Skippin'j SCones - Skipping Stones

Skippin'j SConesA Multicultural Children's Magazine

Volume 7, No.4

Youth llonor Award WilmerThe Day of lite Dead: A Mexican ctb lionHunger, Hothelessness and Poverty

The United Nations turns 50!

us $ 4.00

Volume 7, No.4

Skipping StonesA Multicultural Children's Bimonthly Magazine

ISSN 0899-529X (EIN: 93-1095484) Autumn 1995

1995 Youth Honor Awards5 Rowers • Best Friends6 Westridge Young Writers Workshop7 Prejuicio Racial y Etnico: A bilingual essay8 I Wonder: Thoughts of a South African girl9 Sarajevo: Pondering over the senseless war

10 Nibsville: A parable against prejudice11 Dia de los Muertos: Day of the Dead12 Young Artists of Rockford Middle School13 Walls • Before It's Too Late

16 MonneUe and Mark: People helping People17 Living in Northern Ireland • Guns18 The Day of the Dead: A Mexican Celebration

Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty20 Homeless • Sadness21 A Feast Not Fit for a Man: A story22 Difference • Pull Up Your Socks23 How Hunger Was Eliminated24 Peace Cookies • I'm Full! • Sad Day25 Hunger and Homelessness: How much? Why?

Regular Departments3 Editorial4 Letters to the Editor

14 Dear Hanna15 Skipping Stones Stew26 N.E.W.S. Quarterly • Beijing Conference28 Happy Fiftieth to the United Nations!: A Quiz29 Taking Action: UNICEF30 Bookshelf: Building a Multicultural Library31 Pen Pals: Making International Friends34 Coming Attractions: 2025 AD • Riddles35 A Guide for Parents and Teachers36 Back Cover: Fetching Water

Opinions expressed in these pages renect views of the contributors,and not necessarily those of Skipping Stones, Inc., or its officers.

Recycled PaperIn the spirit ofecological sensitivity, we choose to printwith soy ink on recycled and recyclable paper.

Skipping Stones Vol. 7 no. 4

Skipping Stones is a nonprofit children's magazinethat encourages cooperation, creativity and celebrationof cultural and linguistic diversity. We wish to exploreand learn stewardship of the ecological web that sustainsus. We offer ourselves as a forum for communicationamong children from different lands and backgrounds.

Skipping Stones is designed to expand horizons ina playful, creative way. We welcome your suggestions,submissions, subscriptions and support.

Subscriptions (five issues): Institutions: US $30.Individuals: US $20. Airmail: $5 extra. Single and backissues: $5 ($6, airmail). Low-income discount: 50%.

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......~ Skipping Stones.' ..... 7 Post Office Box 3939Eugene, OR 97403 USATel. (503*) 342 - 4956

* Effective Nov. 5, the new area code will be 541.

Editor and Publisher Arun Narayan TokeAccountant Bidyut Prava DasIntern Amanda NixonVolunteers Rachel Benson

Erika FinstadMildred Wilson

AcknowledgementsCover: Bris Alba (Dawn Breeze), 9, Zapotec-Indian, Teotitlan deValle, Oaxaca, Mexico. Photo by Dick Keis, Corvallis, Oregon.

Board of Directors: Hanna Still, Stephen Mallery, RonMarson, Joachim Shultz, Nancy Bray, Arun Toke, PauletteAnsari, Bill Hessling and Sadako Hessling.Thanks to: Amy E. Brandt, Esther Celis, Steve Mallery, DickKeis, Sergei Matveev, Paul Quayle, EVC, and the many teacherswhose students' work is featured in this issue. We also extendour gratitude to our contributors, supporters and subscribers.Skipping Stones is an educational and charitable organizationwith a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Donations to SkippingStones are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.We invite you to support our 50% discount and free subscriptionsto low-income schools, libraries and Third World organizationsby making a tax-deductible donation. Financial support providedin part by Tops Learning Systems, New Society EducationalFoundation, Tides Foundation, and Sarah L. Brightwood.Winner of the 1995 Golden Shoestring Awardfrom the Educational Press Association of America ~for excellence in educational journalism. ~

©1995 by Skipping Stones. EdPress

Vol. 7 no. 4 Skipping Stones

AnyoneAnyone with the power of a voice can sing.Anyone with a paper and pencil can draw.

Anyone with a friend can play.But anyone with a family can abuse

And anyone with a gun can killYet, in the end,

anyone with a heart can love,And anyone who livescan change the world.

-Kathryn DeVinney, 11, Rushville, New York

A Japanese girl in the Peace Park at Hiroshima.

For example, UNICEF works to bring back a senseof hope in the lives of children and their families indeveloping countries. The UN General Assembly,Special Sessions, and World Conferences help usresolve our differences and to reach a commonground on issues of global concern among the 180member nations. And that makes our hopes for apeaceful world live longer.

In almost all our cities, we see many men,women and children without a "home." Whenyou read about the pavement dwellers of Bombay,or street children of Rio, do you wonder, "Whatare their hopes for the future?"

I often think of my visit to the Community forCreative Nonviolence in Washington, DC. CCNVhas dedicated 25 years of its existence to thecause of homelessness. I still remember vividly ourdawn drive to the dumpsters, near the wholesalemarket of the city, to salvage crates of perfectlygood fruits and vegetables. Later that evening,CCNV volunteers served a hearty meal to about200 hundred homeless men, women and children.Whites, blacks and hispanics. Poverty did notseem to discriminate!

Everyone who has contributed art or writingDear Friends: Autumn Greetings. to this issue (including the Youth Honor Award"No News Is Good News." So they say. Is it . Winners on pages 5-13) lights a candle of hope

because the media reports mostly grim news? for the world. Our new thoughts, our positiveWars, bomb attacks, toxic spills, street violence, experiences, give birth to new visions. We inviteozone depletion, train crashes... you to share these seeds of hope with Skipping

Stones readers. Together we can nurture theWe feel hopeless. But No. We can't give up. Tree of Hope, with fruits of ajust and peaceful

Keeping hope alive gives meaning to our life. world for each and every human being.The other day, I went for an early morning When we take actions and see visible results,

walk. The sun was just getting ready to rise and we rekindle our hopes. iViva la Esperanza! )shine. A batch of black birds, flying low near the ~ ~trees were chirping, "Ay, spirit fly." Blackberry . (11M j I'lllf.~rr: I,,:bushes along the path were saying, "Another day vv'~ lNlI I 19'YltJto get those berries ripe." And as I walked pastthe dew-damp grass I heard it whisper, "Keephope alive." At a construction site along the way,the hammers pounding nails on a new roofseemed to echo, "Keep Hope Alive!"

The cool, gentle breeze washed away all myworries over the unfinished work and a dozendetails.

The 50th anniversary celebrations this yearof the end of World War II, the Hiroshima andNagasaki Bombings, and the birth of the UnitedNations focus our hopes for peace. In ourincreasingly shrinking world, we need many morecommunity builders like the UN. Suchorganizations are keepers of the world peace.

This is the best magazine! Ijust If I could say one thing to the world, thislove it. You should be proud! would be my message:

Because children from all over the If We Listenworld write to you just to get their work published.This is great! I am so happy to be writing in your How can I express my plight

b' For everything to be all rightmagazine... I just want a lot of kids to e writmg to Through all this sadness that hurts and numbsyou. Skipping Stones, keep up the great work. A silent whisper overcomes

-Bidjawatie Rogoobeer, Age 14, Brooklyn, NewYork In the dark of the nightI loved Skipping Stones! I sure wish that I had On the back of the air

this fabulous magazine when I was younger instead It tells us allof silly ones. not to worry, but to care

I liked the articles you printed on vegetarianism. Will we listen and seeI've been a vegetarian for all of my 15 years (thanks or will we close our eyesto my parents) and now I'm on a vegan diet. There Ensuring insecuring tearswas a great sense of self-empowerment in this article and good-byes?that I enjoyed. Kids can take charge of their own I recently started a monthly publication thatdiets and by doing so take charge of their lives. is full of poems, quotes, song lyrics, black and

Also the article "Hay! Hay! Wood's Not the white drawings, and short stories. Sample issuesOnly Way" was great. I'm researching building a are $2 each. Everyone, everywhere please sendstructure out of hay and mud, so I was thrilled to in submissions and purchase a sample issue...open up Skipping Stones and see this article!" Please include a large self-addressed stamped

-Zoif Blowen-Ledoux, 15, publishes Self-Schoolers envelope if you live in the U.S.Network News, a quarterly zinefor homeschoolers and -Bonnie Porter,"Poetry Plus," Post Box 3796,their friends. (Subscriptions: $10 for 8 issues, from Federal Way, WA 98063 USASSNN, RRl Box 452, Lisbon Falls, ME 04252 USA) Always and Forever

I am adopting a little girl from India; my son is The friend that I made during my 4th gradeadopte? from Guatemala.. F~r me, th~ articles in your year I will remember always and forever. We hadma~azme are god-se~t... It Will make It so ~u~h a special bond because of the fact that neither ofeasier to teach my chIldren that everyone IS different, us could talk to each other. She didn't look orand to be true. to them.selves is what is impo~nt... act like me for the most part nor did she like all

.A suggestion: .ChIldren learn t~rough seemg the same things I did. The memories I have oftheir parents do thmgs. To help chIldren learn of those two and a half weeks will last foreverother cultures, to not be prejudiced, to be open to throughout my life, the ones of what we learnedideas and beliefs of others, we the parents should be about each other's cultures. She saw America,willing to learn more also. What better way than for I heard about Korea.the parents to begin to write to other parents... to -Kelley Hoffman Ogden Utah. Earlier this yearlearn other's customs and culture, to become friends her school hosted 15 South K~rean students. Kelley ,as a family group... was paired with a 4th grader girl named, Sim Ji Suck.

I suggest that you offer pen pals for parents!... Kelley writes, "These Korean children were veryI would sit down to write tomorrow if I had advanced at math. Much better than me anyways!"

someone to write to! ... such an inspiring magazine! I spend much- Grace Samis, age 37. You can write to Grace at more time these days thinking about people in

(4 Brymore Road, New Egypt, NJ 08533 USA) other countries. Your articles are much more[Dear Grace: We've been thinking .about aforumfor personal and positive than the news.

parents and teachers; an expanded verswn ofthe Parent _ Elizabeth Jolley Beaverton OregonTeacher Guide with a Reader Exchange page. -Editor] "

W ' . II . d' k'd' h" ... thanks to you for your wonderful. e re espeCIa y mtereste m I s Ist<?ry, I.e. donation of Skipping Stones magazines for our

kids who have done courageous, helpful thmgs small but growing library. The children love theand homeschooler stuff. . . magazines and I have been able to use them in

-Noella Wroten, Glen Allen, Californza environmental teaching units. Skipping Stones Vol. 7 no.4-Mary Lugton, Rossing Centre, Omaruru, Namibia

Skipping Stones Youth Honor AwardsCultural diversity • Peace • International understanding • Prejudice • Nature • EcologyWe invited you to express your thoughts on these diverse themes. And you did, responding with

poems, stories, essays and artwork. We received a total of 150 entries from 8 countries-Holland,Hungary, India, Lithuania, Mexico, South Mrica, United States and Zimbabwe. Scores of themworthy of recognition! (We will share many of these in future issues of the magazine).

In the following pages you'll find the recipients of the 1995Skipping Stones Youth Honor Awards: A youth organization thathas published several outstanding multicultural awareness books forchildren, a bilingual essay on racial and ethnic prejudice, severalinspiring poems on our relationships with other human beings and withnature, nature drawings, Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico, aparable for people with prejudice. .. Each one of these is an importantcontribution to multicultural and ecological awareness worldwide.

The young authors and artists will each receive an honor certificate,a subscription to Skipping Stones, and five multicultural or nature andecology books. Congratulations!

And now the winners ...

FlowersI love the way flowers growI love the way flowers smell.I love them with my heart.

I love the way flowers bloom in my faceLike, I like the way they make me

happy everyday.

I love the way they grow in my yard.I love the way they make me feel so good.

I love the way, they make mefeel so really, really happy.

So happy, I don't feel like fightingwith anyone.

I love the way they make me feelthat I can do

Everything in the world thateveryone can.

- Bryan Bolden, 8,African-American,Ideal School ofWashington, D.C.Bryan wrote this poemin May 1995. SisterFarika FayolaBerhane, Bryan'steacher writes, "Bryanis a very sensitive,expressive writer wholoves nature. He lovesto play and do math. "

Best FriendsMy friend and I are always together, even

though our parents don't like us to be, becausehe is black and I am white. Whenever we aretogether there is a great feeling that I havebecause we are such great friends. "Why can'tI see him?" I ask my mom. And all she says is"because," and that's the end of it, but I knowthe real reason. Just because we are differentcolors does not mean we should not be witheach other. I usually have to sneak out to seehim and so does he, but we both agree that it isworth it. Why do people look at us so funnywhen we are shooting hoops together? Justbecause some people don't believe in mixingcolors doesn't mean that we can't. We walkthrough the alleys and talk forever just aboutstuff. It's fun because we are friends, greatfriends. We do anything together and talk aboutanything. But when we part, I sometimeswonder if I will ever see him again.

-Matt Chandler,Grade 8, AssumptionSchool, Seattle,Washington. Mattwrites, "I enjoysnowskiiing, fishing,and boating. I alsoenjoy writingpoems. "


Westridge Young Writers Workshop


If people read this book, Kids Explore America'sWestern Native Americans, they will learn also. Ourgroups of authors were mainly fifth graders. Someof them are Native American and others aren't. Wehad lots of fun working together and learned somuch. One boy told about it this way~ "At first Iwas scared of people who are different from me.Then I got to know them and I wasn't scared anymore. Now I am trying to meet people who aredifferent from me so I can learn more about them."

We hope that you will meet new people andlearn about different heritages by reading our book.We have six different nations in our book includingthe Arapaho, Creek, Hopi, Navajo, Lakota Sioux,and Yakama. Each chapter tells about the family orperson and shares their history, customs, stories,games, recipes and crafts. We have done thewriting and drawn the illustrations. Our booksalways have poems so here is one written for thededication of the books.

Read this book and you will learn.We as all people, make the world tum.Each person is different in his or her own way.We want you to know that that's okay.You can learn from these people, as you will see.This book is for you. .. given by me.We hope you will give your award to us, the

young authors that are writing for other kids. Weknow we are making the world a better place andpromoting harmony between people.

Sincerely,Sarah Swetlic, Matt McCabe, Breann Dillow,

Monica Ruybal, and Zach BrownWestridge Young Writers WorkshopWestridge Elementary School10785 West Alamo PlaceLittleton, CO 80123 USAContact Person: Judy CozzensTelephone: (303) 978-0100

Our group doessomething veryspecial. We publishthe Kids ExploreSeries that is used inclassrooms all overthe United States.Some of the namesof these books are,"Kids ExploreAmerica's HispanicHeritage"(Winner of

the 1994 Skipping Stones Book Award), "KidsExplore America's African-American Heritage,""Kids Explore America's Japanese-AmericanHeritage," and "Kids Explore the Gifts ofChildren with Special Needs." Our classeswrote in the next book to come out in the seriescalled "Kids Explore the Heritage of WesternNative Americans." This book will be releasedin July of 1995.

