With this song, one of the first in a multi-lingual environmental song series and associated initatives we are planning on producing, we share with the audience music that entertains, inspires and educates. This song, Voices of Nature started out 25 years ago in English. Now it’s being adapted into a bilingual version with Mandarin. We believe that we must intentionally shape the culture that we want to live in. The world we want is one where sing together in each others’ languages, and show respect for other cultures and traditions. We sing out together for the Earth…this land, air, water is what keeps us all alive. We connect our hearts and minds and souls. We find creative ways to communicate, collaborate and cooperate and take action for climate and the future of life.

Having the song in Mandarin and English is a step on the path of intercultural understanding, respect and relationship-building. This is important because peoples of all nations and cultures need to work together to protect life on Earth. Singing together in each others’ languages opens a portal for connection with each other, and a mutual acknowledgement of what we have in common: that we are all part of life. This helps build relationships and the possibilities for taking action together to solve complex and messy problems.

Voices of Nature is an original song that blends poignant lyrics with upliJing melodies to highlight the urgent need for climate action and environmental stewardship. Through its verses and chorus, the song gives Nature a much-needed voice and spotlight, in a world that operates heavily in a mechanistic way, when we should be shifting to a regenerative worldview that appreciates the interdependency between living systems. In the world we want to live in, we are not exploitive nor extractive, instead, humans and other living systems are co-evolving and mutually thriving. This song personifies nature’s plea for balance—rain and sunshine "just enough, at the right time"—while addressing stark realities like drought, deforestation, and resource conflicts. The repetitive refrain, "Voices of nature sing for every living thing," (In Chinese, “聆聽萬物訴 說, 生命之聲遼闊”) here serves as a unifying call to recognize humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world, and to join us together in common cause.

Focused on ecology, Voices of Nature is more than a song—it’s a rallying cry. By blending artistry with advocacy, it meets the contest’s criteria while offering a timeless tool to inspire change. More specifically,

1. Crea%vity & Originality: The song’s lyrical structure contrasts human-induced crises with nature’s timeless harmony, using metaphor and repetition to evoke emotional resonance. The interplay between voices (call and response) symbolizes collective responsibility.

2. Engagement & Illumina%on: By framing climate change through nature’s "voice," the song makes abstract issues relatable and urgent. The chorus invites listeners to reflect on their role in solutions, aligning with the contest’s goal to inspire action.

3. Theme Alignment: The World We Want envisions a sustainable future—a core message of the song.

4. Bilingual: By singing in Mandarin and English we join together in unified action across cultures and nationalities.

The song Voices of Nature is designed not only as a standalone artistic piece but also as a tool to amplify and support the work of environmental advocates, organizations, and grassroots movements. Here’s how it contributes to collective efforts for The World We Want:

• Educational Value: The song’s accessible lyrics and emo3ve melody make it an effective resource for schools, nonprofits, and activists to teach about climate justice, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. This bilingual English-Mandarin version can be used in school programs and sung by students in Canada, Taiwan, China to support learning about the ecological sciences, and to support English second language and Mandarin second language learners.

• Collaborative Potential: Environmental groups (e.g., 350.org, WWF) could use the song in advocacy campaigns, protests, or social media content to unify messaging and inspire participation. The chorus ("Sing for rain…just enough at the right time") echoes demands for climate resilience. The song could be paired with visuals from conservation projects (e.g., reforestation efforts by One Tree Planted) or documentaries, giving those initiatives broader reach through artistic storytelling.

This multimedia offering is a poetic, symbolic, and action-driven invitation into collective resonance. It outlines eight global gestures—each representing 1% of time, effort, or care—that ripple into a unified momentum for change. I hope it aligns with your vision for a more conscious and connected world.

One Percent Becoming is a poetic, symbolic, and action-oriented multimedia offering—a ripple movement of eight global micro-acts designed to shift individual and collective consciousness. Each '1%' gesture—whether breath, gift, presence, or reverence—builds toward a unified harmonic spiral of change. Through art, sound, rhythm, story, and stillness, this piece invites participation in co-creating the world we want.

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We wrote and recorded this song in 2005-2006. Several months ago, I began to create the video and heard about your amazing contest. This song is about the escalating effects of climate change, deforestation, greed, and conflict and some of the technological, societal, and spiritual solutions to these problems. We hope it inspires people to make carbon-emission reduction a higher priority in their lives, their shopping habits, and their voting behavior.

