Hello, bloggers.

Last week, ABC Channel 7 in Chicago ran a wonderful story about our Umbrellas for Peace program.

I would like to thank ABC7 News, reporter Harry Porterfield, and his crew for giving voice to the millions of people who are the silent majority, longing every day of their lives for a peaceful existence.

I believe the hidden story of the Umbrellas for Peace is that it gives the risk-taker and the visionary a reason to manifest their dream of peace.  Quite often we are hesitant of really coming out and saying something about peace.  We wonder how people are going to perceive us as we take different stands on subjects that affect us as human beings.

What I like to do is give people an excuse to talk about it, because they saw this old fool talking about peace through an umbrella.  It gives the possibility of something that to a rational person would seem impossible.

I’m only a small part of the Umbrellas for Peace.

There are the parents who volunteer, who encourage their children at home to articulate ideas about peace through the umbrella in their home.

There are the other family members who participate even though they’re not there, but they’re part of the discussion and conversation that happens after the fact.

There are the people who set up the tables and the logistics of the parades.

There are the teachers who really and truly “get it” and spend weeks talking to their students about how they fit into the manifestation of peace.

There are the superintendants of the schools and the administrators who allow this to take place.

There are the custodians who set it up and take it down...

There’s so much joy and possibility of change, that when it’s over, it’s apparent to everybody involved that we, though all of these young minds, are absolutely going to change the way that we respond to each other.

I am the luckiest person in the world to work with these dreamers, doers, and risk-takers, as we all create a new, loving, peaceful environment that we can all enjoy.

Matt