City gears up for ninth-annual Saratoga Peace Week
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » For the ninth time Saratoga Peace Week takes place beginning on the UN’s International Day of Peace Thursday, September 21.
Several community and congregations organized Peace Week after being inspired by the statement from Ban Ki-moon: “Peace is not an accident. Peace is not a gift. It is something we must work for.”
“Peace Week is designed so that we can work on a very complex problem. It’s not just a simple peace-war issue,” event spokeswoman Anne Diggory. “It’s about individual peace, family peace, community peace, international, national, on all levels.”
There are plenty of activities planned for peacemakers of all ages.
“Events are designed that way whether it’s kids learning about how to be kind to other people, whether it’s yoga, learning how to reduce stress in your life so that you can respond in a more non-violent way to someone or to yourself. There are also authors who are going to talk about various takes they have,” Diggory said. “One young adult author is writing about race and violence, so there are lot of activities that people can do with the main idea being that we are in difficult times, and we have been for a long time, in which there are conflicts all over, whether it’s community or not, and we need people talking to each other and we need people working together on things.
An Empty Bowls Luncheon kicks Thursday off from 12:30 until 2 p.m. at the Saratoga Senior Center to benefit local food programs. The nightcap Thursday will feature award-winning young adult author, Kela Magoon, reading and lecturing on understanding the impact of race and bias on individuals and communities at 7 in Gannet Auditorium at Skidmore College. It’s hosted
Peace activist John Farrell of Bridge of Peace & Hope enlists the help of Teddy and Elizabeth Drabek and Emily Mattison to make music during the 2013 Peace Fair in Saratoga Springs.
by the Tang Museum and Northshire Books.
Friday night, Bonnie Farrelly of Yoga Mandali Studio, will lead a class titled Beginning Within: Experience Inner Peace through Yoga from 7:15 until 8:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church at 24 Circular St. Saturday morning, children are invited to a peace-oriented craft time, called The Kindness Rocks Project, at the Children’s Museum at 69 Caroline St. from 10 until 11 a.m. The activity is free with paid admission to the Children’s Museum. Saturday afternoon, at Saratoga Springs Library, John Farrell, an internationally acclaimed songwriter, author and peace educator will sing and share stories for children of all ages from 3 until 4. Karen Gross, educator and author, will discuss her book, Teach Our Children Well, Saturday at 6 p.m. at Northshire Bookstore at 424 Broadway Ave,
One of the highlights of the week will be Sunday at The Peace Fair. The fair goes from noon until 4 p.m. at the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church.
The fair is part of the Concert Across America to End Gun Violence alongside the displays of exhibitors who work toward peace. The live music will include Afro-Latin, reggae, rock, and traditional folks by Taina Asili, Nick Horace, Dan Berggren, Roosevelt Byron Cortez and Joe Cleveland. The exhibitors present a range of approaches to peace through advocacy, education, sustainable energy, fair trade and non-violence. Bring non-perishable food items to donate to local veterans’ residences.
There’s a new program this year titled CommUNITY Lunch & Conversations that goes from 1 until 2 p.m. It costs a free will donation to participate.
“Human Rights Task Force of Saratoga Springs will gather folks together just to talk about what’s important to them and how to get things moving forward, just talking to each other is a way of building peace,” said Diggory.
Monday, Sept. 25, the Saratoga Immigration Coalition sponsors Immigrant Stories: In Their Own Words at 6:30 p.m. at Caffé Lena at 47 Phila St.
Tuesday, learn about Peace Crops from 6 until 8 p.m. at Mango Tree Imports at 454 Broadway Ave. Mango Tree Imports, founded by returning Peace Corps volunteers, will have returning volunteers from the 1960s to 2016. Refreshments will be provided.
The final event of Peace Week takes place Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Parish Center of Saint Peter at 64 Hamilton St. with the screening of Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine. There will be a panel and discussion afterwards including a representative from the Diocese Peace and Justice Commission.
For the schedule and more information, visit www.peace-ing.org.