Thousand Oaks Celebration Mark United Nations International Day of Peace

Thousand Oaks celebration mark United Nations International Day of Peace

By Rachel McGrath

Sunday, September 18, 2011

About 40 people representing several organizations in Ventura County gathered at Conejo Creek Park North in Thousand Oaks Sunday to mark the United Nations International Day of Peace.

The event, which began at 4 p.m. and continued into the evening, included a short "Be the Peace Walk," communal singing and a picnic

Friends Shoshana Brower of Westlake Village and Sue Cohen of Moorpark organized the event to honor those who work toward peace.

"We're hoping to bring people together so that they get an opportunity to talk about issues of peace and celebrate the good work that's happened within our county toward peace," Brower said.

Brower represented the California Lutheran University Center for Equality and Justice and Project Triumph that aims to bring Israeli and Arab youth together. Cohen is active in re:Generation, an organization that supports Waldorf schools in Israel and the West Bank and brings Arabs and Israelis together.

Others in attendance represented the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County, Partnership for Safe Families, Future Leaders of America, Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions and the Greater Contribution.

"They are organizations we've invited to sponsor this with us because they really reflect the different perspectives of working toward peace," said Cohen.

Cohen said she hoped the event might inspire people not already involved to find a way to make a difference in their community and in the world.

The official U.N. International Day of Peace falls on Sept. 21 but Brower said the United Nations designates September 11-21 as Peace Week.

After singing "If I Had A Hammer," Shepha Vainstein of Agoura Hills invited the group to join her in a "Be the Peace Walk" to a clearing in the park under a large oak tree.

"It's really walking with intention, honoring and supporting the courageous people on this planet who are working every day to fight very difficult circumstances and to keep a vision of what this world can be and working for making that vision," she said.

At the clearing, the group formed a circle and listened to readings in English, in Arabic by Palestinian Wael Mustafa Abu Hassan from the West bank who is doing research at CSU Northridge, and in Hebrew by Hanit Pilnick, an Israeli from Agoura Hills who came with her family.

Then they sang "Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Robin Lerner, a member of Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions who traveled from Ventura for the event, said she wished more people had shown up although, she said, it only takes a few to make a difference in the world.

"Five percent of the population can change the rest of the population so whenever anybody gets together it's a good thing and we are able to get our message out there and hopefully people will see it," said Lerner. 'There are alternative ways to deal with problems than wars."

"Anything that makes a community a peacemaker is very important," said Deborah Leshon of Westlake Village who's a member of re:Generation.

"I'm all for peace. I think it's much better than war," said Nicki Coble from Newbury Park.