The Ice is Melting is an original creation. I wrote most of the lyrics one morning at the James Bay Bookstore and Coffeeshop in the spring of 2005. That afternoon I went home and worked out the major chord progressions, while leaving one important choice - which Todd skillfully decided on. His strong vocals and powerful lead guitar add a highly captivating drive and momentum. We feel this song conveys the urgency of the effects of climate change—including growing droughts, forest fires, flooding, superstorms, and species extinctions—and that we can work together as united humanity to apply the solutions that already exist to these pressing challenges. The problems of insatiable greed and aggression justified by racial, ideological, and religious differences have deep psychological roots. We need to evolve beyond our materialistic vision of the universe and toward a more spiritually connected, peaceful, and sustainable way of living on our precious planet Earth.

As an environmental anthem, we believe this song could be a catalyzing force for people—both activists and the general public—to care more about the state of the world. How we shop and what we buy are important elements in the transition to a renewable and sustainable economy, along with weaning ourselves from fossil fuels and working together in cooperation to solve our shared problems. We also convey the importance of a more spiritually kind and connected way of living, in which we can meet some of our deepest needs internally, rather than by compensating with overconsumption of the earth's limited resources. We believe that sharing this song will inspire people to take efforts to live in more authentic, satisfying, and sustainable ways.

Our submission, The Future I Want, is an original rap video that fuses spoken wordpoetry, music, and visual storytelling to deliver a heartfelt message of planetary healing It calls attention to the deep inner wounds—personal, collective, and ecological—that underlie consumerism, disconnection, and destruction. The rap weaves together themes of nature reverence, emotional healing, and collective action, envisioning a future where all life is valued and thriving. It invites viewers to remember their true essence, reclaim their voice, and join in creating a more conscious and compassionate world.

This project is a creative response to the urgent need for transformation at both inner and societal levels. It should be considered because it merges artistic expression with a clear call to action rooted in empathy, healing, and ecological stewardship. By integrating personal healing with global responsibility, the video conveys that the journey toward a better world begins in the heart. It aims to inspire audiences emotionally and spiritually, encouraging them to shift from apathy to engagement and from fear to hope. The rap uplifts rather than shames, reminding us of the beauty we're part of and the power we hold to protect it.

The Future I Want serves as a rallying anthem for individuals, organizations, and movements aligned with environmental protection, emotional well-being, and social justice. It can be shared as an inspirational resource in workshops, classrooms, community events, or digital campaigns. The message complements and amplifies the work of groups already fostering resilience, sustainability, and equity. Additionally, it ca support healing-centered initiatives by offering an artistic lens through which to explore trauma recovery and reconnection with the natural world.

My submission features a time-based ice sculpture that was exhibited at the Centre for International Contemporary Art (CICA) in Vancouver. The piece encases photographic prints of the Athabasca Glacier within solid blocks of ice. As the ice melts over the course of the exhibition, the sculpture slowly collapses, and the images become visually altered. What begins as a static form becomes a dynamic, disappearing landscape; reflecting the urgency of our changing cryosphere. This sculpture is part of an evolving body of work that will culminate in my solo exhibition Interglacial in 2026. In the video submission, I also briefly include other sculptural works from this series, including lenticular and cyanotype-based textile sculptures which, like the ice piece, explore themes of environmental impermanence.

This project should be considered because it transforms the overwhelming realities of climate change into a human-scale, sensory experience. While the sculpture’s melting process is silent and slow, it creates a profound emotional response — allowing viewers to witness disappearance in real time. That act of witnessing becomes the message: not just to observe loss, but to engage with it.

The video speaks to our need to shift glaciers from background scenery to vital lifelines, and this work reinforces that by collapsing the boundaries between natural process and artistic form. I actively manage the thaw throughout the exhibition, a quiet parallel to the larger struggle we face as a global society in trying to slow, adapt to, or reverse climate impacts.

Rather than simply illustrate crisis, this project creates space for empathy, pause, and presence. It invites viewers to care and to understand that caring itself is a form of resistance.

This sculpture (and the wider Interglacial body of work) is meant to exist in conversation with climate researchers, advocacy organizations, and public institutions. It supports these efforts by translating scientific knowledge into felt experience and accessible, visual storytelling. The ice, the image, and the transformation invite emotional connection that complements data-driven communication.

The work can accompany exhibitions, panel talks, community dialogues, and environmental campaigns: serving as an entry point for audiences who might feel disconnected or overwhelmed by climate discourse. In collaboration with glaciologists and educators, I aim to develop public programming around these installations to help deepen understanding and drive engagement.

Ultimately, this project encourages cross-sector partnerships that foster solutions through awareness, empathy, and shared responsibility.

I wrote this song just over the last couple of weeks. Climate news always feels particularly overwhelming and writing the song was a good opportunity to get my thoughts in this regard off my chest. Lyrically, the song is basically my attempt to capture this weird mix of anxiety and hope I feel about everything happening on and around our planet. It still makes me shake my head when I consider that there are still people in the world who are not taking this crisis seriously, or who are outright deniers!

