We have been invited to celebrate Peace Day at St. Christopher's School on Thursday 20 September, an event to which all Wrexham primary and secondary schools have been invited.

We'll be holding a Peace Day on the Library field again on Friday 21 September from midday until early evening.

Then, because some people won't be able to join in on Friday, we'll be back again on Saturday 22 September for another afternoon of peaceful celebration on the Library field.

There will be free gigs both evenings (Friday and Saturday) from 8pm at Saith Seren on Chester Street.

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN IN!

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WREXHAM SCHOOLS COME TOGETHER

St. Christopher's school in Wrexham is hosting a young people's day for World Peace on Thursday 20 September, as part of three days of events in Wrexham to mark International Day of Peace 2012. Ten schools are expected to send delegations of pupils aged 7-19 to take part in a whole day of peace activities, including speakers, workshops, stalls, art and craft, games, food, poetry, music, song, reflection and celebration.

The participants will learn practical ways to resolve conflicts in their own lives, hear about the lives of children in Palestine and Iraq, write and perform their own poetry for peace, make and share food, have a Peace Picnic, take part in a collaborative art project 'Hands Up for Peace' with a pledge for peace, make Sadako's origami cranes for peace, paper windmills for 'whirled peace' and peace badges, find out about life in a Peace Camp, share their possessions on the Give and Take stall, learn a song for peace to sing together, play co-operative games and much more. Schools are bringing their own presentations to share during the afternoon. These include a Welsh song and prayer, decorated peace doves and a peer mentoring programme that promotes peace in the school environment.

The event is the result of months of preparation and collaboration between St Christopher's and other schools, faith groups, peace and justice activists and local musicians. Workshop leaders are travelling from as far away as Leeds, south Wales, London and Scotland's Clydebank to take part and many local people have volunteered their time and skills to help on the day.

One of the speakers will be Veteran for Peace Ben Griffin, who was brought up in Machynlleth and Swansea. An ex-SAS soldier, Ben recently founded the UK chapter of Veterans for Peace, an organisation that has existed for 25 years in the US and is dedicated to the cause of world peace.

Other groups involved in this event include: Wrexham Diocese Faith, Justice and Peace Network; Wrexham Peace & Justice Forum (WPJF); Tangnefedd Group; Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI); Faslane Peace Camp; Forces Watch; The Absurd; Give and Take; Rainbow Therapies; CAFOD; Cymdeithas y Cymod; North Wales Eco-village Project; Leeds Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission and local band Heal the Last Stand.

The collaborative art display will consist of decorated handshapes made by Wrexham children creating a map of the world and two hands joined in friendship. The pledge reads:

"I sign this Hand for Peace with my name in recognition of my value as a human being and as an equal member of the family of all people on Earth.
May the awareness of our desire for Peace spread to all those who read my name.
Together in this way, we offer our open hands as a symbol to all that we wish to live in a Peaceful World.
This is the true wish of all Children everywhere.
May our hands be seen and our voices be heard."

One of those involved in planning the day, Genny Bove of WPJF, said:

"We hope that all those young people who participate will take their experiences away to use and share them at school, at home, everywhere. Our children are our future. Through children we can begin to build a peaceful world."


TWO DAYS FOR PEACE IN WREXHAM TOWN CENTRE

The events on 21 and 22 September begin midday Friday with a multi-faith peace service with readings on peace from different religions followed by an afternoon of live music, readings, poetry and art, along with a sharing Peace Picnic, 'Juice your own fruit' with the Yum Yum Project, a Give and Take sharing stall, peace and justice information stalls (including Palestine, Bradley Manning, nuclear issues, drones, veganism), and activities on Llywn Isaf (the library field), continuing from midday Saturday (live music from 3pm until 7pm) and with free gigs from 8pm both evenings at Saith Seren (the Seven Stars) on Chester Street.

Performers on Friday afternoon will include local band and peacemakers Heal the Last Stand, children from St. Christopher's and St Mary's schools and Wrexham Community Choir as well as Sue Gilmurray, former chair of the Movement for the Abolition of War, who will sing songs of peace. Friday evening's gig will include performances by Mother of Six and Defy All Reason.

Everyone is invited to join in - come to the service, take part in the activities, have a picnic, bring along items you no longer need for the Give and Take stall and find something on the stall to take away with you. If you have a poem or reading for peace, then there will be an opportunity to share it during the afternoon.


PEACE DAY IN LLANGOLLEN

Local vicar Andrew Sully, who took part in the multi-faith service and performed a song at last year's Peace Day in Wrexham is organising a day for peace in Llangollen this year on Friday 21 September from 12 noon - 2pm at the Bandstand, with music, readings and activities.


ALL WELCOME. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE.

For more information, contact  peacedaywrexham@yahoo.co.uk or call 0845 330 4505.
See also this facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/154000078072324/