Origin Story
How It Started
Gene Mary Mason Joiner
At the turn of the new millennium, when my mom, Gene Mary Mason Joiner, was eighty years old, she decided to write a memoir: Gene with a “G”. Acting as her scribe, I typed her story into the computer while she dictated and reflected on the major events of her life. When it was finished, she had enough copies printed and bound to give to family and close friends.
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As a witness to that process, I kept thinking what a precious gift of life it represented. I thought, wouldn’t it be a great legacy for every family if each member left a similar history of the highlights and dreams, sorrows and joys of their lives.
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Around the time I turned sixty, I was at a family gathering when someone asked a question about my experience in karate. My niece scooted closer on the sofa to hear my answer, and afterwards I considered that perhaps others might be interested in a story of my life and times. So, following the lead of Gene-with-a-“G,” I began writing my story—as much to keep myself occupied in retirement as offer my life history. But before long, my project took on an additional purpose.
The Story of Peace Literacy
Paul K.Chappell
Over more than ten years, I worked steadily to shape my story. During that time, I learned of the work of Paul K. Chappell, a West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran who impressed me with his vision and efforts to offer a new peace paradigm for our world. As a child of mixed-race heritage and a father who suffered PTSD from his combat service in Vietnam and Korea, Chappell has experienced domestic, racial and war trauma. This resulted in his lifelong quest to find answers to the riddle of war, violence, and conflict.
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Basing his work on leadership models from West Point and the nonviolent philosophies of civil rights leaders, Chappell established the non-profit Peace Literacy Institute (PLI), which asks three fundamental questions: What if…people were as well-trained in waging peace as soldiers are in waging war? What if people were trained to address the root causes of problems rather than the symptoms? What if we taught peace as a skill set, as a life-saving literacy, with as much vigor as we teach literacy in reading and writing?
Through the Peace Literacy Institute, Chappell works with a team of educators to develop FREE curriculum for all ages to teach the capacities, skills, and understanding needed to develop a culture of peace. As part of their ongoing efforts, they are developing programs using Virtual Reality to increase student engagement and lesson retention.
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Because proceeds from sales on this site are donated to PLI, every reader who orders a copy of Eyes Open, Eyes Closed is making a contribution to creating a more peaceful world.peaceful world.