Peace Dollars
an article by Ray Cunnington

How do you wage peace? You pay wages to people who work for peace so they have money to live on. That’s why the Hamilton Culture of Peace Network is introducing 'Peace Dollars' to the community this year. Peace Dollars have the potential to raise funds for many worthwhile causes, and each dollar is printed with UNESCO’S six principles for a peaceable society, first developed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for the United Nations’ Manifesto 2000.

The Hamilton Culture of Peace Network is a collection of concerned individuals and local groups united in a ten-year-effort to build a culture of peace, non-violence and social justice for the children of the world. Part of its mission is to spread the Manifesto to every one of the half million people who live in the Hamilton, Ontario, area. To assist in this task and help other groups working for non-violence and cooperation to benefit, we are offering Peace Dollars at a 50% discount to any who share the goals of Manifesto 2000 and purchase a minimum of 20 sheets.

Do your own fundraising – Buy a sheet of 10 for $5 – Sell for $10

In our city there are virtually no men, women or children so poor they could not afford to buy one Peace Dollar per year to help build a safer and more inclusive community.

We hope Peace Dollars will help stimulate the energy of faith groups, community groups, students and individuals from all over the city so we can all have better information and make the city safer and more responsive to each others’ needs. In the long run Peace Dollars will retain a value which may later be exchanged for goods such as printed materials or admission to special events.

If you want to know more about PEACE DOLLARS and how you can raise money for your organization please contact us by e-mail at cpd@hwcn.org or ray.c@cogeco.ca or by phone at (905) 628-4976. You can also obtain a free internet listing for your group on our webpage.

While our particular peace dollars are local to Hamilton, we believe the idea has merit and could be duplicated in many other cities.

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