This is Not a Plate | Human Rights | Identity | Language

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This is Not a Plate is travelling around the world and offers a beautiful and unique exhibition of ceramic art and poetry for universal responsibility.

The installation promotes the preservation of linguistic, cultural and intangible heritage of all communities and social responsibility education for unity, health, progress and peace.

The nave of St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace has been transformed ito a magical space in which 35 unique ceramic plates by ceramic artists from Nove, Italy are installed.

Each is inscribed with words we have in common that unite people around the world through their simultaneous presentation in 35 languages.

Entrance is free from 8 – 20 August from 10am to 10pm.

St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, 78 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AG.  More information from 07989 545 958 or tent@stethelburgas.org.

Mosques & Islamic Centres | International Day of Peace 21 Sept

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The London Peace Network has been working on something very special coming up this autumn.   View and download the flyer here.

This year the International Day of Peace, which is marked each year on 21 September, falls on a Friday.

Islamic centres across the UK and overseas will be leading their local communities in marking the day.

They will invite visitors to join them during or after Friday Prayers to exchange messages of peace, to celebrate local peace-building activities and to enjoy the hospitality offered.

Local schools, churches, synagogues, temples, gurdwaras and community organisations will be invited to observe the day by accepting these invitations.

Some Islamic Centres in the UK are pairing up with a nearby church, religious community or school and linking their observance of the International Day of Peace to similar pairs overseas.

The following Muslim centres and organisations will be marking the International Day of Peace this year.

Al-Khoei Islamic Centre

East London Mosque

The London Central Mosque and the Islamic Cultural Centre

Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board

Muslim Council of Britain

Majlis-e-Ulama Europe

We invite you to join them and to participate by inviting visitors, or by accepting invitations, to mark the occasion at your local mosque or Islamic centre.

To find out more, or to register your Mosque or Islamic Centre on the online Directory, please contact the London Peace Network.

Further information: each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

International Olympic Truce Centre – Open Forum

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Everyone was given an Olympic Truce pin badge, along with an information pack. The London Peace Network was given extra badges, so if you would like one, please contact us.

Dr Filis, the Director of the International Olympic Truce Centre, invited us all to join him at the Open Forum this afternoon.

The distinguished panel included Lord Michael Bates (who spoke at our event at the Imperial War Museum), Willi Lemke (special advisor to the UN Secretary General and who spoke at our Millennium Bridge event), Hugh Dugan (US Truce Foundation) and Fani Palli Petralia (Vice-Chairperson of the International Olympic Truce Foundation).

The Truce Wall in the Athletes’ Village has filled up with signatures already – Hugh suggested another couple of panels are added, generating a news story about the Truce which might be a welcome break from reports of the medal count.

The situations in Syria and Burma were of great concern to all present and one journalist, Evdoxia Lymperi of ERT3, asked what practical impact the Truce has had this time around.  The UN resolution was signed and co-sponsored by all 193 member states of the UN, yet some of the signatories show no sign of calling even a brief cease-fire during the Games.

The projects which LBFN and the London Peace Network have proposed are all (bar one) in conflict or post-conflict zones.  We are very pleased that the twinned UK-Pakistan project has been approved by the Foreign Office.  We hope to hear good news of twinned activites between local communities in the UK and Iran, Iraq, Ghana and Jamaica.  We are working on a proposal for Sri Lanka.

On behalf of the Network, I asked how the experience and expertise of local religious and community organisations (often at the sharp end of violence both in the UK and overseas) could be used to build a stronger Olympic Truce every four years.

The response from Dr Filis and Willi Lemke was very positive and we will be taking this forward with both the IOTC and the UN.

International Olympic Truce Centre Forum

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Rather short notice, I’m afraid, but we are all welcome to join Dr Filis, the Director of the International Olympic Truce Centre tomorrow.

He sent us a wonderful salutation for last Friday’s event on the Millennium Bridge.

Please come to the Open Forum at the House of Helenes, Carlton Club, 69 St James Street.

