On September 21st of each year, communities around the world celebrate the International Day of Peace established by the United Nations http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/. In Phoenix, on Feb. 27, 2009, a group of interested artists, educators and activists gathered at ASU's Downtown campus for the first time in order to plan a FREE PUBLIC EVENT as part of this significant, global celebration. Participants focused on developing a shared statement of Vision and Intent:

In recognition of the International Day of Peace in Arizona, we are creating, through demonstrations and celebrations a tradition of Practical Acts of PEACE.

The wording of "Practical Acts of Peace" comes from the U.N.'s International Day of Peace official web site: "The act of creating a long-term culture of peace, rather than solving existing conflicts or preventing old ones from re-occurring. PeaceBuilding activities aim at building understanding and tolerance between individuals, communities and societies and establishing new structures of cooperation. PeaceBuilding activities range in scale from personal acts of kindness toward others to global inter-governmental programs." http://internationaldayofpeace.org/peacebuilding_101.html

A call went out to the community for additional individuals and organizations to contribute to the structure of this day and the many public participation, planning sessions that occurred leading up to the September 21st events . Community citizens from various walks of life attended and contributed their expertise, including artists, educators, public officials, non-profit managers-all interested in establishing a yearly recognized event that brings attention to "Acts of PeaceBuilding."

The arts are a dynamic vehicle for communication and learning. In keeping with this, planning ensured that the arts were woven throughout the programming, in all community and education settings. No one organization or individual was a lead person in the design or formatting of the programs. Judy Butzine and Melanie Ohm of the Cultural Arts Coalition (http://www.ArtsCARE.org/cac.intro.shtml) were designated to chair the facilitation component of the total project; but each person on the planning team took a leadership role in their area of choice, supporting a successful, multi-faceted project. The primary location for this group's activities was downtown Phoenix around the Phoenix Civic Park, Japanese Gardens and ASU Downtown Campus. This area will be the main location for the September 2010 events as well.

Documentation of this total process is essential for replication, marketing and development for future yearly events, celebration, and recognition of a growing body of work around PeaceBuilding. The creation of a community website became essential. This web space will document ongoing programs and projects of purposeful learning around "Acts of PeaceBuilding" locally, nationally and internationally. Anyone can be a collaborator, sharing an individual's voice or an organization's expertise into this process. It is greatly welcomed. Please contact us and share your "Acts of PeaceBuilding," provide material for the community blog, weigh in with a comment, and take away any information that may be beneficial to utilize in your community or neighborhood.

May Peace Prevail upon the Earth for All!

Participating Arts Organizations, Educators, Businesses & Citizen Groups on the 2009 Event Planning Team:

Arizona Call-A-Teen, Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix campus, Arizona State University, Tempe campus (School of Dance), Arizona State University, West campus (Social Justice and Civil Rights Dept.), Arizona Yoga Association, Cultural Arts Coalition, Fair Trade Café, Flux Dance Company, Fushicho Daiko Phoenix Drummers, Ken Koshio, Japanese Garden, Lowell Elementary School, Madison Park Elementary School, Morrison Institute, Opendance, Orangewood Elementary School, Release the Fear, Inc., Sankofa/Island Magic, Westcor