First Place National Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades
(Tie)

What Peace Means to Me

This recipe for peace, I hope you will enjoy. Everyone should make it, man, woman, girl, or boy. Just get a baking pan the size of your heart. You don't preheat the oven so you should be able to start. Spread some love on the bottom of the pan, just about an inch. Sprinkle on some loving smiles, just a pinch. Add 5 ounces of sharing and take out all hatred and hurt. Now, stir in a world of people that are not mean or curt. Put in 16 teaspoons of caring, animals, flowers and fun - and presto - a creation that is #1! The ingredients in this recipe are words that explain how I feel about beautiful peace, now, go share your masterpiece meal!

Kristen Lynne Soltis Fourth Grade, age 9
Blankner Elementary School, Orlando, FL
Teacher: Jan Cate

What Peace Means to Me

Peace means friendship and love, caring and understanding. Peace is in every quick little kiss, and every great big hug. You might find it in a misty rainbow, or in a beautiful sunset. But you will always find it in your heart. It may be right on top of everything, or way, way down at the bottom. No matter how hard you try and deny it, it's always there, in your heart. If you share my feelings, try and find the peace in you. Speak out to people, let them know how you feel. Thoughts of peace and freedom will spread throughout the world.

Peace may be just around the corner, or ages and ages to go. But it will come. Peace will come.

Michael Telem, Fifth Grade, age 11
Krieger Schechter Middle School, Baltimore, MD
Teacher: Idaline LIpsky

Second Place National Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades

What Peace Means to Me

Peace to me means not to be judged because you look and act different.
No matter how you look at it, they're still humans as you and I.
Look at peace as a basketball game, but none the less the most important game of life.
Time's running out.
Do you want to be a hero for peace or one of those people who think they're cool because they ran down some mother's poor baby?
I ask the question again, do you want to be a hero or a zero?
The choice is yours.

Terrence Payne, Fifth Grade, age 10
Brighton Elementary, Brighton, TN
Teacher: Ms. Workman

Third Place National Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades
(Tie)

Peace

Put it all together it spells P.E.A.C.E.

Marcus "Allen" Taylor, Third Grade, age 8
Beach Elementary, Panama City Beach, FL
Teacher: Glenda Tyson

What Peace Means to Me

To me, peace is something that comes from the inside. When you are at peace with yourself, you can be free to be peaceful towards others. When you are at peace with yourself, it means caring and loving. It also means appreciating and accepting yourself and other people.

Peace means joy, and hope of life. Peace isn't always easy. Sometimes it's difficult, but it's a goal we must each try for.

"Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me," is part of a song, and it's true that this is where peace must begin. Peace means respecting ourselves and respecting others, even if they are different from us or disagree with us. If you feel at peace with yourself, you can act peacefully no matter what happens, and that is how peace can be created.

Leila Mohr, Fourth Grade, age 9
Marquette Elementary School, Madison, WI
Teacher: Mrs. McGilligan-Bentin

What Peace Means to Me

What peace means to me is people being like a herd of cows grazing peacefully, not charging or hurting each other. Just eating and mooing among themselves. No killings or dangers of getting hurt by the others, just walking along and resting sometimes. But like I said before, they dont' hurt each other. This is what peace means to me.

Jon Hall, Fourth Grade, age 10
Green Valley Elementary, North Richland Hills, TX
Teacher: Marylyn Hoffman

First Place Florida Winning Essay

Due to a great overflow and overwhelming response in the number of essays submitted from the State of Florida in The Radiance Technique & Radiant Peace Association International's Third Annual Peace Essay Awards, in addition to selecting the Region 6 winner in the National awards, the Judges have agreed to add Second and Third place winners in the State as well as to select a number of Honorable Mention award winners in the State. The First Place winner will receive the Regional winner's award for Region 6 in the National Awards, and additional Awards will be made for Second and Third Place in Florida.

First and Second Grades
(Also National Second Place Winner)

Peace in My Daily Life

Peace is to be kind, to care, to be positive, to listen, to be friendly, to love each other; that's what peace means to me.

Nicole Williams, Second Grade, age 7
Crestview Elementary School, Miami, FL
Teacher: Neida Perez

Second Place Florida Winning Essay

First and Second Grades

P eople sharing and being nice to each other.

E veryone is different and that's ok!

A loving feeling.

C aring for one another.

E veryone should make PEACE!

Rebekah Elliott, Second Grade, age 7
Tarpon Springs Elementary, Tarpon Springs, FL
Teacher: Mrs. Billiris

Third Place Florida Winning Essay

First and Second Grades

I work for peace in my daily life by helping people to get along and to share so that they can live together in peace.

Leonard Anderson, Second Grade, age 7
Crestview Elementary School, Miami, FL
Teacher: Neida Perez

First Place Florida Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades

What is Peace?

W ars. If we keep having wars, there isn't peace.
H appiness. If there's happiness throughout thw rold, there's peace.
A nger. If there's anger, there isn't peace.
T rying. We must keep trying to keep peace in the world.

I gnorance. If people are ignorant, there isn't peace in the world.
S implicity. It won't be simple to bring peace to our world, but we must try.

P acifist. If everyone were a pacifist, the world would be a better place.
E nergy. We are going to need a lot of energy for peace on earth.
A bracadabra. Wouldn't it be wonderful if magic words could bring peace.
C o-exist. If we all learn to co-exist, or live together peace- fully, the world would get better.
E nemies. If everyone were enemies with one another, the world wouldn't be very pretty.

This spells peace. Do you know what peace means? We all have to help bring peace to us.

Allison Colbert, Fifth Grade, age 10
Westchester Elementary, Coral Springs, FL
Teacher: Mrs. Juleen Pump

Second Place Florida Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades
(Also National First Place)

What Peace Means to Me

This recipe for peace, I hope you will enjoy. Everyone should make it, man, woman, girl, or boy. Just get a baking pan the size of your heart. You don't preheat the oven so you should be able to start. Spread some love on the bottom of the pan, just about an inch. Sprinkle on some loving smiles, just a pinch. Add 5 ounces of sharing and take out all hatred and hurt. Now, stir in a world of people that are not mean or curt. Put in 16 teaspoons of caring, animals, flowers and fun - and presto - a creation that is #1! The ingredients in this recipe are words that explain how I feel about beautiful peace, now, go share your masterpiece meal!

Kristen Lynne Soltis Fourth Grade, age 9
Blankner Elementary School, Orlando, FL
Teacher: Jan Cate

Third Place Florida Winning Essay

Third through Fifth Grades

What Peace Means to Me

Peace has many different meanings. If I had to choose one thought about peace, I would probably say peace within oneself is the most powerful kind of peace. This kind of peace is achieved by being calm in difficult situations, by being friends with others, by feeling good about yourself, and by being happy with who you are. If everyone had this kind of peace, the world would be a better place to live. But, if people do not have peace within themselves they can have a bad attitude, and become violent. They also could be lonely and have a low self esteem. Therefore, I have concluded that if we all have peace within ourselves, we will have a much better time on Earth.

Kyle Wellmaker, Fifth Grade, age 10
Glendale Elementary School, Vero Beach, FL 32968
Teacher: Mrs. Susan Lessard