We are a non-profit organization that worksto promote respect and understanding of othersand ourselves. We believe kids can do thingslike writing books about different cultures andother things. We have learned many things byworking on our book. We learned to respectpeople because of what they are on the insideand not what they look like on the outside.Some of our authors learned about their ownheritage while the rest learned to respectanother heritage.

Prejuicio Racial y Etnico Racial and Ethnic PrejudiceA mi me gustaria hablar sobre el prejuicio racial

y etnico que se encuentra en los Estados Unidos.En este pais hay personas de todas partes delmundo, a pesar de esto hay mucho prejuicio racial.Los americanos, hispanos, y afroamericanos, aligual que miembros de otros grupos etnicos, sediscriminan unos a otros y entre si mismos.

Yo creo que esto esm mal. Muchos de los quepertenecen aclases minoritarias nacieron en losEstados Unidos; son ciudadanos de este pais.Todos somos humanos y el color 0 la nacionalidadde una persona no debe de importar. Lo que debede importar son los sentimientos de cada cual.Todos debemos de estar unidos-unirnos paraun bien comtin. Por el momento, compartimosun mismo pais, cielo y agua. Siempre debe dehaber lugar para la paz in nuestros corazones.

La proposici6n 187 de California no es justa.En este pais hay un gran ntimero de hispanos yno todos son ilegales. Ellos esmn siendodiscriminados por otros ciudadanos americanos.(,Acaso un ciudadano es mejor que el otro?(,Acaso un grupo etnico es mejor que otro?

Debemos de recordar, que mucho del territoriodel suroeste de los Estados Unidos perteneci6a Espana y luego pas6 a Mexico, despues elterritorio pas6 a manos de los americanos.California, Nuevo Mexico y Texas, como otrosestados, tienen nombres en espanol. Muchas desus calles, rios, y lagos tienen nombres encastellano. Aun viven raices hispanas en elsuroeste, viven en las leyendas, en el vocabularioy viven en el espiritu de todos los hispanos.Tambien, debemos de recordar que muchosdescubrimientos que se han dado a conocer eneste pais han sido por hispanos. EI oro fuedescubierto en este pais por Francisco LOpez.Los vaqueros, las chaparreras, la reata, y el rodeotienen su origen en Mexico. No fueron losingleses 0 americanos quienes crearon el"cowboy." Los hispanos han dado su trabajo ysu sudor a este pais. Ellos han compartido susconocimientos sobre la mineria, han compartidosu cultura y sus platos de comida exquisitos.

Yo espero que la proposici6n 187 se revise.No creo justo que nosotros los ninos y j6veneshispanos u otros inmigrantes tengamos que pagarpor las acciones irracionales de un grupo depersonas que se siente amenazado. EI prejuicioracial y etnico no debe de existir. Debemos detrabajar juntos para un futuro mejor.

I would like to talk about the racial and ethnicprejudice that is found in the United States. In thiscountry there are many people from all over theworld, yet there is racial prejudice. The Americans,Hispanics, African Americans, and other groups aswell, discriminate against each other. They alsodiscriminate against people who are from adifferent race or ethnic background than theirs.

I think discrimination is wrong. Many so-calledminorities were born here, in the United States.They are American. All of us are human beingsand the color or nationality of a person should notbe an issue. What should matter are the feelingsof each person. We have to be together-worktogether for a common well being. We share forthe moment the same country, sky, and water. Weshould always find a place for peace in our hearts.

California's proposition 187 is not fair. In thiscountry there is a big Hispanic population and notall are illegal. A lot of them were born in theUnited States and others are legal residents.They are being discriminated against by other nonHispanic American citizens. Is one citizen betterthan another? Is one ethnic group better thananother?

We should remember, a big part of theSouthwest of the United States belonged to Spain,then it passed to Mexico. Afterwards this territorybecame part of the United States. California, NewMexico, and Texas, like many other states, haveSpanish names. Many of the streets, rivers, andlakes have names in the Castilian language.Hispanic roots live in the Southwest's vocabulary.These Hispanic roots live in the spirit of theSouthwest. In addition, many discoveries wereaccomplished by Hispanics. For example,Francisco Lopez found gold in this country beforethe Americans. The cowboys, the chaparreras(leather pants), the reata and the rodeo have theirorigins in Mexico. Hispanics have worked andsweated for this country. They have shared theirknowledge of gold mines and the like, they haveshared their culture and their exquisite dishes.

I hope that proposition 187 is revised. I don'tthink it is just that children and teenagers have topay for the irrational actions taken by a group ofpeople who feel threatened. Racial and ethnicprejudice should not exist. We should worktogether for a better future.

Finally, I don't understand why there is so


Finalmente, no entiendo por que hay.discriminaci6n contra el hispano, elafroamericano, 6 contra persona alguna. Hayque darle una oportunidad a cada uno comoindividuo sin importar su raza 6 etnicidad.

much discrimination against Hispanics, AfricanAmericans or other people. We should not judge agroup of people for one or two persons. We have togive each individual an opportunity regardless of his/her race or ethnicity.

"My name is Jorge Arturo Pineda Aguilar. The last name, Pineda, isfrom my father and Aguilar is from my mother. 1 was born in Monterrey,Mexico. My entire family was born in Monterrey. We came to the UnitedStates in July 1994. The reasons that we moved to the United States wereto learn English and to live with my grandmother who lives here.

1 decided to write about racial and ethnic prejudice because it isincreasing again in the United States. 1 think that discrimination shouldnot exist because it is not fair to the Mexicans or any other ethnic groupthat lives in the United States. Discrimination is not a solution to anyproblem. On the contrary, it causes them. "-Jorge A. Pineda Aguilar, 13, Webster Intermediate School, Webster, Texas

I WonderI wonder what would happen

if you treated everybody like youwere in love with them, whetherthey respond or not and no matterwhat they do or say to you andeven if you see things in themwhich are ugly, twisted, pretty,cruel, vain, deceitful, indifferent.

Just ignore all that and tumyour attention to some small,weak, tender, hidden part, andkeep your eyes on that until itshines like a beam of light, like abonfire you can warm your handsby and trust it to bum away allthe waste which is not, never was,your business to meddle with.

I think we should treat one another like this.

"1 speak English, Xhosa, and understand Zulu, also a little bit ofTswana and Sotho. God is very important to me. At home we werebrought up to never make yourself high, or boast about your money,or to undermine underprivileged people. We were always taught tohelp everyone and to love everyone but in everything we do toremember where we are today is because of God. "

-Bhelekazi Mabandla, 15, Grahamstown, South Africa.


SarajevoThe mutilated body of the dead soldier was dragged through the muddy road.

People have fought.The battered child lay in the makeshift hospital bed, a look of pain on his face.

People have died.The sobbing parents kneeled over the bloody body of their dead baby.

People have cried.

VVhy? VVhy? VVhy?

They dodge through the bullet filled streets, trying to avoid shots from snipers.People are fighting.

The ragged starving child runs to the soldiers begging for food, but is pushed away.People are dying.

Young and old flee their homes with nowhere to go.People are crying.

VVhy? VVhy? VVhy?

No one knows why.Is it too late?

No. No ... No.

"I have been living in Budapest,Hungary for the past five years. Ialso lived in Suadi Arabia for fiveyears. I speak and write Englishand German. I also speak someHungarian. I love sports.

I have visited about 22 differentcountries in Eastern Europe,Western Europe, Africa, and Asia.I have also visited the former

Yugoslavia. I am really upset about the things thatare happening there because it is a beautiful placeand the people are really nice. I decided to writedown my feelings about what is happening thereand the only way I could do that was in poem form.After I wrote my poem, Sarajevo, I became inspiredto draw a picture of a refugee boy that shows thesadness of war. The students in my school do manythings for the war refugees from Yugoslavia so thispoem is very personal to me. . .

I would love to get mywork published. I willkeep writing and drawingand hopefully when I growup I will be a great authorand illustrator like Aliki.If I don't become an author then I will probablybecome a pediatricianbecause I love workingwith kids."

-Alisha Derby, 12, Gr. 7American International Schoolof Budapest, Hungary.


Not yet.

/

NibsvilleNibsville was the name of a turtle town,

divided by color into two sections: the red-shelledturtle side of town and the green-shelled turtleside of town. In the middle was a common areafull of food for all the turtles.

One day in the hot swamps of Nibsville, theG.R.E.E.N. (Getting Reds who Enter to ExitNibsville) meeting was in process. Vert, thepresident of GREEN had just finished his speechexplaining why the R.E.D. 's (Reds EndDiscrimination) Group had to be run out of town.

His main points were that "the REDs are notsmart, not good swimmers, and they eat a lot andtherefore one day we will be without enoughfood. We all know these to be the facts becausethey're red, and everyone knows that green isthe only color for a turtle."

The other GREEN members cheered long andhard and vowed to be mean to every RED turtlethey saw. They promised to teach their childrenthese facts of life. The hope was that eventuallyall the REDs would move on down the river andnever return.

At the same time, at the other end of Nibsville,the RED Group had just broken up after a long,angry meeting. The membership had decided tosend their president, Rouge, into the GREEN partof town. Rouge disguised himself by putting alily pad on his back, so he could look like and fitin with the green turtles.

Rouge fit in perfectly with the other greenturtles and soon made friends with them. Then

the day of the National Green Turtle Race came.All of Rouge's friends and neighbors rooted forhim to win. Rouge easily beat the other turtles inevery event and was given the highest award of"Most Popular And Best Turtle." Since all theturtles liked him so much, they decided that heshould be the new President of GREEN. Theycalled an emergency meeting and unanimouslyvoted him President.

Just as was planned, suddenly all the REDsswam into the GREEN side of town. Before anyGREEN turtle could shout out any mean names,Rouge took off his lily pad, exposing his red shell.The crowd gasped and was stunned, speechless.A red turtle? And one who had won our highestaward-how can this be?

The REDs watched happily as Rouge walkedto the microphone. These were the highlights ofhis speech:

"Red turtles and green turtles are the same.They should be treated equally. The color of yourshell should not matter. I have just proven to allof you this fact."

The REDs and the GREENs all agreed thatRouge was right and that they should becomefriends. The first order of business was to renamethe two groups. Their new name is BROWN,which stands for Bring forth Right Order Whenin Nibsville.

The red turtles, green turtles, and a few rareyellow turtles all became friends. This is whygenerations later, a lot of turtles are brown today.


"My story Nibsville was written in April for my sixthgrade English class assignment. The assignment was towrite and short story about discrimination. I enjoy writingand reading and really had fun writing this particularstory.

I like animals a lot and will go to veterinary collegeafter high school. This past year I was able to takeJapanese and French language mini courses and canspeak, write, and read basic sentences,identify some objects, count, and makefood choices. I participated in a fifthand sixth grade student exchangeprogram in my school district andhosted a French student in my homethis March. On June 17th I returnedfrom Lyon, France after having had agreat trip and I learned so much."-Kelsey Heebink, 12, New City, New York

The Day of the Dead is on the First ofNovember. They say that if you take food tothe cemeteries, the dead people come out oftheir grave and eat the food. Well now I amgoing to tell you a story.

"Once on October 31, 1978, there was a boythat had a friend that had died of cancer daysago so the boy went to the cemetery to takefood to his friend. He went and put the foodand some flowers on top of the grave and hestayed there for a while. When he wasleaving it was almost midnight. When hecrossed the street a car killed him. His parentswere very sad and buried him next to hisfriend, and they left him some food. Atmidnight the boy and his friend came out oftheir graves. They were so happy to see each

other that they hugged and greeted each otherand they happily ate their food.

And now on the Day of the Dead, the deadones come out of their graves, eat the food, greeteach other, hug each other, and celebrate theirday very happily."

-Paulina Salcedo Fava, 10, American Schoolof Guadalajara, Mexico, writes, " I was born onthe 20th of February in 1985 in San Diego, CA. Iam 10 years old. I move here toGuadalajara, Mexico just aftermy birth. I have two brothersand one sister. My favorite sportis biking and running, oh, andjazz dance. I go to the AmericanSchool of Guadalajara."n,~ "f (: __


Young Artists of Rockford Middle School(Young ARMS) entered many drawings andpaintings showing an appreciation and respect fornature and ecosystems. The following studentsreceived a joint award for their efforts.

Gina Frigo, 13 - MallardJenny Stapf, 14 - Mother Earth is CryingDanielle Preuss, 14 - KoalaKim Asiala, 13 - FlowerAlysha Persons, 14 - Nature's Beauty

,.::,......

young

ARMS

"The stormy clouds represent the earth dying and theraindrops represent tears. The sun is trying to break outfrom behind the clouds making the future brighter, and theDower is the beauty of plant life. The eye represents manin the center of everything. The earth would be able toreplenish itself if we would just fix what we destroyed."


I am the eagle thatflies against the

gust of the wind,I am the mountain

that rises above allobstacles,

I am the raging seabreaking forth from

the depths below,Breaking through to

my deepest fears,Breaking free.

Have my fears,my pain,

truly formed myinner-being?

If so then take themaway.

Take away my past,and if need be

my feelings,for they have made mea prisoner within myself.Release me of these

thingsAnd I shall soar the

winds of the air.

WallsWeapons don't make me,

The system will notcreate me.

Influenced by society,politicians, traditions,

Stop!lam ...

I am the sweet fragranceof a rose-bud

that opens upon the breakof dawn,

I am the awesome beautyof the rising sun

bringing about the renewalof each new day.

What authority do youhold over my being?

You claim to know my peopleYet I am a total stranger

to your world.

With their huge, longtusksAnd their flappy, greyearsThey've been roaming the earthFor many years.As they've swung theirtrunks aroundAnd made a trumpet's soundThey've been weepingwith willowsBuckets of tears.

For we humans do not realiseThat their lives too

are dearAnd those tusks made

of ivoryHelp keep away their

fear.

How else are they tostay alive,Protect themselves,Survive?Their ivory tusks aretheir defense,Perhaps their onlypride.

Before It's Too Late

So please,Before they are

extinct,Stop the bloodshed,

Most of them arealready dead.

"Over the past year my country has undergone many changes. After years of oppression,freedom and equality now reign in South Africa and people of different cultures are uniting toform the "Rainbow Nation." As the old exists and the new comes on stage so the cycle of lifecontines. Changes have also been taking place in the world of literature. As young writersemerge, walls are being broken down and souls set free. I am part of this changing society and afighter in the battle to break down the prison walls of life.

"I am thirteen years old and enjoy reading, listening to music, hiking and writing poetry. I lovewriting, as it gives me an opportunity to express myself. The topics that I write about are inspiredby issues close to my heart. Often boundaries are created in one's life, but through my poetry Ihope to conquer these boundaries and rise above the limitations of society.

"The materialistic society we live in has prevented our minds fromexpanding and being creative to the full potential of our ability. Throughmy poetry I wish to voice the cry of a dying nation. We have broken thechains of apartheid and have overcome the struggle for freedom andequality. The time has come to rise up against walls, boundaries andlimitations which have denied us the freedom to express our inner-being."

