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CPI is hosted and supported by Pathways To Peace
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It's a Countdown -
30
Days
until the International Day of Peace!
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Pathways To Peace is counting down the days by featuring an innovative Pathway To Peace every
ten days.
Today Pathways To Peace Features the
Ashland, Oregon Culture of Peace Commission
A City and the Culture of Peace,
"where the rubber meets the road"
The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission was launched on September 21, 2015, and Pathways To Peace (PTP) has provided 35 years of knowledge and experience to help form this unique Commission
.
"Being a part of the Culture of Peace Commission has been a fantastic experience for me. To me the Commission is defined as working toward bettering the community, and therefore the world, by bringing mutual respect for all. This respect can appear in many different forms, but allows each of us to enjoy a peaceful co-existence, with each other, with each person's dignity left intact. Through this inclusive and respectful process we are fostering a more peaceful environment."
Tighe O'Meara
Chief of Police
City of Ashland, OR
.
Peacebuilding is 365 days, not just one day of celebration.
A WORLD THAT WORKS FOR ALL
The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (
ACPC) is an independent, citizen-based and community-wide movement dedicated to transforming our attitudes, behaviors, and institutions into ones that foster harmonious relationships with each other and the natural world. We live by and promote our core values of compassion, accountability, respect, and inclusivity in how we engage with the community and how we strive to function as an organization.
"We hold that equality and human rights as expressed in the founding documents of our country, state and city are fundamental to the human family."
In 1980 David Wick began working with the United Nations NGO, Pathways To Peace which assisted the adoption of the UN's International Day of Peace in 1981. He also lead the PTP inspired global Culture of Peace Initiative, a United Nations-designated "Peace Messenger Initiative".
Bringing the Culture of Peace idea to Ashland, Oregon with co-founder Irene Kai, on March 17, 2015, the Mayor and Ashland City Council unanimously adopted the Culture of Peace Proclamation with the concluding paragraph stating, "NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council and Mayor of Ashland strongly encourage residents to work toward development of a Culture of Peace community, and pledge to lend appropriate encouragement and support to that effort."
On September 21, 2015, the International Day of Peace, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (
ACPC) was launched. As an initial base, ACPC used the PTP
Peace Wheel, years of experience, and the United Nations 1999 resolution
(A/RES/53/243)
Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
ACPC is an all-volunteer organization with approximately 60 core volunteers. The first two years of ACPC have been creative, productive and moving quickly with high caliber volunteers who have generated over 20,000 volunteer hours.
ACPC is made up of volunteer Commission members and an integrally woven group of Action Teams who conduct the work of ACPC. The Commission members have been chosen to represent many segments of Ashland's culture. They include education, business, the arts, science, environment, spirituality, law, and habitat.
Irene Kai, Joanne Lescher, Patricia Sempowich and Rich Schaeff, on alert!
ACPC community benefit activities have included: community talking circles, candidate forums, providing homeless people and travelers a safe place to talk, community meals, peace education activity with Ashland School District, implicit bias and compassionate listening skills training for volunteers and community, peace with money workshops, bi-monthly Culture of Peace articles in the Ashland Daily Tidings, bi-weekly consultation with the mayor, 11 Days For Peace 9/11 - 9/21 and development of a network of community non-profit organizations. ACPC is committed to being proactive, as well as responding to community issues as they arise.
The primary purpose of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission is to provide leadership and education in co-creating and discovering what a Culture of Peace really is. And, it begins with ourselves.
"The Culture of Peace is about shifting mindset and behavior in all aspects of our societies to embrace humanity's interconnectedness as we move from force to reason, from discord and violence to dialogue and peacebuilding. This leads to systemic change."
With our unique approach, other cities have contacted the ACPC office to learn about our approach and methodologies.
"Participating in the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission has been a powerful experience. Whether it's learning to inhabit and emulate peace during our meetings together or working with some of the challenging issues in our town, ACPC has given me opportunities to deepen and model the spirit of peace in all aspects of my life. ACPC has done remarkable things thus far in creating a greater awareness of peace, justice, and equity. I look forward to seeing what can be accomplished going forward so that the legacy Ashland creates is truly one of a city of peace."
Christopher Harding
Chairman/Founder
Luminary Communications
Culture of Peace Commissions
Secretary
Launch September 21, 2015
Talking Circle with Mayor Stromberg and people without homes
Community meetings every Wednesday at 4:00 pm in the ACPC office
4th of July parade, July 4, 2016
Volunteer training - Asset Based Community Development
Meeting with Pam Marsh, State Legislator and ACPC Board of Advisers.
December 10, 2016
Sponsor and adviser for January 21, 2017 Women's March, 8,000 marched.
Ashland Mayor and City Council vote yes to join International Cities of Peace and proclaim Ashland a City of Peace. May 16, 2017
Chamber of Commerce, City Council and ACPC ribbon-tying ceremony for joining International Cities of Peace. July 28, 2017
Help launch the We Choose Love campaign honoring Ashland son
"The Ashland Culture of Peace is one of the most encouraging local initiatives I'm aware of. Endless energy, broad volunteer base, strong ideas, and courageous community initiative... it's all in a day's work for the growing membership, and it's making a big impact in Ashland and beyond. This is precisely the kind of bold initiative that needs our support in these challenging times. These guys are making a difference, in the best ways possible."
Will Wilkinson
Director
Living on Purpose
Email - info@ashlandcpc.org
What is Your Pathway To Peace?
We'd love to hear about it! Pathways To Peace honors, celebrates, and supports Peacebuilders around the world. You can contact us by emailing:
Tez@Pathwaystopeace.org
About Pathways To Peace and the Culture of Peace Initiative
Incorporated in 1983
, Pathways to Peace (PTP) is an international organization dedicated to making Peace a practical reality in our world today. PTP is an official Peace Messenger of the United Nations and has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. PTP works locally and globally, inter-generationally and multi-culturally, to promote Peacebuilding, Peace education, and to collaborate with other organizations in initiatives that help further the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI).
With participants from around the world, the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a cooperative local-global Peacebuilding Initiative uniting the strengths of organizations, networks, projects and people to realize a Culture of Peace for the Common Good. The CPI also serves as a vehicle for bringing to light many previously unseen and unheard Peacebuilders working along diverse paths, who are embodying the emerging Culture of Peace within Humanity. The annual highlight of the Culture of Peace Initiative is the International Day of Peace, which provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and nations to work together, on a shared date, to create practical acts of Peace with a year- round impact.
About the International Day of Peace
An annual focus for PTP is the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), held annually on September 21st.
Pathways To Peace has worked with the UN to observe and promote the International Day of Peace since its inception in 1981 and has grown International Day of Peace from a single event of a few hundred people into an annual global observance that now reaches hundreds of millions of people.
The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
http://internationaldayofpeace.org
"Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All"
Is the theme for the International Day of Peace -
September 21, 2017
This theme relates to the UN's "Together" campaign which relates to the fair and compassionate treatment of refugees and seeks to promote awareness of our global community and a common desire for Peace. We all are One.
Download the IDP poster at
This newsletter comes to you from Pathways To Peace,
a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, whose work would not be possible without our volunteers and your support. If you would like to support Pathways To Peace and Peace Day activities around the globe, you can do so by clicking the
Donation Button
above. A Heart-Felt Thank You from the Pathways To Peace Team!
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Pathways To Peace, P.O. Box 1057, Larkspur, CA 94977
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