Pin Wheels For Peace

Student Report: Becky Lemmermann

On September 21, 2008 Pin Wheels for Peace is celebrated worldwide, and our school was no exception. Don Urness was responsible for organizing the second annual celebration, which was held on Friday, September 19th. Elementary and middle school classes were invited to participate by allowing students to design their own pin wheels and have them displayed in the area in front of the district office.


The history of Pin Wheels for Peace begins with the idea of peace. Each day people are faced with violent ideas and images on TV, in magazines, and on the news. This project is a way for children to reach the next generation and show them what they are thinking. Pin Wheels for Peace is not a political movement, it is a project that reflects that peace is not an absence of war or violence. People can find peace each day in their lives. “To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people” explains the Pinwheels for Peace official webpage.



Pinwheels were chosen for the symbol of the project because pinwheels reflect childhood. Many people think of how things were simple, peaceful, and stress free during their childhood which is the message the entire project is trying to send. Everyone involved with the project was instructed to “plant” their pinwheels outside in a public area on September 21, 2008, International Day of Peace, to spread the idea of peace throughout the nation.
For more information visit: http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com