June 25, 2012
NEWS RELEASE
Peace – pass it on!
Local peace movement launches a million acts of peace – one act at a time
Peace broke out to the beat of a giant drumming circle Friday evening, as a local grassroots group launched its Summer of Peace Calgary movement to a capacity crowd at the Inglewood Community Centre.
Their goal: to inspire a million acts of peace inCalgaryand beyond. Their first act was to obtainCalgary’s official designation as an International City of Peace.
“We are acting locally in support of the largest global commitment to peace in the history of humankind,” said Summer of Peace Calgary founder Kerry Parsons. “We are shifting from a culture of violence to a culture of peace, kindness and compassion. It starts on the inside – in our hearts – and then extends to our homes, communities, schools and workplaces, and to the environment.”
Friday’s launch featured performances of original, peace-inspired works by singer/ songwriter Amy Wood, spoken-word artist Sheri-D Wilson and musician/drummer Lin Elder.Calgary’s first poet laureate, Kris Demeanor, led the enthusiastic crowd in a sing-along of “Song of Peace forCalgary”, which he had composed for the event.
Veteran drummer Judy Atkinson, founder of Circles of Rhythm community drum circle, ably orchestrated the evening’s 100-plus participants on a variety of drums and percussion instruments.
In contrast to the at-times deafening drumbeat, Parsons spoke with quiet conviction of the power and possibility each individual possesses.
“A million acts of peace may sound ambitious, but the possibilities are endless,” she explained. “If not you, if not me, then who?”
She invited everyone to receive a small, hand-painted “peace rock”, make a pledge to create an act of peace and then pass the stone on to someone else, to do likewise.
Summer of Peace Calgary will host peace and reconciliation events throughout the summer, as well as lectures and workshops led by peace activists and academics, culminating on International Day of Peace on September 21st.
Summer of Peace Calgary, www.summerofpeacecalgary.com, www.facebook.com/summerofpeacecalgary, is a local grassroots movement encouraging Calgarians to create peace in their hearts, homes, communities, workplaces and the environment, in support the largest global commitment to peace in the history of humankind. Our goal is to inspire a million acts of peace inCalgary and beyond.
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Media contact: Judy Hamill Email: judyhamill@shaw.ca Tel: 403-200-6370