-Charlene Tobias, Cape Town, South AfricaVol. 7 no. 4 Skipping Stones

Illustrations by Elizabeth Corbett, Syracuse, New York


I am going into the 8th grade this autumn and I just heard thatwe are going to move again. I've only started to feel at homehere and I can't imagine having to begin all over! -L.L.

~";"ri... fr ~ _~Dear L.L.: I, too, moved often as a child, as well as in my adult life. Some ofmy first moving experiences were indeed painful. For example, at age 13,I went to a boarding school in a country whose language I did not know:strict uniforms, large dormitories, isolation! All I could think ---was: "I'm so lonely. If I start to cry once, I'll never (be able to stop!" Actually, to my surprise, it was (not long before this became my favorite school.

However, the next year, I moved to a sophisticated )city high school: lots of make-up, nylon stockings,

glamorous hair, dainty shoes, fancy clothes.Walking home the first day of school, I was

convinced that whoever the creatures were that I hadgone to school with that day, they were not human

beings! They were some other creatures! They appearedto me to float through the air, not walk like humans! I was devastated! My heart

was longing for the previous boarding school, where I hadgrown to be content. My comfortable, familiar surroundings

had been taken away! I felt powerless; that created angryfeelings. I shut down any openness to the new place. So of

course, I did not like it. The turning point came when I took chargeand made the move provide new opportunities for my future.

I hope the following two steps may be helpful:

First, celebrate the place you are leaving.

Call everyone who is important in your life together for a party. Ask each person tobring a picture of themselves, a song, a drawing, poem, story, whatever-just for you.Give everyone a similar reminder of you. Munching on pizza, have each person tell of agood moment they shared with you. Tape their comments; wherever you will be, you canhear their voices, their laughter, and relive good memories.

Secondly, welcome the new place in your life.

Ask yourself, what experiences have I not yet had in my life which the new placemight provide for me? Will I be near snow? How about skiing? Near water, take upsailing? Near farm land, raise chickens or sheep? Near a Chinese community, makefriends from another culture? Near a planetarium, become an expert on the stars?

I

Moving may lose its painful sting when you arrive ~ ? Iat a new place with openness of heart and mind. Can 'l ~

you see yourself as Sherlock Holmes II, master detective, \. \ \ /.~ /to find whatever mysteries the new place holds? '" ': \ ? ) /Questions? Comments? Write to- C'.~ ......"",..."'..tI.

Dear Hanna .". @?c/o Skipping Stones "Post Office Box 3939 ............ ~ ~Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA -JIVV ~)

-\k~~


The PlungeI commenced walking up the

steps, frightened at what layahead. I kept myself climbingagainst my own will. "Why am Idoing this?" I thought to myself.The higher I got the worse I felt.When I was halfway up the stepssomeone went flying down theslide, terrified, screaming theirhead off and making me evensicker. But I wouldn't let myselfquit after getting this far. I knewthat if I got over the initial fear itmight even be fun.

I got to the line about threequarters of the way up.Everyone was saying how funit was. The adrenaline rush waslike nothing else they'd everexperienced before. They couldtell I was scared. They thoughtit was funny and acted like ithad never even remotelyhappened to them before.

One more person flew downand they weren't scared at all.This gave me hopes for survival.

Just then I realized that I wasthe next person in line. As I laiddown on the slide my heartstarted beating faster and faster.

"Are you all right?" thelifeguard questioned, "Are yousure you really want to do this?"

"This is something I have todo," I replied.

Then without notice heshoved me down the slide. Itfelt like I was going to go flyingright off the slide high into theatmosphere. As I startedscreaming I got a mouthful ofchlorine. As fast as it happenedI couldn't believe it was over. Istruggled out of the pool.

Quickly, I ran up the stairs todo it again.

-Brian Kneisler, 15, lola,Wisconsin

Halloween VoicesIt's time forHalloween.

What are youI hear all those

little voices.going to be?

They're so excited!A vampire.

All the partiesat school.A witch.

Tons of food;cupcakes, cookies

popcorn, pop, punch.A ghost.

Then they get to goTrick-or-Treating.

I'm goingCandybars, carmels

suckers, gum.Trick-or-Treating.

I hope they don't getsick

Will youfrom eating

allthat food.

come with me?I love to

hearall that laughter.

-Katie Comstock, Gr. 7Wilder, Idaho

LifeThere was a white gardenia

growing where the bonesof the rotted body were buried.

It just sprang out of the groundand went upwards

with amazing strengthand breathtaking beauty.

It was so fragile,yet so strong;

so simple,yet so amazing,

but spoiled in some wayby the remaining bones

that surrounded it.The young woman looked at it

for a long time,it reminded her of human life:

wonderful, but at the same time horrible.Like this new flower

growing in this rotten place,human life

grows in the wrong place.This world,

there is nothing good and pureleft within it,

so it takes a personand bends, shapes, and molds them

into the animals they become.It strips them of their beauty

just like the cemeterystrips the beauty

of this single flower.

-Evangelia Vergos, Age17, New Port Richey,Florida, writes, "I had gone to visit a friend,she died two years ago. Her mother had beenthere the day before and hadplanted a gardiniabush. That night I wrote this poem. "

ViolenceChildren, not understanding,

but afraid.Parents, unknowing,

but praying.The act of violence is tearing families apart

and bringing some closer.Tears of pain, tears of joy,

all come from the same place, deep in the heart.The horrible price paid for being in the wrong place,

at the wrong time.

-Deidre Neal, Age 11, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Monette and MarkCan one person make a difference in a world

besieged by war and suffering?Monette Lapointe is the manager of a

convenience store in Fitzwilliam, NH, population2011. In May 1994, when her father was dyingof cancer, Monette traveled to Medjugorje inBosnia-Herzegovina because she had heardstories of miracles being performed there. Thetiny village was unscarred by the war whichraged as close as two miles away, and Monettewas absorbed in her own sorrow until a localnun, Sister Muriel, invited her to help distributesupplies to refugee hotels.

She observed the horrors of war firsthand.Two Mostar monks informed Monette that10,000 children had been without milk formonths. She felt compelled to help, but how?Her two weeks in Bosnia were over, and she hadto leave. Her father died the day she returnedto the United States, and for several months,Monette was busy with the routines of dailylife, but images of Bosnia never left her mind.

In Autumn of 1994, she established theBosnian Children's Relief Fund and approacheda small, local newspaper to place an advertisementfor donations of food and toiletries for theBosnian people. The paper published her story,and soon, Karen Craig, principal of EmersonSchool in Fitzwilliam, invited Monette to speak.Monette gave a video presentation to the 222elementary school children who respondedquickly with donations of powdered milk,bottled honey, and personal items for the children.Money was also collected, and the studentsdecided to b~y a goat for the town of Mostar.

People began to stop by the store whereMonette worked to contribute cash to her cause.On December 27, she arrived in Bosniaonce more. The people of Mostargratefully accepted the moneyto purchase a goat and namedit "Emerson" after their benefactors. Monette visited manytowns through out the area,distributing necessities.Whenshe arrived home, she revisitedEmerson School to assure thechildren that their gifts had beenreceived and to present them with aframed photograph of Emerson, the goat.

One day, the delivery man for her store's dairy


products commented, ''There's someone else justlike you in New Hampshire." He told her aboutMark Proulx, a Manchester fire fighter, whocourageously carries medical supplies, including

breathing apparatus, as wellas a generator and firefighting equipment intoBosnia, and who had spenta month in Sarajevo, fightingfires. Monette called the FireDepartment in Manchester,NH. Thus Mark and Monettebegan to work together.

In July 1995, Mark madeyet another trip to the most

devastated Bosnian towns, bringing emergencyequipment. Monette was contacted by the NewEngland Bosnian Relief Committee of Bostonwho had evacuated 100 Bosnian families. Theywanted to send two children to Camp Takoda inRichmond, NH, ownedby the Cheshire CountyYMCA. One child hadwitnessed the killing ofseveral friends, and theyhoped a one week campexperience would helpin the healing process.Could Monette arrangethe trip and raise fundsfor it?

Normally, Monette centers her efforts onreaching the "neediest of the needy," but sheagreed to do what she could.

"The needs are constantly changing,"Monette explains. "Today, our main concern isbaby formula, baby food, electrolytes, and diapers.

Tomorrow, it will be something different.Mark needs fire equipment."

Monette continues to focuson collecting donations,where as Mark delivers medical,emergency, and firefightingequipment to areas under siege.Together they are committed to

educating the children in the U.S.and are available to speak to groups.

Anyone wanting information or offeringassistance can contact Monette or Mark c/o

Bosnian Children's Relief Fund, RR2, Box 1140,New Ipswich, NH, 03071. Tel. (603) 924-6762.

-Photo and article by Joan Geary, Fitzwilliam, NH

Living in Northern Ireland GunsI have never known peace in my country

until the cease-fire of the September 1994.Since then, there have been relatively fewshootings, but lots of street protests.

My first memory is of being taken off theschool bus, at 11 years old, by the police andBritish army. All us kids were lined up, andwe were searched. Then, our school bagswere searched.

This was because there had been a bombon the road in front of our house that morning,but we didn't understand that at the time.The bomb had been discovered by the armyand they had 'defused' it. This means itexplodes, but it is controlled, so it does nodamage. I remember standing beside myfather, watching the wide orange flame leaphigh in the sky, and the thud of it making mefall to the ground.

My neighbor was arrested. He was takinga "short-cut" to the local shop when soldiersshot him in the field. He was badly injured andtaken to the hospital by an army helicopter.Then he was interrogated, and sentenced toseveral years imprisonment. His hair wentwhite overnight with shock. Four years later,when he got his case appealed, he wasreleased. He had been innocent all along.

I also remember a soldier being killed onemile from my house. The soldiers were alwaysaround all our houses. They would point theirguns up at our windows. Sometimes theywould search our homes and arrest boys overeighteen for interrogation, for seven days. Thewaiting was terrible, as you never knew if theywould be coming home. The interrogatorswere very clever and might make you thinkyou had done something wrong even if youhad not. The jails here are half-full of peoplewho were caught in this way.

Now there is a chance for peace in mycountry, but it is slow, and wounds will takea very long time to heal. It is hard to forgive,but if we are to survive, we all must do it.

I hope one day to have true and lastingpeace in my country.

-Frances McHugh, lives in a Catholic area ofLinsnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland

When I was a kid we'd torture the soldiers as theywalked up the street. We didn't do anything bad, wedidn't throw stones or anything. The minute someonespotted the soldiers, we'd all rush over. If we weregood and the soldiers were kind, they'd give uschocolate or the spare badges from their berets.Sometimes if we bugged them for long enough, they'dopen the magazines of their guns and show us thebullets inside. They weren't allowed to do this, butthey just got fed up with us and showed us to makeus go away. They didn't need little kids annoyingthem when they were supposed to be keeping theireyes open for snipers. I wasn't allowed to talk to thesoldiers either, but I did. All of us did.

It was great. We'd talk about it for ages in schoolif we got a badge. A boy's estimation could soar inthe eyes of his friends if he got a good badge. TheParas or the Marines were the best ones because theydidn't wear the Green.

Seeing the bullets was brilliant. Getting a badgewas even better, but the biggest thrill any of us evergot was sitting in the back of a jeep. The soldiers usedto park their jeeps at the bottom of our street. Theywaited there in case something happened out on themain road, and it usually did. When it was quiet,though, they would let us in the back to sit. Ofcourse, we'd all have a million questions each-whatdid this do? Is this bullet proof? How many peoplehave you shot? The problem was the soldiers had amillion questions too.

On one particular occasion, we were in the backof the jeeps and the soldiers were questioning us."Has your Dad got any guns at home?"

"There are guns in my house, in my room!" It wasout of my mouth before I realized what I had said,although to be honest, at the time I had no idea of thegravity of what I had just said. Six soldiers marchedme to my house. Six soldiers and all my mates.

I can still remember my poor mother answering thedoor to them and the look on her face when she wastold what I had said and that they were about tosearch the house. The officer in charge asked me toshow him where the guns were. Thinking this a greatopportunity to show off to my friends and the soldiers,I led them upstairs to my room. I opened a cupboard,rummaged around for a minute, and pulled out theguns and holster from my cowboy outfit. The soldiersroared with laughter. My Mother is still furious.

-Martin Hannigan, from N. Ireland, now lives in Corvallis, Oregon


EI Dfa de los Muertos The Day of the DeadA Mexican Celebration

Some cultures celebrate death as well as mournit. For 5,000 years Mexican people have believedthat the souls of the dead return once a year to befed. Towards the end of October, families workhard preparing for a national holiday, :81 Dia de losMuertos. Everything must be ready for the spirits'return on November 1st (All Saints' Day) andNovember 2nd (All Souls' Day).

On October 31 st American children celebrateHalloween. A 700-year-old European custom, ittoo commemorates the annual return of spirits.However, everything associated with Halloweenis frightening. El Dia de los Muertos is celebratedwith love and humor. While American childrenshout, "Trick or Treat!," Mexican children runthrough the streets dressed as ghouls, mummies,and skeletons. Shouting "Calaveras! Calaveras!"(skulls), they hold out bowls for coins and candies.There is much excitement!


Bakery windows are filled with pan demuertos (bread of the dead), a round loafdecorated with skulls and bones. There arechocolate coffins and skeletons. Calaveras deazucar (sugar skulls) are decorated with icing.Markets are filled with toys that mock death.Calacas (skeletons) of all sizes dance, sing, playmusical instruments, gamble or drink. Some are incoffins, some are brides and grooms. From anearly age, childrenmake, play withand eat skulls andskeletons. Theygrow up with nofear of death.

In graveyardsall over Mexico,families sweep andscrub las tumbas(the grave-stones)of their ancestors.Colorful flowers, xempoatlxochitl (the Aztecname) or cempasuchil (Spanish) are placedeverywhere. Their brilliant orange is consideredthe sacred color of the land of the dead.

If a child has died, petals of the marigold-likeflowers are scattered from the grave to thefamily's home, leading the angelitos (little angels)home on November 1st. Since all children becomeangels, there is no need for sadness. Los Chicos(Little Souls) usually return at night. Firecrackersoutside the house attract the returning child'sattention.

November 2nd celebrates all departedancestors. First, families attend mass at a Catholicchurch. Adults usually wear black, the traditionalcolor of mourning. Later they visit the cemetery,lighting candles to guide the spirits. Food andwater refresh and nourish the visiting souls.Vendors selling long-burning candles, specialfoods, and toys, surround each cemetery.The atmosphere is both festive and sad.

At night families return to the gravesides toenjoy the company of their visiting ancestors.By flickering candlelight, children quietly playtraditional games while the adults exchangestories of deceased family members, or tell oldleyendas (legends). Some families stay all night,but most return home when the day is over,feeling refreshed and content.

There are many parades onNovember 2nd. Some start at acemetery; others end there. Musicians play clashing, discordantmusic as the participants wanderalong. Life-size cardboard coffins hold papier mach€! skeletons. Faces are painted likeskulls or covered by grotesquemasks. Everyone mocks death.

Setting up an ofrenda or altaris an important part of the Dayof the Dead celebrations. Whenthey prepare their ofrenda, manyfamilies follow the ancient Aztectraditions. The Aztecs inhabitedMexico long ago. They wereconquered by Spanish conquistadores in 1519. From then on,many Mexican customs were a mix of Christianand Aztec customs and beliefs.

