Where Peace Lives History
Incorporated in New Jersey, in 2006, Where Peace Lives, Inc. was brought into existence to serve as a catalyst for forwarding the conversation for peace around the world. Founding members Donna Clapp, Jeff Clapp, and Jeff Rudy saw a need for bringing together their desire to make an impact in the world and their combined talents to make it happen. They met in Red Bank in 2005 and began brainstorming the idea for what would become Blindmen and an Elephant Productions, a documentary film company that would specialize in shedding light on people and organizations focused on making a difference. Writing on napkins and scraps of paper at a local hamburger joint in town the three began to put together the foundation for what would later become Where Peace Lives. They developed a logo, tag line, mission, vision, and first year goals. When they returned to the Clapp's home, Jeff Clapp shared a video piece about a mural project he'd created in a local elementary school in 2003. Inspired by what they all saw they started to explore the idea of doing a similar project but on a global scale. That is when the idea of creating a new conversation for peace created by youth sprang into effect and the company name was coined, "Where Peace Lives". An umbrella company that would house the documentary film group as well as create other art related projects, all focused on peace.
Students from the El Safaa Society
for Special Needs Children in Suez, Egypt For the next year they would share with many people their ideas but it wasn't until early 2006 that the company began to take real shape and by May 2006 they had filed their forms for non-profit status which was granted in June. The focus would be on art related projects that did more than just bring art to young people. Art would be the catalyst for inventing new conversations, altering current languaging around the topic of peace, and provide positive tools around conflict resolution and mediation. As the world becomes increasingly more violent and exposure to violence now reaches almost all children around the world Where Peace Lives saw the need to bring a positive and accessible focus to conflict resolution which, as they have been in discussions with groups, is wanted and needed. There is a need to build a culture of peace if things are going to move in that direction. Peer mediation alone is not going to shift what is currently happening around the world. They began a letter campaign to start to make global contacts and extend their reach. Letters were sent to every ambassador of the United Nations. Many replied with enthusiasm but it was also a tough time as things were escalating with Lebanon and Israel. The group did meet with the embassy of Chile who were very helpful in guiding Where Peace Lives in what would be the next steps to take to move the project forward. Since that time leads in Peru, Egypt, Greece, Swaziland, Costa Rica, Uganda, Nova ScotiaKenya, Japan, Pakistan, Palestine, and Israel have begun to surface which is very exciting for the organization. Where Peace Lives went to Suez, Egypt in May 2007 to create the first international peace mural there at the El Safaa Society for Special Needs Children, the first school of its kind in Egypt.
Students from Communications High
School and Conerly Road Elementary attended the Ghandi-King Season of
Nonviolence Event at the United Nations in March, 2007 In March of 2007 Where Peace Lives attended the Gandhi-King Season of Nonviolence Youth Conference at the United Nations as a guest presenter along with over 300 students from around the tri-state area who attended the general assembly event. The Communications High School and the Conerly Road Elementary school accompanied WPL as they presented their completed murals to the students in attendance. The room cheered and applauded as the students shared their experience and the impact the project had had already on not only their views of peace but the difference they will make in making that happen.
"We are building a world of peace, a culture of peace and it will take time but it is going to happen," says Jeff Clapp. "We are creating a conversation for a future that invents a whole new world—a world where peace is alive and real for all humanity. It won't be based on the past or what is already out there. It will be new and created ongoingly as it manifests itself. We see that future arising through young people. Our organization is committed that the world of the children and young adults we work with will never be the same. We choose to make our personal business peace for all humanity. That's where everyone truly wants in."
The concept is to create a lasting non-profit organization that sheds light and focuses on people, events, and organizations around the world that are forwarding the conversation for peace. To take the conversation of peace and have it be one at the forefront of society rather than in the background or ignored. To bring a reality and tangibleness for people to the possibility of peace now rather than some day or never.
The current art based project for the organization is a global mural exchange for peace program that will involve schools and organizations around the world in an unprecedented project intended to impact world views on peace through the visual communications of our future leadership. This and other projects designed by the Where Peace Lives organization will be committed to fulfilling on its mission of forwarding the conversation for peace in our lifetime. In addition the organization is going into post production on a documentary focusing on Dr. Jeannette Grauer, a dentist from Union, NJ bringing sustainable and preventative dental care to children in the Amazon region of Peru.
