Now more than ever, the “We Are All One Family” button campaign created by Shirley Catanzaro, is relevant to bringing about world peace.

In the last 15 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Catanzaro says individuals question their existence, survival and future.

Global terrorism has intensified. Political incivility prevails in the Presidential campaign. Racial division pits blacks against whites; violence against police and civilians has dramatically escalated.

“We were brought together on that day, human to human, rather than color, creed or religion. We were a global family, praying and hurting together.” she says.

Catanzaro believes, and preaches, that fear causes separation and “an eye for an eye” is not the answer to dispelling anxiety and apprehension.

“Our oneness was shattered temporarily, however fear cannot exist if love prevails,” writes Catanzaro. “For my circle of life I choose love, for to love is to have no expectations of others, to love is to contribute, to be responsible, and have respect for self and others.”

Although started as a reaction to Sept. 11, 2001, Catanzaro continues to spread the sacredness of humanity through her buttons by enlisting friends and strangers who hear about her project. She estimates she has sold or given away about 6,500 pins to people who hear an inspirational message of peace and oneness.

“They have taken on a life of their own,” said Catanzaro.

On the read of the button, she attaches a message: “It takes only one moment to share peace with our fellow beings.”

Immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks, she delivered buttons to St. Paul’s Church that remained standing near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

She handed out the buttons to firemen, police officers and sightseers. The buttons were included in the Pentagon historic archives about the day, Library of Congress, and taken to numerous foreign countries, including Tanzania, Uganda and Jerusalem.

“In the midst of the chaos of that day (Sept. 11), we forgot race, color and creed,” writes Catanzaro in her blog.

“Our human family was hurting and all that was important, all that mattered was to help them. It was our brothers, sisters, parents, children, friends and associates creating a human chain of a helping hand.

“In reverential humbleness, I realized that it only takes one through followed through to completion to truly make change. The pins aren’t about me, Shirley; they are an entity on their own.

“They are about holding peace, love and compassion for all the people of the world, in whatever they face, in their pain, loss, confusion and fear. It is saying to a sister or brother: We Care.”

Catanzaro’s journey toward world peace started several decades ago when she struggled as a single mother of six children.

She became a minister, hypo-therapist, energy practitioner, spiritual counselor, teacher and lecturer. At one time, she broadcasted a local radio program, “Imagination.”

She refers to herself on her website (delphian.7gen.com/ShirleyCatanzaro.htm) as a “global citizen, in service to Creator, Great Spirit, God and Humanity as a whole.”

“I will always be a student of life, learning to share my experiences, learning to bask in the beauty of each individual soul, and always, and in all ways being present to and in the moment, sharing oneness and love,” expressed Catanzaro.

To this day, Catanzaro still distributes the peace pins. She can be contacted through her website.