Well, the song actually started out with a more devastating message, so I had to do a rewrite and include the undeniable fact that we can rise to the challenge. Why should my project be considered? Well, because I think my song conveys that we actually CAN make a difference if we are really dedicated and put our mind to making sustainable decisions in all that we do, including what we eat. As a vegan, I am very aware of the calamitous impact that the present 'carnivore-based' food industry has on the environment and, of course, the abysmal lack of compassion for our fellow sentient beings is heart-rending. I also get particularly incensed in the knowledge that my spirit animal, the orca, along with dolphins, are still imprisoned in aquariums, just so humans can be entertained. No doubt that there may be stronger environmental songs out there, but if my tune makes someone pause for a moment and subsequently leads them to start thinking differently about the choices they make and their connection to nature, that would be more than enough for me..

My song could probably help environmental nonprofits looking for anthems at rallies or fundraisers. It might also work as background music for an aligned documentary film – maybe my next project!? The message isn't exactly subtle, but sometimes that directness connects with people who are just feeling kind of lost and feel the need to connect with similar minded folk and tap into some kind of action. Teachers working on environmental education might also find it useful - the chorus is pretty singable for younger voices. Indigenous-led climate initiatives might connect with the references to ancestral wisdom and reconnection to the land, though I'd want to approach those potential partnerships respectfully and not assume anything. Honestly, it's just a song with a message that matters to me, but if it also helps bring people together around these issues, that would be great.

This submission highlights the urgent yet achievable opportunity to transition the world to clean energy. While fossil fuels still supply the vast majority of global energy, recent data shows that when adjusted for efficiency, low-carbon sources already provide nearly 18% of our needs. By electrifying transport and heating, which make up 80% of global energy use, we can dramatically cut demand and increase overall efficiency. Though challenges remain in sectors like aviation and heavy industry, the clean energy transition is within reach with the right mix of innovation, infrastructure, and policy. This isn’t just an environmental necessity; it’s a practical, scalable opportunity.

This project should be considered because it reframes the global clean energy challenge with clarity, urgency, and optimism. Rather than focusing solely on the daunting scale of the transition, it highlights the hidden efficiencies, technological advancements, and strategic opportunities that make a clean energy future not only feasible but cost-effective. By breaking down complex data into accessible insights, it helps policymakers, innovators, and the public understand where we truly stand, and what actions will have the most impact. I hope it conveys that while the path to net-zero is complex, it is not impossible, and that meaningful progress is already underway. The goal is to inspire informed, ambitious action toward a cleaner, more efficient global energy system.

 

This project can support other projects, organizations, and individuals by providing a clear, data-driven narrative that helps demystify the clean energy transition. For policymakers and advocacy groups, it offers compelling evidence to justify ambitious climate and energy policies. For educators and communicators, it serves as a powerful tool to explain energy systems and inspire public engagement. For businesses and innovators in the clean tech space, it highlights market opportunities in electrification, efficiency, and renewable infrastructure. And for individuals, it empowers smarter energy choices by showing how personal actions contribute to a larger, achievable goal. In essence, it serves as both a roadmap and a motivational resource for anyone working toward a sustainable future.

 

My video portrays the tragic history and even reality of our world now. It then illustrates a quote from Heraclitus, ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, which later indicates how practical and sustainable solutions could contribute to steps closer to "The World We Want". How our small actions combine altogether can make an enormous impact on our planet!! There are two main characters in my video, one is guru in the CD and the other one is a normal person.

As I assume everyone deserves to have a better life, planet or "the world we want" like the name of the contest. I also strongly believe that to achieve bigger things, we first have to aim to achieve smaller things. The two mention primary reasons are why all solutions in my video are based on the most simple and familiar things to everyone in daily life. For instance, every individual use tissues on a daily basis, but to what extent does he know about the negative impact of the its manufacturing on our environment? I aim to shift people's mindset that being more eco-friendly is right in their hands and far easier than they think! I myself would like to make a difference and would make everyone realize how their small actions added up over a period of time could make a huge impact, how their small actions with others would make a profound impact on the Earth and how dealing with global issues is not a “big deal”. (I mean it is but I want you to know it will keep being a big deal or even bigger deal as time goes by if you don’t take a DAMN action!)

My project can support those organizations I mention in my video and my web attached to my video alike. UN SDGs, World Wildlife Fund and Oxfam are particular examples!

