Club, Spanish I class double, and during Parents Back to School Night
Pinwheels booth at Parent Back to School Night
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A traditional key turns two ways. Turn it one way and you lock people out, keeping them away. Turn the key the opposite way and you let people in. With your renewable source of compassionate energy now fully powering your internal power plant, today you're going to focus your energy on unlocking doors, those real and metaphorical in your lives, to allow people you don't know in.
Could you take time today to volunteer at a Food Bank or otherwise give time to those who aren't as fortunate as you? If you can't do that today, how about scheduling a time in the next two weeks when you can? The spirit of today's mission is you making an effort to engage in a larger compassionate act that will benefit someone you do not know.
(For those of you working with children, you need to use your discretion with this mission. While it's possible to help them engage in completing an act of kindness for a stranger, it's important to help them understand good boundaries, too. If the stranger aspect of this mission is uncomfortable for you, I suggest you help children focus on extending another kind action for an acquaintance, perhaps expanding it to a child they don't know. This mission could also provide inspiration for a classroom teacher to set up some kind of group service project for the class.)Day 6: Children and Youth
Pinwheels for Syrian Refugee Children
Students Rebuild Healing Classroom Challenge
Screening of Kindness is Contagious
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At this point of the Compassion Games, I am hopeful that you are generating a steady stream of renewable compassionate energy. Assuming so, over the next several days I am going to have you direct this internal energy to a specific category of person in your life, starting today with someone you probably see regularly but don't really know.
, should you choose to accept it, is to choose one of your acquaintances and, as an ambassador of compassion, promote care, concern, warmth, and love with this person in mind. Complete this mission as an acknowledgement of all the acquaintances you have, to recognize that they exist.
Belief OWN, 1 minute trailer: On Peace Day, YAC Peace Team will feature the 7 minute trailer promoting 7 days series in the month of October at Opera's OWN television network. Casady will promote Google hangout discussions after home viewings
PEACE ONE DAY STORY IN ONE MINUTE
On peace Day, the Peace Team will feature a 35 minute story. Other longer videos available at
PEACE ONE DAY YOUTH CELEBRATION FROM RWANDA. The Wing will feature the life webcast from Rwanda
World Peace Village @ the Wing with music and snacks by local restaurants
6 Religions, One World, One Golden Rule
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| Native American @ Records |
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| Christianity @ Miller |
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| Hinduism @ Hightower |
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| Buddhism @ Hightower |
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| Islam @ Student Center |
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| Judaism @ The Library |
Day 5: Health-
Recipeace Meals Advocacy- YLOKC Pinwheels for Peace @ OK Kids Korral
7:30 am Peace Walk around the lake starts at Butterfly Garden labyrinth.
One participant. The Walk started at the Butterfly Garden Labyrinth. The participant picked up a card from a basket with art cards depicting youth interpretations of May Peace Prevail on Earth cards. Due to the small amount of time, the walker chose to walk around the lake instead of the labyrinth.
One participant. The Walk started at the Butterfly Garden Labyrinth. The participant picked up a card from a basket with art cards depicting youth interpretations of May Peace Prevail on Earth cards. Due to the small amount of time, the walker chose to walk around the lake instead of the labyrinth.
Activities, Harper YAC meeting. Agenda Activity: Pinwheels for Peace
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| YLOKC makes first 2015 Pinwheels at OKC Kids Korral |
Students Rebuild Challenge: Pinwheels for Syrian Refugee Children will be announced on 9/21
Day 4: Economic Justice-
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The next step in maintaining yourself as a renewable source of compassionate energy is to recognize and act on spontaneous opportunities to promote care, concern, warmth, and love that are presented to each of us daily. I daresay that such opportunities are being presented to us constantly.
(For those of you helping children understand these missions, this one may present a little more of a challenge. While yesterday's mission was to bring enhanced awareness to being consistently kind and friendly, today's is to learn how to better recognize an immediate opportunity to perform an act of kindness that for the recipient may seem unexpected. An example I often use with both children and adults is returning grocery carts to their proper places. When I perform this act, I imagine this simple action prevents a car from getting dinged, which prevents the owner of the car from getting upset, which prevents him from taking his anger out on his dog, etc, etc, etc. An adult I know always picks up all the strewn paper towels in public restrooms she uses, and wipes clean the area around the sink so those who follow her have a cleaner restroom to use.)CHAPEL SPEAKER: Jennifer Reed
Jennifer Reed shared an experience of faith and racism on August 15th at the Oklahoma Buddhist Center’s Community Dialogue event, titled “Our New Clear Future”. This event raised awareness on the need for global peace through the discussion of three social issues: racism, nuclear abolition and climate change. Jennifer will be sharing a similar faith experience this morning. Jennifer is a local youth Buddhist leader, born and raised in New Jersey, but currently working to make Oklahoma fabulous. She received her Masters in Human Relations last spring and is on a mission to empower all people. 
