Peace on earth begins in the hearts of children

It's a stretch, maybe even blasphemy, to compare anyone to Mother Teresa (I was raised Catholic, I know). Still, she and Vanessa Stone have been on my mind lately as I have come to learn about the Amala Foundation. Stone is the gentle force behind this non-profit organization that has, at it's heart, the devotion and privilege to serve children around the world.

Sure, we've all heard about such philanthropy before, but allow me to explain just how this group is changing the world child by indigo child.

Imagine if your childhood years had been devoted to honoring what dreams were in your own heart. Do you like music? Do you like to watch plants grow? Do you like physical activity? What makes your heart sing? Imagine adults nurturing what you knew intrinsically that you came to this planet to do.

If you had that kind of attention and nurturing, what kind of person would you be today? Would you be in your bliss? Would you have peace and tolerance and compassion towards all fellow humans? Imagine what the world be like if all children were raised in this way. Imagine it happening on a global level, and that in a few short years these children will be ruling the world. Stone believes that the world is ready for that much compassion and peace.

The Amala Foundation is a multi-pronged organization. In addition to the annual children's camps in Austin Texas, their base, and in Hawaii, in August 2008, Amala will hold it's annual Global Youth Summit near Austin. Children from around the world come to engage with each other and become ambassadors of peace to their own country. These future leaders take part in the Global Youth Summit, and return to their native countries as Ambassadors of Peace and Unity, planting seeds of global healing.

Additionally, Amala Foundation's Living Water Project has installed two water wells in a remote Nigerian village and a third well is to be installed this year. This project has helped that community overcome such debilitating problems as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery.

A new project is addressing the problem of child labor by launching a school in the Bhatti Mines, one of the most impoverished areas of Delhi, where people live with no drinking water and children are forced to turn to child labor to support their families. The mission of the school is to provide occupational skills, promote self-reliance and empower the children emotionally so they can take control of their lives.

The Amala Foundation was started by a group of people looking for a deeper life. Stone never realized it would grow into an international organization. "We decided to start a children's camp and initially 32 kids turned up and it was a really profound experience," she said. "So then I decided we should start a non-profit so we could get free crayons."

From free crayons to schools, fresh drinking water and schools in poverty stricken areas. Check out Amalafoundation.org.