An Aztec altar has four levels and sidesrepresenting the four stages of life (birth,childhood, adult life, and old age), the fourdirections of the earth, the four seasons, and thefour elements: earth, water, fire and wind. Earthis represented by the four most available seeds:tomatillo, chili, corn and cacao (cocoa); shellsrepresent water; a flute represents wind; candlesrepresent fire.

A rooster's feather symbolizes the beginningof a new day; a frog (not a live one!) symbolizesthe twilight of another day. Money representswealth and generosity. Mirrors show that our lifehas duality, or two sides-life on earth, and lifeafter death.

Many family altars are simpler, but alwaysinclude photographs of family members who havedied. If a child has died, favorite toys are placedon the altar. They can play with them on theirreturn to earth. For an adult, favorite possessions

should be there. A glass of waterrefreshes the souls after their longjourney from the other world.Copal incense burns to clear theair of any bad spirits that mightbe present. Cruces (crosses) or apainting of the Virgin ofGuadalupe hang within an archof cempasuchil. Favorite foodsare laid out too: sugar skulls, pande muertos, oranges, apples. It isbelieved that the spirits enter thefoods, taking its goodness andleaving positive energy behind.When the food is eaten, the familypicks up this energy or strength.It sustains them throughout thefollowing year, keeping themhappy and healthy.

Many American cities have a large Mexicanpopulation. Olvera Street on Los Angeles has anannual Day of the Dead parade. As the costumedparticipants march, they chant, "Ruega por ellos,ruega por ellos, "(pray for them), meaning thesouls of the dead. Altars are set up in severalstores, skeletons and pan de muertos are for sale.One shop owner serves champurrado, a traditionalhot drink made of corn, chocolate, cinnamon,brown sugar, milk and water. Atole, a corn drink,is also traditional. Brown mole sauce, made withtomatoes, nuts and chocolate is served withchicken or pork in the Olvera Street restaurants.

People in the United States have difficultywith the idea of celebrating death. The Mexicansaccept this and joke about it. People only die ifthey die in our hearts.-Photos and essay by Ann Stalcup, Malibu, California.

* Set up an Altar (Ofrenda) to honor a famousperson, a family member who has passed away, orperhaps for a pet who has died recently.


Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty

He sits on the sidewalk,Looking at everyone that passes him,

Hoping for money.A hungry dog sits beside him.People pass, and just ignore him.

His face is real dirty,A couple of coins in his hat.His dog gets up and walks around.

He tells it to come back.The dog sits down.

I feel sad for him and the dog.Somehow, I want to help.

The light turns green so I leave ...But I will always remember him.

-Ali Ruebusch, 11, Issaquah, Washington

Sadness

Homelessness. There are over two millionhomeless people in the U.S. alone, and over abillion people in the world. What can we do?Many volunteer groups run shelters and soupkitchens, as well as organize legislative, civil andmedia campaigns to increase our awareness of thissocial problem. To find out what you can do forhomeless people in the United States, write or call:

• Community for Creative Nonviolence,CCNV, 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW,Washington, DC 20001 Tel. 202-393-1909.

• The National Coalition for the.~ Homeless, (1612 K Street, NW, #1004,

Washington, DC 20006 Tel. 202-775-1322).NCH publishes Safety Network, a bimonthly

newsletter on homelessness in the U.S.

Hunger. Why is there hunger in our world?Can't we do something about it?

Just what is hunger? It is much more thanmalnourished children in refugee camps, orstarving children in drought-prone regions ofAfrica or Asia! There is the day-to-day hunger inalmost every country, that kills as many as 18 to20 million people each year.

In this feature, we present many writings andthen pose a dozen questions for your consideration.

Homeless

Poverty in Possessions but Richness in TraditionsAn Indigenous Family in Central India. -Arun Toke

Lying by the ground just to keep warm,Huddling together under a building ledgeto be protected from a storm.

To be judged and stared at by people on the street,To be scowled and talked aboutby people that you meet.

To feel the cries of hunger pulling from inside,To know you might not eat today,and from the pain you cannot hide.

For you carry the label homelesswherever you may roam,For no matter where you travelyou have no place to call home.-Courtnie Wilford, 12, Downingtown, Pennsylvania


In the book, World Hunger, Twelve Myths,Frances Moore Lappe and Joseph Collins(Grove Press, Inc., New York, 1986) reveal 12myths that keep us from understanding how wecan alleviate the hunger problem.

"There's not enough food in the world" or,"Overpopulation is the cause of so muchhunger" or, "Some countries just don't haveenough fertile land to produce enough food."These are just a few misunderstandings we have.

Lappe and Collins also describe things wecan do to reduce hunger in the world. Forexample, we need to empower the women, whogrow at least 50% of the world's food.

Check out this great book in your library.

A Feast Not Fit For A ManAs he looked out from underneath the

overhang, his only shelter from the falling rain, heshivered beneath the thin material of his T-shirtand jeans. The jeans and shirt, both too small, werefilled with holes, and offered very little protectionfrom the wind. They hung loosely on his body,which was as skinny as a pole.

His thin face was etched with lines, and borethe look of an old sailor, now washed ashore. Hisbody was strangely angled, his knees knobby, hiselbows sticking out too far. His face was a deeptan, so it almost seemed as if he had just come froma tanning salon, if it were not for his circumstances.His face looked old and beaten, or maybe that wasjust a trick of the light. His clear blue eyes lookedlike deep pools in his head. His nose looked toobig and his thin lips were chapped and dry.

He peered out at the cars zooming by, hurryingto get home to their loved ones. He was used tothis sort of behavior; it happened every ChristmasEve. This was his second year underneath thisoverpass. He stayed there every night, except forwhen the cops did their routine check.

He never really worried about the cops. Hehad their schedule down. Every second Tuesday,·they would come to the overhang, and check forhobos and bums. He always managed to justescape them.

On those nights he would sleep down by theold railroad tracks across town. Nobody ever usedthe tracks since the train wreck of '92. A younggirl was killed while crossing them, and the parentshad sued. The company went out of business, andit had been his resting place ever since.

Of course he couldn't sleep there every night.He would freeze to death. He was already nearstarving and to sleep out in the open would beknocking on hell's door. The town was alwayscold at night, although the coldest temperature heever had to sleep in was 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

He shivered, and stepped back into the comfortof the shadows. He thought about maybe goingdown to the mall, and begging for food. Thatalmost always worked. He might have enough toget some french fries, or maybe he would be luckyenough to afford a hamburger. He thought of thethick, juicy, patty between his teeth, the greasefrom the fries on his fingers. It was then that heremembered how it used to be, before his wife lefthim, before the war, when everything was o.k. andnothing could go wrong. But all that was in the

past. His family was gone, and his life was asbroken as a vase with a baseball through it. Hedecided to go for it. What did he have to lose?He was already homeless, starving, and worst ofall, he only weighed 110 pounds.

As he started on his journey, he steppedoutside and rubbed the goose bumps on his arms.The rain had turned to slushy snow. He lookedup at the gray sky and continued on the lonelywalk to the mall. How he wished Bobo was there.

Bobo was his best friend, loyal companion, andcolleague. Bobo was his dog. He thought of theterrible accident that had left him friendless. It hadhappened just last year. He was taking Bobo forhis midday stroll around the overpass, when a carswerved off the road. It had hit the dog, butbarely brushed him. So now it was just him, andhim alone.

He saw the great mall looming in the distance,like a tiger about to pounce. His step quickened,and his breath grew shallow. His chest hurt fromthe cold air, and his lungs felt like they were aboutto burst open. When was the last time he hadeaten? Was it five days ago? His heart hurt. Itfelt like a screwdriver, twisting and twisting... Hefelt tired and his muscles were cramping from thefreezing weather. If he didn't get there soon, hecould be in trouble.

His steps began to falter, and he started tostumble along the sidewalk. He felt his legs givingway and his body collapsing to the cold cementbelow. His eyes began to close, and he gave wayto sleep. Mter all, he needed his rest.

* * * *"Mommy, mommy," the young girl cried."What is it, honey?" her tall, slim mother called

back."I don't know. It looks like a man, but not as big,"

the little one said in a scared voice. Her mother walkedover and glanced at her feet. The malnourished anddirty man was enough to make her tum away.

"Don't touch it, dear!" she cried in a shrill tone.She grabbed a stick and poked at the body. "Let's

go call the police," the disgusted woman said."What's wrong, mommy?" the bewildered child

asked.Her mother's response was to grab her daughter's

hand and haul her to the mall, just a few short stepsaway.

-Micah Isaksen, Gr. 8, Jefferson M. School, Eugene


DifferenceDifference is a word commonly used to talk

and discriminate against race, religion, and skincolor, but it's not as commonly used to talkabout how people view food.

Most people in America think of dinner assomething to do between getting home fromschool or work and watching television whiledrifting off to sleep. It's a reason to stay longerat a friend's home or put your homework off awhile longer.

We don't care where our food comes from.On holidays, we just concern ourselves withstuffing our faces. Then we take what is leftand leave it molding in the refrigerator or throwit down the garbage disposal.

To the people of Rwanda or Bosnia thiswould make us look crazy. To them, food meanssomething else. Dinner there would be whatyou could find before you were attacked orbombed again. They constantly worry aboutwhere their next meal will come from and ifthey will be safe. What they must do to gettheir food weighs heavily on their minds. Towaste or throwaway any of the little bit offood they have would becommitting suicide, notjust cleaning the crumbsfrom their plates.

The hardest thing forme to comprehend is whywe keep eating, yet theykeep starving and fightingfor survival. Ourgovernment does nothingto help Bosnia or Rwandabecause we have nothingat stake, as we had withthe oil in Kuwait.

The starving happensnot because thegovernment cannot seeit. It's because this is theharsh reality of life.

-Kevin Williams, FernRidge Middle School, Oregon

Pull Up Your SocksOnce I had a dream. .. I was skipping across

Nyali Bridge chewing on my sugarloaf, when Idiscovered a key attached to an orange-beadedstring, floating in the water. With help from a tallstalk of cane, I pulled it to me. On the key waswritten the word "Mtwapa." With twinklingeyes, I placed the key around my neck, andhurried to the village by that name.

There, I found cement houses all in a row, withrusty tin roofs where the rain could dance, andchildren playing hopscotch, just waiting to be myfriend.

I continued along the path until I came to abend in the road, where stood a stubby, hollowedout baobob tree, once used for storing maize.Instantly, I knew that I had found my house, and adoor to fit my key. I put on my thinking stringsand began to build.

First, I gathered fallen twigs and leaves anddesigned a bed. I filled a calabash with water formy bath, and pulled furry fruit from the ancient tree,to eat. I printed a welcome sign that read Karibu,and hung it in the arm of the tree. And then Iplanted my hollyhock seeds to dress my house in

purple. When they grew, Iwould make a blossom doll andname her Lulu. Tomorrow, Ithought, I will build a swing.Now, I must play hide andseek. I called, "Ali-ali-over-income-free," to attract theattention of my new neighbors.Again, I called more louldy,"Ali-ali-over-in-come-free,"when suddenly I woke up tothe sound of my mama's voicesaying,"Come, Adelaide ...Pull up your socks. It's timeto look for a place to sleeptonight. "-Catherine Amondi Clark, SanFrancisco, California writes thatthis is a story ofa street child inMombasa, Kenya. "Pull up yoursocks" is an African expressionthat means "Get to work."

The morning sun and a blanket keeps them warm on cool winter mornings. Mosthomes in developing countries are neither centrally heated nor air-conditioned. Infact, many may not even have indoor plumbing. No hot water or attached bathroom.

