SICA Invites Community to Participate in POEMS FOR PEACE on Peace Day Today

Austin-based Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) invites the entire Austin community - poetry groups, poetry teachers, poetry lovers, singers, dancers, artists, actors, pipers, players and friends to create and share POEMS FOR PEACE in honor of Peace Day, today, September 21, 2013.

Austin's own and former Executive Director of the Austin Creative Alliance, Latifah Taormina, spearheaded the Poems for Peace global initiative last year. Now, the celebration culminates in Austin with veteran Austin performers, Robert Faires, Janelle Buchanan, Katherine Catmull, Barbara Chisholm, and Steve Moore with Austin poets Kurt Heinzelman and Carrie Fountain sharing poems they love about peace at a FREE event Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 12:30 pm at ZACH Theatre's Kleberg Stage (1401 West Riverside Drive, Austin, 78704). The event is free of charge to the public.

VSA Texas is also on board with workshops to create Poems for Peace that can be displayed at the event on the 21st. Austin poet Kelsey Erin Shipman is facilitating.

That's just Austin. SICA is also hosting Poems for Peace events in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Fort Lauderdale, Sacramento, Chico, Portland, and Seattle in the USA; in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver in Canada; not to mention events in France, UK, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand - with more in the works. But Austin is the center of it all.

Peace One Day's theme for this year's Peace Day is "Who are you going to make peace with?" Taormina adds, "Maybe that begins with oneself, with forgiveness of ourselves and others, and from there we can begin to feel the peace inside we can share with others."

Taking part in Poems for Peace does not have to be in the form of a formal event. People can recite, write, sing and create poetry through flash mobs, poetry readings, parties, slams, performances, workshops, exhibits, classes, concerts, games and love-notes in honor of Peace Day. They can even "chalk them up" on sidewalks. There are lots of ideas on ways to participate on the the Poems for Peace website (www.poems-for-peace.org). Paricipants are also encouraged to post what they on Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PoemsForPeaceOneDay. Put your arms around the world with poems.

"This is about actively sharing one's love of peace through poetry." says Latifah Taormina, SICA's Board President. "Poems live in our music, our holy books and in our hearts. Poems for Peace is an invitation to connect to that place inside us all and share your favorite poems - wherever you are - on Peace Day."

SICA is proud to be part of this global initiative for peace which gives everyone an opportunity to share good things with friends and neighbors in a powerful and positive way.

Peace One Day began in 1999 as a cease fire initiative in Afghanistan to allow health workers to safely get to children to treat them on that day. In 2001 Peace One Day's efforts were rewarded when the United Nations unanimously adopted a new resolution to declare its International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. http://peaceoneday.org

About Peace Day - TODAY, September 21st: The International Day of Peace, a.k.a. "Peace Day," was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has enthusiastically endorsed Peace One Day's initiative and its global coalition, and encourages all people everywhere to participate in Peace Day, September 21, 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeAOxW7O9oE.

About The Subud International Cultural Association (SICA): The Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) is a nonprofit organization providing programs and services to individuals and organizations working in the fields of art, culture, and creativity for the development of human values across all fields of human endeavor. SICA believes the development of individual talent is critical to building love and respect among people everywhere. SICA was begun by members of the World Subud Association in 1983. www.subud-sica.org

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