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What Next? Project - Want it! Live it! Share it!
Phase 2 of our For Our World Campaign is about to begin!
One year ago, Mattie’s Foundation launched the For Our World Campaign as a free, international peace effort. We invited people to translate Mattie’s 9/11 poem into other languages, and posted these translations as free downloadable PDFs. Matte wrote his “For Our World” poem on September 11, 2001 as his personal response to universal questions of ‘what now? what next?’ following terrorist attacks. He hoped that one day, this poem would serve as an ‘international passage for peace.’
As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approached, we reached 50 translations of the poem, and encouraged people around the world to “Read it. Share it. Live it.” We asked people to spread the message of this poem in schools and homes and offices -- by reading it during gatherings and meetings and classes, and by posting it on Twitter and Facebook pages, bulletin boards and refrigerators, and more. We also created a chain of ‘peace flags’ with these translations that were flown during the 2011 Peace Celebration at Mattie’s Park.
Now, Mattie’s Foundation is gearing up for our “What Next? Project” as we move beyond the events and attention focused on the 10th anniversary of September 11. We will be offering inspiration, information, activities, and resources that encourage people around the world to continue focusing on peace-related attitudes and habits that will shape the reality of our world. These activities and resources will be rooted in Mattie’s “Three Choices for Peace” concept, which grew directly from his For Our World poem.
| "Three Choices for Peace©” – from Mattie J.T. Stepanek | |||
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Make peace an attitude -- Want it! | ||
| Be a peace seeker. | |||
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Make peace a habit -- Live it! | ||
| Be a peace maker. | |||
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Make peace a reality -- Share it! | ||
| Be a peace bringer. | |||
-View our list of translations and download your free pdf here....
-Submit your translation to heartsongbooks@aol.com
-Order For Our World and Three Choices for Peace© bookmarks and posters here...
Pathways to Peace© Program
for youth and for adults -- being developed now!!!
The early stages of our new Pathways to Peace© program debuted during the 2011 Peace Celebration! A series of postcards – with inspirational quotes from Mattie’s books and speeches on front and information about the message on back – were offered to participants at each of the Pathways to Peace© stations. Stations included: Heartsongs (Our Reason for Being), Hope is Real, Peace is Possible, Life is Worthy, Rebuild the Mosaic, Celebration and Reflection, and “Play After Every Storm!” A variety of hands-on activities, crafts, and games were also a part of each station, offering participants opportunities to explore Mattie’s messages of hope and peace in sensory, tactile, and replicable ways.
Next steps including sharing these stations with youth and adults – both as a package set and as individual stations. We hope to encourage businesses to become “Messengers of Peace” by sponsoring this program for classes, schools, and youth groups. A series of posters, bookmarks, activities, and other items that are still in development will offer peace education to students across various age groups. Mattie’s mom, Jeni, also visits or holds ‘Skype chats’ with many schools that are sharing Mattie’s life and message with students. Pamphlets, materials, and activities geared for adults are also being developed.
-View our Pathways to Peace© brochure here
-View and order Pathways to Peace© postcards
-View and order Pathways to Peace© posters and bookmarks
-To inquire about Jeni Stepanek’s presentations, school visits, Skype chats, or keynotes, e-mail heartsongsbooks@aol.com.
Mattie’s Peace Network surpasses 1,000 members!!!
A simple way to support the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation is to sign up to receive updates about our programs and activities that encourage peace for both individuals and global communities. Membership in Mattie’s Peace Network is free, and offers inspiration and information that can support you in spreading a message of peace – in your home or school or office, and around the world. For more information or to sign up, click here.
"Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs” is now a NY Times bestselling book!
The e-book reached the bestseller list on June 5, and the paperback version is listed on the June 12 and June 19 NY Times Bestseller List for non-fiction books. Messenger has also been listed on the Publisher's Weekly Bestselers list, and as one of USA Today's Top 150 Bestselling Books.
Written by Mattie’s mom, Jeni, and with a Foreword by Maya Angelou, the memoire offers readers intimate details about Mattie’s earliest years through his final days of life.
During her final studio audience show ever, Oprah Winfrey called the book “a wonderful story” about her guy, whom she said was a “messenger for our times.” Messenger is the last book to ever be held up by Oprah during the 25 year run of the Oprah Winfrey Show. The book has also been featured on Good Morning America, was named Larry King’s ‘Book of the Month Pick,’ and selected as one of Soul Salon International’s ‘Top Ten Books of the Year.”
Messenger is the full story of Mattie – “the poet, the peacemaker, and the philosopher who played.” Featuring numerous never before published poems by Mattie, journal entries, essays, and e-mail exchanges with many of his famous friends, Jeni shares Mattie’s passion for living, his never ending hope for peace, and his spirit that spread joy in a life that medicine swore held no promise of hope. The print copies of the book contain 32 color photos not available in the e-book version.
Read more about this book and Mattie’s books Read the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation Press Release here. Watch a video message from Jeni about the Messenger book here. Read Chapter 1, posted on Oprah’s website, here.
New Partnership Program announced – Are you involved with a non-profit or other organization that fosters peace in some way? Perhaps your organization tends to basic needs such as food, shelter, education, or healthcare. Perhaps you bring hope to people who have disabilities, who have experienced some loss, or face some challenge. Or, perhaps you educate youth or adults about peace, kindness, or positive communication. If you are fostering peace for individuals or communities in some way, then you may be interested in our new Partnership Program. This effort costs you nothing, but offers mutual benefits to your organization as well as the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation. Read more about our Partnership Program.
Jeni Stepanek receives Pax Christi 2011 Peacemaker of the Year Award –Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore honored Jeni Stepanek (“Mattie’s mom”) with the 5th Annual Peacemaker of the Year Award on November 13. She was selected because of her work as a peace advocate through many activities, including her role as Executive Director of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation, her work with Global Teen Leaders from six continents who attend the We Are Family Foundation’s “Just Peace Summit” (an endeavor that grew out of Mattie’s final book), and her presentations rooted in hope and peace that she shares through schools, churches, non-profits, and other groups and organizations. During her acceptance remarks, Jeni shared numerous images of Mattie as she summarized his life, message, and legacy, and talked about how that inspired and led to her own role as an advocate of hope and peace with children, teens, and adults around the world. She closed with an audio of Mattie sharing his 9/11 “For Our World” poem, which Jeni has turned into an international campaign for peace. For more information, please read the Pax Christi news flyer.