-Photo in Rajsthan, India, by Paul Quayle, Hiroshima, Japan


~~~~I

I~~~;~~ How Hunger Was Eliminated. .. ;~~k',~" ~ Il'fUlgine that in the year 2025 hunger is no longer a problem for the .'~jl.. /,

..',,& human race; nutritious food is plentiful. Famines and starvation are a thing of J:..:. ';j,I.... the past. How did this happen? We present excerpts from some of the 150 essays written'

by middle school students in Lane County, Oregon, on what it took to end hunger in the world.Our thanks to Doug Clark and Grizzlies Granola for sharing these writings with us.

In the year 2025 A.D. the world is a muchbetter place. Why? Because there is no morefamine, and starvation is a thing of the past.Also there are many nutritious foods.

How did the world become like this? Well,every person in the world was taught how totreat the earth well. First, people weren't allowedto cut down any trees, spill oil, or use gasolinepowered cars. They were taught this by anenvironmental teacher. Also, every person in theworld was taught (by teachers) to farm and findfood in extreme temperatures.

That's how we got rid of famine and hungeron planet earth.

-Heidi Gardner, Gr. 6, Kelly M.S., Eugene

I was extremely anxious to try my newchemical on my mung bean plants. I rushed overto the counter and measured out 10 milliliters of itand poured it in. I waited for a reaction. Nothing.

Well, I shouldn't have raised my hopes so high.Dissappointed, I went home for the day. The nextmorning I came back to find in amazement, themung beans were huge! It was an outragouslylarge plant sprouting with mung beans.

It was truly amazing. It seemed as though Isolved the problem of hunger. Everyone couldafford my plant food. They poured it on theirplants and nutritional food was plentiful ...

To this day I am still in shock.-Becky Lee, Grade 8, North Douglas M.S., Drain

In the year 2025, Dr. Song is very famous forhis work. He tested his new soil on the foodsource, Playtrim, they found years ago and it hadworked. Once you put Playtrim in the soil it willalways come back, even in the winter. The city isvery rich with food. The people who used tostarve are no longer suffering from starvation.Everyone thanks Dr. Song for his long researchand help. The human race is going to survivebecause of Dr. Song and his soil.- Teresa Miltonberger, Gr. 7, Madison M.S., Eugene

To solve the world's hunger problem, I thinkthe world must become vegetarian. To get apound of meat from the cow, 16 pounds of grainor soy is fed to him. Also, 1/3 of the world's fishis fed to livestock. If no one ate any meat, thenthe world would have lots of extra grain and soy,and some extra fish; in fact, there would probablybe enough soy and grain to feed most of theworld. Most people can live on a grain diet.

To make farm land, you have to cut down therain forest. I don't think cutting down the rainforest is a good idea. It would mean cuttingdown what helps give us air and animals' homes.Instead of cutting down the rain forest, we couldfarm the land where cows are staying. If thereweren't many cows, then that land could be usedfor farming, which would lead to there beingmore food. So if people would just slowly stopbuying meat products, the farmers would raisefewer animals for meat.-Kawa Kuller, Gr. 6, Homeschooler, Cottage Grove

Scientists made even more powerful solarcars, science found a new plentiful meatsubstituting seed, and science also found ananimal that leaves manure that you can growanything in, in one week.

Guns were illegal and so were other kinds ofweapons, that made people not afraid anymore,so they could work.

This all happened when America had anenvironmentalist for a president in the year 2010.

-Jeffery Stainbrook, Grade 6, Kelly DaVanci M.S.

The way hunger was eliminated was thatgreed was eliminated. All the countries sharedas much food as they could and countries thatdidn't have enough food were helped. Morepeople started farming and working in fields. Westopped producing junk food and sugary foods.And we started producing more foods with lotsof vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

That's how we eliminated hunger and poorhealth.

-Caleb Norgang, Gr. 6, Roosevelt M.S., Eugene


Peace CookiesIngredients:1 cup of friendship

. 4 cups of peace .2 tablespoons of brightness3 cups of warm kindnesshalf a cup of nice heartpinch of quietness

Note: You must be in a good mood when youmake these cookies. Also, have a familymember help.Instructions: Mix all of the ingredientsexcept for the quietness. Take turns mixing!This is a unique cookie because you do notneed to use an oven to bake. Before youbegin baking, pour the warm mixture into afreshly washed pan slowly and don't benervous! Now, time to bake.

You must have another person to bakethese cookies. Hold the pan together withyour nice buddy. The cookies will begin torise because of your warm heart and hand.You are not done yet. Now melt the quietnesswith your partner until it turns into a cream.Decorate the cookies by making the cookiesinto smiley faces.

Serve. Eat them with your partner. Theywill taste better.

ENJOY YOUR PEACE.- Yuko Shibayama, Age 10, Glenview, Illinois

"[ like every subject, but especially [likeReading, Language Arts and Science. Piano hasalways been fun to play, and ice-skating is myhobby. [love to read biographies, mysteries,fiction, science fiction, and ofcourse, poetry. [can always be happy that [ have great friends. [ amJapanese, and [ have realized that our world ismade up ofmany different people. [ enjoy readingpoems by these people... All men, women andchildren are equal. You could learn a lot about thepoet or the poetess ifyou carefully read theirpoems. When [ wrote this poem, [ expressedhow I felt about children's rights. "


I'm Full!(A Guide to Eating Out)

• Never start a burping contest in a restaurant withthe word Le' in the name.

• Do not chew with an open mouth or people mightstuff what's left on your plate up your nose.

• Do not make a fort of mashed potatoes and catapultpeas onto the person across from you because youmight get meatballs as.a reply.

• You know when you're eating like a pig becausepeople throw food at you and yell, "Soo Wee!"So try to be a gentleman or a lady.

• Remember to floss after meals, just not at the table,because if some food fragment flew across the room,the people won't exactly be charmed.

• Remember to learn the language when going to aforeign restaurant or you might end up withsomething like fried worms.

• Remember to put your napkin in your lap becauseif you spill some water on your lap, it won't looklike you wet your pants.

• Many people don't know the difference betweenthe salad fork and the dinner fork. Remember thesalad fork is shorter. If you use the wrong fork in arefined restaurant, some people may faint fromshock.

-Josie Lomax, 12, Eugene, Oregon

The Sad DayOne sad day my dad went to work. Lunch was

near. My mom went to the kitchen and looked in thecabinets. There was nothing in the cabinets, so mymother went to the refrigerator. It was empty too.The cabinets and the refrigerator looked as if my momhad just bought them. My mom started crying. Mybrothers, my little sister and I hugged our mom. Shetook us to the bedroom and told us to pray for help.

After we got through praying, I was looking outthe window, and I saw a man with sacks of foodwalking towards our home. Then all of a sudden, theman knocked on the door. My mom answered thedoor. The man was holding bags of food. He said hewas from the First Assembly of God Church. Thegood man gave my mom the bags and said that Godhad told him we needed the food. Then my mom tookthe bags to the kitchen. When she got back from thekitchen, she started crying and hugged the man andtold him thanks for the food.

-Amanda Robinson, Denton, Texas

Hunger, Poverty and Homelessness"The day will come when the progress of on defense, large power plants, petroleum, luxury

nations will be judged not by their military or items, and bureaucracy, so there isn't much lefteconomic strength, nor by the splendour of for the social programs- education, health andtheir capital cities and public buildings, but assistance to the poor and unemployed, etc.by the well-being of their peoples... " J. Many government officials are corrupt and

- The Progress of Nations, 1995, UNICEF money meant for poverty elimination programsThe following quiz will help you determine or social services does not reach its target.

how much you know about the hunger, poverty k. The urban centers are overloaded and theyand homelessness. Give it a good try! simply can not sustain the millions that migrate

True or False? from the rural areas to search for employment.• There are over 2 million homeless people in the m. World population is almost 6 billion; the natural

United States. resources can't keep up with people's demands.• Over 80% of the homeless people in the U.S. n. For the market economy to work, there has to

are Mrican-Americans, Hispanic-American and be some unemployment, poverty and unevenNative-Americans. distribution of resources.

• Over a billion people in the world live in dire o. International Trade Agreements such as GAITpoverty. or NAFTA favor rich nations and multinationals.

• 30% of the people in big cities (Calcutta, p. Middlemen (brokers, distributors, wholesalers,Bombay, Delhi, Mexico City, Guatemala City, etc.) get a much larger share of the profits so theRio de Janeiro) of the so-called developing primary producers, such as farmers, laborers getcountries live in inadequate housing situations. inadequate wages to live on.

• Almost one in three people in the United States q. Slowly but surely, hunger and poverty will bedo not have health insurance. But in Canada, eliminated as wealthy people and corporationsEngland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, everyone invest in projects that create more jobs.has public-supported health insurance. r. More development of the natural resources is the

• In low-income countries most people live on key to solving hunger and home1essness.less than two dollars a day! s. Wealth attracts more wealth; the gap between

Do you agree with these statements? Why not? the rich and the poor is bound to increase... . t. Rich countries must cut their meat consumption

a. The n~h natIOns use an unfaIr share of the drastically to reduce world hunger.world s resources. . , u. People living in natural surroundings (such as

b. People are homeless because eIther they re the Australian Outbacks the Mrican Bush or thealcohol~c, dru.g a~dicts, uneducated or mentally Asian Tropics) can nev~r be happy becau~e theyor phySIcally Ill, smgle men or young adults. do not have modem conveniences- running

c. There is just not enough food to go around. hot water, cars, microwaves, TV, or refrigerators.d. There is an unequitable distribution of v. Everyone in the world should get to have

resources among people. Dishonesty and modem conveniences: cars, TV, refrigerators, etc.greed do not allow a fair share for everyone. w. Hunger, homelessness and poverty are signs of

e. Lack of education is the reason for poverty. social, economic or ecological problems.f. Eliminate the current economic system and Ifyou were the President or Prime Minister

return to bartering to get rid of poverty. of your country, what would you do to reduceg. Fertile land that can be used for producing hunger, homelessness, and poverty?

vegetables, seeds and g~ains is being used for *A number of these questions are not easy toexport crops (sugar, f~Ults, coffee, cotton, tea answer. Talk to your teachers, parents, friends,tobacco, etc.) for the mternatIonal markets. classmates, and explore some of the resources

h. International Monetary Fund and World Bank listed in this issue or ask your librarian. Hold arequire developing nations to reduce their class debate on these issues this October. Send usspendings on education, health, social welfare, your thoughts. We'd like to share them withetc. that would reduce poverty and hunger. Skipping Stones readers in a future issue.

1. Most countries spend much too much money Vol. 7 no. 4 Skipping Stones

•LA... ~

Noteworthy Newsfrom the North, East, West, South

September 8: International Literacy Day Peace Festivals were organized in hundreds ofOctober 2: Mahatma Gandhi Birthday cities around the world on August 5-6, toOctober 2: World Habitat Day remember the victims of the atom bombs droppedOctober 16: World Food Day on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Children, women,October 24: United Nations Day and men danced, made paper cranes and floatedNovember 14: Children's Day (India) candles along waterways to express their hopesA National Conference on Homelessness is for world peace. Skipping Stones board members,

being held on August 25-26, 1995, in Washington, Bill and Sadako Hesslings, report from Japan-DC. Sponsored by the Community for Creative This year' is the 50th anniversary of the end ofNon-violence (CCNV) and the National Coalition World War II. In Japan, television is full offor the Homeless (NCH), the conference brings programs about the dramatic events leading to thetogether advocacy groups, activists, service end. We were invited to Hiroshima to take part inproviders, and of course, many homeless people one of the many ceremonies commemorating thefrom across the country. most dramamtic event of all-the atomic bombing

The Goldman Environmental Prizes are of the city on August 6th.awarded to individuals for their outstanding work Hiroshima was filled with people from all overto protect nature and preserve the quality of life Japan and from all over the world. The weatherfor people everywhere. The 1995 awards went to: was hot and sticky, just like it was at 8:15 that

