Tag Archives: Pete Seeger

antiwar, Nonviolence, Royal Book of the Week, Royal Song of The Day

Wise: War is Naive

1 Comment

The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of PeaceThe Tim Wise 2001 essay Who’s Being Naive? War-Time Realism Through the Looking Glass is the penultimate chapter in The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace. This essay continues the Post-Vietnam to the Present (1975- ) section of the book.  Wise is an anti-racism educator and author.

His essay complements the previous Arundhati Roy essay War is Peace.  While Roy upholds the polite –but firm– criticism of a foreigner, Wise bluntly takes his fellow Americans to task for the Afghan War.  As someone who forces Whites to face up to their own privilege in US society,  Wise is at ease in ripping apart pro-war arguments in kitchen table language.

The criticism put forth by Roy and Wise reinforce each other by coming to the same conclusions from both external and internal vantage points.  Both 2001 essays were written when the Afghan invasion was fresh, and they have proved to be prescient as the Afghan War has dragged on for a dozen years.  Reminds me of the just departed Pete Seeger masterpiece,  Waist Deep in the Big Muddy. Continue reading Wise: War is Naive →

Music, Occupy Wall Street, Royal Book of the Week

Celebrate Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday with one of our favorite books

1 Comment

Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is Your Land” Illustrated by Kathy JakobsenFor Woody Guthries’s 100th birthday.  The children’s book “This Land Is Your Land” first appeared in 1998, and has since been updated with a special edition. The book has bright, folk art style illustrations by Kathy Jakobsen which bring Woody Guthrie’s classic song to life. It includes interesting details such as: a scene with a soup kitchen in a poor neighborhood; images of Woody Guthrie playing guitar with friends; and depictions of picnics and sing-a-longs in various regions of the USA. There is also a tribute to Woody Guthrie written by his friend Pete Seeger.

Every page will stimulate discussion about how things were and are around America, as well as the lessons and culture of Occupy Wall Street. And, your child will become familiarized with a song that has been sung over and over again — with old and new verses — at Liberty Square and many other occupations.

“This Land Is Your Land” is truly beautiful, fun, and thoughtful. It is a great book to use to explain to children ideas such as economic hard times, the joy and power of community, and the focus of Occupy Wall Street.  Continue reading Celebrate Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday with one of our favorite books →

Music, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

Norwegian people announce “Peace Song of the Day” for 4/27/2012

Leave a comment

As royalty (in the most whimsical of senses), the Duke and Duchess of Peace envision themselves as proclaiming the Peace Song of the Day. If you look around the news today, you see that the people of Norway have made the choice: The Peace Song of the Day is “Children of the Rainbow” by Pete Seeger.

In a compassionate, defiant, community response to the actions and words of the right wing, mass murderer, who killed 77 people last year, 40,000 people gathered in Oslo to sing Pete Seeger’s song about love and tolerance, “Children of the Rainbow” (“My Rainbow Race”, English title.)

You can see video from the scene in Norway below. And underneath, is a story from Common Dreams, and the song lyrics. The song, in English, appears in Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook, the songbook which was part of the inspiration for our Peace Song of the Day project. We knew that the answer to world peace was somewhere between the covers of that amazing, inspiring, abundant collection of sing-a-long tunes.

Thanks to David Mitchell, for sending along the Common Dreams story, with the link to the authentic video, this morning.

Continue reading Norwegian people announce “Peace Song of the Day” for 4/27/2012 →

antiwar, Music, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Song of The Day, Social Justice

When the war is over: Peace Song for 3/25/2102

Leave a comment

Steve Earle‘s song, “Steve’s Hammer (for Pete)“, is the Peace Song of the Day for March 25th. As the title hints at, this song is dedicated to Pete Seeger. The song is from Earle’s album, Washington Square Serenade.

“Steve’s Hammer” tells about the day when the war is over, and there isn’t any hunger and pain, so all of us peace and justice activists can finally take a bring and sing a silvery tune. In other words, the song embodies why it is called “The Struggle”.
Continue reading When the war is over: Peace Song for 3/25/2102 →

Music, Peace, Royal Song of The Day

Sun & water old life givers: Peace Song for 12/21/2011

Leave a comment

Happy Solstice! Hope you are feeling in tune with nature. Winter Solstice will occur at 5:30 UTC [12:30am EST] on Thursday, December 22nd. (Late Wednesday night!). Reaching the Winter Solstice point means that the daylight hours will grow longer again. (Today was the shortest “day” of the year. Could you feel it?)

The Peace Song for December 21st is “Sailing Down This Golden River” by Pete Seeger. You can find the lyrics in the Rise Up Singing songbook on page 235. On this shortest day of the year, it is nice to think of floating down a golden river on a warm, sunny day.

Continue reading Sun & water old life givers: Peace Song for 12/21/2011 →

Music, Nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, Peace, Royal Song of The Day, Social Justice

The ultimate song about nonviolence: Peace Song for 11/12

Leave a comment

“Take It From Dr. King”, by Pete Seeger, is The Peace Song of the Day for November 12th. This song is the ultimate celebration of nonviolent activism for social change. It tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, the bus boycott, and The Civil Rights movement. It also has the somewhat tense, but poignantly necessary line, “Drop the gun.”

Continue reading The ultimate song about nonviolence: Peace Song for 11/12 →

Music, Nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, Peace, Royal Song of The Day, Video

“I will not fight your war,” said the child and he stood: Peace Song for 11/10/2011

Leave a comment

“The Bell” by Stephan Said (aka Stephan Smith) is the Peace Song of the Day for November 10th. This song was created back in 2002, in response to the Iraq War. Unfortunately, it is still relevant today, on a variety of levels.

The video below includes vocals by Stephan Said and Pete Seeger.

Continue reading “I will not fight your war,” said the child and he stood: Peace Song for 11/10/2011 →