The speakers include:

• Willi Lemke, special advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace
• Lord Bates, member of the House of Lords, former MP
• Hugh Dugan, Founder of the US Truce Foundation
• Fani Palli Petralia, vice-chairperson of the International Olympic Truce Foundation
• Dr Filis, Director of the International Truce Centre will moderate the discussion.

The related Facebook page is here.

Dave Stewart headlines 2012 Hours Against Hate – Walk A Mile concert

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Tottenham student choir on stage with Dave Stewart at the rock concert last week.

A roar of applause went up for Tottenham students after their performance of “Everybody Dreams”.  The concert, Music That Changes The World, can be viewed on Livestream.  The line-up included KT Tunstall, Jihae, Daryl Hall, MOBY, Mike Scott & The Waterboys – and Hans Zimmer spoke movingly about the plight of Roma communities across Europe.

London Boroughs Faiths Network is proud to be part of the 2012 Hours Against Hate coalition (and 2012 Hours is part of the London Peace Network – great to be in partnership), which asks you to do something for someone who does not look, live, pray or love like you – there are fantastic volunteering opportunities across the capital this summer, including those co-ordinated by Faiths Forum for London.

Congratulations to Alex Goldberg and the organising team!   Alex writes

UK NGOs promoting global tolerance are delighted by support from Hilary Clinton and International Olympic Truce

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her support for the UK NGOs who have come together to the launch a 2012 Hours Against Hate campaign aimed at brining communities together as the campaign released its Walk-A-Mile smartphone app to promote global tolerance and fitness.

Initiated by the Department of State’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Hannah Rosenthal and Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith and UK NGOs 2012 Hours Against Hate is a campaign to stop bigotry and promote pluralism and respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, disability, and gender.

Using social media, the initiative asks young people to pledge an hour or more of their time to help someone who does not look, live, or pray like them. 2012 Hours Against Hate highlights Secretary Clinton’s commitment to the potential of young people to change the world.

“More and more, I see communities and people turning their backs on old boundaries and barriers and finding new ways to bridge divides. That’s the idea behind the 2012 Hours Against Hate campaign,” said Clinton.

You can download the Walk A Mile app and listen to Dave Stewart’s Man to Man, Woman to Woman here.

Near Neighbours Multi-faith Torch pledge

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Excitement as the 2012 Torch passes the steps of St George the Martyr, Southwark.

There was a bustle of flags, banners and torches being made as the Torch Relay approached Borough High Street, SE1 on Thursday – people from different religious traditions were busy putting the finishing touches to their work. Faces were painted, hands were decorated with henna.

Just in time, everybody made it out onto the steps of St George the Martyr – whoops of excitement and cheers greeted the Torch as it went past.

Near Neighbours supported the local multifaith Rockingham Youth Group and friends to get busy on this historic day.  Postcards carrying the pledge were handed around and everyone joined in –

“Inspired by the teachings of our faiths, and spurred on by the example of the Olympic athletes, may we all seek to be the best we can be:

increasing our compassion;

growing in our generosity;

becoming more hospitable;

practising greater forgiveness;

striving together for the good of our communities;

urging one another on in acts of righteousness;

so that we may bring hope and joy, friendship and laughter to enrich the lives of every person who lives in London.”

Siriol Davies (Diocese of Southwark) and Revd Tim Clapton (Near Neighbours) organised a great event.  The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Communities Minister Baroness Hanham and Lambeth Palace’s Revd Dr Toby Howarth and Revd Rana Khan all took part.

More bells for peace | Financial Times comment

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John Woodhouse ringing at 8.12am on 27 July

Not everyone managed to get to the Millennium Bridge last Friday at 8.12am (just as well), but word is reaching the London Peace Network that a few brave souls rang their door and other bells in solidarity.

Here is musician John Woodhouse, who convenes Westminster Cathedral Inter Faith Group and who is a regular at London Borough Faiths Network meetings.  Go John!

A couple of pieces by Peter Aspden in the Financial Times have mentioned the Olympic Truce:  Missing: that elusive truce (which mentions the glorious Peace Camp) and Childish fun and games (which mentions All The Bells).

