If you were walking further down the tayelet into the heart of Jaffa on September 21st, you eventually would have wandered into a special gathering of music, arts and crafts, football, and the making of a human peace sign. At Kedem St., 132, the Peres Peace Center rises from the beach as a striking glass building that often opens its doors to the public for free lectures, exhibitions, and peace making initiatives. On Tuesday, it became the destination and host for a wide number of organizations and joint activities.
Starting at around 3:30pm, buses of children from Peace Players, the West Bank, and local schools came driving up to the center. Children of different backgrounds and colors – Christians, Jews, Muslims, children in the area, children of foreign workers, children in the Palestinian territories – came together to form a large peace sign, symbolizing the day’s purpose of uniting under a single message of peace.
From there, the kids and families enjoyed a variety of activities from break dancing, wall painting, planting, and football, of course. Inside the center, photographs from the unique peace-building project, “Frames of Reality” were displayed across the wall. The exhibition project brings together 20 Palestinian and Israeli professional photojournalists, producing images that oftentimes are overlooked by the media and news. Upstairs in the auditorium one could learn about the healing powers of Reiki, bridging the spiritual and meditative world with the theme of peace and coexistence.
As the sun goes down, which is truly a magnificent scene from the vantage point of the Peres Peace Center, the children and family activities roll to an end and live music takes center stage. Quite literally. An enormous stage with lighting and smoke effects lights up the night sky and the crowd gathers around to see an eclectic line-up of performances, including Daniella Spector, Groove Redemption and Hadag Nachash.
In 1981, September 21 was adopted as International Peace Day by the United Nations. Incorporated in the message of world peace is the belief in non-violence, and the day is marked as a cease-fire day. This year’s September 21st is particularly meaningful in view of the most recent Middle East Peace Talks lead by the United States. Tuesday’s efforts and joint activities, however, existed separately from any political demonstration or affiliation. Quite simply, it gave a platform for those kids, families, volunteers, and participants to enjoy a day together under a shared desire for peace. This single day has brought on a new tradition in Israel, especially for the Peres Peace Center. You can expect to wander into the same special gathering every year from now on, come September 21.
