Today we get to catch up on film screenings, peace festivals, vigils, and more from the Action Week 2021. While online events help to keep participants safe, they also allow us to watch some of the great discussions after the fact and use resources to cultivate peace and nonviolence year round. Be sure to check out the full list of actions to see more details of the great work organizers put in around the world!

Gill Burrows of Pace e Bene Australia shares: “There were over 1000 individual participants and over 8000 tickets sold to our various events. Participants were really appreciative and happy to be a part of it all.  We were delighted Michael Nagler was able to join us for our discussion forum on his movie The Third Harmony. We are most grateful to Pax Christi NSW for purchasing access to this movie for all festival participants for 72 hours prior to the Forum. Pace e Bene Australia members helped organize and present several events: Peace and Nonviolence Education in Schools, Climate Crisis, Peace and Security, Faiths and Peace. I am a member of the Sydney Knitting Nannas and friends who presented the Give Peace a Dance event, a fun session with slides of actions, music and a dance. Sydney Knitting Nannas are an activist group of women and some men who rally weekly in Sydney—when we’re not locked down—educating the public about the climate crisis and need to protect Land and Water for our grandchildren and all future generations. We rally against greed, fossil fuels and destruction of environment, oceans, forests and wildlife.” You can see recordings of the Raising Peace Festival here.

Sr. Beatrice of Our Lady of Victory Missionary in Huntington, IN writes: ”For the International Day of Peace we gathered at the motherhouse as we do every Wednesday evening at 7:00 for a Prayer for the World.  Our prayer on September 22 was a Prayer for Peace. Our style of prayer each Wednesday is Contemplation. We firmly believe in the power of prayer to transform individuals, groups and the world.  We begin each week with brief input on the issue we are praying about, a musical mantra followed by silent, group contemplative prayer.” Read their Peace Day prayer here.

Nathan DeMay of Atlanta Interfaith Ministries tells us: “We held a panel made up of representatives from different traditions, providing insights to how they live out nonviolent principles in their tradition. Each participant answered the following questions:
1. What are your tradition’s teachings around nonviolence and peace?
2. What practices does your tradition engage in around nonviolence?
3. What do you think the largest challenge to nonviolent action is today?
4. What advice or wisdom around nonviolent action do you want to share with the audience?
By gathering as an interfaith panel we already demonstrated how unnecessary sectarian violence is; hopefully the wisdom shared by panel members will inspire nonviolent action and lifestyles.” Watch the panel in the video below.

Jennifer Kim of The Peace School in Chicago, IL reports: “This was the 43rd anniversary of Peace Day in Chicago, organized by The Peace School since 1978. The main focus is to bring communities and cultures together to create the expansive, healing energy of peace. We gathered online for One Minute of Silence for World Peace and the interactive Call to Peace and World Peace Flag Ceremony, where we put our hearts and voices together for peace in every country of the world as we viewed gorgeous photos of the Daley Plaza flag procession. The event included a video message from U.N. Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall. Voices of youth were also featured, including a recent Chicago high school graduate who was a speaker at this year's United Nations International Day of Peace Youth Observance. She talked about her experience of asking a question to the U.N. Secretary General and the excitement of being part of a gathering with youth from all over the world. Live music from the great Bruce A. Henry capped off the afternoon celebration. We firmly believe that in order to build a culture of peace, we must build the energy of peace beginning with our own hearts and minds. Next, we must recognize the fact that all cultures and peoples are part of one family on planet earth. Peace Day is a chance to create and spread this energy and message, which for many is life changing.” Watch the Peace Day presentation here.

Nina Streich of Orange County, FL describes: “The Global Peace Film Festival started with a reception to celebrate student artists who participated in the K-12 Student Peace Art Exhibit. A gala film screening of "Mission: Joy—Finding Happiness in Troubled Times," about His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, kicked off the film program that included around 32 films that screened throughout the festival week. The events in the Global Peace Film Festival are intended to inspire audiences and participants to engage in efforts to build a culture of peace and nonviolence.” Watch interviews with filmmakers and excerpts on their Youtube channel here. Check out news reports covering the event here and here.

Mark Meeks of Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church in Denver, CO shares: “We have had both prayers for peace indoors in our sanctuary with an outdoor gathering, once walking to the King Memorial in a nearby park, then going to our habitat garden by the church. The last two years we've been confined indoors, with the service being by zoom and phone last year, and this year having the gathering both at our sanctuary and by zoom. We focus our service entirely on reflections and prayers dedicated to the realization of God's peace. We place our faith community together with many others in a witness to and practice of peace. From the center in worship we look for continuing actions to witness to peace and to opposition to our military-industrial complex and to violations of human rights around the world. We work with many others to advocate for immigrants and seek peaceful refuge on their behalf. We seek peace with the earth striving for lives of greater faithfulness and care for the wellbeing of the earth and her creatures.”

Mike Coughlin of Pax Christi - Cleveland West Chapter tells us: “20 Participants stood along busy highway during rush hour with signs promoting peace and non-violence.”