Teachers are encouraged to assist children learn important communication techniques, build self-esteem through creative expression in many forms, and how to feel good about contributing to the world they will inherit. By having discussions about conflict resolution, self-esteem, creative thinking and just how to be a loving person in what can sometimes be a very hostile world, “KidCast For Peace; Solutions For a Better World” strives to present a positive force for change. “It's heartening to have received so much recognition all over the Web. We welcome our new European sponsor; Lovly World in Germany,” offers Peter H. Rosen, founder of the event and director of Creativity Cafe® a “New School for the Next Millennium” and “KidCast For Peace.” The developing KidCast Network is a grass-roots effort. They are seeking in-kind as well as financial sponsorship, other broadcast nodes and local participation from community organizers.

Kids of all ages are invited to make art after discussing peace and ecology issues affecting them personally, their community and our world. The project was founded for the “Children’s World Peace Festival” in 1995 and featured at the prestigious SIGGRAPH’98 Computer Graphics Conference. KidCast has received awards including the 1998 SIG/TEL Online Learning Award and recognition from The Millennium Institute. “Lovely World’ in Germany has built a major KidCast For Peace Web site and is seeding participation throughout Europe. This seems to validate rosen’s tireless efforts and will certainly ignite interaction between American kids and their global peers.

The end result is a “Gallery Of Solutions; ” carrying documentation from the current and past events, many of which can be found in Creativity Cafe’s VRML EarthStation; a repository for poems, Quicktime movies, Web sites, images, animations, short stories, etc., that have been created by past participants. The focus is on K-12 kids and the child in everyone!

The group currently has support from Mindspring-Earthlink, Maui.net, Caligari and CE Software among others who have greatly contributed to the event. Mainstream involvement for this “happening” focusing on solutions from a children’s point of view is being sought. “We are asking younger generations for their assistance to help us heal ourselves and our world,” says Rosen, This year, in cooperation with Global Whale Trancemission, the Whales off Maui, Hawaii will sing their songs to our global network...and visa versa!

You can demonstrate your interest and indicate your level of participation from among the possibilities listed in KidCast Fundraisers Web site. The project has the support of many in-kind sponsors and seeks a primary financial sponsor to enable this grass roots effort to spread its wings, and continue to share the love of our planets children far and wide.