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 about 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!
NOTE: All letters received by July 15, 2012 will be incorporated into the Big Book. After that date, future submissions will be included online as part of our digital version of Big Book: Pages for Peace so that we can continue to grow our book and our message worldwide.
It was the biggest book, until... WCVB Chronicle Segment, July 25, 2012
First Look at the Big Book June 2, 2012
What an outstanding day we all had during our ceremonies to share a preview of the Big Book: Pages for Peace with our communities of Groton and Dunstable. After more than seven years of hard work, writing to people and organizations all over the world asking them to share their thoughts about peace, we have received over 3000 responses including letters, poetry, artwork, photography, even musical lyrics to include in the giant anthology. The students at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School and our communities celebrated together as we previewed Big Book's first 150 printed pages and the multitude of volunteers that have made this dream come true.
Our founding members, who started the project in 2004 when they were in fifth grade, graduated from high school the night before the June 2nd ceremony which honored the original club members for their dedication to the project and their inspiration to over 180 other club members that followed in their footsteps. The celebration also gave the local communities their "first look at the Big Book" as we move toward its completion this year.
images by Karen Riggert
Big Book: Pages for Peace will be traveling to museums around the world to inspire other children and adults to make a difference and keep the hope of peace alive. Future letter submissions will be included in an online digital version of the Big Book as it continues to grow and spread its important message.
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.
