The Silkroad Ensemble, celebrating Peace Day with the Rothko Chapel CC. Houston, TX, United States of America 2018
In 2018, IDP celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Collected and broadcasted by URI Global Communications, URI gave priority attention to how people across the world are working for peace and human rights.
These highlights come from URI regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, the Multi-region.
Undugu Family Hope Kibera CC, Nairobi, Kenya
The right to peace in action. We will dedicate three days to hosting a peace program for youths and an alternative to violence project for adults. Most people are bitter because of the resent demolitions done by the government that left more than 6000 families homeless. During this IDP, we want to help raise the self-esteem of our young people and teach them alternatives to violence to solve problems. On the last day, we will have a Peace Concert where young people will pass the message of peace using art. Kibera is a home of talents!
Gram Swawlambhi Swadeshi Swaraj (G3S) Foundation CC, Delhi, India
G3S Foundation CC in North India exists to improve the lives of underprivileged section of society through formal and non-formal education and several other opportunities. They created this video to tell the world about their work. Listen to volunteers and kids explain how they are engrossed in the idea of peace through love and respect. Watch video.
URI Germany and DMLBonn CC, Germany
Members of URI Germany CC and DMLBonn CC participated in a peace event on September 21. A Jewish professor, Prof. Dr. Rolf Verleger, gave his perspective on a just peace in the Holy Land in the Protestant Johanneskirchengemeinde in Bonn, Bad Godesberg. It was a moving event. The speaker made a big impression on the approximately 80 listeners, with a very personal perspective, knowledge and humility. The evening ended with a prayer for peace.
URI CC Lima, Peru
To celebrate IDP, the CC URI Lima met to discuss a common work agenda with two national networks: women and young people living with HIV. We reflected on the issue, the social context and developed mutual commitments to strengthen our actions against the "Violence, HIV and Culture of Peace". With them and you, "May Peace Prevail over the Earth". There were 5 volunteers working 3 hours and serving about 8 people.
TRUST WIN CC, Israel
“By the end of the evening, she had tears in her eyes and didn't want to leave. She said she had discovered a whole new experience of interfaith.”
“Elana prepared a Silent Peace Walking Meditation for the International Day of Peace, explaining that we were going to walk slowly and silently through the streets of the center of Kfar Sava to the Sukkah of Lita Pollard for dessert. With each step, we would be putting peace into the earth and taking peace into our body from Mother Earth. At first, it was difficult for some women to slow down and stop chatting, but then hand in hand, arm in arm, the women walked silently and felt peace in every step. A deep inner calm.
There were only positive reactions -- a woman came up to us, exclaiming, "I don't know who you are, but how exciting!!" People along the way stopped to look and smile. A police car stopped, and the policeman wondered who we were and what we were doing -- and drove off shaking his head. The vision of women of different religions walking with dignity and spreading their inner calm and peace throughout the streets of Kfar Sava was just remarkable.”
More about Trust-Win CC event….
Red Bench Garden CC, North Carolina USA
“To transform these experiences, it was decided by The Galilee Center to move one of the containers closer to the Peace Garden and create it into a large visual expression of peace. The goal is to transform the container into a vehicle to heal the memories, build hope for those who have suffered trauma and bridge understanding for the community as a larger body of support.”
More about this event…
Once again to celebrate IDP, Charlotte Red Bench Garden, The Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte (GMEC) and The Galilee Center partners are joining to make this year memorable. This year the Galilee Center is spear-heading a “BIG” project to mark the occasion.
The Galilee Center is an open door of servant leaders from GMEC, The Bhutanese Community Association of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Refugee Support Services, Charlotte Community Kitchen, Catholic Charities, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Cross Cultural Counseling, Residents of St. Andrews Homes, The Merry Oaks Community and the Charlotte Red Bench Garden Cooperation Circle driven to assisting with numerous services for immigrants, refugees and the greater Charlotte community in North Carolina, USA.
The Galilee Center utilizes large freight containers to assist in managing their physical space in the parking lot. Recently, they became aware from participants that these types of containers have been used as holding prisons in Vietnam. For some of our refugee friends, these containers hold painful and traumatic memories of being physically "stored" in containers just like these--hot, dark, and full of frightened people.
This artistic endeavor is being guided by artists from Saint Martin’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC who will prepare and outline the mural for peace on the container to be painted by the Charlotte community members during the week of September 17, 2018. Special Thanks to Wendy Merrill, Moo Paw and her family for managing some of the logistics. The project will continue throughout the remainder of the month to its completion.
Last year at The Galilee Center, the International Day of Peace was marked with the erection of a Peace Pole inscribed with messages of peace in 17 languages, prayer stones and a chained link fence covered with prayer cloths. This year's beautiful Peace Mural will be positioned near these other symbols of peace. The goal is to help heal some of those dishonorable memories and build a new agenda for hope.
Dreamz Unlimited Foundation CC, North India (Multi Region with members in other countries)
Dreamz Unlimited Foundation aims to touch lives by helping the needy ones in society. They work for underprivileged people and believe that all the religions should work together for the uplifting of socioeconomic groups. They aim for social development in which there is no base of caste, creed, color, or sex, while providing help to the poor and disabled. They distribute books, blackboards, mats, and clothes in tribal areas. Jacintha Reema Gomes Barua, at the helm of the organization, wishes everyone a happy International Day of Peace 2018. Check out this video to know more about their work.
