The presentation below is a pictorial overview of Susan Carew the founder and visionary of WorldPeacefull.   The presentation highlights the power of clowning as a peace building approach and peace education as a transformative approach to World Peace.  The overview demonstrates the power of one individual when peace is chosen as a way of life. Susan is inspired by Gandhi “to be the change you wish to see in the World”.

‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ (Gandhi)

A quick summary:

In 1998, Susan dreamed she was teaching peace and her life completely changed.   This journey has lead her to educate herself in Peace Studies to do whatever it takes to learn about peace within herself and then see it in the world.

Susan discovered the clown when she was inspired by Patricia Cameron Hill and Shayne Yates.  This nurse and doctor team spoke of humour and healing and opened the door to clowning in hospitals. Susan spent a year clowning in hospitals. Learning to be a clown was the first step in learning about BEING peace. Clowns offer unconditional love to the public and are a model of peace through humour and harmony. They seek to bring joy into situations and to help people see the humourous side of life. It is an excellent way to reconnect people and to stimulate endorphons. Moreover, clowns create atmospheres of peace and acceptance.

Susan realised that effective peace can only occur through education. Susan produced the REAL HOPE peace, nonviolence and anti-bullying program and a wide range of programs designed to empower and instil peaceful behaviours in children. It is the first of its kind in the world. She has taught in a wide range of schools in Australia and across the world. The programs have been successful with Principals, teachers and children.

Susan was invited to Russia with Dr. Patch Adams the famous clown doctor. It was in Russia that she learned of the peace building through the power of clowning. The clown was experienced as the archetype of peace and generated trust, acceptance, love and friendship. The character, the jester of fool in particular, symbolises the ability to step outside the comfort zone and utilise the inner values that are metaphorically wrapped up in the bundle the fool carries into life. As the fool steps out into life another step materialises. The fool trusts the path of life and understands the purpose of life is joy. The real wealth or value of life is found to be within ourselves as values, peaceful intentions and behaviour.

Susan sought to promote peace through the media as a radio presenter whereby she met and interviewed a wide range of peacemakers and community members, hence exploring the topic from a range of angles. In addition, Susan has been invited by universities, Rotary clubs/district conferences, community groups, peace groups and others to publicly speak about her REAL HOPE peace program. Moreover, she has been interviewed by radio, print media and television stations about her unique work and real hopes for peace in the world.

Her education was furthered when she won a scholarship from a worldwide candidacy to study at Chulalongkorn University on the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program in Bangkok, Thailand.  This both broadened and deepened her view that positive peace is essential for global transformation.

Susan realised peace was not limited to schools and the streets she sought to extend peace into workplaces and created Funny business.  The vision was to create workplaces that are harmonious, conflict resolving and balanced with a focus on wellbeing.

Susan felt inspired to spread the message of peace by travelling the World. She travelling to 19 countries solo across Asia, India, Egypt, Europe, UK, Ireland, USA, Central and South America, New Zealand and returned to Australia. This experience revealed that clowning is a universal language. This experience was shared by inviting locals to clown out on the street. Susan spoke to many diverse people about their perceptions of peace in their lives and the world.

On her return to Australia she decided to travel Australia to offer peace education by donation or free. Both journeys were to ensure she practiced inner peace and fearlessness. The philosophy of peace is until you find peace within you cannot create peace outside yourself. This equally applies to sustainability. Our desire for materialism stems from unmet needs and a grapsing for fulfilment outside of ourselves, rather than realising we are complete within. Gandhi was accurate in his vision ‘to be the change you wish to see in the World’.

Lastly, Susan was invited to India with 16 clowns from a range of countries. The clowns explored interaction with a diverse range of people from orphanages, HIV clinics, with leprosy, deaf, disabled and abandoned. The purpose of clowning is to spread peace by bringing hope, joy, love and a sense of unity to others thereby joining the human family. The space of joy is a place where we break down barriers and strangers become friends. Friendship is advocated by Patch Adams as his number one purpose and was the vision of Paul Harris’s (Rotary’s founder) message which is the foundation of Rotary.