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Mountain Peacekeepers Observe International Day of Peace Sept. 21 with Concerts, a Parade, Art Exhibitions and More

by Madison Fisler Lewis

Sept. 11, 2014. The Mountain Peacemakers will observe the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21. The International Day of Peace is an observance that is “dedicated to world peace and specifically the absence of war and violence,” according to a release. The day officially began in 1982 and is observed by many countries around the world.

FIXE_0168The Mountain Peacemakers has hosted events on the International Day of Peace for the past eight years. This year, activities and events scheduled will include an exhibit at the Jones House Cultural and Community Center, a movie screening, a parade, workshops, yoga sessions, concerts and much more.

The Mountain Peacemakers are a collective of  Watauga, Ashe and Avery county citizens, working to build a network of action toward the goals of the United Nations sanctioned, globally celebrated occasion, The International Day of Peace.

“The theme this year is ‘People’s Right to Peace,'” said Lexie Danner, a member of the Mountain Peacekeepers. “There is some intentional thematic presence there especially in the parade.”

All events are open to the public and are free unless otherwise noted. The schedule of events for this year’s observance is as follows:

Visions of Peace: A Visions of Peace community art exhibit will be showcased at the Jones House Community and Cultural Center in downtown Boone through the entire month of September.

Peace Parade: The annual peace parade will be held in downtown Boone starting at the Watauga County Library on Friday, Sept. 19 at 3:45 p.m. The Peace Parade will be hosted by the Elkland Art Center and sponsored by Appalachian State University’s Arts and Sustainability Council.

Peace Flag Workshop: A Peace Flag Workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. The workshop will be held at the ASU Child Development Center learning Garden and has a suggested donation of $10.

Yoga: Healing Arts Yoga will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Boone. The session will be led by Vicki Rodriguez and will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Global Moment of Silence: A global moment of silence will be held on Sept. 21 at 12 p.m. on the Jones House Lawn. The moment of silence will be accompanied by Open Heart Meditation.

“We want to remind people that if they can’t come out to the Jones House, they can still participate in the moment of silence,” Danner said. “You don’t have to be at the Jones House, you can participate from wherever you are.”

People’s Climate March: The People’s Climate March, Boone Solidarity Action: Connecting People in Climate Change will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Appalachian Voices Office located at 171 Grand Blvd.. A film screening of the film Disruption will be followed by a discussion.

Voices of Peace: The Voices of Peace concert will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. at Rosen Concert Hall. Performances will be given by the Watauga Community Band, students of Appalachian State University and Caldwell Community College directed by Billy Ralph Winkler. The professional chamber ensemble will be comprised of Kay Borkowski, flute; Laura Coston, piano; Linda Larson, soprano; Akal Dev Sharonne, Flute; and Jessica Warner, Oboe.

Check out pictures of last year’s parade.

Photos by Ken Ketchie

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