The following procedure has been used to organize local grassroots
projects with middle school and high school students. This would need to
be adapted in some ways for younger students. College students are
encouraged to adapt all suggestions to your needs and interests.

1. The first step is to create a vision which reflects the hopes and
highest desires of individuals and groups for life on our planet. Creative
visualizations and centering processes may be used to assist in releasing
the imagination and tuning in to the larger picture of how the world might
be if all issues of survival, development, protection and participation
were resolved with justice. We have used various kinds of music, movement
and other forms of art with this activity, having the students express
their own vision through such mediums as poetry, stories, paintings,
drawings, sculptures, shapes and sounds, dramatizations and so forth.

After the individual visions have been shared, work together to combine the
words, symbols, pictures into a group expression (in written and visual
forms).

Examples of vision statements that have been created in this way include
the vision on the summary page of the Habitat II participation project and
the following vision created by students from 36 countries at the 1995
World Summit of Children:

We, the young peoples of the Earth, envision a world united by love and
justice. A sharing of our voices and actions shall lead us to peace,
prosperity and preservation of this planet. We ask that the people of the
world work with us in global partnership to fulfill the responsibilities
towards
the future of this world.

2. After your vision statement is completed, the group begins the process
of integrating it into their own lives, considering how this vision, if
realized, might affect them individually, as a community, nation, world.
With this in mind, the group brainstorms the most pressing issues in their
communities with regards to survival, development, protection and
participation, which must be faced/transformed, in order for this vision to
be fully realized. Below is an example which came from the Oklahoma City
core group:

A. Respecting Diversity - eliminating racism, discriminations of
all kinds; developing mutual understanding, cooperation, acceptance, and
appreciation
B. Developing Meaningful Education - eliminating illiteracy;
providing a purposeful education that prepares students to deal with real
life issues (one which children and youth would have a voice in designing);
fully integrating the arts and supporting the awareness that the arts may
be used to improve education, to revitalize our cities, to bring families
and communities closer and to provide excellent alternatives to violence
C. Creating Peaceful Communities - effectively addressing the
causes of violence; developing reasonable and practical alternatives to
violence
D. Working Towards Sustainable Environments - becoming actively
involved in protecting our earth from misuse and neglect; supporting
biodiversity
E. Moving Beyond Survival - creating sustainable communities
committed to eliminating hunger and poverty, inadequate shelter and
improving health care

3. It is suggested that the group prioritizes the challenges before
beginning the processes of assessment and research. The core group may
want to find other groups in the community (schools, classrooms, etc.) that
would be willing to research and assess the remaining challenges. The
assessment process should include:

How does this affect our community and what are the probable causes
and contributing factors? Networking with other groups (in the community
and through the support network) can increase awareness and generate new
ideas.

What is currently being done in our community (families, schools,
churches, organizations, political systems) to address this issue? How
effective are current actions? What resources are available?

4. The next step involves organizing forums or informal
discussion-networking sessions planned to share the information and to
brainstorm ideas for alternative solutions or ways to upgrade/improve
current program solutions. This is a very good time to utilize Voices of
the Next Generation's networking system.

5. After needs and resources have been shared and ideas have been
generated for projects, the group needs to set reasonable goals and
objectives for the particular project they would like to work on, create a
plan of action (steps) to meet the goals and establish a working time
frame. Materials needed, funding and donation processes, reviewing
available resources (including talents and abilities of the members),
working committees, check-in and evaluation procedures would then be
outlined.

6. One of the most important steps involves commitment. Each individual
needs to have the space to examine what he/she can offer and is willing to
commit. Support for one another and networking with other groups provide a
most needed component.

The following comes from Amy M. Pierce, Executive Director
Piercefam Associates, creators of "Cyber_Fe"
Central Massachusett's very own Internet Coffeehouse
http://www.ultranet.com/~amyp/

This week I will be working to get plans underway with St. Mary's to coordinate our submission to the EarthStation. Since there are only 180 students in grades K-8, we should be able to not only create a grand submission, but also take part in the live CuSeeme event. The following are some ideas I threw down adding to your list when we first talked:

1- Have each class create lists with advice and suggestions to world leaders so that they may achieve peace.

3- Have each child write a short story on what their world would be like in their own vision of peace.

3- (older children) Have students create essays describing their solutions on how to achieve a world of peace, with emphasis on current events, and the solutions the children have to solve them.

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