The Olympic Truce has undoubtedly suffered from a rock-bottom profile (it doesn’t even get a mention in the London 2012 Official Book).  Most of the peace-building activities we include here at the London Peace Network involve local community groups and are below the radar, but many of them wouldn’t be happening at all were it not for the Olympic Truce.

The International Olympic Truce Centre actively supports peace-making efforts world wide.  We are hoping to meet the team while they are in London.

What do you think?

Is there a role for local communities in peace-building?  Both here in the UK and overseas, they tend to be at the sharp end when it comes to violence.  If so, what?

Or should we leave it to national and world leaders?  Ban Ki-moon said at the Friday Olympic Truce event organised by the Foreign Office that, having visited Srebrenica (which he said was one of the most painful places for a UN Secretary General to visit), he didn’t want a future UN SG to have to visit Syria in 10 years’ time to apologise.

Are there ways to harness the experience and expertise of both?  If so, how?

Ringing bells for the Olympic Truce and giving one of them to Ban Ki-moon

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Smiles, laughter, flags flying, a three-minute cacophony of tinkles, dings & dongs, ringtones, bicycle bells, woks, toy bells, silver bells, alarm clocks and egg-timers along with TV cameras, bemused sound engineers and commuters threading their way through (and joining in): we had a great time on the Millennium Bridge yesterday.

Thank you everyone for participating!

The London Evening Standard reported 150 people ringing bells for the Olympic Truce and Millennium Development Goals with the London Peace Network yesterday.  We were part of Martin Creed’s Work No 1197, All The Bells.

Hearing about the event through the Olympic Truce Facebook group (now 11 thousand strong with members across the globe), Kostas Hatzis came over from the Netherlands, wearing his national Greek costume.

Willi Lemke, UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, addressed and encouraged us and Toaha Qureshi MBE read inspiring salutations from the International Olympic Truce Centre.

We are honoured that Dr Constantinos Filis, the Director of the IOTC, has invited supporters of the Olympic Truce to meet him while he is in London.

Afterwards, we wondered if the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, would like a bell that was rung on the Bridge.  This would demonstrate the commitment of Londoners from many different communities to turning the ideal of the Olympic Truce into a living reality.

Geetha Maheshwaran kindly donated one of the bells which she and her son had rung on the bridge and which came from the Shree Ghanapathy Temple.

Watch the film and see what happened.

Did you make the director’s cut (thank you PL Robertson for filming us)?  Do you have your own photos to add?  Send them in.

11 thousand worldwide join Olympic Truce FB group

11 thousand worldwide join Olympic Truce FB group

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In four weeks, the new Olympic Truce Facebook group has grown to over 11,000 people from all over the world.

Don McBurney, the key admin, writes,

From David Wardrop, Westminster UNA – Why are we supporting the Olympic Truce? Because in ancient Greece, the Olympic Truce enabled athletes to travel unhindered through the lands of traditional enemies to and from the Olympic Games. So, during intense physical competition, there was created the spirit of ekecheiria, the holding of hands in peace. In 1993, the UN General Assembly agreed to the International Olympic Committee’s appeal to revive the Olympic Truce, to mobilise youth in the cause of peace. So, in the Olympic Village in London, the flags of the United Nations and the Olympic Truce will fly together.

What should we all do? Create new pictures, sculpture, poems, photos and ideas in the spirit of ekecheiria, the holding of hands in peace. Share them with each other through this Facebook Olympic Truce community. In a few days, we have attracted friends on every continent. Now, together we can take the message of the Olympic Truce round the world. Start sending your wonderful ideas to us and let’s hold hands in peace with each other in the spirit of peace.

Messages to London Peace Network

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We have received many wonderful and inspiring messages of support today.

We will be sharing  them with everyone who comes to ring All The Bells on the Millennium Bridge this morning.

Dr Constantinos Filis, the Director of the International Olympic Truce Centre in Athens, begins his salutation,

“People of London!  Thank you all for coming here to cheer for Olympic Truce!”

