Meet Kwabi, founder of The Peace Bus

Okay. uh so it's so great to meet you. I'm in a normal world, we would get to actually sit down in person with each other, but I guess this is our new normal um and I wanna say thank you uh you know and I really difficult time for a lot of communities. It's really cool to see the work you've been doing uh with the piece bus and my team and I we were excited to learn about your work so maybe to start off. I'd love for you to just share with folks um you know tell us. You and and about the peace bus. What's going on Derek? I wanna Thank you so much for having me meeting with me. Yes, in person is what we would like to do, but you know circumstances have us doing otherwise, but it is still great. We were able to see each other eye to eye, which is awesome. Yeah. So my name is and I run an organization locally here in Tacoma called the Peace Bus. What it is We do local humanitarian aid now often times people have this idea of humanitarian being in some place for our Southeast Asia or Africa, or some place like that, and that is humanitarian aid, but what we do is we think that people need. Right here at home and so we try to deliver goods and people in need right here depending on the circumstance, like, for example, recently we've been having a children and families being affected by the Corona virus. schools were closed during the end of the spring and so what we did was we deliver uh cereal breakfast cereal the kids who may not have been able to have access to breakfast, so we do that at local humanitarian aid. We also go to schools and talk. About nonviolence and how they can get along with each other as well as educate them and educating them on interpersonal piece and I'll get on that in a minute and then the third thing we do is we're creating a kid's television program to educate kids on the concept of peace and we can learn with each other and create a dialogue for the subject. So that's what we do. and that's what I've been starting for the last been like almost 2 years and then before that I was doing some campaigning. Yeah. that's awesome. So how did it start What? Tell me how the idea for the Peace bus came about? Wow Derek. That's Uh that's that's a while ago. Yeah. um so I guess I'll start off with um in 2000. 2016 late 2016 I was inspired by this guy named Brian. Have you heard of Brian Howard? Derek No. Okay. So Brian Hall was a peace campaigner from London, England. I've never heard of the concept of peace campaigner I've always been familiar with peace activists activism right, but this concept of peace campaigning came from him and it's this idea of promoting what peace means right. So if you kept us out of Parliament Square in London, England, where they do all the litigation and whatnot and his whole mission for 11 years, he camped out in his home mission was love peace and and and respect for all people because we're human and so he would just camp out and we talked to anyone anyone can come to him and have a conversation about peace and I thought well if I can do this for 11 years. at least I can do is I can have some it can make some posters and go to my local park right. And have conversations with people about peace and what it means to them, so I started going to every Saturday and I would sit there and if you would come up to my booth, I like a little table, these two posters once said, Love, peace and justice for all the ones that war is not the answers. They know the violence and people will often come up and be like um what are you selling And I'm like? I'm I'm not I'm not selling anything. I'm just I'm gonna have a conversation with you about what peace means to you and so this was the beginning stages. This idea of asking the question. I'd say that this was the academic part of my research the field work as you as you would say the field work and I was doing that and then I was attacked by a random man on the street. I think that he was mentally ill and he got in my face. He ripped up my posters and my megaphone all these things and it was about. I'm not gonna lie. I was pretty terrifying but it compelled me to go to different parts of Tacoma and then go to Seattle and then go to um um Vancouver BC and then I went. And San Francisco, so it was a bad instance, but it could help me to move and I had a friend who was stationed in the Netherlands, he said. Why don't you bring your posters and we'll tour Europe and I was like I don't know about that. but you know I've never even been out of the country. I don't know about bringing peace posters right, but it's interesting when you have a sense of purpose, you got this uh spirit inside that tells you that you know go for it and so I brought my posters and I toured Europe asking everyday people. Meant to them to have this dialogue right when I got back home, I was challenged by a friend to make videos talking about my experiences and so I started doing that actually interviewing people in the community I interviewed mayor's of Tacoma, asking her a simple question. What does peace mean to her and um I kept on doing that So I'm always doing research. I'm always doing research um Derek and um I came across this guy named ABA and now have. Okay, I have so yeah. he's awesome too. so it was an Israeli