Jennifer's Speech
I remember spending weekends at my grandparents house when I was growing up. My sisters
and I would sleep over on Friday evenings and on Saturday morning, my Nana would watch the
news as my sisters and I ate breakfast. “Well, that’s just terrible…”, my Nana would say. “Oh
golly, now why would they tell us that?”, she’d go on. Even this past week I spoke with my Nana
and she had similar sentiments about the news, “It’s all awful. I don’t know why I bother
watching it.” That’s what she’s been saying the last twenty-plus years, though. Now more than
ever, people argue that we are seeing continuous coverage of the same sad news: violence, \\
crime, wars, natural disasters, religious disputes, gender issues, race issues, police
brutality…I’m beginning to think there aren’t even enough words in the English language to
define all of the problems and issues we have accumulated over the years.
How is it possible that we are in the most advanced and prosperous period our world has ever
seen, yet we have the same basic human problems remaining. We have education at the touch
of our fingertips, but millions in the world are illiterate. We have more billionaires than ever
before, but millions in the world live off of $2 a day. We have amazing advances in the medical
field, but millions are dying from simple viruses because they cannot afford or do not have
access to vaccinations. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for futurism and the growth of technology,
science and medicine, but something here doesn’t match up. What we are doing isn’t sufficient
if we have so many people suffering, unhappy and not at peace.
So what has gone wrong? I must preface everything by saying that I am not an expert in this
field. I am simply a young woman with personal experiences, and a lot of opinions, but I believe
we lost sight of humanitarian basics aka caring for one another.
I practice Nichiren Buddhism, a sect of Mahayana Buddhism, that teaches enlightenment is
attainable for everyone in this lifetime and that all people deserve to be happy. This, above all
else, is what will begin the transformation toward world peace. When we seek to become happy
and wish for others to do the same, we drop judgement, bias and negativity toward those
people. If I became angry with someone because of their differing beliefs and told them they
were wrong, then I am only increasing their suffering or potential to suffer by not respecting their
differences. Now I don’t know about all of you, but I have enough suffering in my own life to be
concerned with making others suffer more. That is just too much work! However, when we take
a look at ourselves in a deep and profound way, I mean really observe our minds, we have the
opportunity to change the direction of our lives, our environment and the situations around us.
Through learning all of this, I have ultimately realized that attaining world peace is possible
when change first begins on the individual level. My mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, touches on this
belief by saying, “A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change
in the destiny of a nation and, further, can even enable a change in the destiny of all
humankind.”
Our attitude begins with our mindset.. It is imperative at a young age to question how your mind
works. When you are faced with a challenging situation, what is your attitude like and how do
you react? Are you the type of person that starts a subliminal tweet war for everyone to see? Do
you work hard to “get even”, or do you brush your shoulders off and keep it movin? Is your
reaction to your situation going to create a negative or positive impact on those around you?
Nichiren Buddhism has taught me that I have a universal responsibility to create happiness for
myself and happiness for others, no matter what disagreements or differences may exist. We
have only one life to live and I am not going to spend it eliminating value from my life and being
a happiness-sucker for someone else.
So, number 1 - all people deserve the right to be happy, and we see the need for their
happiness when we change our attitude. I think that sounds fair. Hopefully, as youthful
champions of peace, you also all agree.
High school is hard. There’s no doubt about how hard it is to be a teenager; self-identity issues,
body weight issues, liking people of the opposite sex, liking people of the same sex…it all
seems so confusing and embarrassing, doesn’t it? And talk about overwhelming…when I was in
high school I was LOST in all capital letters. I felt like I knew who I was, but internally I was a
mess. I didn’t have a way to pay for college, I was fighting an intense mental and physical battle
with my eating disorder, I wasn’t sure if my boyfriend and I were going to break up and the list
goes on and on. It’s difficult to wrap your head around a lot of these issues at such a young age,
but one thing that will bring people closer together is compassion. So #2, Compassion and #1
having the right attitude, are two pathways to creating peace for yourself, your environment and
the world. Quoting our mentor, Mr. Ikeda, “Compassion is the very soul of Buddhism. To pray for
others, making their problems and anguish our own; to embrace those who are suffering,
becoming their greatest ally; to continue giving them our support and encouragement until they
become truly happy-it is in such humanistic actions that Buddhism lives and breathes.” Being a
compassionate person doesn’t mean you have to volunteer for every cause or put your life’s
savings into an orphanage (I was extreme when I was younger and thought I had to do both of
these things). Instead, I have come to recognize compassion as taking one small step toward
helping at least one other person. One act of compassion I have carried out since middle school
was making sure to say hi to someone I knew little to nothing about or to sit with someone at
lunch that was sitting by themselves. Feel free to copy and expand on those ideas, then watch
your compassion grow. You never know how impactful you can be until you try.
Many times people feel helpless working toward world peace because it just seems too lofty of a
cause. We may think, well, what can I do? I am just one person…well darn’ tootin’ you are! And
what an amazing person you are! #3 Realize your importance and tie that to your mission!