Irfan Wani in New Delhi posted this on our Facebook event page

“I might not be there physically but my inspiration and true feelings will be there for the peace at “a ringing bells for the Olympic Truce and the Millennium Development Goals” as a Prayer for success of establishment on peace and the shape of my bell will be my heart which will ring the bell tone of peace and harmony…Inshahallah…”

Mr George Papandreou, Vice-President of the International Olympic Truce Centre, former Prime Minister of Greece, begins his salutation,

“Supporters of Truce, Supporters of Peace!  It is a great honour for us that you have gathered here today!”

We will post photos and news after the event.

Guest post by Maryam Duale | Dine@Mine

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Thank you Maryam for this wonderful and evocative post – and for the challenge!

Who’s up for a bit of peace-building over a delicious meal?  Full details below.

Almost a year ago today I had the pleasure of attending Shabbat dinner at Rabbi Wittenberg’s house, a lovely soul that touches the hearts of everyone he meets.

It was also Ramadan on the night Rabbi welcomed 30 interfaith activists and myself into his home. The entry of Shabbat coincided quite nicely with the end of the fasting day.

We prayed the evening prayer in the garden after breaking our fast. As we prostrated on the cool grass we could hear the blessing for the challah bread (a special Jewish braided bread eaten on Shabbat and holidays) drifting through the kitchen window. That evening we broke our fast with fruit and challah bread.

It was perhaps one of the most special evenings of my life and one of the most unique Ramadan dinners ever!  Sharing in such an intimate moment as Shabbat with a Jewish family was simply beautiful!

Food plays an important role in many faith traditions. Whether it is Langar, free food offered to all people regardless of race or religion, in Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples), or Shabbat dinner, to mark the day of rest on a Friday night, or Iftar, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast in Ramadan. Food has the potential to bring people together, to create as well as rebuild broken bonds, and it has the power to create a hearty atmosphere for dialogue.

I know what Iftar is like at my house. It is loud, it is solemn, it is full of laughter, it is prayerful, and it is warm. Dine @ Mine is all about sharing the Ramadan experience with neighbours, colleagues; sharing food and making new friends. The idea is that Muslim families ‘apply’ to host non-Muslim families. And families from other backgrounds ‘apply’ to attend an Iftar.  Once we receive an application from families in the same area we put them in touch.

With over 20 Muslim families signed up and Dine@Mine events in London, Manchester and even as far as New Delhi and South Africa, it has grown beyond my expectations. Why? Because people are desperate to connect! They are desperate to break down those barriers and get to know their neighbours.

With the rise in Islamophobia many people are eager to understand the Muslim community and Islam. We hope this initiative will help to break down stereotypes and create a sense of community and lasting friendships.

If you would like to be paired with a family in your area during the Dine@Mine week in Ramadan please email dineatmine@ramadanfestival.org for more info.

Prom to herald the Olympic Truce 27 July

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On 27th July, just before the opening ceremony of Olympic Games, the Royal Albert Hall will host a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

What better choice of programme for the start of the Olympic Truce than Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?  The Choral Symphony is a setting of Schiller’s poem of universal fellowship

Ausgesöhnt die ganze Welt!       Reconcile the entire world! 

and will be performed by the intentionally intercultural West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by the late Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim in 1999 to bring young Arab and Israeli musicians together.

Barenboim says,

Great music is the result of deep listening.

Every player listening intently to the voice of the composer and to each other. Harmony in personal or international relations can also only exist by listening. Each party opening their ears to the other’s narrative or point of view.

In 1999, Edward Said and myself formed the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, composed of musicians from Israel, Palestine, and other Arab countries. Countries where the open ear has been too often replaced by the unsheathed sword, to the detriment of all.

Now, over 10 years later, we have hopefully achieved an orchestra that is worthy of your ear. And one which shows that people who listen to each other, both musically and in all other ways, can achieve greater things.

Promenading (usually just standing) tickets are available on the door of the Royal Albert Hall for £5 for this extraordinary performance on Friday 27th July at 6.30pm.

Peace Awards for brave Iraqi clergy

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The Al-Khoei Foundation was packed to hear from the recipients of the awards and from very many distinguished well-wishers.

