Universal Peace Day’s Quest for World Transformation
Taken from:
http://www.raykorona.com/blog1/
By Ray Korona www.raykorona.com
“Power to the Peaceful” are the words emblazoned on a t-shirt worn by SuZen, who with Barry Gruber, is a co-organizer of the annual event in NYC known as Universal Peace Day (UPD). It takes place on August 5 each year, the anniversary of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. www.universalpeaceday.com
SuZen says that UPD’s purpose is “to transform a remembrance of horror into a rededication to life.” Its humanifesto states a number of principles to be followed in order to effectuate this transformation. Among them are to treat all with respect and decency, both socially and morally; embrace our diversities, and foster corporate and government responsibility to protect the environment and support human growth. To ensure a peaceful and just world, the humanifesto ends with an exhortation that each of us practice love, compassion, sharing and mindfulness in our daily lives. www.universalpeaceday.com/humanifesto.html
The first UPD was held in August, 1984, beginning its tradition of artists, performers, speakers, and interfaith leaders coming together in the cause of peace. This year, UPD starts with a Peace Concert at the band shell in Central Park, goes to the Buddhist Church for a Candlelight Ceremony, and then continues with a Silent Peace Walk to Riverside Church for an Interfaith Peace Ceremony that concludes the event.
UPD is filled with diverse and wonderful music and other performing arts! In the event you can get there–or in case you just want to know–here is a full listing (in tentative, but not final order of appearance):
At the Central Park band shell (72nd Street in Central Park, noon to 4:00 PM): Japanese drummers, Moogy Klingman Band, Ichifujikai (Japanese dancers), Spook Handy, Koji Kobayashi (Hiroshima survivor), Rae Ballard (dancers), Ray Korona, Circle of Soul, Bunken Nagano (classical guitarist from Japan), Bruce Markow, Laraaji, Magpie, Adele Rolider, Raging Grannies, Kathleen Chalfant (actress), Shinji Harada (Japanese Rock Star), Yosuko Maki, Robin Greenstein.
At the Riverside Church (490 Riverside Drive, between 120-122 Streets, 8:00 PM): David Amram, Namgyal Korko (Tibetan Horn), Masayo Ishigure (Koto), Seizan Sakata (bamboo flute), Russell Daisey, Shinji Harada and Bunken Nagano. The evening event will have a keynote speaker: The Iron Chef Morimoto, who is from Hiroshima.
Check the UPD web site for exact times and locations of the day’s proceedings and for up-to-date information (including changes and any additional appearances of interest): www.universalpeaceday.com. Over the years, UPD has received support by way of performances from such well known entertainers as Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, Odetta and Peter Yarrow, all especially beloved for their inspiration in helping to build a better world.
SuZen observes that the greater vision of the organizers is for UPD to become an international event. While this hasn’t happened yet, the good news is that many events along these lines are organized each year in many places. For example, in past years I’ve performed peace songs at a very beautiful and moving one at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, and other diverse and empowering ones in Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey.
To see and hear SuZen and Barry talk about UPD on Joel Landy’s Songs for Freedom cable TV show last year, visit this link: .
Come to NYC’s UPD if you possibly can do it. If you live far away, then why not think about starting one up where you are in the year ahead? You can contact UPD by email at .
admin July 25, 2007 at 1:09 pm
“Even so, affluenza has reached the point where government interference is necessary to control these wants…”
This statement makes me nervous. I agree that government interference will be a part of the “cure” for affluenza, but I think it needs to have more to do with controlling firms rather than people. The concept of a government controlling the “wants” of the people brings to mind several failed experiments – Cuba, for example. People have natural “wants” that for the most part are perfectly reasonable – we want to be comfortable, we want to be well-liked, we want to be happy. The problem is when unregulated firms go out and advertise, brainwash and capitalize on those wants, attaching false solutions to them. We will be comfortable if we have a big house and an expensive car, we will be well-liked if we wear designer clothing, we will be happy if we keep buying things that make us happy. Yes, now these attachments or amendments to our wants are fully internalized by the public, but I think it makes more sense for the government to go about addressing the cause of the problem – advertisement and unregulated firms, rather than the effect – a public that buys unnecessary and unhealthy products.
I like the idea of limiting options to children, but I think it would be even more effective in the long-run to limit the amount of advertising of unhealthy foods that reaches children. It’s a good first step to take unhealthy food out of school, but the children are still being inundated with advertising outside of school. Kids tend to want what they can’t have, especially when they know what it is and that other kids like it.
Lauren, I really appreciate your comment, but I think you may have misunderstood what I was saying. If you read on, I clearly say that the government can’t control the wants (desires) of the people directly. What I was trying to say in the phrase you commented on was that the government will be necessary to control affluenza (whether that be by a carbon tax, limiting the food options to children, or by controlling advertising–which I think is a very good point). I meant that the government (in some cases) will have to control the wants in an indirect way by controlling the causes. I should have been much more explicit in saying that. Thank you for drawing that to my attention.
Sorry for nitpicking about the wording, Ali. I definitely agree with what you are saying. I’m sort of having an inner debate right now about how much government regulation I want in general and I think I took it out on you!
I think it’d be cool to do something like an ad campaign to teach children about healthy consumption, a mix between regulating advertisement and regulating consumption.
I, too, find it especially interesting to consider the role of government intervention in the context of both affluenza and our country’s current financial situation. We live in a country that very much values capitalism and individualism. Many people are very wary of government intervention and its potential to “rob” the individual of rights and infringe upon our personal freedoms. With lingering Cold War-era taboos against communism and socialism, some people look very negatively upon the notion of government control. However, I believe that the government should hold the fundamental role of acting in the best interest of its citizens. In that context, the government should step in and enact programs that promote the overall well-being of the people. I agree that, in fighting against affluenza and strengthening our country’s economy, government action is necessary and has the potential to bring about a great deal of positive change.