Before I practiced Buddhism, I felt like I was just roller coasting through life. Some days were
great and filled with purpose and others crashed and burned. When I joined Nichiren Buddhism,
I drastically realized that there is nobody on this earth like me. There will only be one me, one
time, for all of eternity; what a precious gift!!! I truly encourage each of you to see that YES you
are important, YES you can do something to change this world and YES you can tie it to any
mission you want. Whether you start by really paying attention to the messages and causes
made this week during your event and choosing to think with a more open mind, or you fight for
clean drinking water on Tuesdays and equal pay for women on Thursdays, go for it! Your
mission is so unique to you and I hope you fight for it with all your heart. Daisaku Ikeda, on a
discussion about the importance of youth, said “Youth and indeed life itself, flashes by in the
blink of an eye. That is why it is important for you to ask yourselves what you can do for those
that are suffering, what you can do to resolve the mournful contradictions that plague society,
and to boldly take on these challenges without shunning the subsequent problems and
difficulties you will inevitably face.”
If there is one other thought I can leave you with, it is to challenge you to find the similarities in
those around you before spotting out the differences. As I’ve gotten older, I have seen and felt
firsthand what it’s like when people have put my color, race, creed and socioeconomic status
before getting to truly know me. You may be extremely surprised to learn that the person sitting
five rows away from you this morning might be going through the exact same obstacles and
difficulties as you. So start a conversation with someone new, ask lots of questions to
understand and remember in all of your encounters: 1. Change your attitude to increase
happiness for yourself and others, 2. Show compassion and 3. tie your importance to your
mission. Don’t forget to thank your amazing teachers, faculty and staff for putting on this
spectacular eye-opening event. What a tremendous high school you are all a part of!
Thank you!!
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inefficient power plants that waste 60-70% of the fuel's energy, renewable sources of energy are limitless and more efficient.
This mission may seem simple at first glance, or even insignificant. But give it some extra thought as you go about your usual routine. If you fully engage in it, you very well may have a transformative experience and, like ripples that spread out when a pebble is dropped in a pond, you will recognize how you can positively influence others. With that in mind, we at IKT HQ request that you report your activities on the Belief Screening- Department of Forestry Seedlings Give Away
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Out of Darkness Walk
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Yesterday we directed you to identify a power-source that provides you with compassionate energy and then to be a conduit of that energy, passing it from your identified external source through you and on to another. As we begin our promotional work of compassion today, ambassadors, please consider this concept in more detail.
urce, in the process producing heat. This heat converts water to steam that turns a turbine and generates electricity. In identifying your external power or fuel source yesterday, you put this equation into practice. Today's mission, if you choose to accept it, is to do it again, but this time by fueling your compassionate energy from a different external source.
As we will remind you each day, should your actions or those of any of the Ambassadors of Compassion be exposed, it will increase the positive ripple effect and create more awareness of love in the world. As such, we at IKT HQ sincerely request that you report your activities on the 
Inspirational Speaker, Sam Presti
A member of the Casady YAC Peace Team made the following introduction: "Many of you will know our speaker today because he is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Sam Presti is also involved with Peace Players International, a global outreach program focused on bringing children and communities together through the game of basketball. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Shooting Touch, an organization that grants graduating college seniors the opportunity to travel the world and use the platform of basketball to help foster education and influence positive social change in third world global communities. And, last April, he was the face of the Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum Oklahoma Standard Challenge, One act of service, One act of Kindness, One act of honor."
Mr. Presti's speech focused on three points
a. "There is a point in your life when all the natural growth that many of you are still experiencing stops,-Mr. Presti referred to his 5-month old son Nicholas as an example- when nature stops making you bigger, stops making you stronger, stops developing certain skills and then responsibility falls on you. You will have to be more intentional on how you grow. What got you to this point is not what is going to get you to the next point in your life. You have to be more intentional at getting better and learning."
b. The second point: "The concept that confidence is all around you. Close your eyes and think of the most confident people in school. That person is not as confident as you think. Confidence is not normal, anxiety is. The people who you think are so confident, they have the same fears and anxieties that you do. So, how do you build this concept of confidence? The quality of gratitude. The more that you are grateful, the more that you give back and the more that you recognize the great things that you have in your life, it builds confidence. This concept of service, the people and places you help build actually build yourself."
c. The third point: Recognize your heritage: The message was do not take for granted what surrounds you, stop and learn your Oklahoma Heritage. Visit the Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum, Thunder will not be here if it were not for the work done by so many caring people after the Oklahoma City Bombing
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the Secret Agents of Compassion, are stepping up our game to become AMBASSADORS of Compassion.
Your mission today, Ambassadors, should you choose to accept it, is to identify a power-source that provides you with compassionate energy. Is it a spiritual figure like the Dalai Lama or Pope Francis? Is it a particular book or movie? A friend or colleague, or maybe a favorite teacher? Is it a type of action, like meditation, yoga, or running? Whatever you identify as that power-source, use it today to energize yourself to complete an act of care, concern, warmth, or love for someone else.
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