humanitarian and he was a pirate and he flew an airplane from Tel Aviv all the way to Cairo, Egypt to promote better relations between Arabs and Jews right, the other idea that if we can get two people from opposite side of the spectrum in the same space, we have to come up with a resolution. How can we talk and have a conversation? if we can't be together right? sit down. So I was inspired by him, I started taking flight lessons. I wanted to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe and promotion of world peace, so I started taking flight lessons all my instructors. I tell them I actually have my pilot book here all my instructors instructors, I would tell them. I lost you there. I think you muted. There we go, We got your back cool. Alright. so yeah, so I started taking flight lessons. All my instructors were saying you know this kinda like crazy, but they were down to help and I didn't know that pilot instructing is pretty like to take lessons. It's pretty expensive So Clean me out. Derek Clean me out but I'd I didn't let it stop me. I thought at least I have a driver's license right so I decided I was gonna move my efforts and buy a piece bus like an actual band. so I linked up with this guy and. You have this Mitsubishi band. It's pretty rare vehicle 1988 it kinda looks like an egg shape similar to like a Volkswagen bus, but not quite that and I bought it and I got it painted baby blue. I use my income tax to pay for everything and um I've got put the piece on the side now have you heard of this lady named over? I have you heard of her? okay? Alright. I'm taking notes on all of these people have to look after we're done. Growth so the peace program was a lady who walked the uh the United States back and forth. She said she would keep on walking to the world came together and had a how-to a conversation about solidarity and we can come together and talk about peace And she said the color of peace with Blue. so I was like, okay, the bus has to be blue, so I got it painted blue and the idea at first was just to drive it around right driving around and have people look at it and hopefully that they would look it up and research. In the movement right this concept of us coming together, what is that even mean right and so I realized after doing this for maybe a month or so that in the piece bus, there's a big space right where they're supposed to be seats, but there's just nothing there and I came up with the idea of maybe I could deliver goods in my community and I start our first sock drive so we got there maybe $500 just from putting out on the Internet like hey, we wanna buy socks for people in need that are in Tacoma and we went to cost. To cost about the socks right cuz people on the street, we weren't sure if this would be the only pair of socks they get in a couple of months, so we want to be able to make sure that they can keep them and and and and their host them right They stay intact right. so we did that and that was honestly out of all the things that piece bus has done the sock drives have been the most impactful for my stuff to think that we take for granted putting on socks now putting on new socks. There's nothing like it. There's really nothing like it and I we went to um people on the street. Shelters When did this place called congregate care facilities right? these were people who may not have the means to going to a nursing home, but they still need help. they may have severe mental illness and and actually for my job. I'm a mental health counselor. so I go to these places frequently. I'm not doing the bus and I remember one time I was going to one of these places and I was talking with one of my clients right we're outside in the smoke that a lot of these guys like the smoke and they just they just smoke and and just hang out right and there was. Coming in to the smoke deck and it was dirty toe just dirt grime on his face and I'm talking to my clients. I see him sit down and I see sits down his pants rise up and he had the widest so perfectly clean and so I had to stop talking to my client. I was like, Oh I turn to him and I was like Hey man. These are some nice socks and he was like yeah a couple of months ago. You gave him to me and I was like, oh my God what he was. They're the best I ever had, and I was like and just having that moment of understanding the impact something that's small can have someone's life. You know it was huge and so um I know you remember around this time last year, maybe even in the spring of last year, there's a lot going on in the media about the immigration crisis. What were we gonna do about the immigration crisis things going on the border and so what I did, I had this idea that I could drive the piece bus down to the border of Mexico and Interview Border Patrol. About the crisis that's ridiculous right. Derek How I'm not a news agency who who am I right, but I just was inspired like the sense of of of purpose and so I called San Diego Border Patrol told them I wanted to come down with the peace and interview them, they said. No, you can't do. We don't even know who you are. I was like, okay, that makes sense, but I just kept on putting it out there online. Hey, I'm gonna go to the border and I'm gonna be delivering socks and blankets to