Bloomington Peace Week Friday, Sept. 18th-Thursday, 24th, 2009

Bloomington Peace Week 2009

This Friday, September 18th launches the 2nd Annual Bloomington Peace Week put on by the BloomingPeacePartners (BPP)* and runs through Thursday, September 24th.

2009 Peace Week Events Calendar

Friday, September 18:

11:00-5:00PM-Victory over Violence Exhibit opens at Waldron Arts Center, Main Level, 122 S. Walnut St.

12:00PM-1:00PM-Exhibition and Peace Week Kick-off; Message to Bloomington from Dennis Kucinich, Waldron Arts Center, Main Level, 122 S. Walnut St. Bring brown bag lunch; dessert and music provided.

5:00PM-6:00PM Heralding Peace Week, Courthouse Square-Pick up your schedule of events, enjoy music and costumes.

7:00-10:00PM- Movie “Soldiers of Peace” and peace poetry at Pour House, 316 E. Kirkwood Ave.

Saturday, September 19:

10:00AM-5:30PM – Reiki I Workshop Fundraiser for Peace Week; register with Christine McKenna at www.heartspirals.com

11:00AM-5:00PM – Victory over Violence Exhibit, Waldron Arts Center, Main Level, 122 S. Walnut

9:45-11:00AM – For Kids – Music, yoga and story time fun with Sakshi, Banneker Community Center, Upper Level, 930 W. 7th St.

10:00AM-11:00AM   Conflict Resolution/De-escalation for parents of school-age children, Banneker Community Center, 930 W. 7th St. Led by Roxie Kindelsperger, behavior specialist in Johnson Co. Public Schools; great raffle prizes and giveaways for attendees!

12:00PM-2:30PM  Speaking Peace:  A Workshop in  Compassionate Communication  at Waldron Arts Center, Main/Gallery Level, 122 S. Walnut, Brown-bag lunch;  Learn practices to enhance communication and ease conflict with Ingrid Skoog, teacher of NVC

3:00PM-5:00PM Prayers and Chanting by Monks, Meditative Peace Walk, Tibetan/Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, 3655 S. Snoddy Rd.

Sunday, September 20:

1:00PM-5:00PM  Victory over Violence Exhibit opens at NEW LOCATION – Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood

3:00PM-4:30PM Presentation: Victory over Violence:  Understanding the Value of Dialogue/A Program for Teens – Monroe County Public Library Auditorium, 303 E. Kirkwood

5:15PM  “Peace Harvest” – Community dinner provided by the Islamic Center, 1925 E. Atwater – Free and open to ALL. Optional: Observe prayers in Mosque at 5:27PM.

Monday, September 21 – International Day of Peace:

9:00AM-9:00PM – Victory over Violence Exhibit continues at MCPL

11:30AM –1:30PM   Community Picnic and “Spark in the Park” Event – Courthouse Square (Rain Site –KRC Catering, 3rd and College ) Bring blanket and brown bag lunch;  Music provided, community bread-breaking and free relaxation/bodywork sessions provided by area professionals; Tabling for peace and sustainability

2:30PM- 5:00PM “Earthlings” film screening and discussion, Ivy Tech, Lamkin Hall; this current documentary explores humankind’s relationship with other earthlings.  Discussion led by Professor Jeff Melton.

7:00-10:00PM – Workshop and film  “Envisioning a Peaceful World through Sustainability”, IU’s Neal Marshall Black Culture Center, Grand Hall – Led by sustainability experts Andy Davis and Melissa Henige;  Learn practices for “greener” living and hear what other sustainably-oriented communities are doing around the US.

Tuesday, September 22:

4:00PM – 6:00PM  Nature and Art: Pathways to Peace; Presentation and nature walk with artist Shelley Ritter at Nature’s Sanctuary, 2530 Loesch Rd., Bloomington, RSVP required: 812-679-8879

7:00PM – Town Hall Meeting:  Envisioning Bloomington as a City of Peace – Showers Building, Council Chambers, 401 N. Morton. Everyone is urged to attend this public forum to help create our vision for Bloomington as a model city of peace. Special message from David Hazen, Executive Director of Eugene, Oregon’s “City of Peace” initiative.

Wednesday, September 23:

4:00-5:00PM  Book Discussion – Three Cups of Tea: One man’s mission to promote peace one school at a time, Boxcar Books, 408 E. 6th St. , Discussion leader TBA

5:00-6:00PM – Peace Vigil, Courthouse Square sponsored by Bloomington Peace Action Coalition

7:00-9:00PM– Community Interfaith Prayer Service, First United Church, 2420 E. 3rd St.  Service will include an array of faith/spiritual community leaders; Refreshments to follow.

Thursday, Sept. 24- Community Peace Action Event-TBA*Background info: BloomingPeacePartners (BPP):

BloomingPeace Partners (BPP) was founded in 2008 by Bloomington residents, Ingrid Skoog and Gail Merrill.

BPP’s Mission:

Through education,  collaboration and civic action, BloomingPeace Partners seeks to nourish a culture of peace in our community and beyond.

Together with a dedicated group of volunteers,  BPP organized Bloomington’s first Peace Week in September of 2008, offering a variety of events throughout the week that highlighted and celebrated the aspects of peace – personal, interpersonal, communal and global.

Because of the success of that grassroots effort and a desire to keep peace-building efforts at the forefront in our community, BloomingPeace Partners, in collaboration with peace-minded citizens, local peace organizations, churches, businesses and the City of Bloomington, has planned the 2nd Annual Peace Week, to be held Saturday,Sept. 18-Thursday, Sept. 24th.

For more information about Bloomington Peace Week, Contact Ingrid Skoog at 812.333.1982, bloomingpeacepartners@gmail.com or visit their site at:

www.bloomingtonpeaceweek.org