To Camano Island man, the Golden Rule is art

CAMANO ISLAND — Dan Koffman painted alongside an elephant.

He convinced 32 countries to fly a peace flag he designed.

Now he’s trying to bring back the Golden Rule. The Camano Island artist launched an Internet campaign on Jan. 1 to try to convince people to be nice to each other. He’s posted a series of videos on YouTube and launched a Web site dedicated to the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Forty-two people have signed Koffman’s online declaration pledging to be “Golden Rule activists.” About 150 orders have been placed for gold-colored silicone wrist bands Koffman is selling for $3 each on his Web page, www.goldenruleactivist.com.

Though his campaign is off to a modest start, Koffman thinks it will take off soon and grow into a massive worldwide event, like the “pay it forward” movement of good deeds for strangers.

In the eight weeks Koffman estimates it will take someone at “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to read the e-mail he sent about the campaign, he figures Winfrey and the rest of the world will already have heard about it.

“How many hits will I get on YouTube? Will Oprah call? I don’t know,” Koffman said, fidgeting with the golden band he wears on his wrist. “I hope there will be a groundswell of interest and people talking about it on their own, because this doesn’t belong to us. It belongs to everybody.”

In order to be successful, an activist Web site needs to be interactive and have community space for discussion by supporters; Koffman’s site lacks both, said Tiffany Derville, an assistant professor in public relations for the University of Oregon. While she appreciates the site’s message, Derville is skeptical that it will have the kind of impact Koffman anticipates.

“It’s a great message, so I hate to criticize it,” she said. “At the same time, I don’t see any world change coming from it.”

Koffman, 57, an artist who sometimes designs marketing elements for major corporations, said he has already invested almost $7,000 in the campaign. He hired a professional videographer to produce his eight Internet videos and a Web designer to create his Web site.

While Koffman’s dreams of worldwide recognition may seem far-fetched, his previous campaigns have experienced some international success.

In an attempt to raise awareness for the importance of peace, he designed a flag and wrote to world leaders asking them to fly it on Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. For 22 years, Koffman says, he wrote to every country in the world about the project. His responses fill two binders. Most are rejection letters — from the Bush and Clinton administrations, from China and the Vatican.

But leaders from 32 countries said yes.

In 1989, Afghanistan became the first country to fly the red-and-blue Flag of Peace and Freedom. Austria, Jordan and South Africa followed. A newspaper article and photos in one of Koffman’s binders show hundreds of Sri Lankan children in blue and white uniforms raising the flag in 2000.

In 2004, Koffman began painting with Lisa, an elephant at Wild Things animal park in Salinas, Calif., to raise awareness for the flag and for the need for more compassion for animals. He brought Lisa to downtown Monterey, Calif., where he lived until a year ago, to paint abstract pictures in front of a crowd of curious spectators. Lisa painted with her trunk while wearing the Flag of Peace and Freedom on her back.

Koffman sees the Golden Rule campaign as a continuation of his previous efforts.

“I’d been going at the world leaders and I needed to flip it,” he said. “If people lead, leaders will follow.”

Charlie Sammut signed the Golden Rule declaration because he believes that “everything in it makes the world a better place.”

Sammut, an animal trainer from Monterey, Calif., met Koffman through their mutual interest in elephants.

“Everyone has to agree that the world is ready for something like this,” Sammut said. “If anything, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already. I guess I’m hopeful it has a huge impact — an astronomical global effect.”

Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.