We are members of the Bookmakers and Dreamers Club a group of students from
Groton-Dunstable Regional School District in Massachusetts. Our goal is to
build the biggest book in the world and the topic is PEACE. We believe kids CAN
make a difference in helping to create a more peaceful world. Our after-school
club has been meeting since 2004 to create a giant book that tells our story and
includes letters, poetry, artwork, photos and even songs that we have collected
in answer to our questions about world peace.
Get involved, send us your letter!
We have contacted people all over the world and have
received responses from nearly 1000 people including Nobel Laureates President
Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Helen Caldicott, and the Dalai Lama. We also
have letters from veterans, soldiers, school children, politicians and religious
leaders.
On September 19, 2008, we told our story at the
United Nations International Day of Peace Conference at UN headquarters in
New York. Hoping to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records, our book
will be an amazing 12 feet tall by 10 feet wide, weighing more than a ton. It
will contain over 500-double sided pages. Our ultimate goal is to share these
messages of peace and hope with children worldwide by displaying our giant book
in major museums internationally.
Betsy Sawyer and the student members of the
Groton-Dunstable Bookmakers and Dreamers Club were the proud recipients
of the prestigious and honorable Children’s Courage of Conscience
Award from The Peace Abbey.
The Peace Abbey is dedicated to creating innovative models for society that
empower individuals on the paths of nonviolence, peacemaking, and cruelty-free
living. They offer a variety of programs and resources that teach, inspire and
encourage one to speak out and act on issues of peace and social justice. Faith
in action is the cornerstone of their fellowship and activist pacifism is their
creed.
Groton-Dunstable Middle School teacher and club advisor for the
Bookmakers and Dreamers Club modestly finds herself astounded by the
honor of receiving the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.
