Clean Water is Sexy

Gentlemen- you have to check out this brand new clothing line. Launched last week (!), One Hundred is a new kind of clothing store, one that is attempting to combine their love of fashion with their love of equality. The clothes produced by One Hundred are not only artistically hipster, they meld block colors with eye-catching designs that coyly hint at their social justice inspiration- water. Love it already? So do we.

Now girls, don't worry, they will be launching a line for more feminine taste (including accessories- yay!) but the men's line was the first to be introduced. The kids at One Hundred use only sweatshop-free shirts, water based inks,

So why the name? One Hundred is adopting an unusual business model, where 100% of their profits will be going to their philanthropic branch called charity: water, which funds access and sanitation projects.  they will be posting their quarterly financial statements on their website.

Happy Birthday, Nelson!

The Peace Report would like to wish a very merry happy 93rd birthday to Mr. Nelson Mandela, former South African President, Nobel Peace Laureate, equality advocate, and avid rugby lover. Originally named "Rohilahla" (aka Troublemaker), Mandela is most widely known for his perseverance through 27 years of imprisonment while opposing racial segregation in his native South Africa. For many, Mandela is a breathing example of success in the constant struggle against injustice and structural violence. The United Nations joined in the celebration today with the second annual International Nelson Mandela Day to both honor his birthday, as well as to inspire groups around the world to organize public service and volunteering events. Happy birthday, love. We hope we get to celebrate many more.

Photo Credit: Reuters

Japanese Gain Hard-Earned Victory in World Cup Final

Japanese Captain Sawa celebrating after equalizing against the US

Congratulations to the Japanese National Team for their stunning victory today over traditional soccer powerhouse United States. During the 2011 Women's World Cup held this month in Germany, underdog Japan continuously defied odds, overcoming physical and technical disadvantages to win it all while competing against the best in the world. Just four months after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that killed 25,000 of their friends, family, and compatriots, and still coping with the effects of nuclear crisis, the Japanese women's soccer team emerged victorious with age-defying Homare Sawa at the helm.


International sporting tournaments have been utilized since ancient times to bring communities together for competition and celebration. Intentionally or not, cups, meets, and games have become an important catalyst for improved international and interethnic relations. In playing sports together, different groups that might normally have little to no access to each other are flung onto a pitch and cheered on to battle it out in a healthy and exciting atmosphere. Especially since the invention of radio and television, global sportscasting has literally brought whole cultures into living rooms and bars across the world.


Think about it. What did you learn from your soccer team when you were little? You learned how to share. You learned how to play by the rules. You learned how to be fair, and you saw your own team penalized when you weren't. You learned that by helping another person on your team succeed, your whole team was victorious. You grew with the other kids, you fought with them, you gained skills with them, you celebrated with them, and sometimes you cried with them. But at the end of the season, you know you forged a bond that isn't easily replicated. You forged a bond of trust that was only achieved through pushing yourselves collectively further than you knew you could. 


These lessons play out several times a year on a global stage in different sporting events and tournaments. As communications becomes faster and more accessible, more fans will be able to share in the drama, delight, and agony that international sports have to offer. For its part, the World Cup has achieved great feats in breaking down barriers between races, and now sexes. Simple traditions, such as exchanging small gifts before the match or jerseys after the match, and holding local children's hands while the team is being introduced, FIFA its World Cup tournament have brought the world closer to institutionalizing acceptance and appreciation of talent, no matter the player. 

A quiet and unassuming team, the Japanese shocked the world with surprising resilience and passion. Through confidence and unique style of play, the Japanese kept the ball and withstood tremendous pressure from #1 ranked United States, while the world was critiquing each move. In this tournament, Japan came back from behind numerous times, each game tenaciously equalizing the scoreboard. With class and talent, Japan showed a higher level of play that did not capitalize on physical force, but instead on skill and strategy. Although their future at home remains unclear, Japan returns after this achievement with their heads held high, knowing that they have brought their country a semblance of a smile. That, in their words, is "the greatest victory".




Thanks to activist Jeff C. for his technical editing and continuous inspiration.

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I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. - Muhammed Ali

Griffin House - I Remember (It's Happening Again)

This is easily one of my favorite songs. Poignant and straightforward, this song resonates with anyone whose relatives were involved in World War II or Vietnam. Connecting past conflicts with the incredulity that we are involved in current deployment overseas, this song is less a political statement than a call for rationality and pacifism. His upbeat guitar melody is a sweet irony to the frustration present in the lyrics.

Love the song and sing along:

My grandpa fought in World War II
My uncle fought in ‘Nam
My father was too young
He went to school and met my mom
And her dad always told us stories around dinner time
And there’s one he told when I was young that sticks out in my mind
He said ten years after daddy taught me bout the birds and bees
I was stranded in Pearl Harbor fighting off the Japanese
When the kamikaze pilots came and dove in without warning
I was on the Arizona on a warm December morning

(Chorus)
I Remember
When I was a younger man
We were soldiers
Fighting in a foreign land
Now I’m older
And it’s happening again

It was hard to have forgiveness for the things they did that day
And our President decided we should make their people pay
So we dropped on Nagasaki and we cut ‘em down to size
And the one we dropped on Hiroshima left them vaporized
And I heard some Christian sing, what would Jesus do
What if you were on the wrong side, would he point the gun at you
And they read through every word of Matthew, Mark and Luke and John
So they could see if killing was the side that Christ was on

(Chorus)

And they separate the church and state
And keep God out of school
So our governments can educate
Based upon their rules
But people start to wonder if our politics make sense
When religion is our best excuse for national defense
And when our citizens start saying that our wars are not okay
And Washington keeps telling them God loves the USA
And they teach us history so we can learn from our mistakes
And this generation wants to know how many years it takes
To change the way we treat our neighbors all across the land
Cause if we don’t change our hearts we repeat the past again

I Remember
When I was a younger man
We were soldiers
Fighting in a foreign land
Now we’re older
And it’s happening again

(Instrumental break)
When my grandpa finished talking
We went walking, he and I
I was thinking of the future and how scared I was to die
Now my best friend’s overseas in the desert where it’s dry
Fighting for our country and I need a reason why

I Remember
When he was a younger man
Now he’s a solider
Fighting in a foreign land
Now we’re older
God bring him home again