Come participate in the International Peace Mural Exchange program

The Where Peace Lives Conflict Resolution and Peace Building International Mural Exchange Program provides an engaging, interactive, and creative educational environment for children and youth to build and maintain a culture of peace within their community.

Through this hands-on arts program students transform their relationship to managing anger, talking out issues, and being part of creating solutions. This will help them develop their natural self-confidence, motivation, desire to participate, mutual respect toward others, communication, and leadership—essential and powerful life skills.

We invite you participate and have your school create a unique "vision for peace" that will be internationally exchanged with other students around the world. You'll have an opportunity to impact world views on peace through your thought-provoking visual communication. You will see and recognize the similarities you have with other young people around the world and discover the common ground we all share toward building a peaceful global community.

Yes, I'd like to participate | Program Impact/Outcomes | Program Results

Where we're making a difference right now...
United States • Canada • Peru
Costa Rica • Jericho • Uganda
Egypt • Ghana • Liberia
Cameroon • Kenya • Bulgaria
Nigeria • Pakistan

Why Build Peace Through Youth?

The statistics below are only a small window into a growing issue not only here but around the world.

Thirty percent (30%) of U.S. students in grades six through ten are involved in moderate or frequent bullying — as bullies, as victims, or as both — according to the results of the first national survey on this subject.

Bullying is increasingly viewed as an important contributor to youth violence, including homicide and suicide. Case studies of the shooting at Colombine High School and other U.S. schools have suggested that bullying was a factor in many of the incidents.

Thirty-nine percent of middle schoolers and thirty-six of high schoolers say they don't feel safe at schools.

Nationwide, 29.8 percent of students had their property (e.g., car, clothing, or books) stolen or deliberately damaged on school property.

For an in-depth look at issues facing our young people today please CLICK HERE.

Our Mission: Teach effective conflict resolution and peace building skills to build bridges of cultural understanding and mutual respect through art and media forwarding the conversations for peace.

Our Vision: Create a culture of peace where our future leadership experiences the joy and fulfillment of making powerful contributions to themselves, their community, and the world.

Our Core Values:
Integrity: We are truthful in all that we say, and honest in all that we do.

Inspiration: We bring to light people's courage and greatness, naturally calling them into action.

Respect: We honor the highest Self in each person.

Communication: We are committed that all people have a voice and experience being heard.

REEL PEACE (Kids Teaching Kids Peace Through Video) was piloted in Somerset, NJ in March 2008 at the Conerly Road Elementary school. Twenty five students were chosen to participate in this 10 week program.

The students learned first hand about movie making, creating stories and scripts, improvisational acting, and much more. The end result was a video starring the students as they share about issues they are dealing with in school and at home and new solutions for dealing with these issues.

Topics included bullying, hooked on video games, when parents fight, getting along with brothers and sisters, and gossip and rumors. The final video is being used in the Franklin Township district as a working tool for teachers to address these issues with their students. Future projects will include videos for both middle-school and high-school level students.

CLICK HERE to find out how YOU and your school/organization can participate.

Blindmen and an Elephant Video Productions is the documentary arm of Where Peace Lives. Blindmen was created to shed light on people and organizations that are making a difference in the world. Many people want to make an impact but lack the knowledge or motivation to take actions to do so. We hope to create a powerful awareness for people on how they can find their own inspiriation and make an impact toward peace and harmony for all humanity.

Our most recent project is a twenty five minute documentary on Dr. Jeannette Grauer, a dentist from Union, NJ. Dr. Grauer travels to Peru each year to deliver dental care to children in villages along the Amazon river. More information and photos from this venture will be coming online soon.