• Aurora Castillo of the Mothers of East Los morning 50 years ago.Angeles, California. Most ceremonies had people remembering the

• Yul Choi of the Korean Federation for terrible suffering, and the 150,000 people whoEnvironmental Movement. died because of that one bomb. However, our

• Ricardo Navarro of the EI Salvadoran Center ceremony was different. Our theme was: "Lookfor Appropriate Technology. Ahead, Not Backwards." It is important to

• Noah Idechong of the Marine Resources remember, but more important to work and prayDept of the Island Country of Palau. that we will never again use these terrible

• Emma Must of the ALARM, an organization weapons. We had music and dancing, drummingthat struggled to stop excessive road building in and singing, to show that living with joy is soGreat Britain, and much better than the hatred and stupidity of war.

• Ken Saro-Wiwa of the Movement for the When the day was over, we were all sweatySurvival of Ogoni People of Nigeria. and tired, but happy knowing that we had helped,

FRANK WATERS, the well-known Native even if only a very little, to make our world better.American author of The Man Who Killed A Deer Iqbal Masih, 12, was a bonded child carpetpassed away on June 3, 1995 at the age of 93 in weaver from a small town in Pakistan. Last year,Taos, New Mexico. Mr. Waters began writing in he received the $15,000 Reebok Human Rightsthe 1920s and helped preserve the cultural Youth in Action Award for his struggle to free

Afc~\)" A"lif heritage of the Pueblo other children from bonded labor. On April 17,'hHn, Nation of Southwest. Iqbal was gunned down in Lahore, Pakistan.

Arthur Ashe, the 3000 people, young and old, attended his funeralrenowned tennis and demanded an end to bonded child labor.player, and civil rights Tens of millions of 5-to-15-yr-olds work hard,worker, who died two at incredibly low wages, as low as a nickle a day,years ago at the age in carpet-weaving factories, brick kilns, smallof 50, will become the industries, domestice service, and agriculture.first African-American These bonded children in Pakistan, India,to be honored with a Bangladesh, Afganistan, and a dozen otherstatue on a prominent countries lack even the basic children's rights.intersection in his * Write letters to the Government ofthese countries

l~\ii, native city of and express your concerns about the bonded child labor.-Taylor Bro, Gr. 8, Rockford, Mich. Richmond, Virginia. The United Nations celebrates its 50th Skipping Stones Vol. 7 no. 4 anniversary this year. See more on page 28.

Women Meet in BeijingThe Fourth International Women's

Conference and the NGO (Non-GovernmentalOrganizations) Forum for Women will be heldduring the first half of September in Beijing,China. 30,000 to 40,000 women from manynations are expected to attend the conferences.Government officials, other delegates and thoseconcerned with the status and condition ofwomen will attend, including many girls.

This is the first time girls will attend theconference. The Girls International Forum(GIF), a non-profit organization in Duluth, MN,USA, will send about 15 girls, ages 10-16, toBeijing. They will present workshops, attendplatform meetings, and interview participants.They have been working hard on fundraising andpreparation for the girls who will travel to Beijing,and on writing the Girls Agenda (see the sidebar),which will be distributed at the conference. Lookfor the news of the conference and the girls'experiences in news media, including the NewMoon Magazine. GIF will also share the girls'experiences through workshops, presentations,and a video documentary. During the conference,GIF will post reports from Beijing on-line at:

http://newmoon.duluth.mn.us/,..,newmoon andgopher:newmoon.duluth.mn.us.

Rise and Shine, a New York City basedyouth media education program hopes to set upa video production skills workshop at the NGOconference to enable girls all over the world tovoice their opinions through electronic media.Allowing young women and girls to attend theconference will help open the doors for changeand advancement in the 21st Century. They arethe voices of the future.

The International· Women's Conference andthe NGO Forum are an action for Equality,Development, and Peace. Women make up over51 % of the world population. Participants willgather at seminars, workshops, forums, culturalevents, and marketplaces to discuss the statusof women in all spheres of life. They will dealwith issues such as women in poverty, violenceagainst women, health care and education forwomen, equal power sharing and decision makingamong men and women, and the effects of conflicton women (such as in Bosnia-Herzegovina).

The International Women's Conference willbe held from Sept. 4-15. The parallel NGO Forumruns from Aug. 30 -Sept. 8. The Women'sMovement has made great advances since the first

The Girls International Forum, G.I.F. Team Members

Conference in Mexico City in 1975. 1976-1985was declared the Decade for Women by the UN.In 1985, at the World Conference for Women inNairobi, Kenya, a plan of action was adopted forthe years 1986-2000 to further the advancementof women. The 1995 conference hopes tocontinue this progress and to increase women'sroles at policy-making and grassroot levels.

Some groups are boycotting the conferencebecause of its location. They feel China hasviolated too many human rights laws and havenot met all of the UN requirements of free access,accessibility, and proper facilities. Still, manygroups are supporting the conference because ofits great importance to women around the world.

What girls issues should be discussedat the conference? Some excerpts...

"Invisibility of the labour put in by girlsinside and outside the house hampers herphysical and mental development."

-Sonal Mehta, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India"Why do so few girls identify themselves as

feminists? My sister and I are proof that if thereis just one woman in a girl's life who believesand supports her, she will realize that girls cando anything." -Joyce and Lori Chandler, Ohio

"Learning to follow their own will and tosee beyond the pre-set roles that society hasmade for them." -Anonymous

"Getting parents to be understanding andfrank and to give details about the society andits changes." -Janet M. Ogana, Nairobi, Kenya


tt"tHappy Fiftieth to The United Nations!A hundred years ago, people lived in their own 8. Can you explain these UN terms? General

towns and villages. The fastest way to travel was Assembly, Secretary General, Security Council,by horseback or steamship. But today, with jumbo VErO, Permanent Member, Special Sessionjets, cars, and electric trains, the world has become 9. What are the functions of these UN convenedmuch. smaller. Radio, television, phones, fax. international agreements and treaties-machmes, and computers have connected us wIth NPT, Geneva Convention War Crimeseach other, no matter where we live. If there is a Tribunal Universal Postal Unionconfl~ct anywhere, the whole world debates and 10. ExpreS: your opinion on the foUowing-feels mvolved. The first attempt, after World War I, . . ,to form a "League of Nations" failed because a. The l!N has outlIved Its usefulness. We. don tmany nations did not cooperate. In 1945, after need It anymore, now that the cold war ISWorld War II, the United Nations was organized over. .. .because the leaders realized that we simply could b. The.uN sh?~ld never g~t mvol~ed m m~ern.alnot afford another world war. Cooperation among affaIrs or clv~1 wars e.g. m.Bosl1;Ia or EthIopIa.nations is the key for peace and progress. c. Some countnes have unfaIr weIght and power

Want to test your knowledge of the United in the UN,. the l!N is ~sed by these countries to11.1' ? Y be h . d f h further theIr natIOnal mterests.lYatlOns. ou can t e JU ge 0 ow much or d Th "'" th U ·t d N t·how little you know. . e m?re you pay lor e mea Ions .

operations, the more say you should have m• If you're sure you know all answers, you're a what it does

U.N.I.Q.U.E. Global Citizen. Treat yourself to e. The world c~n't function harmoniouslyUNO pizza! without an organization such as the UN.

• Not sure of 1 or 2? You're doing fine; treat n· . Idyourself to a Continental breakfast at home. . lSc~sslon eas

• Not sure of 3 to 5, you might listen to the To lmp.rove the e.ff.ectlveness of the UN, theinternational News regularly. followmg suggestlOns have been made-

• Not sure of 6 or more? S.O.S. Get Help! a. Relocate all agencies of the UN to one place.1. What is the mission of the UN? b. In place of the current system of assessments2. True or False? Explain. on member nations, set up an international taxa. The UN is located in New York City. syst~~ to ~enerate operating funds f~r the UNb Y can get PI ta P rt f th UN

' admmistratIOn, functIOns, peace-keepmg. ou a ane ry asspo rom e. .. d· (F I II

c. The UN has no standing army. ~IssIon~, an projects. or examp e, ad. English is the official language of the UN. mternatIOnal trade and travel, armament sales,

T d· . . currency exchanges could be taxed 1% to

e. he UN oes Its busmess m many languages. t b·ll" f d II f th UN)f. Each country pays a part of the UN budget, ge.ne~a e I Ions 0 ? ars or ~ .. .

proportionate to their Gross NationalProduct. c. ElImmate the VETO m the Secunty CounCIl.3. Where in the world are the following U.N. d. Make all UN decisions binding on all nations.

sponsored bodies located? What do these e. Make UN memberships optional for nations.stand for?: UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, FAa, f. The World Bank and International MonetaryILO, UNHCR, IMF, UNDP, and UNEP. Fund must follow strict environmental

4. Why do the various UN agencies have conservation codes, and social responsibilty.headquarters in different countries? Which suggestions have a global view point?

5. Who convened these world conferences? Are they fair to all the people? How can weWhen? The Population Conference, Cairo, make these work? In your opinion, whatChildren's Summit in New York, Social Summit changes in the structure of the UN would make it(on Poverty) at Copenhagen, Rio Summit, and serve the whole world fairly and efficiently?Women's Conference, Bejing. j..A.ll * Do you know someone who was your age or

~: ~:ti~:~~U~~~~s~i~::~EF?lim~$"~I ~~:~i~::~~n~~~t~:~I~:tri~~~:s~;~te(e.g. UNA-USA or UNA- ~ Ii parents, friends, and teachers, or hold a classCanada) do? ' ~ '.;j? discussion on the l!nited Na~ions t~is autumn as

Skipping Stones Vol. 7 no. 4 ""-;'~ the UN celebrates ItS 50th bIrthday.


UNICEFllNliED NATIONSCh!lDRHlS FUND

Goals for 2000ADThe 1990 Summitfor Children set thefollowing goals toimprove the qualityof life for children.• Reduce childdeaths by 1/3.• Cut malnutritionin children by half.• Bring majorchildhood diseaseslike measles anddiarrhea undercontrol.• Eliminate polio.• Primary schoolcompletion by atleast 80% of thechildren.

"Weare different...we are the same"

This is the theme forthe 1995 UNICEFGreeting Card Contestwhich begins Sept. 1st.The contest is open toall children living in theUnited States who areages 13 or under. Drawan original sceneshowing that eventhough children may live

'-,r,b:-; ;;f:< in different countries or~r'l"}:":",,:... ::m:::"$ .. I'·:·:".'

T" Bellefit Th. World'. Children may have differentcultural backgrounds, they all need the same .basic things-access to health care, clean water,education, parental love...

Entries must be postmarked October 23 orbefore. Winners will be announced at a USCommittee for UNICEF benefit and awardreception, to be held at the UN on Nov. 30. Thewinning entries will decorate the 1996 UNICEFcards. The cards raise both awareness of theproblems and provide funds to help solve them.

Last year's winners were Nicole Anziani, 11and Ivy Chang, 6. Sponsors also include Pier 1Imports and Better Homes an4 Gc:rdens. Formore info, official rules and gUIdelInes, call1-800-447-4371 or visit a Pier 1 store near you.

~

UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens' Fund,was founded in 1946 to meet the emergency needsof children in war-torn Europe and China. By 1950,UNICEF's mandate was extended to address theproblems of children in the developing world..UNICEF now works in more than 140 countnesthroughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, the MiddleEast, and Eastern and Central Europe.

UNICEF cooperates with governments andcommunity organizations to help children.. Greatersupport is given to least developed .countnes toreduce death and disease among chIldren under five.In 1965 UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Prize forPeace, linking its lifesaving work for children withworld peace. In Septemb~r 1990, ~NICEF helpedorganize the World SummIt for ChIldren, where 71heads of state reached agreement on major childhealth and education goals for the year 2000.Financial support for UNICEF comes from v<?luntarycontributions made by governments, foundations,corporations, and individuals around the world.

The U.S. Committee for UNICEF, a non-profitorganization was created in 1947, to work ~or thesurvival, protection, and development of chIldrenworldwide through education, advocacy, andfundraising. There are 38 similar ~om~i~teesworldwide that support UNICEF s mISSIOn.

Based in New York, the U.S. Committee forUNICEF has an extensive network of volunteersaround the country. The Committee creates anddistributes educational materials for both teachersand students, promotes the sale and distribution ofUNICEF greeting cards and gift-items (1-800-5539978 for a catalogue), pushes the Baby-Friend.l~

