Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Niall Palfreyman <niall.palfreyman@fh-weihenstephan.de> (by way of
Nan Lux)
Subject: War and Peace

Hi, Everybody!
I am a member of a Pax Christi group here in Germany. Pax Christi is a
catholic-based group (but nevertheless working together with other
religions and denominations), which works towards peace and conflict
resolution in all walks of life. Our group is looking this year at the
ways in which we create an attitude of violence in children through the
role models we present them with. We will be making various
presentations on this topic to different groups during the course of the
coming year.
In relation to this effort, I am interested in any materials (news
items, stories, activities or SD models) which address the idea that the
world and the individual are intimately interlocked. It is very easy for
the individual to think that his/her actions have no bearing on the
state of peace or war in the world, yet the whole idea of SD is that the
actions of individuals can have an enormous impact for good or ill on
the systems of which that individual is a member. I am looking to create
a 10-20 minute presentation which brings home the idea that each and
every one of us can have an effect on the world, and I want it to be
clear that this effect can lead either to war and violence or to peace.
Anything and everything you can pass my way would be useful. What would
be wonderful would be if I could demonstrate this idea with an
interactive STELLA model in the presentation.
Can any of you help?

Thanks,
Niall Palfreyman.

---------------------------

Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Khalid Saeed <saeed@WPI.EDU>
Re: Announcement of two things

Dear colleagues
I am writing about two things:
1. Mass Academy is an honors public high school operated under WPI umbrella
that admits students from Mass and trains them free of cost for their
junior and senior years. I am in communication with some of the teachers in
Mass Academy and they are enthusiastic about using system dynamics.
Mass academy offers one year visiting positions to teachers in the Mass
public school system that cover their remuneration at their existing rates
of pay. Please contact the Academy Director Robert (Bob) Salvatelli for
application into this program. Bob can be reached at rsalv@wpi.edu.
2. Mass academy is organizing the 14 Annual Professional Conference
focusing on Morphing Education by Infusing Technology on March 29-31.
Please see details at
www.massacademy.org/ncsssmst
I notice there are a number of sessions on systems modeling and STELLA
listed in the conference program. This conference might interest our
colleagues in high schools as well as the STELLA folks.
I hope you can circulate this information on your respective networks

Tracy Benson
Waters Foundation
Tucson, AZ

------------------------------

From: "Marion Brady" <mbrady22@cfl.rr.com>
To: "k-12sd" <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: War and Peace
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001

Niall wrote:
> I am a member of a Pax Christi group here in Germany. Pax Christi is a
catholic-based >group (but nevertheless working together with other
religions and denominations), which >works towards peace and conflict
resolution in all walks of life..... In relation to this >effort, I am
interested in any materials (news items, stories, activities......
Niall,
Here's an excerpt from one of my Orlando Sentinel columns you might be
able to use or adapt:
"In the real world, the world we're trying to help the young understand,
everything connects to everything. We want a pair of socks. Those
available have been knitted in a Third World country. Power to run the
knitting machines is supplied by burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels
contributes to global warming. Global warming alters weather patterns.
Altered weather patterns trigger environmental catastrophes. Environmental
catastrophes destroy infrastructure. Money spent for infrastructure
replacement isn't available for health care. Declines in the quality of
health care effect mortality rates. Mortality is a matter of life and
death. Buying socks, then, is a matter of life and death."

s
Marion
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End of January, 2001