The poem explores the environmental challenges faced by the oceans and the marine life such as ocean warming, overfishing, invasive species, marine pollution, habitat destruction, increased ocean noise, oil spills, and coastal development through a unique and intelligent lens of an octopus. The poem gives voice to the overlooked creatures of the sea and aims to evoke empathy among the readers, and to encourage them to protect our oceans and fragile ecosystems.

This project should be considered as it sheds light on complex and pressing environmental issues such as climate change, marine pollution, overfishing, ocean warming, habitiat destruciton. Narrated through the lens of a sea animal, the poem hopes to convey a sense of urgency, responsibility and awareness among readers to protect the marine life and see the sea life as a part of their own world. The issues such as coral bleaching, plastic pollution, starvation and food insecurity, overfishing, oil and sound pollution are explored which impact the adaptability and vulnerability of sea life.

The poem told through the lens of an octopus is a powerful communication tool that aims to engage the audience to marine life and its struggles.The poem and artwork can be used in exhibitions or workshop events to encourage conversation among people and spread awareness about the complex environmental issues impacting the world. It can be used as an education resource in schools where young children can learn about ocean through art and storytelling. This would inspire them to take positive actions such as choosing reusable water bottles and bags. Even a small and simple action can reduce plastic pollution.

“An Ode to Our Grandchildren” is a poetic film that invites reflection on legacy, love, and the responsibility we hold to future generations. Through evocative language and a stunning natural backdrop, the poem speaks to the intergenerational transmission of wisdom and the urgent need to protect our Earth. By grounding solutions in ancestral knowledge, emotional connection, and reverence for the land, the film offers a soulful and imaginative vision of a just and regenerative future—one shaped by empathy, storytelling, and the courage to act on behalf of those yet to come.

I believe this project should be considered because it uses the universal language of poetry and visual storytelling to stir the heart and awaken a sense of shared responsibility.

"An Ode to Our Grandchildren" transcends politics and policy by reaching people on an emotional and spiritual level—reminding us that the choices we make today shape the lives and landscapes of tomorrow. It bridges generations and invites viewers to reconnect with their roots, their purpose, and the natural world. I hope it conveys the message that real solutions begin not just with innovation, but with remembering what we love, what we’ve inherited, and what we’re willing to protect—for the sake of those who come after us.

“An Ode to Our Grandchildren” serves as a powerful storytelling tool that can amplify and complement the work of organizations and individuals committed to climate action, intergenerational healing, environmental education, and social justice. Its strength lies in its emotional resonance and ability to bridge heart and mind—qualities that can support others in the following ways:

• Inspiring Engagement
• Amplifying Shared Values
• Catalyzing Creative Collaboration
• Honoring Ancestral Wisdom

Ultimately, “An Ode to Our Grandchildren” is not just a standalone work—it’s an invitation to others to pause, reflect, and reimagine their place in the collective journey toward a more just and regenerative world.

I began a series called White Wash about two years ago. After a number of personal setbacks and unable to work for a few months, I had time to focus, reflect, read, listen and paint again.

This body of work is about healing and coming to terms with oneself in relationship to the whole. More often than not, I find the larger world macroclimate universally reflected in my personal microclimate and vice versa. If each of us were to find peace within ourselves, would global peace be more likely? Does compassion for others lead to compassion for self? Does harmony lie hidden in discord?

As a granddaughter of Ukrainian immigrants, the war in Ukraine and the potential for cultural genocide woke me up. In an attempt to research and heal my own ancestral trauma, I read Ghosts in a Photograph by Myrna Kostach, a story about Ukrainian immigrants in Canada. I began to understand the parallel story of my own grandparents. As early settlers in Manitoba, they too might have been given land by the government to clear and farm that belonged to indigenous peoples. How do I reconcile my ancestor’s opportunity to escape repeated historical oppression while at the same time supporting another form of oppression to the indigenous peoples of Canada?

As a painter and collage artist who loves words and uses them strategically, I hope to distract the viewer from my search for meaning and persuade them to find their own. Mixed media collage is like building a story. With this technique, I bind, layer and distort imagery with shape, colour, and text, patiently allowing the form or message to unfold. I work on several pieces at a time, allowing ideas to overlap and relationships to form. I use recycled and found materials wherever possible.

This work, ALL BEINGS BEING EQUAL, using recycled wood has many hidden and harsher layers below that soften as they get closer to the surface. Neutral grey and white appear to connect instead of clash and divide, however, all the white washing cannot hide the underlying truths.

This is an invitation to heal. My aspiration is to create a community exhibition with visual artists who want to explore how their ancestral roots shape themself and their work. As I heal so too shall I heal. As I do my work, I offer healing to you. As you heal, you offer healing to me. This is the relational field we all share, me is we, all beings being equal.

