The Power of Hope and the peace symbol

POWER OF HOPE November 1, 2007
"Hope is the dream of a soul awake." ~ proverb
Dear Peace-makers and Friends,
Today we invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on the Power of Hope.
Hope is one of the 12 Noble Powers(R) all human beings possess. Hope is a fundamental virtue found in every world religion, alongside love and faith. It is the seed of possibility that stokes our imaginations and sustains our visions for Peace.
What is this force called Hope, and what is it for?
Essentially, Hope is a way of navigating the future, a means for transcending the darkness and limitation of the present day. Hope is not born for that which is easy or certain. It knows there are challenges and a price to pay. Hope is tough and audacious and often unreasonable. Hope dares to believe despite what it sees.
Hope for the future is a life force in itself. Physicians and caregivers affirm that hope can make the difference between who recovers and who doesn't, who lives and who dies.
Whether you are dealing with a serious illness, facing a financial challenge or living in conditions that make life difficult to bear, hope can be the difference between surviving and thriving or succumbing to fear and pain. You may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and nearly ready to give up. Yet, with hope and even a small chance for improvement, you can summons the strength to rise up and carry on.
As we enter this season of Peace and Thanks-Giving, may you nurture this capacity for hope within yourself:

Visualize your desired outcomes; Read stories of triumph and courage; Spend time with resilient people; Take one action to improve your life TODAY. [Take another to improve the life of another person TODAY.]

You can also be a source of hope for others by reaching out in your community and by choosing gifts that make a difference for its creator as well as its receiver. These exchanges of hope represent a world of opportunity and dignity to women and families in need. It is one of the simplest and nicest ways we have found to make Peace the way we live, and a reason we give.
Wishing you Peace, Hope and Love everyday,
Kimberly King & Brent Bisson, And The Peace Company Team

PEACE SYMBOL

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7292252.stm

Thursday, 20 March 2008

World's best-known protest symbol turns 50
By Kathryn Westcott?
BBC News
It started life as the emblem of the British anti-nuclear movement but it has become an international sign for peace, and arguably the most widely used protest symbol in the world. It has also been adapted, attacked and commercialised.
It had its first public outing 50 years ago on a chilly Good Friday as thousands of British anti-nuclear campaigners set off from London's Trafalgar Square on a 50-mile march to the weapons factory at Aldermaston.
The demonstration had been organised by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) joined in.
?I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad
Gerald Holtom
Gerald Holtom, a designer and former World War II conscientious objector from West London, persuaded DAC that their aims would have greater impact if they were conveyed in a visual image. The "Ban the Bomb" symbol was born. He considered using a Christian cross motif but, instead, settled on using letters from the semaphore - or flag-signalling - alphabet, super-imposing N (uclear) on D (isarmament) and placing them within a circle symbolising Earth. The sign was quickly adopted by CND. Holtom later explained that the design was "to mean a human being in despair" with arms outstretched downwards.