Bulgarian Economy Turns From Making Guns to Growing Roses

A valley in Bulgaria's mountains, for decades known for making AK-47 rifles, now has blossomed into a supplier of organic rose oil for beauty products, reviving a centuries' old industry. Every morning at dawn hundreds of villagers hustle through fields of rose bushes to pick fresh blooms still damp with morning dew.

By Jeanne Goddard

02 September 43 Views

Burundi Rebels Agree to Truce Plan

Burundi's government and the country's last active rebel group have signed a ceasefire that has committed the sides to engage in serious discussions aimed at ending hostilities and to reach a comprehensive ceasefire within the period of two weeks.

By Jeanne Goddard

18 June 70 Views

Burundi Rebels Return Home for Peace Deal

Burundi's last holdout rebel group returned to the capital on Friday to begin implementing a delayed peace agreement, reported Reuters.

By Jeanne Goddard

19 May 72 Views

An 8-Year-old Asked, What if the Whole World Made a Painting Together? And it Sort of Happened.

An 8-year old in Virginia asked a question in 1999 after her school created a mural together that made everyone so happy: "What if the whole world made a painting together?"

By Jeanne Goddard

12 January 33 Views

How a 29-Year-old Stockbroker Saved 669 Lives on Nights and Weekends

Milena Grenfell-Baines and 668 other mostly Jewish children were transported from Czechoslovakia to England in order to save their lives before the outbreak of WWII. The man who made this possible was Sir Nicholas Winton. In 1939, Winton, at the time a 29-year-old stockbroker, spent nights and weekends organizing logistics, raising money and cutting through red tape to get children out of Czechoslavakia.

By john hollis

11 July 34 Views

Fun Facts to Celebrate First Nobel Prizes 120 Years Ago: Youngest Laureate, First Woman, Most Wins, Who Declined?

120 years old, the Nobel Prize gave out their first awards in 5 categories, after Alfred Nobel bequeathed money to honor the best of mankind.

By Jeanne Goddard

09 December 30 Views

Soldier's Letter Details WWI Christmas Day Truce 100 Yrs Ago

"Dearest mother, I have seen one of the most extraordinary sights..." So begins a letter from a WWI soldier in 1914 who witnessed the 2-day Christmas Truce. The letter just published confirms a Christmas Day football match 100 years ago today, between warring sides, England and Germany, as seen through the eyes of a soldier for the first time.

By Jeanne Goddard

24 December 33 Views

Palestinian Wins $1 Million Teacher Prize for Life-Changing Lessons on Non-Violence

Meet the woman who grew up in a refugee camp and later opened a school to teach non-violence to kids–and just won Global Teacher of the Year.

By Jim Stout

17 March 41 Views

MLK Day: Ex-White Supremacist Thanks Black Teen Who Said No to Violence in 1996

Arno Michaelis was once a thriving member of the Neo-Nazi movement who frequented white supremacist rallies, until single parenthood and love for his daughter changed him This week he wrote a short tribute to Keshia Thomas, a black teenager who during a 1996 KKK rally saved the life of a white supremacist in danger of being killed by a mob of counter-demonstrators.

By Jeanne Goddard

20 January 34 Views

Woman's Vision for Peace Park Sealed With New Spinning Peace Wheel

A decade after Julie Caldwell had the initial inspiration to build a peace park in Elko, Nevada, the community is spinning the park's final installation, a hand-crafted 3000 pound Universal Peace Wheel, which is filled with thousands of hand-written notes and printed mantras collected by volunteers, and sent in, from people wishing for peace.

By Jeanne Goddard

03 July 29 Views

King Abdullah's Challenge to Congress: Act Now on Mid-East Peace

By any reasonable measure, King Abdullah's speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress was smart and courageous. He spoke of Palestinian rights...

By Sandra Moody

16 March 48 Views

Soldier's Rescue of Orphan Leads to Reunion 40 years in the Making

Kimberly Mitchell's life story has always been missing a few important pages -- like how she ended up in an orphanage in 1970's Vietnam with war raging. She finally knows the story and got to thank the soldier who rescued and named her in 1972.

By Jeanne Goddard

13 April 34 Views

Eric Lomax, War Hero Who Forgave Captors, Dies at 93, Film in the Works

It's an unusual man who can forgive his wartime torturer - or whose quest to do so can touch so many people around the world. Eric Lomax, a former British prisoner of war whose moving tale of wartime torture and forgiveness is being turned into a film, died Monday in England at 93.

By Jeanne Goddard

09 October 35 Views

Newest Subway Hero: 'Snackman' Casually Breaks Up Fight

24 year-old Charles Sonder got on a New York Subway with a bag of cheddar Pringles chips, and a knack for peace. As the train rolled toward its next stop, a fight between a man and a woman broke out; curses were uttered, and punches and kicks were thrown. At that moment, Sonder moved toward where the man was standing, and parked himself there, calmly munching on his chips.

By Jeanne Goddard

14 April 56 Views

Dalai Lama Visits Hawaii, Talks up Peace Through the "Power of Aloha"

The Dalai Lama brought his message of peace and compassion -- and his trademark humor -- to Hawaii, celebrating the coming together of two native cultures. Similar to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the indigenous culture of Hawaii has its own inherent spirituality. He calls it compassion. We call it Aloha, said one participant at the events. The Dalai Lama's visit marks the launch of a new initiative entitled Pillars of Peace, supported by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar

By Jeanne Goddard

16 April 33 Views