Whatcom Peace Day Event Grows

Sarah Covert-Bowlds is a senior at Ferndale High School and a member of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center board of directors.

The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center hosted its seventh annual International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at Assumption Catholic Church. More than 800 people packed the venue, inspired by the spirit of peace.

Keynote Speaker Rev. Robert Hughes shared fascinating stories of life and leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. Local activist Margie White was presented with the Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker Award, and the Kulshan Chorus inspired with song.

Two-hundred attendees kicked-off the event at Maritime Heritage Park with a peace march to the church, accompanied by large peace doves and student musicians from Ferndale and Bellingham high schools.

International Day of Peace was originally declared in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. In 2001, the United Nations adopted a resolution establishing the International Day of Peace as a “global call for ceasefire and non-violence” and gave it the fixed date of September 21. It encourages all people of the world to refrain from violent behavior and thoughts for at least one day of the year, and hold public events promoting peace education and awareness.

The evening program began with a reading of Mayor Dan Pike’s official Peace Day Proclamation that calls upon the people of Bellingham to “observe this day to imagine, build, cultivate and celebrate peace.” And celebrate they did!

Marie Marchand, executive director of the WPJC, presented the Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker Award to local activist Margie White. Margie has devoted her life to peace and justice in a plethora of ways. She went to Meridian, Mississippi in 1965 to participate in a voter registration drive. Later, working as a nurse, she protested the Gulf War and decade-long U.S. sanctions against Iraq in part because of the suffering of the children. After accepting the award, Margie said, “I’m glad I survived this ... I don’t like being the center of attention.” The Kulshan Chorus dedicated a jazzed-up “This Little Light of Mine” to our 2010 peace hero.

Rev. Robert Hughes spoke about his work in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr. and even preached at his church a few times! Hughes’ Southern charm accented the sincerity of his statements. Hughes didn’t address new problems so much as tell stories about past work; lessons from these tales can certainly apply to today’s issues. For example, he told the story of an old African-American woman walking down the street one day during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. A van pool driver stopped and called out, offering her a ride. The woman replied that her feet were burning, but her soul was on fire, adding, “I’m not walking for myself. I’m walking for my children and my grandchildren.” A fitting conclusion, considering the U.N.’s theme for this year’s Peace Day: “Youth for Peace and Development.”

Rev. Hughes’ main involvement at that time was as executive director of the Montgomery Council of Human Relations, an organization whose purpose was building bridges across races. Council meetings, Hughes reflected, were a “... free and frank exchange of ideas across different lines, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.” Hughes emphasized that such a setting is imperative within any discussion across perceived boundaries. He quoted his colleague Dr. King, saying: “Men often hate because they fear. They fear because they don’t know, and they don’t know because they don’t communicate. They don’t communicate because they are separated.” Breaking through the separation and forging conversation was the intent of the Council, which Hughes led. This kind of reaching out is certainly needed today in our world and right here in Whatcom County.

Hughes then held up a piece of the cross that the Ku Klux Klan burned on the front lawn of his home. He survived terrorism, but has never stopped believing in the power and possibility of peace.

This year’s event was a great success, thanks to the efforts of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, the volunteers, musicians, and of course, the 800 attendees. I’m looking forward to another great Peace Day next year. Until then, I encourage you to keep the spirit of peace in your heart and continue working for justice! §