About

My Story.

Hi, I’m Chris – I’m a dad, a veteran, and a Washington, D.C. dweller. I was always into politics and world affairs, but when I had kids (three of them!) I realized that many of the values I try to instill in them every day are really values of peace: caring for one another; listening to those who are disadvantaged; speaking with an open heart; taking responsibility for our own communities. So, in order to do that, I started talking to them about some heroes of mine who advocate for peace, and after a while of doing that, ta da! The idea of a book was born.

As a professional, peace is an ideal that involves a complex set of strategies, communications, and international policymaking. But as a father, I needed to find a way to introduce some of these ideas to my own kids, who are not ready to watch the news but definitely are ready to receive the messages that these leaders conveyed: caring for one another; listening to those who are disadvantaged; speaking with an open heart; taking responsibility for our own communities. In reality, even throughout difficult times and in societies with conflict, peace resides in every corner of the world. My hope is that the profiles in The Art of Peace will spark conversations between readers at every level, and as children grow and reach new milestones the conversation can expand to meet their changing thoughts about themselves and their communities and that these great leaders, who can perhaps serve as an example of what ordinary people can achieve, and what it means to be a global citizen.

My Hope.

I hope the book gets readers (and listeners) thinking and talking about this thing called “peace.” It may bring up ideas you never knew your kids had when using the parent/teacher guide you start discussing: What does peace look like? What does peace sound like? Where can we find peace in the world? What is the language of peace?

The Illustrations.

While working with the text, I knew the illustrations would be a big challenge. Then, I met Hazel Quintanilla – a fantastic artist and designer who happens to have a love of collage.

When Hazel and I connected about the book’s spirit and her fantastic collage work, I knew her artwork and the writing would be a good match. We started talking about the book and the idea that most of the peacemakers have been profiled widely in many places – I really wanted to showcase a unique artistic style like Hazel’s while highlighting the story of each person, but without trying to create exact replicas of their image.

The idea is that everyone, even people who are famous, or powerful, came from somewhere just like every person reading the book. And included in the book is an artist’s note from Hazel, where she speaks in plain terms about the way she approached the illustrations, giving readers an added perspective and inspiration to make their own art!

Hazel’s approach is very in sync with the book: with very thoughtful elements, she created illustrations to put the language in context and help kids to relate to the text. Even now, after seeing so many images repeatedly, I find myself looking at the details in the illustrations, and finding something new.

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The Stretch Goals.

$15,000 - Help us reach more kids!

If we reach $15,000, we will have the resources to launch The Art of Peace Project: a project to sponsor book readings and activities in at least 10 schools and communities, empowering kids to express through their own art and words what peace means and looks like to them, documenting the process and allowing young people to share their voice! Through my work I have cemented relationships internationally and we would work with communities in the U.S. and abroad, staying connected to the wisdom of the heroes in the book.

$25,000 - An Art Exhibit!

The next goal is to put that original art by young people on display in an art show! Since our creation was inspired by the lives and ideas of peacemakers, we want to put on an art exhibit to showcase some of the works from the book but more importantly, feature original works by people involved in The Art of Peace Project with a local – international collaboration. If we reach $25,000, we will be able to do this. Of course all our backers would be invited to attend!

$40,000 - A Youth-driven Film to Share!

If we are fortunate enough to reach $40,000, we want to create a short film that highlights perspectives of peace from people all over the world: how they see peace both in small steps close to home and big ideas for the world. We plan to document the project and include some of that in the film too. All of our backers will have first glimpse of the film online, and will be invited to screenings and events, and if we meet this stretch goal, backers who give $100 or more will be listed as a major contributor in the credits!

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The Swag.

We Recognize AND Reward Our Backers!

For our Kickstarter Backers, carefully selected rewards have been caringly grouped into Pledge Packages above. We worked really hard to put these cool incentives together with the hope that they will convey our sincere gratitude for your pledge!

To give you an idea of these “swag” items, some are pictured below. Check it out!

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In addition to our English Version, Here are a few sample illustrations of languages above: (top to bottom) German, Spanish, Italian, and French.

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How Kickstarter Works

Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing model; if we don’t reach our goal by the end of the fundraiser, your account will not be charged, so "Back This Project !! "

To pledge to a project, just click the green “Back This Project” button on this page. You will be asked to input your pledge amount and select a reward. From there, you will go through the Amazon checkout process. Note that you must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded. Again, some people run into trouble completing their donation-- If you encounter a problem, please contact us through our website at www.theartofpeacebook.com

Now available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK.

Here’s a link to the Kickstarter Frequently Asked Questions

For more information

Visit us at www.theartofpeacebook.com