A reception was held in honour of Sheikh Khalid al-Mulla and Sayyid Jawad al-Khoei for a Peace Prize awarded to them in recognition of their major contributions to peace making in Iraq.

The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East Peace Prize was awarded by The Right Honorable and Most Reverend Lord George Carey at the House of Lords on Thursday 12th July 2012.

Sheikh Khalid al-Mullah, Head of Iraqi Religious Scholars Association in the South; Sayyed Jawad al-Khoei, The Director for Al-Khoei Foundation branch in Najaf- Iraq, have worked together to promote co-existence and reconciliation in Iraq. They have liaised closely with Rev. Dr Andrew White, Chaplain of St George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad, who was also at the reception and who has worked tirelessly for peace making in Iraq.

Yousif Al-Khoei said, “We hope that together we can recognise and celebrate this interfaith work and the success of these religious leaders to create harmony and friendship between peoples.”

Everyone invited – All The Bells on Millennium Bridge Friday 27 July 8am

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Stop press: Facebook event page  All The Bells | Millennium Bridge | Olympic Truce.

Stop press: We have received a salutation from the Director of the International Olympic Truce Centre in Greece!

The London Peace Network invites you to a very special event on the Millennium Bridge (across the River Thames between Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral) on Friday 27th July at 8.12am – for three minutes.

The Olympic Truce flag will be flying from the bridge from 7.30am – please aim to arrive before 8am!

It will be fun – and it will also raise awareness about the Olympic Truce, the Millennium Development Goals and all the London Peace Network activities this summer.

We’ll be part of a huge national event, All The Bells, and we will hear the sounds of the big London bells, including Big Ben and St Paul’s Cathedral, ringing all around us.  A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The event will be filmed, so that everyone who participates will be able to download the video afterwards. We are reserving places for those who prefer not to be filmed.

Please pass this invitation on to your networks and let us know if you will be joining us – particularly if you are bringing a large group.

The flyer includes several links for further information, but please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions and to let us know how many people you are bringing.

Gower Pilgrimage ends today

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Pam Evans of Peace Mala writes about the start of the Walk for World Peace.

The atmosphere was wonderful and illustrated so well how people of different faiths and cultures can join together in friendship and work together for peace. Well done to our pilgrims who made it all the way from Newport and Cardiff to be with us.

The service was very moving with contributions given by three schools, including St Teilo’s High School who had driven down from Cardiff and were asked at the very last moment to contribute with the Peace Prayer of the Baha’i faith revealed Circa 1910 to Abdu’l Baha. Several faith traditions contributed to the blessing of the lights (Christian, Yungdrung Bon, Islamic and Jewish) and also took part in the service. We are grateful to Lama Khemsar Rinpoche who took time out of his busy schedule to be with us and share his Tibetan blessing for the pilgrimage. 

The new imam at Swansea University, Sheikh Hassan, stood in front of the altar and recited passages of peace from Sura’s (Al-Hujurat 49:13) and (Al-Anfal 8:61) in the Holy Qur’an. Tarrick El Hosaini stood at his side to give the English translations. I found this especially beautiful and very moving. Father Luke Holden of the Greek Orthodox Church chanted 1Corinthians 13 in Orthodox style… possibly the first time for some Catholic, Anglican and non Conformist Christians to have heard it delivered in such a meaningful way.

Much warmth and humour was shared by all clergy and faith representatives.

A little reminder to you all that the book to accompany the pilgrimage ‘Sharing the Light’ is now on sale for the special price of £5 during the pilgrimage. It will cost £6 after that.  The book takes the reader on a journey through Gower’s sacred landscape and explains the influence of the Celtic Saints, the Knights of Saint John, holy wells and springs and Gower’s Pre-Christian Sacred Sites. The story of how the pilgrimage unfolded is also explained along with how the blessed lights of the World Peace Flame, the Light of Saint Brighid and the light from the Shrine of Saint David were collected for the pilgrimage.

I will look forward to seeing some of you again at the service of thanksgiving and prayers for world peace that will take place this coming Sunday to mark the end of the pilgrimage. This will take place at St Rhidian & St Illtyd’s Church in Llanrhidian and will begin at 4pm. Our pilgrims are expected to arrive at approximately 3.15pm.