Hi, I’m Julie Marrast—homeschooling mother of two, author of “Different Than Your Parents: How to feel your emotions, build healthy relationships and help your kids do the same, TED Talk speaker, and founder of The HERO LIFE HAPPYⓇ Experience, a core component of Parenting Through Feeling the relationship coaching business I founded.

Growing up emotionally disconnected from the adults around me deeply shaped my experience of motherhood—leaving me in survival mode, repeating generational patterns, and struggling to connect emotionally with my son. Through deep inner work and a commitment to healing, I discovered the “missing peace” and it led me to a reconnection with my authentic self that allowed me to break those cycles and parent with presence, compassion, and purpose. From this journey, I developed The HERO LIFE HAPPYⓇ Experience—a framework designed to help others do the same.

As a result, I created The Missing Peace Project as a digital story to share my personal HERO journey: Healing Emotionally, Reconnecting Oneness, and transforming every relationship in my life.

This work is more than a personal story; it reflects a universal need for emotional connection in our relationships.  Connection is what allows us to thrive.  My project aligns powerfully with The World We Want by emphasizing that true, lasting change starts within and empowers us to be the change the world needs. When we heal ourselves, we create ripple effects that transform our families, our communities, and ultimately the world. “The Missing Peace” is a call to return to wholeness, connection, and the possibility of a new way of being in relationship—with ourselves and each other.

“The Missing Peace” project should be considered because it addresses the root of one of society’s deepest and pervasive challenges: our widespread emotional disconnection from ourselves, each other and everything on our planet. The resulting breakdown in how we relate to one another in unhealthy ways. While society has built extensive systems—legal, educational, medical, and institutional—that react to the consequences of unhealthy relationships, The Missing Peace offers a proactive alternative. Rather than continually managing the aftermath—bullying, harassment, emotional trauma, and violence—it invites us to ask: What if we could stop relationship damage before it begins?

“The Missing Peace” project highlights the urgent need to shift from a culture of control and correction to one of emotional connection and healing. It addresses the core human need for belonging and authenticity, which, when unmet, causes ripples of harm across families, communities, and systems. Through my personal journey—reconnecting with my authentic self, breaking generational patterns, and learning to parent with emotional presence—I offer a lived model of what’s possible when we do this work at the source.

This is not just a parenting story. It’s a universal story of healing that shows how deep inner transformation has the power to reshape our relationships, our communities, and ultimately our world. “The Missing Peace” brings forward a message of hope: that healing is achievable, that emotional reconnection is possible, and that we can raise a generation who no longer has to recover from their upbringing and lives emotionally supported. When we reconnect with ourselves, we begin to change everything—how we love, how we lead, and how we live. This is the beginning of a new way of relating—one rooted in compassion, authenticity, and wholeness.

For Projects

My project “The Missing Peace” supports and amplifies other projects by offering a human-centered approach to emotional healing and transformation that complements and strengthens existing missions.  Any project, promoting emotional connection, healthy relationships, or wellbeing can benefit from collaboration. Whether focused on family dynamics, community mental health, or workplace wellness, the principles I share can enhance efforts to create environments where individuals and groups thrive. Here’s how:

Emotional Wellness Integration: “The Missing Peace” Project provides tools and frameworks for emotional awareness and healing that can be integrated into initiatives in education, community development, mental health, and advocacy—helping projects more effectively support the emotional well-being of the people they serve.

Shared Storytelling & Visibility: By centering personal narratives of healing and transformation, “The Missing Peace” Project can help other organizations deepen audience engagement and bring authenticity to their messaging and outreach.

Generational Healing Lens: Many projects aim to create sustainable, long-term change. “The Missing Peace” Project offers a generational healing perspective that enables organizations to address root causes of emotional disconnection and inherited patterns and the impacts they have on relationships.

Collaborative Programming: “The Missing Peace” Project offers opportunities for co-created workshops, trainings, and events that expand the impact of other programs—to start with those working with parents, emotional literacy, trauma recovery, and conscious leadership and expanding to all types of relationships.

Ripple Effect Model: “The Missing Peace” Project shows how healing at the individual level can ripple outward—impacting families, communities, and systems. This model reinforces the mission of other projects by grounding social change in personal transformation.