people in need along the way and try to interview border Patrol and after. Fun started coming in and this concept of this idea started becoming manifesting itself and sooner or later we have enough funds and we left and we we we coined it. The piece was Germany to the Mexican border. We see with host families along with the people. We didn't even know that we're inspired by the piece and the mission that we had and that's where the love was. We stay with people. We didn't even know, but we have the best conversations the most love that was expressed was in those times. We actually stayed in a. Dairy Farm in Nampa with some awesome people, it's just it's good. It's great right so we actually got to interview Border Patrol agents about the immigration crisis, which was amazing. We were able to do this because we were under the umbrella of peace to be able to have these conversations and then when we got back, that's when the media sort of happening for the peace, but is this crazy event that took place at the border to be able to interview border patrol and I use that publicity you go to local elementary schools talk to kids about nonviolence talk to them about the trip and also what they can do to get along with each other and then I was. By a local newscaster to create the show and so right now, what we're doing is we're creating a television show to educate kids on on homelessness incarceration poverty hunger cuz one in six children in Washington right now are dealing with hunger and then also we're telling them how they can help with the environment and we're having our premier actually this Sunday night Premier on Facebook at 730. So that's everything in a nut where can people. Oh yes. So like you see on Facebook live so it will be a Facebook live 730 if they want to uh figure out you know when it is or anything like that. all you have to do is add me on Instagram and there'll be a link to it in the bio or you can add me on Facebook The peace bus just go on Facebook and type the piece, and it's all there and I confess I have watched some of your videos before hopping on to do this video with you and um one seeing. And some of you you're your discussions with kids at elementary school was amazing um and there's there's an adorable kid on your Facebook page. Um yeah. that's what it's all about. That's what it's all about having that conversation for sure, Yeah, I'm prepared to invite you to Congress to talk about how to make peace between Democrats and Republicans. Well, we can do that. I can do that. I mean I'm gladly do that it. It all comes with the underlying premise being peace. I feel like when we have that. Of of the essence of understanding, then we can start talking about resolution, but if we're so polarized, Yeah, we can't have the conversation well. I'll tell you what I mean. there's a couple of things that I do in this arena that you know it's kind of in line with that thinking I share a group in Congress called the bipartisan Working group, which is a dozen Democrats and a dozen Republicans who meet for breakfast every week, and you know you know, we're not sitting around the table, holding hands and singing kumbaya, but we're trying to figure out where we can find some common ground and even where we can't just trying to get a better. Where people are coming from and you know that's awesome. That's how do you have some basic understanding and you know it's a dozen from both sides. I wish it was you know, 100 from from the side of the aisle, but we're working on it. We're working on it Gotcha And I'm sure in those meetings. There's a lot of listening going on right. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean we basically it's a meeting in three parts the first part of the meeting anybody who's working on something where they want to invite collaboration is. An opportunity to kinda make a pitch and uh you know and so you'll find a bunch of the bills that I've introduced bipartisan co-sponsorship and it comes from talking to people who are part of the bipartisan working group and a bunch of the bills that I cosponsored come from that group too, And then the second part of the meeting. we talked about what's going on in Congress that week and those can be feisty conversations. you know obviously there's big differences on you know whether it's immigration as you pointed out or health care. Um you know. Or climate, there can be big differences, but I think you know II look at good democracy a little bit like a good relationship. You know you don't necessarily agree with each other on everything, but you gotta be able to listen to each other. Um you know and then the third part of the meeting we talked about big issues facing the country and where we might be able to find some common ground on those issues and I find it as you know really the the best hour of my week. uh now we're doing it virtually so uh not quite the same but still still still pretty good. Got you there's still. Online That's for sure I want to ask you to III was struck that you mentioned the work you're doing around the um the socks and nights on your site you you did and um but most recently breakfast you know providing cereal to people and you know, certainly one of the things I've been working on in Congress is