Details of Sharing the Light, the book that Pam mentions can be found here.  Archbishop Rowan Williams has supported the work of Peace Mala over the years and writes of the Walk for World Peace,

“The challenge of making and keeping peace is a task far too great for any one faith community to tackle on its own, and the deeply impressive work of the Peace Mala network over the last ten years has consistently reminded us of this. It has been a privilege to be involved with this vision, and I pray every blessing on all it continues to do and on all who are joining together (for this pilgrimage).”

Millennium Bridge on Friday 27 July 8.12am – once in a lifetime

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The London Peace Network invites you to a very special event on the Millennium Bridge (across the River Thames between Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral) on Friday 27th July at 8.12am – for three minutes.

The Olympic Truce flag will be flying from the bridge from 7.30am – please aim to arrive before 8am!

It will be fun – and it will also raise awareness about the Olympic Truce, the Millennium Development Goals and all the London Peace Network activities this summer.

We’ll be part of a huge national event, All The Bells, and we will hear the sounds of the big London bells, including Big Ben and St Paul’s Cathedral, ringing all around us.  A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The event will be filmed, so that everyone who participates will be able to download the video afterwards. We are reserving places for those who prefer not to be filmed.

Please pass this invitation on to your networks and let us know if you will be joining us – particularly if you are bringing a large group.

The flyer includes several links for further information, but please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions and to let us know how many people you are bringing.

Don’t miss the torch!

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Great ideas for bringing people together when the Torch Relay passes through our neighbourhoods from Rockingham Young People, supported by the Diocese of Southwark, Near Neighbours and Southwark Council.  On Thursday 26th July they will be offering

  • face painting
  • henna hands
  • placard making
  • multifaith pledges

to everyone who comes along!

And join in the football, drums, bouncy castle and much more when the Torch Relay arrives in Hackney this Saturday.  Download the flyer here.

Find out when the Torch Relay is coming to your borough here.   Local leaders resources are available here.

There’s also the Real Relay (no commercial sponsors, proceeds to charity) taking place and arriving in London tomorrow – see the schedule here.

And don’t forget Friday 27th All The Bells event all over London – if you’re not taking part locally, come & join us on the Millennium Bridge at 8.12am – and bring a bell to ring!

Pictures from Merton’s inter faith walk

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Merton Inter Faith Forum, supported by Merton Partnership, organised a walk on Sunday as part of South London Inter Faith Group‘s weekend of walks for this Olympic year.  The walk attracted a wide range of local residents.  The Revd Andrew Wakefield has kindly sent in some photos.

Rabbi Rothschild explains the importance of Torah Scrolls at Wimbledon Synagogue.

Walkers leaving the Buddhapadipa Temple.

Listening to Revd Mary Bide, Rector of St Mary.

Lunch!

Mrs Geetha Maheshwaran introducing the community at the Shree Ghanapathy Temple.

Final stop, Wimbledon Mosque – Saleem Sheikh and the Chair of the Mosque Council.

Thank you Andrew!  Photos from any of the peace-building events over the summer are welcome – just email them in.

All-day marathon reading of Homer’s Iliad – Sat 21st July

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As the Olympic Torch arrives in London, The Readers of Homer warmly invite you to take part in the marathon reading of THE ILIAD which will take place on July 21st from 10am to 8pm at the Hellenic Centre in London.

200 readers of all ages and backgrounds including Athletes, Diplomats, Journalists, Artists, students and children will gather to read and sing Homer’s great epic, one after the other, in the languages of the world. The event will be enhanced with on-stage projection of the text in English and related images, music interludes and melodies from the musical ensemble Daemonia Nymphe, on reconstructed ancient Greek Instruments by Nicholas Brass and a homeric feast.

Their common aim will be to add their voices to the international Olympic call for truce and permanent peace, just a week before the official opening ceremony of the 2012 Games in London, promoting the human values and ideals which originated in Greece thousands of years ago, and still reverberate there, in Homer’s land, despite the current crisis.

Come along to listen, or register to read some of the Iliad here.