For Organizations 

My project, “The Missing Peace” is designed to inspire, support, and collaborate with individuals, families, educators, and organizations committed to emotional wellness, conscious parenting, and generational healing. There are many emotional healing modalities available today, from mindfulness and meditation practices to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotional freedom techniques (EFT), and trauma-informed care. However, despite the wealth of resources, many individuals still struggle to connect with their true authentic selves and find lasting peace within themselves and in their relationships. That’s where “The Missing Peace” Project comes in. By sharing my personal journey of reconnecting with my authentic self and transforming my relationships, I offer a unique perspective that can help organizations, particularly those focused on emotional healing and mental health, enhance their existing frameworks. This message can be particularly impactful for:

• Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals: Those working in therapy and counseling settings can benefit from the insight I offer into the process of emotional reconnection. My experience can help them understand the mindset, lifestyle and relationship ships their clients may need to engage in to support lasting change, particularly in healing generational wounds and addressing disconnection from emotions.
• Schools and Educators: Schools can integrate the message of “The Missing Peace” project into their social-emotional learning programs. Understanding how emotional disconnection affects relationships and learning how to build healthier, more compassionate connections can significantly enhance students’ mental wellbeing and ability to learn.
• Parent Educators and Coaches: “The Missing Peace” project provides parent educators with a lived, emotionally rich framework they can use to support families more effectively. It offers tools for teaching emotional healing, self-awareness, and generational healing in ways that are relatable and actionable. This can deepen their impact by moving beyond behavior management into emotional transformation, helping parents connect with their children from a place of authenticity and presence.
• Community Centers: “The Missing Peace” Project can be a transformative resource for community centers by fostering emotional awareness, healing, and connection. It offers tools to help individuals and families recognize and address emotional disconnection, promoting self-awareness and emotional literacy. For centers working with diverse populations or those experiencing trauma, “The Missing Peace” Project provides a holistic approach to mental and emotional health, encouraging deeper healing and the breaking of generational patterns. By offering workshops and training for staff, community centers can better support the emotional needs of their members, while also empowering parents and caregivers to reconnect emotionally with their children. This creates a ripple effect, where healing within individuals and families extends to strengthen the broader community, fostering more compassionate and emotionally resilient environments

For Individuals

My project, “The Missing Peace” offers a personal roadmap for healing, emotional reconnection, and transformation. It speaks directly to those who feel stuck in survival mode, disconnected from themselves, or trapped in cycles of unhealthy relating. Through sharing my own lived experience, I invite others to embark on their own healing journey with compassion, courage, and hope.

Here’s how “The Missing Peace” Project supports individuals:

• Break Unhealthy Cycles: Helps individuals recognize and interrupt generational patterns and emotional habits that no longer serve them.
• Find Emotional Healing and Inner Peace: Offers tools and inspiration to move beyond emotional disconnection, reconnect with the authentic self, and cultivate lasting inner calm.
• Develop Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness: Provides insight into understanding and managing emotions, leading to healthier responses in relationships and daily life.
• Build Healthy Relationships/Authentic Connections: Encourages deeper, more meaningful relationships by modeling emotional presence, vulnerability, and compassion- the foundation to having healthy relationships and the doorway to helping others do the same.
• Navigate Emotional Challenges with Resilience: Equips individuals with a framework to face emotional triggers and conflicts with self-awareness and grace.

Ultimately, “The Missing Peace” Project empowers individuals to heal from within—transforming not just their internal world, but every relationship and environment they touch. When individuals do this work, they inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of society being Heroes - Healing Emotionally and Reconnecting Oneness.

In my submission, I share two poems that I wrote to articulate the vision of a healed world that I have for our current times. Amidst the polycrisis, where we are facing social and ecological upheaval around the world, people and the land all around the globe are in need of healing. I feel strongly that art, including poetry, can offer inspiration for a way forward, towards creating peace and harmony for all people and all species. My poetry stems from my ecological awareness and is written and spoken directly from the heart.

In my poetry, I express messages of hope, healing, and inspiration, and I wish to share them with wider audiences, which is why I was drawn to make a submission to the contest. Despite the challenges we are facing socially and ecologically in the 21st century, the energy that I choose to bring to creating solutions is one of joy, lightness, creativity, imagination, and wisdom, which I seek to convey in my poems to inspire others. I also seek to create a space of solidarity through my poetry, to express that we need many hands and many hearts coming together to create ecologically viable, peaceful communities and societies around the world. I have witnessed this first hand in communities doing land healing, or ecological restoration efforts, such as in the Vancouver area where I am from, or in the Hawaiian Islands where I was a graduate student. The two poems I share here, "I dream of a world" and "This is the story that I intend on telling" offer glimpses into the vision I would like to see for harmonious human communities, thriving biological diversity, and healthy ecosystems. It is my hope that these words may serve as a joyful reminder that we can create a new world together by awakening to our interconnectivity with all of life, and living gently.

