We are now surfing a bigger wave than ever before as people in Costa Rica and other countries are responding to BePeace. The energy is moving rapidly and the steps are becoming clearer. Consequently, I want to share an update with those who said they feel called to this vision. In this way, you can "see" with me the important pieces that are falling into place and also what is needed to further manifest
this vision.

Here is how the vision is unfolding on three levels: county, national and international.

County:
In the last three months, we have provided our 40-hour BePeace course to the majority of teachers (218) in our county of Santa Ana. Now they are on fire to put BePeace to work in their schools and many of them want to become BePeace facilitators for the whole school. This year we will work with them and with students and parents to create these BePeace schools.

We are considering how to reach the police and other groups to enroll them in creating an entire BePeace community. We will begin by meeting with the mayor and other officials to invite them to join us in this endeavor and to take the training themselves. I have written to HeartMath to see if they would be interested in measuring the coherence of Santa Ana as part of their Global Coherence project.

National:
After March 1st, we will be able to move our Ministry for Peace bill forward. Once it is passed, the Academy for Peace will work with this ministry to join all NGOs in an alliance to strengthen Costa Rica as a model of peace. When the time comes, the Academy for Peace will be willing to train the NGO leaders in BePeace so that we will share a common framework for resolving differences.

We met with the Association of Business for Development (similar to the United Way in the US) recently and they are wholeheartedly joining with us in the vision of a model BePeace county. Their aim is to support our county model this year and then present it to the Ministry of Education next year as a model they will suggest be elevated to the national level.

International:
I taught a 40-hour BePeace course at Unity Village in January, and the course received rave reviews. They have asked me to offer the same course next January.

I have been invited to be a "key thought partner in the design of a National Peace Academy in the US" at a meeting in Cleveland in April. I plan to attend and am pleased that we will have a chance to share our Academy for Peace and hear other ideas for academies for peace.

The Global Alliance of Ministries and Departments for Peace has asked Costa Rica to host its 2009 summit. A week prior to this summit, we plan to offer a 40-hour BePeace course for representatives from 40 countries who would like to start national academies for peace. This course would provide a first taste of BePeace and we would have a plan in place to follow up with participants.

We are working to establish a complete national model of peace, including a Ministry for Peace with an Academy for Peace teaching BePeace. All those who participate in the 2009 Summit will have the opportunity to learn about and experience this model

This is the clearest vision that we have had yet for strengthening Costa Rica as a model of peace and for sharing that model internationally. Each step is realistic now as the support we need to carry out materializes.

Oceans of peace,
Rita Marie Johnson