you know during this pandemic We've seen food insecurity really go up uh and it's you know one of my big hopes for this Cot response is that there's adequate. Is to help people who are really struggling right now and II. I'm really grateful for the work that you did. you know just try to address food insecurity. Um I'm curious what your takeaways were as you interact with families and kids. Uh you know as part of that effort. Hey Derek I wanna I wanna say I appreciate that I really do man um yeah, it was a lot of work but um I did it willingly and the people that uh in Tacoma really helped me out in this as far as funds we're concerned to get the cereal and the aid that I needed. To distribute um takeaways takeaways, I think the Corona virus and the epidemic exposed a lot of weak points in our society in general that need to be looked at Um, I think that there were parts of my of my hometown Tacoma that would suggest that there are parts that look like third world, you know scenario. scenario, which I you know. I grew up in University Place I live in the north end if you're not really traveling outside of your space, you may not be able to see things like that right um and so through delivering aid seeing these places that the conditions are pretty deplorable. um that was really eye-opening also to see the spectrum of happiness right we got children who are upset because they missed out on getting the new PS whatever PSfour PSthree and we also have kids excited about. Surreal to have a box of cereal and the same town right and so I guess those were the biggest takeaways I think now this may be a statement that you know, maybe that might be something that's readily accessible, but I believe that we need to live in a society where everyone has the means towards uh life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, But what that means is that having we need. Um by any means necessary uh we have to figure that out and so that that was the biggest thing we can't have kids succeeding if they're hungry, there were many kids that you know, I was their supplier of breakfast every morning. you know, I'm you know this is great local humanitarian aid but humanitarian aid aids right, and then we have to have implementation of. Structure put in place So then they can continue to to thrive right, so I guess that's where my main takeaways from the from the campaign. Yeah, really highlights you know as you said whether it's housing insecurity, food insecurity Uh that's not new because of this pandemic it's amplified and maybe made more evident because of the pandemic but um you know it's one of the things that frankly is held up getting a deal so far uh between the administration and the house and that we'd like to see more. To address housing insecurity, which was a problem before the pandemic and food insecurity as well cuz you know the um. This virus has been really difficult on people and any attempt to recover can't leave people behind Yes I agree well I have to tell you um I am excited to watch you and your Muppet friends. Um I gotta ask cuz I saw the photo um on on your on your site. uh so who's part of uh uh of the show that I'll be watching on Sunday. Yeah. so okay. so. Of course, and then we have Simon who's the main puppet the puppet and he's played by Kelly here. awesome puppeteer. We have my director, Kevin Wilford and my assistant director, Nathan Blanchard and a wide arrangement of colorful characters that people are gonna fall in love with um I'm super excited for the premiere and actually I've been announced yet, but I will we're gonna have a drive premier so the community can come together and watch it in person and I'm excited about that and the date is to be uh to be announced soon. Okay. we'll we'll we. And eye on that too, well, I wanna say one other thing before we wrap up um obviously uh you know Uh America lost an icon and I lost a colleague and a friend when John Lewis passed a few weeks back and one of the things I think people really appreciated was his approach to um trying to drive change through nonviolent means he was uh a real champion for a piece and uh and for action. And you know the very last time I got to hear his voice was um Uh on a call with some of my colleagues and he came on and he he been away because he was going through cancer treatment and he came on to the call and he said, I'm I'm Uh actually he started and he said. I've been crying a lot lately and he said I've been crying because it's hard to be reminded that we're not alone. We're not as far along the path to justice as a country as we wanna be. but then, he said, you know, but I'm also hopeful and he said what gives me hope is. Fact that people are standing up and speaking up and working for change and he said, particularly young people and um I can't help but think um he he was talking about work like the work you're doing. uh I just I really think it's uh it's vital and you're part of that effort to make positive change in this country and I wanna Thank you for that and thank you for taking a little bit of time to chat with me today and I can't wait to watch the first episode on Sunday. Thank you so. Derek I appreciate you having me, I appreciate you and the work that you do have a good one. Thank you take care.