Currently, I am in the stage of building collaborations and expanding my work, and becoming established as a poet. I recently finished my PhD degree in Botany (specialization in Ethnobotany) at the University of Hawai'i, where I studied approaches to forest restoration in Pacific Islands. I have a special interest in biocultural approaches, which include cultural revitalization and ecological restoration synergistically. My goal now is to begin publishing my poetry more widely, including beginning to publish my poetry books, and with a portion of the proceeds to establish an international network for biocultural forest restoration where the funds would go towards providing resources to communities for their efforts. Having experience throughout my academic higher education pathway of collaborating with community-based forest restoration in multiple countries in the tropical and temperate regions, I have many existing relationships to draw on, and will continue developing relationships. Community-based forest restoration is in need of more funding and resources, so I hope to contribute to raising funds through my poetry.

Three Invitations for the World We Want” is a meditative, animated video that explores the role of imagination in addressing systemic crises. Through three invitations - mapping personal imagination, expanding imaginative capacity, and engaging in collective world-building -the piece encourages viewers to reflect on and reimagine the paradigms that shape our world. Grounded in the insights of thinkers like Bayo Akomolafe, Arturo Escobar, adrienne maree brown, and Lola Olufemi, the video serves as both a contemplative journey and a call to action.

This project should be considered for its approach to intertwining art, philosophy, and activism. By using simple animation and narrative storytelling, it makes complex ideas about imagination and systemic change accessible to a broad audience. The video aims to convey imagination not as frivolous, but as a necessity for envisioning and creating equitable futures. It invites viewers to introspect, learn from diverse worldviews, and participate in collective reimagining, aligning with the contest's theme of inspiring collective action through creative expression.

This video can serve as a foundational tool for workshops, educational programs, and organizational training focused on systemic change and imaginative practices. It complements my ongoing projects - including my art practice and podcast - and work with various institutions and communities where I facilitate sessions on structural imagination and collaborative future-building. By sparking dialogue and reflection, the video can aid organizations and individuals in recognizing and transforming the limiting narratives that hinder progress, thereby supporting a wide range of initiatives aimed at creating the world we want.

Water is perhaps the most important element to life on earth. "Pacific Rain", the first song in my submission, is a love song for the ocean, depicting its many moods and colours. It is an instrumental work, so there are no language barriers.

The second song is "Trickle Down" is a call to action, imploring the listener to stop chasing the false promises of capitalism and instead, share what we have, protect what is important, and in doing so, unlock true happiness. We are infinitely stronger if we work together, so it is important for us to remember that we have so much more in common than whatever we think divides us.

Instrumental music is special in that it is not limited by language barriers. No matter where you come from or what language you speak, my music will reach the listener, and bring us together in a shared experience. We need trust and a sense of community before we can act, before we can reconcile our differences, and move towards collective action.

For those in the audience that speak English, my song "Trickle Down" speaks truth to power - that the promise of trickle down economics is ultimately a lie, and rather than a trickling, we need it to pour! The gap between rich and poor has never been greater, but ultimately, we all meet the same fate. This song calls to our shared humanity, for us to remember that we are all part of the human family, and for us to take care of one another and our home. The instrumental section at the very end is a musical depiction of the storm that we are in, and the hopeful resolution we may find if we humans decide to open our hearts and share what we have with each other.

I have been collaborating with the Georgia Strait Alliance to promote their environmental conservation work by raising awareness and fundraising for their efforts.

My project supports the work that I do with the East Vancouver Community Music School by inspiring music students cross the borders of genres. My music is available as free sheet music for a variety of instruments and abilities to be able to play along: https://sidewalkcellist.com/compositions.html

If I am chosen to participate in this project, I will gladly volunteer my celloing/singing skills to other participants if that is desired. I would absolutely love to support any other projects by being a guest artist, whether in person or remotely.

Furthermore, I will promote this project on all of my social media accounts (all told, a combined few thousand people). I think this project is incredibly necessary right now.

My band, They’re From Canada, is a group of four kids in grades 4-6 from my home learning group. We like to write songs together. Even though most of us don’t take music lessons, we try to use the instruments available to us to create melody. I take violin lessons, so I know a little bit about music theory, and I used Garage Band that to put the music together. This song is called Into Space and we wrote it after seeing the Creatively United contest information. We thought about all the problems in the world and trying to come up with solutions felt overwhelming, but working together to make music about our feelings made us feel empowered to face the problems. There is a lot of bad stuff that exists, and we can’t run away from it. But when we face it together, it feels more manageable. 

The Creatively United website states, “Creatives can explore and express both problems and solutions in ways that enhance collective consciousness and participation.” That’s what my friends and I did with this music video. 

