International Day of Peace
September 21
2012 will be the 10th anniversary of Rockford's International Day of Peace.
“A World of United Nations” is the theme for the 2012 festivities and will include visits from officials of the United Nations.
2011 International Day of Peace was the first “rainout” we have had in 9 years. The night before Peace Day featured a concert to benefit Operation Respect at Rockford’s beautiful Coronado Theater. A crowd of over 1500 enjoyed Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary; his daughter Bethany and the Rufus Roots Quartet; rap singer Baby Jay; and the Rock River Valley Peace Choir featuring the choirs of Auburn High School, and Keith Elementary and Middle Schools.
Due to the heavy rain the following morning, rather than celebrating at the Peace Plaza, the artists visited the schools where they presented musical assemblies focusing on the Operation Respect campaign to eliminate bullying to several thousand children. The
Operation Respect Rock River Valley (ORRRV) website has photos from the concert and Peace Day events. The
ORRRV youtube also contains photos of the concert and commentary from Peter Yarrow about the Operation Respect initiatives.
See us on YouTube
Video of the
International Day of Peace 2008 featuring the Peace Choir and Greg
Mortenson
Video of the evening performance of the Peace Choir at the
Coronado Theater Sept 2008
What is the International Day of Peace?
The International Day of Peace, established by United Nations resolution in 1981, provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of Peace on a shared date (September 21). Around the world, the International Day of Peace is used to highlight the U.N. Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, 2001 to 2010. The International Day of Peace (IDOP) has been celebrated annually at the Peace Plaza in Rockford since 2003,
hosted by the Keeling and Puri families.
How is the Day of Peace celebrated at
the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza
At the International Day of Peace, 1,500 individuals from the Rock River Valley, including around 1,000 elementary school children learn to:
- Celebrate the cultural heritage of our community
- Understand and appreciate individual differences and similarities
- Become aware of our responsibilities as global citizens to strive for peace in our world
Children, mostly grades three through five, learn about peace through classroom study, music, Peace Day activities and meeting community and global peacemakers.
The Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza and The International Day of Peace |
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As its mission, the Peace Plaza strives to:
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Features at the Peace Plaza:
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International Day of Peace Activities
Promoting peace through education
Schools receive books about peace for their classroom or library, curriculum support and passport holders for each child to participate in Day of Peace activities at the Peace Plaza.
Promoting peace through music
2011 welcomes Peter Yarrow, his daughter Bethany and the Rufus Roots Quartet, rap singer Baby J and the Rock River Valley Peace Choir to Peace Day. In past years, One Drum Multicultural Music Ensemble (with music roots of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Americas) has engaged the children in interactive dancing, drumming, and singing. Schools are also encouraged to prepare songs, or dances to perform at the Day of Peace.
The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Illinois Arts Council
have provided funding for One Drum's workshops in schools and performances with
children attending the International Day of Peace .
Promoting peace through experiential learning
Hands-on activities have included flying giant peace doves, making “whirled peace” pinwheels, learning about the “power of the penny” and writing messages of peace on prayer flags.
Promoting peace by talking with peacemaker role models
2011 special guest will be Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary who brings his program Operation Respect to the Rock River Valley. Other special guests have included: Greg Mortenson (founder of the Central Asia Institute, building schools for children (mostly girls) in Pakistan and Afghanistan), “Jane Addams” (1931 Nobel Peace Prize winner and graduate of Rockford College), and "Abraham Lincoln".
For more information, or to participate in Rockford's International Day of Peace, contact Tom or Sandy McCullough.
Other Day of Peace Community Activities
The Rock River Valley community raised over $100,000 for Greg Mortenson’s Pennies for Peace Foundation to build and endow a school for the children of a village in remote Pakistan or Afghanistan. Our community’s involvement, spearheaded by the children, expanded to 50,000 donors and included most of our schools, as well as area businesses and individuals.
“This project captured the hearts of our children and community. In addition to the lessons of philanthropy and personal responsibility, the Pennies for Peace effort was a gift to ourselves, reminding us of the value of education for everyone in the world as a tool to peace, understanding and success in the future” said Jim Keeling, co-founder of the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza.
At Peace Plaza,
One World
Comes Together.
May Peace Prevail on Earth