In our world of conflict, are you committed to PEACE?
If so, we invite you to commit to a full day dedicated to
Peace with the Earth, Peace with Each Other and Peace Within.
Hilda Ontiveros Shares Neema Soratgar's Essay
Devon Peña
Grandma Bea
Peace with the Earth Panel
Stephen Niamke
Peace with Each Other Panel
Peace Within Panel
Time & Location
Saturday, Sep 21, 8:30 am - 5:30pm
This event will be held at the Tomas Rivera Conference Center, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), 351 W University Ave, El Paso, TX 79902 Registration required. 160 people maximum participants.
About the Event
Unity Through Creativity, the Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest, the Centennial Museum, The Women’s and Gender Studies Center, the Dance and Theater Department, the Sociology Departments of UTEP and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute invite YOU to participant El Paso's International Day of Peace Symposium. High School students are welcome.
The Symposium will be part of over 5000 nationwide gatherings for this year’s UN’s Global Peace Day, whose theme is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.” As in past years, we will focus on Peace Within, Peace With Each Other and Peace with the Earth. The goal is to build and strengthen networks of local and national peace practitioners. We seek to achieve this end by fostering an Interactive and Creative Time featuring YOU - the participants! There will be Round Table discussions, local organization panels, live-streamed Speakers, Collaborative Art-making and Cultural Celebrations.
National Speakers
Peace with the Earth
Devon Peña
Professor, farmer, author, environmental and food justice defender and protector. He is founder and president of the Acequia Institute a non-profit grant-making foundation supporting environmental & food justice. Home is a 181-acre acequia farm in Viejo San Acacio, CO and is located on Nuchu - Dinè - Tewa - Genizarx lands and waters.
Peace with Each Other
Stephen Niamke
A longtime community organizer and nonviolence trainer from Roanoke, VA, Stephen has joined the staff as National Field Organizer for Pax Christi.Grounded in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Pax Christi USA is a membership organization that rejects war, preparation for war, every form of violence and domination, and personal and systemic racism.
Peace Within
Paul Chappell
Paul K. Chappell is an international peace educator and founder of Peace Literacy. He graduated from West Point, was deployed to Iraq, and left active duty as a Captain. Realizing that humanity is facing new challenges that require us to become as well-trained in waging peace as soldiers are in waging war, Chappell created Peace Literacy to help students and adults from all backgrounds work toward their full potential and a more peaceful world.
Local Hosts and Presenters
Laurie Marshall
Laurie Marshall, Author, Innovator and Artist, empowers youth and adults through creative collaboration. She is the founder of Unity Through Creativity and the Singing Tree™ Mural Project.
Grandma Bea
Grandma Bea, Beatriz Villegas (Ilhuicatlahuili-Bea), is an elder from Ciudad Juárez, México.
Tawanda Chabikwa
Movement Facilitator, Professor, Dance and Theater Department, UTEP
Dr. Hilda Ontiveros
Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Texas at El Paso
Daniel Carey-Whalen
Host of the Day, Director of the Centennial Museum
Lynn Provenzano
Meditation Leader, Director of UTEP's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Social Dancers
The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Social Dancers are a tribal dance group which aim to educate audiences about Tigua heritage and culture.
Hal Marcus
Hal Marcus is an artist who has been painting for over 40 years and has been a long-term supporter of the Vegetarian community in El Paso.
Music & Mindfulness
Bettina Escudero, expert meditation teacher of Paso del Norte Mindfulness Consulting, using soothing music by El Paso Pro-Musica.
Danza Azteca Omecoatl
Aztec Dance
Aurolyn Luykx
Facilitator of the Day, UTEP's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Panelists
Schedule
(Subject to Change)
9:00am - 9:20am Welcome by Daniel Carey-Whalen, M.A., M.U.P. Director, Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan
Desert Gardens and Dr. Hilda Ontiveros, Director of Women and Gender Studies of UTEP
9:20am - 9:30am Invitation to add to the Singing Tree Mural – Laurie Marshall
9:30am - 10:00am Aurolyn Luykx, Moderator for the Day - the importance of the pre- and post-assessment, a Fun Ice Breaker
10:00am - 10:30am Grandma Bea and Danza Azteca Omecoatl Blessing
Peace with the Earth
10:30am - 11:00am Keynote Devon Peña, Professor, farmer, author, environmental and food justice defender and protector.
11:00am - 11:30am Panel of Local Community Organizations
- Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
- Eco El Paso
- Houston in Action (El Paso)
- Amanecer
- Chihuahuan Desert Climate Fellows- Climate Action Plan
11:30am – 11:35am Twin Hearts Meditation led by Lynn Provenzano
11:35am - 12:00pm Round Table – Artistic and Verbal Reflection
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch
Peace with Each Other
1:00pm - 1:30pm Second Keynote presentation Stephen Niamke. National Field Organizer, PAX Christi USA
1:30pm - 2:00pm Panel of Local Community Organizations
- YWCA
- Pax Christi - Restorative Justice
- Project Regeneracion
- Abara
2:00pm -2:25pm Round Table – Artistic and Verbal Reflection
2:25pm -2:30pm Dance led by Dr. Tawanda Chabikwa
Peace Within
2:30pm - 3:00pm Paul Chappell, Former Army Captain, Peace Literacy and Human Needs
3:00pm - 3:30pm Panel of Local Community Organizations
- Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest
- Unity Through Creativity and The Neurobiology of Peace
- Hal Marcus
- Bettina Escudero
3:30pm -4:00pm Round Table – Artistic and Verbal Reflection
Closing
4:00pm - 4:30pm Dr. Hilda Ontiveros will lead a Plenary Session – What’s Next? – 3 Actions
4:30pm - 4:40pm Reflection of the Singing Tree
4:40pm - 4:50pm Aurloyn Luykx - Post Assessment
4:50pm - 5:00pm Closing Daniel Carey-Whalen
5:00-5:30pm Peace Parade and Circle Dance led by Dr. Tawanda Chabikwa to Centennial Plaza
Thank You to Our Sponsors
