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 Thousands of events worldwide were held for the UN International Day of Peace on September 21—and one of them was right here in Barrytown, NY.
To commemorate the day, Red Hook Town Supervisor Sue Crane proclaimed Sept. 21 an official “International Day of Peace throughout the Town of Red Hook.”
A group of 12 people worked hard to create this program for the Red Hook community. They feel ‘peace building’ is a compelling cause,” said Marty Miller of Pine Plains, the coordinator for the Mid Hudson Valley chapter of the Ambassadors for Peace (AFP) and the day.
A short video was distributed to local schools, explaining how the first Peace Day was started by Jeremy Gilley from England. “The movie showed how Afghanistan, one of the most war ravaged countries, stopped fighting for one day. Peace this one day allowed UNESCO workers to travel to remote areas and inoculate 1.3 million children against polio,” Miller said.
The program, held at the Unification Theological Seminary, included a kite flying contest for children, a peace message from a local interfaith minister, a peace vigil, concert and potluck dinner at the Peace Sanctuary and Labyrinth. It was a day of celebration, fun, and awareness that we as individuals can contribute to world peace in our own, different ways.
Next year, AFP hopes to involve more local groups and residents.
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