The United Nations International Day of Peace will be celebrated locally in Coolidge Park on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 3-7 p.m.
Organized by The Center for Mindful Living, “Paths to Peace” is the local initiative of the United Nations event, which was first celebrated in 1982 and is observed annually in cities throughout the United States and the world on Sept. 21. Mayor Andy Berke’s office will issue a proclamation for the local event as the Day of Peace in Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga event is free of charge, and will feature an introduction to mindfulness practices, labyrinth walks for adults and children, yoga, Qigong, art, dance, prayer, and meditation. At 5 p.m., Bishop Kevin Adams, the senior pastor of Olivet Baptist Church, will take the center stage, along with the Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song. The evening will conclude with poetry readings, a demonstration of Tibetan singing bowls and an intergenerational dance.
“We hope that organizations, neighborhoods, community groups, schools and individuals of all ages, faiths and cultures will join us at the local level to participate in this larger global cause,” said Paths to Peace committee chair Margy Oehmig.
Ms. Oehmig is facilitating the three labyrinth walks, which will be created on the Coolidge Park grounds on a temporary basis for the event. She received her Veriditas training at Chartres Cathedral in France under the tutelage of Lauren Artress, author of Walking a Sacred Path. “I have been drawn to the labyrinth as a contemplative tool for many years and enjoy sharing the practice with others, so they might also experience a calming of the mind and a sense of peace that comes from walking a familiar pattern and letting go of personal stress or anxiety.”
“The theme of this year’s United Nations event is ‘Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All,’ and we were inspired to contemplate what that means at a local level,” added Elizabeth Kabalka, executive director of The Center for Mindful Living. “Rather than focus on that which separates us, we are organizing an event that will provide an opportunity for Chattanoogans to gather in harmony. Ultimately the day is about bringing people together to experience activities that nurture and unite us in a common quest for world peace, and to be mindful of our common humanity.”
The Event Sponsors Include:
ArtsBuild
Benwood Foundation
Church of the Good Shepherd
Footprint Foundation
Ted and Mary Navarre Moore
Jo Ann Yates
Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga, Social Justice Committee