Our generation is constantly bombarded with images and news of violence and destruction. This has led our world to become progressively desensitized to the idea of violence. That is why in 1981, the United Nations established Sept. 21 as International Day of Peace to help foster the idea of world peace, which is the ultimate goal of the United Nations.

International Day of Peace serves as a reminder to work toward peace in all forms. This includes within one’s nation, with other nations, with others personally, with the environment and with oneself. Inspired by the International Day of Peace, a pair of high school art teachers in Florida prompted their students in 2005 to make pinwheels and write their thoughts about peace on them. The project soon became schoolwide and has since been adopted by other schools, communities and organizations across the world. According to the Pinwheels for Peace website, 3.5 million pinwheels were constructed and displayed around the world on the 2011 International Day of Peace.

This year, the ISU student organization The Lorax Troop has decided to adopt the Pinwheels for Peace project. The Lorax Troop functions as an advocate for world rain forests. They participate in information distribution, awareness events, fundraising and political action in the form of protests and petitions.

“World peace is just another way of protecting the planet, which is the ultimate goal of The Lorax Troop,” said Sofia Pinero, sophomore in pre-biological and pre-medical illustration and co-founder of The Lorax Troop.

The Lorax Troop will be distributing pinwheels in front of the library from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 21. Members will be educating students about the International Day of Peace and prompting them to write their peace resolution on a pinwheel to be stuck in the ground.

As defined by Pinero, a peace resolution is “what you, as a person, want to do to make this world a more peaceful place.”

The pinwheels will be stuck in the ground in the collective shape of a peace sign, honoring the International Day of Peace. The pinwheels will be made out of recycled plastic sacks ironed methodically to craft fabric. According to Pinero, the sacks are being donated by The Lorax Troop members, as well as ones found around campus, and by any volunteers.

In order to have the pinwheels assembled and ready for peace resolutions, The Lorax Troop is holding a workshop from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, in room 3219 of the Memorial Union. They are encouraging anyone who would like to help construct pinwheels to come. For more information, visit The Lorax Troop’s Facebook page or contact them by email at [email protected].