Welcome to 2020 International Day of Peace
"No Justice, No Peace"
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For the 17th year in a row, Whatcom Peace & Justice Center will host Bellingham’s International Day of Peace celebration. International Day of Peace is WPJC's main fundraising and educational event of the year, raising critical funds to support the ever more critical work of the Center in advocating for peace and against wars & militarized systemic violence at home and abroad. This year, our goal is to raise $5,000. Funds will make it possible for us to keep our doors open for new and old peace activists while supporting our volunteers and staff in their service during this time of unprecedented need. Please give as generously as you are able. Donations are tax-deductible. This year features a series of virtual events including the presentation of our annual Lifetime Peacemaker Award, and a once-in-a-lifetime conversation between Seattle Black Panther co-founder Aaron Dixon and Portland artist, author, and educator Walidah Imarisha.
The historical discussion between two of the most significant Black organizers in the Pacific Northwest honors this year’s uprisings against state violence across the country following the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade while calling upon our local community to confront white supremacy and anti-Blackness wherever it arises. "No Justice No Peace" has been a historical chanting and message invoked in recent protests to highlight how positive peace will only be achieved in the presence of justice. International Day of Peace's Weekend Program
Program text:
✨Friday, September 18th✨
✨Saturday, September 19th✨
✨Sunday, September 20th✨
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Poster designed by Jonathan Soren (IG: @jon.soren)
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Portland historian, artist, author, and educator Walidah Imarisha. Walidah Imarisha
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Seattle Black Panther co-founder, writer and activist Aaron Dixon
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Walidah Imarisha is the co-editor of Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories From Social Justice Movements. She is also the author of Angels with Dirty Faces: Three Stories of Crime, Prison and Redemption, which won a 2017 Oregon Book Award, and the poetry collection Scars/Stars.
She spent 6 years with Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project as a public scholar facilitating programs across the state about Oregon Black history. |
At age 13, Aaron Dixon marched with Martin Luther King, who inspired him to join the civil rights movement. At 16, Dixon helped to establish the Black Student Union at the University of Washington. A year later, Dixon became captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party. After 10 years as a member of the BPP, he started a nonprofit and spent the next 25 years working with gang-involved youth. He is the author of My People Are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain.
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(Recently renamed!) Rosemary and Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker award:
Every year since 2005, our previously named "Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker award" has been given to a local peacemaker whose life's work is in the spirit of the founders of Bellingham's peace vigil.
What makes this year's award extra special is the decision to extend the honor and reflect Rosemary Harris' fundamental role in starting Bellingham's first weekly peace vigil and taking action for peace in our community!
This year's awardee is Dr. Vernon Damani Johnson, the co-founder of the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, political science professor at WWU, and longtime champion of nonviolence and civic engagement. Damani Johnson served on the board for the Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity; was a member of WWU’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force; is the director of the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Engagement; and speaks frequently about Black Lives Matter and anti-racist movementsthe movement toward anti-racism. He has focused his research on comparative settler colonial states in the global system and has taken special interest in the role of global citizens in community development in Africa. We are pleased to present the award to such an exceptional peacemaker in our community. Please join us in acknowledging Damani's contributions on Saturday, September 19th at 6pm (also to be replayed on Sunday 6pm-6:30pm).
Also on International Day of Peace Weekend:
Silent Auction (virtual & in person!)
On Friday, September 18th, we're hosting a surprise in-person portion of IDP at Holly St. Plaza from 12-4pm! Please follow CDC guidelines and wear a mask while social distancing! Come meet us there! We'll have amazing exclusive deals from local businesses for all kinds of pockets (starting bids at just $10 for items that are more than double the price!).
You can start early and bid online right now at: https://www.accelevents.com/e/idp2020
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Take Out for Peace
As part of the International Day of Peace weekend of events, these Black-owned businesses will be donating a portion of their proceeds to WPJC. Mark your calendars and make sure to buy from Guud Bowls on Friday (9/18), Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine on Saturday (9/19), and from Brandywine on Sunday (9/20)! Throughout the month, you can also order wine from OneHope Wine and 10% of your purchase will go to us! Then, share this poster on your social media and email lists — help spread the word!
"We Are Many" Film Premiere
We are also partnering with the We Are Many movie for its North America live-streaming premiere! On Monday, September 21st, at 5 pm PST, the live event will feature exclusive music performances, a screening of We Are Many and a Q&A panel discussion - including director Amir Amirani (co-producer Coup 53), cast members, and leaders from key activist organizations. The film tells the story behind the 2003 anti-Iraq War protests - the largest demonstration in history - and how it inspired the next generation of activists. You can watch the trailer here.
The entry cost is $12 general admission and $7 for students & seniors--40% of net profit from our ticket sales will benefit the WPJC!
Check it out here: https://watch.eventive.org/wearemany/play/5f5bd78d7d62b913049aa74d
The entry cost is $12 general admission and $7 for students & seniors--40% of net profit from our ticket sales will benefit the WPJC!
Check it out here: https://watch.eventive.org/wearemany/play/5f5bd78d7d62b913049aa74d
Spread the word:
Help us make it happen!
Download and share the poster with a blurb about International Day of Peace in your next newsletter. Even better share a video on why you think the WPJC and this year's theme are relevant to YOU and share in your social media! You can also Invite friends to the event on Facebook.
Share the above event details and this webpage with your congregation, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
Share the above event details and this webpage with your congregation, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
Want to become a Sponsor for Peace?
Contact WPJC at 360-734-0217 or office@whatcompjc.org if your business or organization wants to sponsor International Day of Peace.