Peace
Tree Spirit!
The Peace Tree Spirit! was inspired by the award-winning film The Peace Tree, produced, written and directed by Mitra Sen, in association with Harmony Movement and CBC. The 47 minute film shares the story of two little girls, one Christian and one Muslim, who both dream of celebrating each other’s festivals, Christmas and Eid, but run into problems at home trying to convince their families that it’s really all about peace. So they create a Peace Tree, a tree that highlights the symbols of all our cultures and faiths on one tree to reflect the beauty of ‘diversity in unity’. The film has been invited to over 40 film festivals including Tribeca Film Festival and received 11 international awards including the Liv Ullmann Peace Prize and the Golden Book Prize for Best Director at the Roshd International Film Festival.
However, the film has traveled far beyond the screen and has inspired many new peace initiatives. While producing the film, Mitra realized that it was necessary to create one festival that shared the roots of every culture and faith in order to unite people of diverse communities and encourage them to interact, share and create greater understanding amongst people of all backgrounds. Therefore, Peace Tree Day was created to inspire children and young people to create new forms of art by blending dance, music and crafts from different cultures in order to create new forms of art and raise funds to assist children around the world in war torn areas. On June 1st 2006, Mayor David Miller proclaimed Peace Tree Day in the city of Toronto during which 300 Peace Tree Ambassadors from 40 schools across southern Ontario were invited to create the first Peace Tree in the city together and participate in workshops that reflected peace, diversity and fusion.
As the film began to travel it inspired the creation of Peace Trees at the various international festivals including festivals in Canada, USA, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, Scotland, Germany, South Africa, Korea and the Bahamas. Children in schools around the world have started creating Peace Trees after viewing the film.
In 2007, York Region, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville and Windsor proclaimed Peace Tree Day on June 1st along with York Regional Police, York Region District School Board, and York Region Catholic District School Board. Celebrations were held in parks, schools, hospitals, camps, and organizations across York Region, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Charlottetown, PEI this year. In York Region, the Police Services and sponsors unveiled the plans for the world’s first ‘Peace Tree Garden’. The ground breaking ceremony and planting of the Peace Tree in the ‘Peace Tree Garden’ took place on June 1st in celebration of York Region’s Peace Tree Day. ‘The Peace Tree Garden’, located in Bruce’s Mill in York Region in Ontario, will incorporate plants from diverse cultures, include a medicine wheel around the Peace Tree and share peace quotes by human rights leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and many others. ‘The Peace Tree Pavilion’ will be built next to ‘The Peace Tree Garden’ and will be a place for children to explore and experience diversity, fusing cultures and peace initiatives under one roof.
In Toronto, students have started Peace Tree Clubs, created Peace Tree Centres and the Peace Tree Ambassadaors’ Network has connected children around the world who have started the Peace Tree movement in their schools. York Region Media Group also organized the first Peace Tree Contest.
Recently, a group of preschool and kindergarten children worked together to create the first Peace Tree Stand and raised $5,000 worth of medical supplies and 12 dairy goats for families in the war torn area of Sierra Leone through Free the Children, the charitable organization founded by Craig Keilburger. The Peace Tree Stand, created in celebration of Peace Tree Day, featured drinks and treats from around the world along with workshops reflecting diversity and peace. The workshops highlighted children drawing mehndi peace symbols, making paper cranes, drumming workshops and sharing books about peace. The little toddlers tried their hand at creating new rhythms on the tabla and African drums blending beats and creating new rhythms. The children loved dancing to the ethnic beats, sharing treats and knowing they are helping children in our world who are in need. Next year they hope to raise enough money to build a school in a war torn area.
The concept of Peace Tree Schools is spreading across Toronto and will begin in the States in the fall of 2007. For more information, please visit: www.peacetreeday.com and www.sandalwoodproductions.com/peacetree.
Peace Tree Initiative
Peace Tree Patrons
Bill Fisch
Chair, Regional Municipality of York
Armand LaBarge
Chief, York Regional Police
Bill Hogarth
Director, York Region District School Board
Susan LaRosa
Director, York Catholic District School Board
Peace Tree Advisory Group
Charles Beer, Chair of York Region Peace Tree Initiative
Principal, Counsel Public Affairs: Board Member, United Way of York Region
Monica Auerbach
Director, York Region Jewish Children and Family Services; Member, Human Services Planning Coalition
Simon Cheng
Program Director, Human Services Planning Coalition of York Region
Tova Fisch
Retired School Principal
Naushad Hirji
Chair, Board of Social Services Network of York Region
Debora Kelly
Editor-in-Chief, York Region Newspaper Group
Board member, United Way of York Region
Ranjit Kumar
Convener, York Region Peace Tree Initiative; Board member, United Way of York Region; Member, Human Services Planning Coalition
Alma McMullen
Manager, Relationship Development, Markham YMCA
Mitra Sen
Educator/Filmmaker; Producer/Director. ‘The Peace Tree’ Film
Khalid Usman
Former Councilor, Markham Municipal Council; Board member, York Region Community Development Foundation
Daniele Zanotti
CEO, United Way of York Region
