Press release from WNC4Peace:
We, the undersigned proponents of peace, living on ancient Cherokee lands, and working for a world free of the ravages of war, hereby declare our observance of the International Day of Peace and the International Day of Nonviolence on Thursday, September 21, and Saturday, September 23, 2023 in Western North Carolina (WNC).
Both days were instituted by the United Nations. The Day of Peace became an annual event in 1981. The Day of Nonviolence, which falls on Mahatma Gandhi’s October 2 birthday, was added to the UN calendar in 2007. Now in our fourteenth year of celebrating Peace Day in WNC, this year we add the goal of Nonviolence, as well.
We recognize that weapons of war are the major contributors to climate devastation while profiting from the destruction of life on Earth. Plus the potential use of nuclear weapons can lead to the end of civilization itself. Therefore, we must turn away from this culture of violence and focus our resources on empowering a society free of violence and endless war.
Active nonviolence involves diplomacy, compromise and the right sharing of planetary resources. This requires creative persistence — everyday of our lives.
Thus, we have set aside these two days to imagine a peaceful world where we celebrate our diversity and resolve our conflicts in nonviolent ways. As Gandhi himself reminds us, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
Realizing that endless wars are not the path to a lasting peace or to a sustainable future, we call on all people to participate with us in two days of action:
- Thursday, September 21 – Walk for Peace. Meet at the corner of Haywood Road and Louisiana Avenue in West Asheville at 5:30 PM to publicly demonstrate our commitment to the ongoing work for a just, peaceful and nonviolent world; and
- Saturday, September, 23 – Gather at Land of the Sky UCC, 15 Overbrook Place, Asheville, 2 to 4 PM for announcements of our 2023 Peacemakers of the Year and new Peace Honorees, as well as celebrating the continuing efforts of promoting peace and nonviolence locally and around the world.
Join us as we unite our hearts and voices to imagine a world free of war and to celebrate the possibilities of true peace and disarmament.
As Jeremy Gilley, creator of International Day of Peace says, “”We all want a world without war, without conflict, without human suffering.”
Endorsing groups: Asheville Coalition for Palestinian Rights; Asheville Friends Meeting; Beloved Asheville; Catholic Committee of Appalachia, NC Chapter; Community Accounting, Asheville, LLC; Creative Peacemakers; Dances of Universal Peace; Elder and Sage Community Gardens; Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville Board; French Broad Food Coop; Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Advocacy Team of WNC; Healing Love Institute; Healthcare for All WNC; Just Peace for Israel/Palestine; Land of the Sky UCC Church; North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; North Carolina Peace Action; NC Physicians for Social Responsibility; Rev. Dr. Audette Fullbright Fulson and Rev. Claudia Jimenez of the UU Congregation of Asheville; Veterans for Peace, WNC; Papa and Mama Bear’s Peace Garden; Peace Day Asheville; Peace is Possible NC; Racial Justice Coalition of Asheville, Inc; Rainbow Community School, Reject Raytheon – Asheville; Sahara Peace Choir; Saint Eugene’s Catholic Church; Senior Suffrage; The Story Shepherds Project; WNC CPUSA; WNC 4 Peace
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