Hospital initiative, helps organize many fundraIslllgevents annually, supports the annual celebration"Day of the African Child," ,~nd spo?sors ,~he ."Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaIgn. ChIldrenFirst" is the theme for the Committee's 50thanniversary celebrations next 'year, unde~ theleadership of the First Lady HIllary R. ClInton.

To help UNICEF provide a better future forchildren, you may wish to:

• Volunteer with your local committee forUNICEF or organize a UNICEF committee in yourcommunity. (1-800-367-5437)

• Use UNICEF educational materials in yourhome or classroom. Tel. 1-800-FOR-KIDS

• Buy UNICEF greeting cards, or send financialcontributions to the Committe for UNICEF.

For more information, contact: U.S. Comitteefor UNICEF, 333 E. 38th St, New York, NY 10016

A Swim Through the Sea, written and illustratedby Kristin Joy Pratt. Also availible in Spanishunder the title, "Bajo las Olas." (DawnPublications, 14618 Tyler Foote Rd, NevadaCity, CA 95959). Through the travels ofSeamore the Seahorse, 17-year-old Kristinintroduces children to the undersea environment,carefully pointing out the inter-dependence ofall creatures. This beautifully illustrated alphabetbook received the "Outstanding Science TradeBook for Children Award" from the Children'sBook Council. For all ages, though formatgeared towards younger readers, ages 3 to 12.

Mi Primer Libro de Dichos - My First Bookof Proverbs by Ralfka Gonzalez and Ana Ruiz(Children's Book Press, 6400 Hollis Street, #4,Emeryville, CA 94608). A playful collection ofpopular Mexican proverbs like, Cada cabeza esun mundo. Each head is a world of its own.Muchos pocos hacen un mucho. Many littlesmake a lot. Despues de la lluvia sale el sol. Afterthe rain comes the sun. and, Donde hay ganahay mafia. Where there's a will there's a way.Filled with wit and wisdom, this bilingualcollection is a celebration of life and culture ofMexico. And the colotful illustrations introduceus to the folk art of Mexico. Ages 7 and up.

Calling the Doves - EI Canto de las Palomasby Juan Felipe Herrera and Elly Simmons(Children's Book Press, CA) In this vibrant,bilingual book, the author tells us of hischildhood. Juan's family has come from Mexicoto work in the fields of California. Juan learns tolove the nature, the beautiful countryside as wellas his family's simple yet rich cultural traditions.Ages 7 and up.

That's Fresh! Seasonal Recipes for the YoungCooks by Braiden Rex-Johnson and Chef DavidWasson (Sasquatch Books, 1008 WesternAvenue, Seattle, WA 98104) This innovativecookbook shows young people the fun ofmaking real food, using fresh ingredients. Thebook recommends seasonal foods straight from

. the farmer or the farmers' markets. The bookcontains 44 simple yet nutritious "Kid-Tested"recipes arranged by the season. Ages 8 and up.

America's Japanese American Heritage byWestridge Young Writers Workshop. (JohnMuir Pub., Santa Fe, NM). Please see page 6. Skipping Stones Vol. 7 no. 4

•On the Wings ofPeace (1995. ClarionBooks) Sixty authorsand artists fromaround the worldcollaborate to producea wondetful gift to theworld of young adults.In this book, you willread about the WorldWar II in the Pacificregion, thoughts ofnuclear scientist,poems of humansuffering at Hiroshima,translated from theJapanese, letters fromBagdad during the 'Persian Gulf War, several Native American stories,a poem by Nobel Peace Prize winning Mayanwoman, Rigoberta Menchu, stories translated fromSpanish, Portugese, Persian and Danish, and muchmore. Dozens of colotful illustrations also havemulticultural dimensions. The book also containsan extensive resource list. The royalties from thesale of this book are to benefit three peace, humanrights and children's organizations. A must for allschool and public libraries! All ages over 12.

Peace Crane by Sheila Hamanaka (Morrow JuniorBooks, NY). A young African American girl wishesthe Peace Crane, a symbol of hope created bySadako, a young Hiroshima survivor, would healthe violence of her own time. Poetic language andbeautiful illustrations send a message of hope for"a world that loves its children." Ages 5 and up.

Family Album Album de Famillie FamilieAlbum Familienalbum Album de Familia(Editions Quart Monde, 15 rue Maitre-Albert,F 75005 Paris, FRANCE). This is a gorgeouscollection of some 100 photographs of familiesliving in poverty. Poverty can end if all humanbeings have the means to play an active role intheir own development and that of others. Thebook also contains many paintings by childrenliving in poverty in 30 different countries. Andtheir writings such as: "I feel poor when you tellme to speak and then you don't listen to me."This multilingual book is suitable for ages 10 andup. Available in USA from the TAPORI-USA,Fourth World Movement, 7600 Willow Hill, Drive,Landover, MD 20785-4658. All ages over 7.

To be listed on the Pen Pal Page, please send $5.00. (You'llalso get a copy ofthe issue.) Low-income and subscribers getone free listing. Priority given to pen pals age 17 and under.

Book Exchange" ...I keep thinking about

people such as the teacher in Namibia who wrote in to thank youfor the free issues and said thatonly rich people in her countryhave access to magazines, TV,and other ways of learning aboutthe world. I wish all children had,among other things, interestingmagazines and books to read.

"I have an idea how studentswho live in countries with manybooks can help kids who don't.All you need is a group thatwants to help. A group of friends,members of a basketball team,math club, theater group andpeople in your English class areexamples of groups who can collect donated books and raisemoney to purchase books tosend to kids who can't get reading materials any other way...

"I'd like the readers to writeto the editors and tell them whatthey think of this idea. If there isenough interest, maybe therecould be a section in SkippingStones called, "Books Across theOcean" or something. It couldfeature a teacher or librarianrequesting books, the story ofkids who have made a differenceby sending books around theworld, and thoughts from kidswho have received donatedbooks ..."

- Katherine Howard, Decatur,Georgia, USA, Earth

eoc.I'-<i!!;

JTLL

Catherine Chiseva, girl, 15 Keshni Lutchiah, girl, 15House No. 3467, Village 16 37 Brailsford Ave.Mkoba, Gweru, ZIMBABWE Sunford, Phoenix, 4068Int: TV, church, swimming, tennis Durban 4001, SOUTH AFRICADanai V. Mutasa, girl, 11 Int: sports, gospel music, nature86 Airport Rd., Hatfield, Petunia Mathebula, girl, 14Harare, ZIMBABWE P.O. Box 1249Int: hockey, games, girl prPd Letaba 0870, SOUTH AFRICAChristian Jamu, boy, 16 Int: reading, church, movies, girl palC48 Mashayamombe Rd. Andre Ceasar, boy, 17Chegutu, ZIMBABWE 35 Phantom Rd, P.O. Box 8000Int: movies, writing stories, music Rocklands, Mitchell's PlainIgnatius Magwaro, boy, 17 Capetown 7785, SOUTH AFRICA12186 Sabhumashini St, Zengeza 4 Int: volleyball, dancing, girl prf'dChitungwiza, ZIMBABWE Eugene Phakathi, boy, 18Int: basketball, wrestling, collecting Private Bag x9091Bright Mkhothamie, boy, 14 Pietermaritzburg 5200, SO. AFRICAStand No. 3270 Int: mUSIC, study 111 the U.S.AMasvingo Road, Chikonohno BOTSWANAChinhoyi, ZIMBABWEInt: reading, ideas, stamps, soccer Keeme Mhlauli, girl, 14

Associated Insurance BrokersRonald Muza, boy, 17 P.O. Box 241P.O. Box 167, Zenegeza Francinstown, BOTSWANAChitunawuza, ZIMBABWEInt member of penpal club Int: tennis, church, novels, friendsStanford Razaro, boy, 17 Portia Morekiwa, girl, 17

P.O. Box 61612299 Nkulumane, Molepolole, BOTSWANAP.O. NkulumaneBulawayo, ZIMBABWE Int: reading, table tennis, moviesInt: jokes, soul and gospel music GHANA, WEST AFRICASharon Nyamukapa, girl, 16 Paul Osei Kwame, boy, 16599 Ruware Rd. P.O. Box 201St. Mary's, P.O. Zengeza Sunyani, GHANA WfAChitungwiza, ZIMBABWE Int: soccer, music, books, swimmingInt: swimming, cooking, stamps Agyemang Donyina, boy, 15Harmfree Wachie, 17 P.O. Box 201Chitindiva Sec. School Sunyani, GHANA WfAP.O. Box 650 Int: letters, soccer, history booksKaroi, ZIMBABWE Abraham Mabotey, boy, 17Int: reading, swimming, school Box 1642, Sunyani, GHANA WfASheldene Pearson, girl, 14 Int: soccer, poems, letters1 Knowles Close, Mount Pleasant Emmanuel Amankwa, boy, 14Harare, ZIMBABWE P.O. Box 1198Int: sports, art, posters, music Sunyani, GHANA WfASaloon Abraham, 17 Micheal Senti, boyPote Sec. School, P.O.Box 548 P.O. Box 1214Karoi, ZIMBABWE Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAInt: reading, travelling, school Int: football, reading, musicHazvineyi Mwashira, girl, 11 William Opong, boyHouse No. 7787, 1st Street P.O. Box 1214Kuwadzana 2, P.O. Mufakose Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAHarare, ZIMBABWE Int: writing letters, sports, musicInt: TV, writing, swimming

Joshua Nii Aryee, boy, 13South Africa P.O. Box 1792

Shantal Humphreys, girl, 15 Suyani BfA, GHANA WfA150 Hartwig Avenue, Esselen Park Int: hockey, exchanging giftsWorcester 6850, SO. AFRICA Kwabena Nketiah,9Int: basketball, reading, outdoors Boahenkor Kor l.S.S. (IA)Stephen Leshalabe, boy, 18 P.O. Box 103Mamelodi West Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAPretoria 0101, SOUTH AFRICA Int: learning, reading BibleInt: music, traveling, movies Kyremeh Koduah, boy, 17Tsalcahi M. Hkhwastly, 13 P.O. Box 90 PenkwaseP.O. Box 973 Sunyani BfA, GHANALetaba, 0870, SOUTH AFRICA Int: exchanging gifts, writing lettersInt: watching TV, reading, music Hinneh Kyere Augustine, 15Glondy Mabunda, girl, 15 St. Anselms Anglican Jr. Sec. Sch.P.O. Box 478 P.O. Box 257Letaba 0870, SOUTH AFRICA Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAInt: music, reading, watching TV Int: football, reading, music


ZIMBABWE

Rumbidzai Gombedza, girl, 1141 MuvangaP.O. MupakoseHarare, ZIMBABWEInt: cartoons, hopscotchCollins Ndhlovu, boy, 157873 114 CresentGlenview 8Harare, ZIMBABWEInt: basketball, soccer, stampsLighwa Siziba, girl, 1221 Yeatman Road, NorthfEndBulawayo, ZIMBABWEInt: tennis, reading, writing, netballMemory Chagwiza, girl, 1349 Rhodes CrescentP.O. RedcliffRedcliff, ZIMBABWEInt: reading, collect stamps, swimCharles Munawa, boy, 15429.22 CressentGlen View OneHarare, ZIMBABWEInt: bird watching, stamp collectingEnos S.W. Nehandah, boy, 174928 Nata LaneGlen Norah "A"Harare, ZIMBABWEInt stamps, outdoors, dancingGertrude A. Maryu, girl, 1446 Logan Rd, HatfieldHarare, ZIMBABWEInt: baby-sitting, collecting postersBetty Mike, girl, 14Gokomere High SchoolP. Bag 9213Masvingo, ZIMBABWEInt: reading, stamps, watching TVEneress Marobani, girl, 14710 EmalchandeniP.O. LuveveBulawago, ZIMBABWEInt: travel, reading, writing lettersWellington Mutusva, boy, 15House No. 12074Mwalimunyerere Rd, Zengeza4Chitungwiza, ZIMBABWEInt: tennis, basketball, cyclingChishamiso Kaumba, girl, 17Box 350Gweru, ZIMBABWEInt: basketball, traveling, partiesVanessa Muyambo, girl, 10cfo Officers Mess, Manyame AirBase, P.O. Box 7722, CausewayHarare, ZIMBABWEInt: basketball, running, bakingJestine Jemwa, girl, 114 Leonard Close, Hatfield,Harare, ZIMBABWEInt tennis, TV, listening to radioDouglas Hetekere, boy, 172365-19 Svikiro CircleDzivaresekwa 2, P.O. DzivaresekwaHarare, ZIMBABWEInt: movies, rugby, body-buildingTauri Chitanda, boy, 15House No. 3260, Village 16Mkoba, Gweru, ZIMBABWEInt: football, TV, gift exchange

~

Samuel Yeboah, boy, 12 Ishamal K. Yeboah, boy, 13Ruth Amea, girl, 8 P.O. Box 227Eric Adjei, boy, 16 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfATwene Kwasi, boy, 14 Int: travel, music, exchanging giftsSamuel Opoku, boy, 14 Emmanuel Kusi, boy, 17Issifu Issaka Kabre, boy, 15 Aba House B 53f2Thomas Alta Boakye Sr., 14 P.O. Box 227Thomas Alta Boakye Jr., 13 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAIssifu Kabre, boy, 13 Int: cleaning, travel, musicKwasi Twens, boy, 14 Ismael Ofori, boy, 16Opoku Gyabaa, boy, 10 P.O. Box 191Doreen Bapawo, girl, 12 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAFrank TutTour, boy, 13 Int reading, football, writing lettersCharles Kusi, boy, 15Frimpomaa Vida, girl, 20 James Awuah, boy, 14Agartha Yeborah, girl, 19. All P.O. Box 299want pen pals. Write to them Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAcfo Fiapre Methodist J. S. School Int: football, volleyballP.O. Box 1770 Eric Sampson, 12Fiapre-Sunyani, GHANA WfA P.O. Box 6064Evans Gyameh, boy, 14 Kumasi Fan Milk Limitedclo Roman Catholic Mission Sunyani BfA, GHANA, WfAP.O. Box 48 Kris Opoku, boy, 17Nkoranza BfA, GHANA WfA Ahmaddiyya Mission, P.O.Box 227Adongo Francis, boy, 14 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfARoman Catholic Mission Eric Duah, boy, 17P.O. Box 48 cfo Mr. J.K Duah, Box 30Nkoranza BfA, GHANA WfA Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAFred Asante, boy, 12 Enock Alta Twum, boy, 14Stadium Primary Seh clo Omari Kwadwo, P.O. Box 31P.O. Box 343 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfASunyani BfA, GHANA WfA Int: movies, soccer, music, bibleInt: football, reading, P.E. Mavis Domalae, girl, 12Acheampong Frank, boy, 11 cfo John DomalaeKwasi Boye, boy, 17 Reg. House of Chiefs, P.O.Box 81Kwasi Bosomah, boy, 20 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfACharles Kusi, Anaba Eric, boy, 15Evans K. Bosomah, boy, 14 P.O. Box 32do P.O. Box 1291 Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfASunyani BfA, GHANA WfA Int soccer, swimming, giftsRuth Ameyaa, girl, 9 (Int: ball, Issaka Amiou, boy, 16riding bike), Samuel Adjei, boy, P.O. Box 25713, Asante Isaac, 10, (Int: foot- Sunyani BA, GHANA WfAhall, tennis, ludo, ball). All at : Int: travel, sight-seeing, poetryMethodist J.S.S., PO Box 1770, d bo 6Fiapre-Sunyani BfA, GHANA Boakye Yia om, y, 1

St. Peter's Secondary SchoolBenkai George, boy P.O. Box 17Methodist J. S. School, POBox 628 Nkwatia-Kwahu, GHANA WfASunyani BfA, GHANA WfA Int football, exchanging picturesInt: wants a senior brother

Stella Lovely, girl, 15Amponsah K. Evans, boy, 15 Int: MANY!Saint Patrick's J.S.School P.O. Box 1312

