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The Peace School Breathe in “world,” breathe out “peace.” For the last 35 years, The Peace School has been teaching Peace Breathing in all of its practices and programs. The International Association for World Peace, known as The Peace School, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Chicago’s Lakeview community, is a nonprofit educational organization teaching a unique blend of meditation, yoga, noncompetitive martial art, massage and deep-breathing peace breathing exercise that nurtures internal and external harmony in respectful coexistence with all living things. The Peace School,. which has no political or religious affiliations, also sponsors public peace-building events and has been designated a Peace Messenger by the United Nations. The Peace School is the originating sponsor of Peace Day, which began in Chicago in 1978. Charles Kim, President and Chairman of the Board of The Peace School, and son of the school’s founder, says, “Every human being has the ability to become a person of peace and harmony, and every human being is important to the peace-building process on a global scale.” Prior to the formation of The Peace School, MyungSu Y.S. Kim, its founder, was a high school teacher, and later principal, in his native country of Korea. A man of great determination, he was stricken with a number of serious health problems in his early years, suffering from tuberculosis, stomach and intestinal ulcers, a heart condition and painful neuralgia that eventually paralyzed his right leg. Unable to find relief through either Western or Oriental medicine, he nearly lost all hope until his inner voice told him that he must cure himself Having a keen interest in science, brain functions, and herbal and other natural remedies, he happened upon a book, titled Health Secrets Anyone Can Practice at Home. He researched anatomy and both Western and Oriental medicine, as well as ancient methods of breathing, meditation and exercise. Putting these holistic methods into practice eventually saved his life. Within a year, he rid himself of all his health problems except for the neuralgia, which was resolved within another year. He later learned that the exercises that aided his healing dated back to the 5,000 year old Korean practice of yoga, part of the ancient system known as “Shinsundo.” After regaining his health, Kim left the scholarly world of teaching because, in his view, the educational system did not teach people how to be better human beings. In the early 1950s, he started an educational organization that taught martial art as a way to develop a strong mind and body, with the purpose of using this strength for the betterment of society and the world. He was the first in modem times to teach a combined martial art and yoga program, a concept that was initially met with resistance, but later praised. In 1971, with a few hundred dollars in his pocket, Kim relocated to the United States because he felt that if peace could be achieved in this country, it could easily spread to the entire world. He arrived in Washington, D.C., to start a school with this goal in mind. In 1972, Kim moved to Chicago after meeting a Clark Street businessman on a plane ride. Hearing Kim’s discussion of Peace Breathing and creating peace worldwide, the man offered to help house the new Peace School. The school opened its Chicago headquarters at Clark Street and Buckingham under the name “International Shinsundo Association for World Peace,” with programs in Peace Breathing and Exercise and Traditional Martial Art for youths and adults, and later modified programs for seniors and nursing home residents. In 1976 the school became a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. Kim’s vision was to create a Model City of Peace here in Chicago. Peace Day was initiated in 1978 when the school made a request to Chicago’s mayor to proclaim September 7th “Peace Day,” asking all to observe one minute of silence for world peace at noon. In the late ’70s, other cities began to proclaim Peace Day at the School’s request. Over the years, Peace Day has been proclaimed or supported by governors in all 50 states and mayors of more than 540 U.S. cities. In 1986, the Peace School celebrated Peace Year in cooperation with the United Nations. Peace Day expanded widely during the ’80s into Peace Days, Peace Month, Peace Year and the Decade of Peace. In 1987, the school was awarded the designation of Peace Messenger by the United Nations for its “significant and concrete contributions” to world peace, one of just a few U.S. organizations so designated. In 1988, The Peace School moved from its Clark Street space to its current location at 3121 North Lincoln Avenue. Also during the 1980s, the school began “Wish for Peace” meditations, focusing on peace in one U.S. state and one world nation every day, a “Write for Peace” campaign, collecting written peace messages for all U.S. states and all countries of the wor1d, and began erecting “Peace Poles” inscribed with messages of peace in cooperation with Chicago neighborhood groups. “The Peace School” name was adopted in the 1990s, and interest in programs increased. The Peace School continues organizing annual Peace Day celebrations every September, working in cooperation with the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office of Special Events. Peace School training programs have been held in several cities in Japan, resulting in classes that continue today for adults and developmentally disabled individuals. Corporate programs are now being offered, bringing stress reduction methods into the workplace. The Peace School also developed an innovative program for visually impaired elementary school students called “Self Awareness Through Self Defense” and conducted at Otis School. The colorful and moving 2006 Peace Day celebration highlighted flags from the world’s 192 nations, individually presented in a collective call for peace in each nation and worldwide. Plans are underway for this year’s Peace Day event at Daley Plaza on September 21, and volunteers are needed. Another public event, the New Year’s Day Gathering at The Peace School, has been held annually for 35 years as a way to begin each New Year with the goal of peace for all the world. The Peace School suffered the loss of its founder in 1999, and continues to carry forward the school’s mission under the leadership of its President. From the very beginning in 1972, The Peace School has been staffed almost exclusively by volunteers (including both the senior and junior Kim), volunteers who feel compelled to share this work, this energy and this message of peace for all humanity. “Just keep Peace Breathing!” These words were often heard from the founder of The Peace School. Kim’s philosophy was to empower yourself, and not expect to be healed or made happy by someone else. By thinking peace, breathing peace, and creating peace, it’s up to us. After a lifetime of meditation and research, he taught us to inhale thinking “world,” exhale thinking “peace.” Each breath moves us one step closer to harmony and peace, for ourselves, our families, our communities, nations and the entire world. The Peace School looks forward to continuing the work of sharing the message of peace for all humanity, building world peace, one person at a time. To learn more about The Peace School, please visit www.peaceschool.org or ca1l 773-248-7959.
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