Happy Birthday, Jane Goodall!
And why she should win the Nobel Peace Prize
From the jungles of northern Laos

Today, my traveling (and life) companion and I spent part of our bus ride from Xishuangbanna's capital of Hong Jing to the northern Laotian provincial capital of Luang Namtha discussing what kind of letter we should write to the Nobel Peace Prize committee on the occasion of Jane Goodall's birthday.

Unfortunately, only more distinguished people than ourselves can nominate someone for a prize, so I've decided to forgo the formal letter and write this blog post instead.

Here are some reasons that my friend "Dr. Jane" should be nominated for the prize:

--bridging the gap between people, between people and animals, and people and the natural world;
--building cross-border understanding, even in hard-to-reach places like North Korea (plus the over one hundred other countries with Roots & Shoots groups);
--mobilizing a grass-roots network of committed young people to acknowledge and address key problems (Roots & Shoots);
--instilling courage in young people to stand up for what is right;
--spreading scientific understanding;
--addressing the social and environmental basis of hostility and war;
--resurrecting the International Day of Peace by turning "swords into plow shares" through symbolic and committed action, like turning bazookas into bells and flying giant peace doves around the world;

This list is incomplete and hopefully others can elaborate. The world could learn a lot with Jane Goodall as a Nobel Laureate. May this post and messages of others grow like Roots & Shoots groups and inspire others more qualified than myself to a write letters to the committee.

You can read my interviews with Dr. Jane here and here.

Labels: jane goodall, peace

Roots & Shoots Day of Peace 2008
A message from the Dame
September 21, 2008, San Diego & Los Angeles

Here's a message from the dame. Thank you, my friend!



I hope to see you either in San Diego, Los Angeles, or digitally via uploaded photos.

Let's create peace in our lifetimes!

Labels: jane goodall, peace, roots and shoots

Jane Goodall
at UCSD
April 1, 2008



Not an April Fool's joke! Jane Goodall is visiting UCSD on April 1. Please join us for a tree planting ceremony. Volunteers, invited guests, and ticket holders can take part in an intimate luncheon.

Labels: events, jane goodall, organic, UCSD