~~~y~~J~NA WfA Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAKwasi Kyere, clo Christiana Sarkodie Charles, boy, 16

P.O. Box 1688Kyeremaa, Ministry of Health Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfA

~~~·y~ci~J~ANA WfA Int: football, tennis, friends, girlsKwaky Afriyie, boy, 14

Isaac Matey, boy, 14 Box 32, Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfARidge Exp. J.S.S. Int: photos, currency, poetryP.O. Box 128Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfA Osman Babylast, boy, 16Int: football, reading, bibles Box 34K K K L bo 17

Sunyani, BfA, GHANA, WfAwame orang yer y I .. . ·d f· d

P.O. Box 39 'nt: VIsIting, VI eos, nen sSunyani BfA, GHANA WfA Helina Amaah, girl, 13Int: reading, cycling, travel, music Box 1250B d · t 0 S bo 13 sunyani BfA, GHA A WfAene IC • arpong, y, I d· . ·t· ILIfC •A' J. S. School, Box 284 nt: rea mg, VISI mg, ettersSunyani BfA,GHANA WfA Jerry Yeboah, boy, 13Int: football, table tennis, music Box 1496

Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAKonadu Forson: boy, 15 Int: soccer drawing poetryclo ElIzabeth TaJ...)'1 "t\finistry of Education, POBox 50 Alexander Yeboah,boyNkoranza BfA GHANA WfA P.O. Box 913Int: friends, w;iting Sunyani BA, GHANA WfA


Takyi Kwaku, boyP.O. Box 1642Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAInt football, table tennisGyebi Gyimama, girl, 14African Jun. Secondary SchoolP.O. Box 12Nkoranza BfA, GHANA WfAInt: reading, netballGrace Appiah, girl, 15St. Thomas JSS, P.O. Box 1720Sunyani-Fiapre BfA, GHANA WfAInt: music, dancingBismark Asante, boy, 12Presby JSS, P.O. Box 607Sunyani-Fiapre BfA, GHANA WfAInt: drawing, footballNibenee Ernest, boy, 16Holy Spirit Prim. Sch; POBox 1353Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfACollins Amankwaa, boy, 15Methodist JSS, P.O. Box 1770Sunyani-Fiapre BA, GHANA WfAInt: drawing, readingKuma Stephne, boy, 12St. Thomas Prim. B, P.O. Box 84Sunyani-Fiapre BfA, GHANA WfAInt: reading storiesRichard Amoako Hene, boy, 16U.C.A. J.S.S, P.O. Box 284Sunyani BfA, GHANA WfAInt: football, gifts, letters

NAMIBIA

Heni Henge, girl, 16Box 70228KhomasdallWindhoek,NAMIBIA 9000, AFRICAInt: movies, hockey, ask questionsAngela Uulamba, girl, 18P.O. Box 233879000 Windhoek, NAMIBIA

CAMEROON

Ayuketah H. Takang, boy, 16clo Mr. Ayuketah EnowPresbyterian ChurchBesong Abang-MarnfeS.W. Province, CAMEROONInt: science books, basketball

SWEDEN

Linnea Olofsson, girl, 11Edsoregatan 372475 Vasteras, SWEDENInt: horses, soccerOskari Stjerna, boy, 14Vanortsringen 58,4419530 Marsta, SWEDENInt: playing pool, music; girl prefdSara Johansson, girl, 10Vildasvagen 6432 95 Varberg, SWEDENInt: music, animals, Nancy DrewJohanna Wedin, girl, 11Margelvagen 8-C80257 Gavle, SWEDENInt: animals, boys, disco, musicNina Kienast, girl, 14bstergardsvagen 1316354 SpfmgaStockholm, SWEDENInt: theater, skiing, soccer, TVJessica Lofuendahl, girl, 10Vargatan 7244 62 Farulund, SWEDENInt: USA, dance, disco, boys

Karin Hjelmer, girl, 15Skimmelv.3035255 Vaxjo, SWEDENInt: shopping, friendsMalin Eknemar, girl, 13Lummerstigen 165-87140 Hamosand, SWEDENInt: soccer, animals, books, boyMaria Pyykkonen, girl, 14Revonsaart 201953 91 Haparanda, SWEDENInt: music, animals, friends, boysCaroline Nilsson, girl, 15Kulas vag 2035255 Vaxjo, SWEDENInt: sports, animals, friendsIsabel Mohammar, girl, 12Surbrunns Gatan 26113 48 Stockholm, SWEDENInt: gymnastics, friends, musicMaria Lundin, girl, 15Mantals Gatan 16702 17 brebro, SWEDENInt: music, writing, moviesLouise Hansson, girl, 12Dragonvagagen 424135Eslov, SWEDENInt: swimming, music, boysTherese Johansson, girl, 14Bonabo PI 458440 45 Nodinge, SWEDENInt: male penpal, age 12-15Rebecka Sandberg, girl, 14Navertorpsg.28641 50 Katrineholm, SWEDENInt: animals, reading, drawingEmma Westman, girl, 12Lantmatarvagen 42S-95441 S.Sundrebyn, SWEDENInt: soccer, basketball, penpalsTherese Splinnar, girl, 13Perolovsgatan 1-B79431 Orsa, SWEDENInt: wrestling, soccer, musicMarie Splinnar, girl, 15Perolovsgatan 1-B79431 Orsa, SWEDENInt: sports, travel, animals, WWFMadelen Sj<igestam, girl, 13Lasse Lucidorsvagen 9311 40 Falkenberg, SWEDENInt: piano, dance, friendsIsabel Ebbesson, girl, 13Stigdagermansvagen 2311 40 Falkenberg, SWEDENInt: all sorts of things, American palMaria Even~, girl, 14Graskorsgatan 12442159 V.Frolunda, SWEDENInt: skiing, basketballKahina Bakhti, girl, 12Grasparvsvagen 78227 31 Lund, SWEDENInt: stamps, sports; USA boy prefdSara Henriksson, girl, 12Yrvadersgatan 124260 35 bdakra, SWEDENCaroline Andersson, girl, 13Bergklintvagen 1819460 Upplands Vasby, SWEDENInt: swimming, reading, lettersAnna Hulth, girl, 14Ugsgrand 1231 65 Trelleborg, SWEDENInt: wants pen pals in the U.S.

"My class needs pen palsfrom India, China, Africa, andany former Soviet Republics.I need at least 16 pen pals."

Deedia Bignar, teacherHC-60 box 588HWY 465lena, LA 71342 USA

My friend came back from theUnited States, and I asked him:

"Have you had any problemswith your English language?"

He replied, "No, I didn't haveany problems, but the Americansdid!"

-Anna Elisevich, UI. Volkova,d. 11/2, kv 38, Zermonton, Stavropolskii Krai, RUSSIA 357340

Anna Fedechenko, 14pI. Bazarnaya, dA, kV.8349600 Starobelsk,Luganskaya Region, UKRAINE


DENMARK Anna Gurjanova, girl, 15 INDIAMai Bjorn Nielsen, girl, 16 Visagino 10-15 Arundhati Kulkarni, girl, 13Rosenparken 41 4761 Vlsagnas LI.THUANIA . clo Dr. Mangal Arun Kulkarni9240 Nibe, DENMARK Int: readmg, cookmg, mUSIC, drawmg 10 Indranil Apt. AInt: horses, music, friends, writing Ann Murzina, girl, 14 Station Road, AurangabadRanna Yang, girl, 18 Viltis Street 2-40 Maharashtra,431001 INDIAMikkijalstrod 15, FR-100 Torshavn Visaginas LITHUANIA . Int: dance, swimming,languagesFaroe Islands (via DENMARK) Int. EnglIsh, sewmg, drawmg _Int: horses, volleyball, riding, reading Natasha Rudskaja, girl, 14 ~".......

H. Visagino 16-43 ~~,Q)~RUSSIA 4761 Visaginas LITHUANIA ~,~ ~jl~ .

Olga Abramora, girl, 13 Int: biology, music, English l~~ • 'Hello! My name ISMira St. 9, Apt. 163 Olga Strib, girl, 14 and ~ ~ Olga. I am 13. MyNovororonezh, Voronezhskaya Reg. Sasha Strib, boy, 15 ':~ interests are reading,396072,.RUSSl~ . . Rat 18, Yaunistes Street ~\~.~~ swimmng, carving,Int: readmg, carvmg, drawmg, musIc Visaginas 4761 LITHUANIA .~ drawing, music, and friends.Ira Abramora, boy, 11 Int: sports, knitting, acrobatics, Eng. I was born the 15th of Sept.,Mira St. 9, Apt 163 Julia Samsonova, girl, 14 1981. I like animals very much.Norovoronezh, Voronezhskaya Reg. Visagino 10-40 I have an aquarium, but my39607~, RUSSIA Visaginas 4761 LITHUANIA favorite animal is a monkey. It isInt ammal, especIally horses Int: piano, English, dogs, dancing a pity that I have no monkey.Nadia Mirutenko, girl, 12 BELARUS My family consists of fourg. Petrosavodsk, Lynacharskogo Str. . h' k . I 13 members. They are my mother,14 Kompoks Box 53 Marma Z m 0, glr, f h . d I I I' .185005 RUSSIA 23-1-371 Odmtsova Street my at er, my sIster an . Ive 111

Int: swimming, choir, stamps, cards 220018 Mmsk, BELARUS Novovoronezh. It is a small townOlga Koshmar, girl, 14 on the bank of the river Don. My4-77 Mendeleev Street town is very clean and nice. The220037 Minsk, BELARUS streets are broad and straight.Int: sports, dancing, music The houses are tall and modem.Nasty Koshmar, girl, 11 I am studying in the 8th form4-77 Mendeleev Street of the school No.3. I have a lot220037 Minsk, BELARUS of friends in my town, but I wantInt: track, music, pets, animals to have pen friends from otherAnna Borovtzova, girl, 13 countries.23-1-367 Odintsova St. Good-bye!22008 Minsk, BELARUSInt: animals, dance, math, reading Olga Abramora,

Novororonezh, RussiaValentin, 12, Nadya, 9, andAlesha VoItchkov,7. All at:Minsk, P.O. Box N 539220141, BYELORUSSIA

THAILANDStudents in Thailand want pals.Write to them: clo Hilary Hibbeln,Na Khayad Wittayakarn School,Tambon Na Khayad,Amphur Khuan Khanun, Phatthalung93110 THAILANDGirls: Jiraporn Onlking, NongnootDuangruang, Thussanee Kongkate,Monrudee Sukchoo, JantanaRattanapan, Ratrigan Ruampaeng (all13 years old), Funnapar Kawekhao,Patcharin Nujin, PhusadeeSungkong, Mattana Siranan,Watcharyeeya Palakul, SuphapTemklieng, Rattikorn Kongtong,Wirawan Manai, Nantana Phaochoo,Rattaya Kedna, Kanjana Kaewtong,Gaesawn Sootsaooang, GanikarKuhnrong (all 14 yr old).Boys: Manoon Kangkaew, SommartKhwunsri (all 13 yrs.), TerdsakTansekaew, Yuttana Jun-Aeid,Taweesak Suktong, Manote, SuthonEenjow, Chuchuay, TeeryayootNuylets, Weerachan Khwunsri,Satian Kurwing, Yongyut Chutong,Jasadawut Seenuanit (all 14 yrs. old).

UKRAINE

USAKatie Freeley, girl, 1243 Southbourne Rd., Jamaica PlainMassachusetts 02130-4632, USAInt: riding horses, reading, karateAngelica Vanassse, girl, 1211 Bunker St.Seekonk, MA 02771 USAInt: sports, animals, art, culturesMiss Mary Laporta, girl, 151515 Meadowbrook Dr.Syracuse, NY 13224 USAInt: Spanish speaking palSummer Wright, girl5720 Satterlee Rd.Lakeview, Ml 48850 USAInt: science fiction, horses, JesusAndrea Baldwin, girl, 9115 Daffodil Dr.Horseheads, NY 14845 USAInt: swimming music, dolphinsReid Baldwin, boy 11115 Daffodil Dr.Horseheads, NY 14845 USAInt: soccer, cartooning, computersBen Jolley, boy, 10Caroline Jolley, girl, 8Helen Jolley, girl, 8, all aJ:

15170 NW Perimeter DriveBeaverton, OR 97006 USAInt: camping, bikes, books, swimMaura Szigethy, woman, 4015 Oriole StLake Peekskill, NY 10537 USAPrefers another woman to write to.

FINLANDHanna Akerlund, girl, 13Fransviksv.11468560 Eugmo, FINLANDInt: animals, football, gamesViola Sundvik, girl, 14Sundviksv. 48625830 Vastanfjard, FINLANDInt: prefers Ice hockey crazy boys pI.

LITHUANIALina Vaisetaiti, girl, 14Rygos 29-242017 Vilnius, LITHUANIAInt: nature, being outdoors

Anneli Backman, girl, 13Torsten Karlssons vag. 569633 Askersund, SWEDENInt: dance, singing, animalsSanna Persenius, girl, 12Torgrimsvagen 1275440 Uppsala, SWEDENInt: books, animals, flowers, musicSara Hagberg, girl, 11Havregardsgatan 19783 32 Saber, SWEDENInt: horses, friends, ridingSophie Oberg, girl, 11Lovstedtsvag 13S-237 34 Bjarred, SWEDENlnt: singing, piano, animalsEleonore Johansson, girlLjungsgardsuen 6226050 Billesholm, SWEDENlnt: horses, disco, scouting, readingAnna Drozdowska, girl, 13Eriksbo Ostergade 2542434 Angered, SWEDENInt: music, geography, moviesMaria Nilsson, girl, 15Vetekornsgatan 37S-431 46 Molndal, SWEDENlnt: disco, travel, music, soccerJessica Sundberg, girl, 14EkJiden Hedensberg72595 Vasteras, SWEDENInt: pets, music, clothes; girl prf'dNaima Frankel, girl, 11Birgersjobergsgata 61256 54 Helsingborg, SWEDENInt: gymnastics, piano, girl prf'dMikaela Forss, girl, 13G. Wennerbergs.v.9811 40 F.B.G., SWEDENlnt: boys, music, football playersLinnea Olsson, girl, 13Odonstigen 577636 Hedamora, SWEDENInt: singing, piano, judo, basketballLena Norr, girl, 13Lovov.63S-19461 U-V, SWEDENInt: singing, reading, friendsAnna Karin Johansson, girl, 12Kalvlyckan 882730 Ljusdal, SWEDENInt: boys, sports, music, friends

HELLO! We are a group of 18students, ages 13-14, and we go toFredricksbergsskolan school. Theschool is located in a small town inSweden called Falkoping. We studymany different languages and havevaried interests (friends, music,pets, sports, reading... ). We wantpen pals from all over the world!Boys: Johan KarlssonRobert Nykvist, Stefan HellbergDaniel Thornqvist, Robert LarssonJonny Edwartz, Erik SvenssonJohan lives, Per NilssonMarten Lund, Roger StromGil'ls: Emma Lind, Anna AstrandEmma Nordstrom, Evin AkrawiVlora Avdyli, Carola Gustavsson,Sussane Peterson, Annika Strom

Please write us at:

Fredricksbergsskolan 34Gunnel Bergkvist52144 FALKbPING, SWEDEN

1996 Youth Honor AwardsWe are pleased to announce the Third Annual

Youth Honor Awards program to recognizecreative writing, artistic abilities, creativity andcommunity service. Ten awards are given tostudent groups and youth 16 and under.Winners (announced in the Autumn Issue) willreceive five multicultural and/or nature books, asubscription to Skipping Stones and a Certificateof Recognition.

Writings and artwork: Should promotemulticultural awareness, nature and ecology,social issues, peace and non-violence. This yearthe theme is Envisioning the World in the Year2025. Your dreams, hopes, pictures, predictions,and/or visions for the human race in the year.2025. You can be as realistic or as creative asyou choose to be. Go beyond scientific andtechnological advances that could be predicted.

Send your compositions (essays, short stories,etc. under 750 words, or poems less than 30 lines)typed or neatly hand-written. Non-Englishwritings are equally welcome. Original artwork(drawings, cartoons, paintings or photo essayswith captions) limited to 8 plates.

Include your name, age, school and homeaddresses on each page.

Youth Organizations: Tell us how your clubor group works locally to: a) enhance the qualityof life for low-income, minority or disabledpeople, b) preserve nature and ecology, or c)improve racial or cultural harmony in your schoolor community.

Guidelines for Entries: Send your entrieswith a cover letter, a certificate of originality(from a parent or teacher), SASE and a $3 feefor each entry (yes, you can send more than oneentry; simply follow the guidelines for eachentry.) Everyone entering the contest willreceive the Autumn issue, Vol. 8#4, containingthe ten winning entries. Low-income entrantsand subscribers get one free entry.

Send your entries on or before 25 June 1996.

Skipping Stones ~.Honor Awards ~~~P. O. Box 3939 .,. 7Eugene, OR 97403 '"Tel. (503) 342-4956


Ukrainian dishes are tasty. Have you ever hadborsch, dumplings, or vareniki? Try them!

-Katya Kievskaya, 12, Kiev, UKRAINE

Riddles From LatvijaThe English language club of Rigas, Latvija,

sent in these riddles for you to fiddle with.

1. It has no arms and no legs, but wears a shirt.2. This is a big, beautiful mountain. You cannot

climb over it, nor go around it.3. You beg for it to come, but when it comes,

you run away from it!4. What has no arms, no legs and moves on its

stomach?5. I have strengh under ground, and beauty

above ground.6. He is a white, little man who runs along a

board leaving a trail behind. Do you get me?7. What can be given to another without so

wishing?8. It has teeth but no mouth, a back but no

stomach.9. It knows every language and can repeat

anything you say.10. One goes, two show.11. It's yellow and round with a hole in the middle.

Sometimes it brings joy and sometimes sorrow.

Answers:1. a pillow 2. the sky 3. the rain 4. a boat 5. a tree 6. chalk7. a yawn 8. a comb 9. an echo 10. a shadow 11. a wedding ring

A Guide For ~1995 Youth Honor Awards

Skipping Stones created the Youth Honor Award program in1994 with the goal of actively promoting multicultural andecological awareness among our young people. When shared withpeers, youth writing and artwork becomes a forum for communication, wherein youth's creativity and activism can inspire andempower others to create and act as well. The winners featured inthis issue exhibit a particular clarity of expression and insight intoimportant issues. It's our belief that these entries will inspiremeaningful dialogue: around kitchen tables, in classrooms, incultural organizations, or in the future pages of Skipping Stones.

Teachers can foster an ongoing exchange of ideas byincorporating the Honor Awards program in the curriculum.Not only can the awards serve as an incentive for writing and artassignments, they can also spark social studies and history lessons,civii rights and community projects, and environmental andinternational studies.

Ways in which you can utilize the winning entries

WESTRIDGE YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP is anexcellent example of what kids can do if inspired and guided byteachers and/or mentors. Many teachers have helped their studentsbegin worthwhile social service, nature and ecology, multiculturalor international awareness projects. Use this example to challengeyour students (or children), to define an attainable goal and to guidethem in reaching that goal.

FLOWERS. Poetry is a powerful tool that can be used notonly to express our feelings and experiences effectively, but alsoto modify or alter behaviour patterns. Bryan's language arts andcreative writing teacher writes that she is using poetry to help himcatch up with his grade level in communication, to overcome hisshort fuse and low self-esteem. BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE andthe art by Young Artists of Rockford Middle School remind us tosave the endangered species, and to preserve the beauty anddiversity of the natural world. Use these poems and art to bringinto focus our social responsibility:

RACIAL AND ETHNIC PREJUDICE is an ideal essay toget your students engaged in a meaningful class discussion onprejudice, racial tensions, discrimination, affirmative action,California's Proposition 187, the history of the Southwest (in theUnited States). How can we achieve racial and ethnic harmony?

A1isha's poem SARAJEVO describes vividly the atrocities ofa war, a civil war. Yet she ends with a plea for action; it's nottoo late to do something to stop the war in Bosnia. In this 50thAnniversary year of the United Nations, use this poem to discusswhat should be the response and responsibility of the internationalcommunity. How do your students see the role of the UN, the US,other powerful countries in progressing toward peace? Not only inBosnia, but also in Haiti, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Northand South Korea, and other countries? Monette and Mark (page 16)give us examples of what we, as individuals and as citizens of theworld, can do to help people caught in war or natural disasters.

How is the struggle for peace similar or different in other partsof the world? Does the meaning of peace change from place toplace? How might living in other countries and cultures expandor limit your view of how peace can best be achieved?

Charlene's poem WALLS expresses her longing for personalfreedom. The government of Nelson Mandela has outlawed racialdiscrimination in South Africa, but an environment conducive for

personal freedom and individual growth is still lacking for many.Ask your students to share how they feel about the opportunitiesthey see for themselves, for their personal growth and satisfaction.

DAY OF THE DEAD--DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. Eachculture, each religion observes and celebrates life in unique ways.Celebrations and the details of the celebrations are our windows tothe many cultures that thrive in our world. Use this entry (and thephoto-essay on pages 18-19) to get your children to share theirown favorite celebrations from their culture or religion. Theymight do written, oral or audio-visual presentations. And,Skipping Stones is always ready to serve you as your students'forum to share their creative work with others.

Finally, you might use the winning entries from 1994 and1995 as examples (of essays, short stories, poems and art) thatyour students could study before creating their own entry for 1996.Challenge the kids to write a thoughtful story, make a movingargument, compose a powerful collage, act out a dramatic script...that allows them to express their feelings and visions creatively.

The theme for 1996 Youth Honor Awards is Envisioningthe Life in the Year 2025. While exhibiting an excellencein creative writing and/or visual arts the entries should go beyondtechnological fixes, emphasizing multicultural or internationalunderstanding, cultural and ethnic diversity within humancommunities, and/or sustainability and ecological stewardshipconcepts. We encourage you to enter (by June 25, 1996) severalentries that your students create during this school year. TheYouth awards also recognize children's groups who work to makechanges in their school, community, or environment. We inviteyour recommendations for exemplary persons and projects.

Each entry should have a certificate of originality from theteacher and/or parent, a visions and dreams statement from theauthor/artist, and a $3 entry fee. Send an SASE if you need moreinformation or have specific questions on Honor Award guidelines.

UN, UNICEF and HUNGER: Use some of the questions onpages 25 and 28 in your classes to begin discussions or units.

We are exploring the idea of publishing a Parents andTeachers Newsletter, a forum for you to exchange your ideasand experiences with other parents and teachers. What would youlike to see in such a newsletter? Your ideas are most welcome!

Recommended Resources• Green Teacher, (Subscription $27 from POBox 1431,

Lewiston, NY 14092 USA or 95 Robert St., Toronto, ONT MSS2K5, Canada) Issue no. 43 has a special feature section, "The UNat 50: Should we care?" HigWy recommended for teachers.

• On Wings of Peace (See Page 30 for a review.)• The Barefoot Gen Series (four volumes) by Keiji Nakazawa

describes the Hiroshima bombing through the eyes of a youngboy. (New Society Publishers, USA and Canada)

• Hiroshima Maidens (WonderWorks, Public Media, Inc.). Anexcellent video on racial prejudice, the atom bomb, and teenagers.

• The UN and UNICEF, US Committee for the UNICEF (seepage 28), as well as UNA-USA and UNA-Canada, have manyresources and lesson plans for schools. (UNA-USA PublicationsDept., 485 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017, or UNA-Canada,130 Slater Street, S-900, Ottawa, ONT KIP 6E2 CANADA)

• The United Nations Family Activity Book (pembrokePublishers, 538 Hood Rd, Markhham, Ont. l.3R 3K9, CANADA)


Fetching Water in Gujrat, India -Photo by Paul Quayle, Hiroshima, JapanWe take fresh drinking water for granted. But in many developing countries in Asia,Africa and Latin America, over a billion people do not have access to adequatedrinking water. Since women and girls do much of the household work, they mustfetch water everyday for drinking, cooking, cleaning, washing... Rivers and streamsin villages, and public water taps in cities, fill buckets or urns like this one.

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