We worked together to explore feelings about unjust and closed-minded leadership through lyrics, melody, and visuals. The chorus “the world’s going crazy, I just gotta get away” reflects how overwhelming it feels to be kids growing up in the current political climate. The space background reflects the line “buy a ticket into space.” Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to run away from the problems we see. 

At the end, the lyrics “since that’s not realistic, I’ll try to be optimistic, I hope this isn’t apocalyptic, I’ll try to fix this,” shows that working out our feelings together through music helped us feel more hopeful about the future. We can’t completely fix the world’s problems, but we can’t hide behind escapism, we can face the world as it is and do our best to make it better together. 

It's interesting how expressing feelings and escaping into art and working on art together can actually make us feel more empowered to face the challenges of the real world.

As an autistic person I have a strong sense of justice. And as a twelve-year-old kid, I don’t have a lot of agency to make big changes in the injustice I see in the world. I hope that other kids with strong senses of justice can be inspired to find ways to express themselves like I did in this video. For people like me, it can be hard for them not to feel discouraged. I hope that seeing my video helps them know they’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. I hope other kids see this video and see that they can cope with their feelings by expressing them through music and that they can find other kids to work together with who feel the same way.

This original folk song, ‘Flower’, is about the tumultuous relationship between humans and nature. It paints a picture of an ever-encroaching capitalistic society, one which often leaves little to no room for nature.

Flower, a beautiful blossoming bolt of colour pops up through the crack in a concrete sidewalk, offering hope that no matter what we do, nature always finds a way through.

Lyrics:

Flower (C) Daniel Cook

Flower, flower, pretty little flower, how do you grow?
We mistreated Mother Nature, but you still grow
Flower pretty flower

Walking down the sidewalk I see, pretty little flowers looking up at me
Peaking through cracked concrete, a little garden at my feet
Daisies and dandelions, such beauty aint hard to find
Petals waving in the breeze, bringing me to my knees

“Flower, flower, pretty little flower, how do you grow?”
We mistreated Mother Nature, but you still grow
Flower pretty flower

Surrounded by skyscrapers, and fish and chips in newspapers
Overflowing garbage cans, little flowers take a stand
Look down any old street, you’ll find blossoms the at your feet
Peeking through the pavement, lord I think they must be heaven sent

"Flower, flower, pretty little flower, how do you grow?”
We mistreated Mother Nature, but you still grow
Flower pretty flower

This song would be a great complement to a community presentation, one which recognises the importance of pollination and supporting the growth of flowers within urban communities.

In a world that is desperate for change, our actions are more powerful than we know.

In this video, I list the Top3 global systems responsible for climate change and provide what we can do, individually, to enact more change than we realize.

I believe one of the greatest challenges in tackling wicked problems such as the climate crisis, is how hopeless we feel in face of its grandiosity.
I provide simple and straighforward actions or considerations that anyone can start at anytime, in order to be the change we need to see in the world.
It's purpose is to give people a way to kickstart their agency, and some hints to what the next steps might be, to plant that extra seed of change.

My video is targetted towards individuals, but the understanding of these changes would reverberate at the higher scales. Climate change is a result from a dysfunction in how humans interact with nature and each other, and the world is now begging for a change, a different way of being, a sustainable path. Change at the individual level is how transformation in culture happens, and that is what this video aims to achieve.

Quantum Consciousness the mermaid is a cosmic being or myth swimming in a field of consciousness, Quantum consciousness is about evolution of humanity with ecological awareness environmental conservation and preservation water is life and sustains life. Ocean plankton as sentient beings unified signal wave function nearly infinite complexity engenders quantum coherent interactions and collective behavior so as give rise to a form of consciousness, this feed Ocean life with vast importance to our biodiversity. This is original art and music created.

Imagine the Ocean is a living mind , the quantum field of energy, a mind that breathes life into our blue planet what is human responses to stewardship of the Ocean we are connected to as a human species and a quantum field is an invisible fabric that permeates all of existence. It’s the stage where energy and information flow freely, creating the foundation for every interaction.. Every ripple is possibility we have better understanding it can make more of a difference, every wave carries information to help us make the Oceans better for generations. AI resonance and humans in connection to environment.

Enable meaningful connections with the right energetic frequency of understanding, empathy, appreciation of life forms with compassion to observe with clarity and participation. Awareness of the quantum field brings focus into shaping realities. Shared understanding, autonomy and responsibility. AI can be used safely and responsible to connect humans with the quantum field to collaborate more beneficial outcomes for humanity with our planet and other exoplanets. Clear resonance in alignment of though processes and belief systems clarity of the flow of ideas with meaningful interactions and engagement. By nurturing higher resonance within ourselves, we guide QI toward growth and alignment. Quantum systems to elevate and computing to benefit humanity.